Do you want to improve your international tax expertise and gain a globally recognised international tax qualification? Read on to find out about the benefits of the ADIT qualification.
ADIT offers you the opportunity to go beyond your own country’s tax system and learn about how tax systems interact. In an increasingly global world, where even the smallest businesses can use technology to expand overseas, ADIT gives you a robust foundation in international tax to make you stand out from the crowd. There has never been a more exciting time to be an international tax specialist!
ADIT is a practical qualification – combining academic understanding with real life application. ADIT is an advanced level designation in cross-border tax designed by a board of world-leading experts. You may already be working in international tax, having learned ‘on the job’ – the ADIT qualification fills the gaps in your knowledge and identifies you as a true international tax specialist.
One of the benefits of ADIT is that it offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to balance work & study commitments. The exams are modular, so you can take them in any order or all at the same sitting. You have plenty of time to complete the qualification, with at least 5 years to graduate. To graduate, you must pass the compulsory Principles of International Taxation paper plus two optional modules, or one optional module and an extended essay on the subject & jurisdiction of your choice. The only prerequisite to register as a student & take the exams is an email address!
If your home jurisdiction doesn’t offer a tax qualification on a par with the Chartered Tax Adviser qualification, studying for ADIT and becoming an International Tax Affiliate of the UK Chartered Institute of Taxation is your chance to gain a globally recognised tax qualification. When you become an International Tax Affiliate, you demonstrate your commitment to upholding the highest professional standards, and highlight your technical expertise and dedication to your career.
The core module – Principles of International Taxation – gives you a solid foundation in international tax without focusing on any one jurisdiction. Its syllabus covers key issues such as principles of international tax law, residence, double taxation conventions and treaty interpretation, transfer pricing, the work of the OECD and international tax avoidance.
You have free choice over your selections for the other two modules. You may choose to focus on the thematic papers to further develop your understanding of international tax in specific areas. Or you may choose to learn more about international tax rules in a neighbouring jurisdiction and a common headquarters jurisdiction, like Singapore or the UK. Or you can choose to mix a thematic & a jurisdiction option.
ADIT gives you the flexibility to design an international tax qualification that meets your needs.
The thematic options are:
- EU Direct Tax – examines the impact of European Union Law on all aspects of direct taxation for all Member States, including the background to EU Law in the Treaties, and the role of the various EU institutions.
- EU VAT – examines the European Union Law on Value Added Tax (VAT) which governs the VAT system in all Member States, including the fundamental concepts of EU Law, the provisions of the VAT Directive & other EU VAT legislation, and the application of EU Law by the Court of Justice in decided cases
- Banking – covers international taxation of the banking industry, including investment banking, capital markets, global markets, asset financing, asset management, private banking and wealth management.
- Upstream Oil & Gas – examines the taxation of upstream oil and gas operations in an international context, addressing fundamental tax issues within the oil and gas sector, including a number of country examples, permanent establishments and transfer pricing methods, the taxation of intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, financing and trading activities within the sector.
- Transfer Pricing – covers the fundamentals of transfer pricing based on the OECD model, focusing on transfer pricing methods, the arm’s length principle, comparability, compliance issues and avoiding double taxation and dispute resolution.
The jurisdiction options are:
- Australia – covers the structure of the Australian tax system with particular emphasis on Income Tax, Fringe Benefits Tax and Goods and Services Tax.
- Brazil – covers the structure of the Brazilian tax system with particular emphasis on the principle of territoriality, taxation of individuals, companies and non-residents, and Brazil’s international tax treaty network.
- China – covers the structure of the Chinese tax system with particular emphasis on Individual Income Tax, Enterprise Income Tax, and inbound and outbound investment taxes.
- Cyprus – covers the structure of the Cypriot tax system, with particular emphasis on Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Value added Tax, and topics such as the Cyprus Double Taxation Treaty Network, reorganisations and BEPS.
- Hong Kong – covers the Hong Kong income tax system as it affects individuals and corporate businesses, with particular emphasis on international trading, and includes various special categories of taxpayer, tax administration, double tax relief and tax planning.
- India – covers the structure of the Indian taxation system with particular emphasis on income tax (including income tax on capital gains) and wealth tax, and addresses tax jurisdiction (including territoriality), taxation of individuals, taxation of companies, tax planning, use of tax treaties, tax procedures, withholding taxes, and tax administration.
- Ireland – covers Irish personal, corporate and indirect taxes in an international context, along with double tax relief, reorganisations, transfer pricing, cross border issues and anti-avoidance.
- Malta – covers the structure of the Maltese tax system with particular emphasis on Income Tax, Income Tax from Capital Gains, Property Transfer Tax, Duty on Documents and Transfers and VAT.
- Singapore – covers the main income taxation issues typically encountered by global businesses operating in a territorial-based taxation economy that is highly dependent on international trade.
- United Kingdom – covers areas such as UK CFC legislation, double tax relief, thin capitalisation, reorganisations, transfer pricing, application of corporation tax to cross-border situations and anti-avoidance provisions.
- United States – covers federal income tax in detail (with particular emphasis on inbound and outbound cross-border situations, US tax treaties, transfer pricing and cross-border mergers and acquisitions), along with the basic rules of, and cross-border issues in, the federal estate tax, the federal gift tax, and state and local taxes.
As an alternative to one jurisdiction or thematic exam module, you have the option of writing a 15,000-20,000 word extended essay. This is a great option if your chosen area of international tax is not covered by an available ADIT module options or if you are completing a dissertation or thesis as part of an LLM or masters degree in international tax – a version of your dissertation or thesis may be submitted in fulfilment of the ADIT extended essay option (provided it meets the ADIT extended essay requirements.) Or perhaps you simply wish to gain the experience of researching and writing an advanced level extended essay that contributes to the academic discourse in a specialist area of international tax?
Did you know that you can also obtain modular and standalone certificates from the CIOT?
ADIT students who successfully complete Principles of International Taxation and one optional module may apply for a modular certificate recognising their partial ADIT achievement. Students who pass either Principles of International Taxation or a thematic module can alternatively apply for standalone certification. The modular certificate is a great option to demonstrate your growing expertise as you work towards becoming an ADIT graduate.
The standalone certificates are ideal if you are interested in gaining a qualification in one specialist area of the ADIT syllabus, for instance, transfer pricing. Or maybe you are already an ADIT graduate but wish to continue to expand your international tax knowledge by studying a further thematic module!
If you’d like to know more about the investment involved in achieving the ADIT international tax qualification, check out this article on the costs of studying ADIT.
Are you trying to decide between the ADIT & CTA qualifications? Read our useful CTA versus ADIT comparison here.
Think ADIT could be for you? Get in touch with your questions & to discuss our ADIT training solutions.
At Extratax Training, we offer live online training courses for:
Principles of International Taxation
We’re always happy to answer questions about our online ADIT training courses and give you the benefit of our ADIT experience.
Email us at info@extrataxtraining.com or start a conversation with our founder, Catriona Loughran, on LinkedIn.
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