Activities of accounting advisers, bookkeeping, keeping tax records

A regulated trade (Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act) for the professional keeping of accounts, tax records and accounting advice for companies and self-employed persons. It requires documented professional qualification (education and practice in the field).

Conditions for operating

General conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record.
Professional qualification under Section 24 and Annex 2 (one of the following options):
- university education + 3 years of practice in the field
- higher professional education + 5 years of practice in the field
- secondary education with a school-leaving (maturita) examination + 5 years of practice in the field
- a retraining certificate or other proof of professional qualification for the relevant work activity (issued by an accredited institution, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports or the relevant ministry) + 5 years of practice in the field
The professional qualification may also be met through a responsible representative (Section 11).
Neither medical fitness nor liability insurance is required.

Examples of activities

bookkeeping for companies
keeping tax records for the self-employed
accounting advice and methodological assistance
processing of payroll and HR administration
preparation of financial statements
reconstruction and review of accounts
preparation of supporting documents for tax returns

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade "Activities of accounting advisers, bookkeeping, keeping tax records" is one of the regulated trades (Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act, No. 455/1991 Coll.). It entitles you to professionally keep accounts for entrepreneurs and ordinary individuals, process tax records and provide expert accounting advice.

It is one of the most sought-after regulated trades. The state regulates it because faulty accounting can cause a client considerable damage as well as penalties from the tax office. Unlike an unqualified (free) trade, you must therefore document your professional qualification (a combination of education and practice).

The demarcation against tax advice and auditing is important. This trade does not entitle you to perform the activity of a tax adviser or an auditor in their statutory sense; those have their own professional acts and chambers.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The trade covers in particular:

bookkeeping (formerly double-entry) for companies and the self-employed,
keeping tax records for persons who do not keep accounts,
processing and keeping payroll and HR administration,
preparing financial statements and supporting documents for tax returns,
accounting advice and methodological assistance to the client,
reconstruction and review of accounts.

The boundaries with neighbouring activities:

Tax advice under Act No. 523/1992 Coll. (representation before the tax office, tax optimisation as a liberal profession) is not a trade and is performed by a tax adviser registered with the Chamber of Tax Advisers.
Auditing of financial statements is reserved for auditors under Act No. 93/2009 Coll.
The preparation of a tax return itself as a service can be processed within this trade, but you may not represent the client as a tax adviser on the basis of this licence.

Statutory conditions for obtaining the trade

You must meet two groups of conditions.

1) General conditions (Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act):

full legal capacity,
a clean criminal record (assessed under Section 6 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.).

The Act does not require medical fitness or liability insurance for this trade.

2) Professional qualification (Section 24 of the Trade Licensing Act, Annex 2):

The governing provisions are Sections 6 to 8 and Section 24 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll. You prove your professional qualification by one of these options:

Education	Required practice in the field
university education	3 years
higher professional education	5 years
secondary education with a school-leaving (maturita) examination	5 years
a retraining certificate or other proof of professional qualification for the relevant work activity (issued by an accredited institution, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports or the relevant ministry)	5 years

The recognition of qualifications from other EU states is governed by Directive 2005/36/EC; the central authority is the Ministry of Industry and Trade. An appeal may be lodged against a decision of the Trade Licensing Office, which is decided within the central competence by the Minister of Industry and Trade.

Responsible representative (Section 11): If you do not meet the professional qualification yourself (typically in the case of a legal entity, or where a natural-person entrepreneur lacks it), you may appoint a responsible representative who meets the conditions and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. One person may act as a responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs.

How to notify the trade step by step

Verify your qualification. Prepare your proof of education and documents proving practice in the field (e.g. employment contracts, confirmation from an employer).
Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF). With a single form you handle the trade as well as registrations with the social security administration and the health insurance company.
Submit the notification. In person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the office of a municipality with extended competence), online via the rzp.gov.cz portal (with a data box or with the citizen's eID), or at a Czech POINT contact point.
Pay the fee. CZK 1,000 for a standard notification, CZK 800 for electronic filing.
Wait for the entry. For a notifiable trade, the office enters you in the Trade Register and issues an extract within 5 working days. However, the licence arises as early as the day of notification, so you can start doing business immediately.

You can find a detailed universal procedure in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

proof of education (diploma, school-leaving certificate) according to the chosen option,
documents proving practice in the field (3 or 5 years depending on education),
proof of identity,
for a responsible representative, their documents and consent to the appointment,
an administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (notification) / CZK 800 (electronically),
the office verifies the clean criminal record of a Czech citizen itself; you do not submit a criminal record extract.

Frequently asked questions

Can I prepare clients' tax returns under this trade?

You may process and prepare a tax return as an accounting service. However, you may not act as a tax adviser under Act No. 523/1992 Coll. (that requires registration with the Chamber of Tax Advisers).

Is an apprenticeship certificate with practice enough, as with a craft trade?

No. A regulated trade cannot be met by practice alone or by an apprenticeship certificate alone. The Act requires at least secondary education with a school-leaving examination (plus 5 years of practice), or a higher level of education with shorter practice.

What if I do not meet the qualification?

You may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 who meets the conditions. Without documented qualification (your own or via a representative), the office will not register the trade.

Is liability insurance needed for the trade?

The Act does not require it. In practice, however, professional liability insurance is strongly recommended, because you bear responsibility for errors in the client's accounting.

How quickly can I start doing business?

The licence arises on the day of notification. The office issues the extract from the Trade Register within 5 working days.