The ACCA Advanced Taxation – United Kingdom (ATX-UK) syllabus builds directly on the foundational knowledge from the Applied Skills Taxation (TX-UK) exam, shifting focus from basic calculations to advanced tax planning and professional advice.
ATX Syllabus Overview
The Official ATX-UK Study Guide details several core technical areas:
- Income Tax: Includes advanced residence and domicile issues, taxation of trusts, and overseas income.
- Capital Gains Tax (CGT): Covers complex disposals, share matching, and reorganization/reconstruction reliefs.
- Inheritance Tax (IHT): Focuses on lifetime transfers, death estates, business/agricultural property reliefs, and trust taxation.
- Corporation Tax: Extends to group structures, consortiums, overseas branches, and controlled foreign companies.
- Stamp Taxes: Introduces taxes on property (SDLT) and share transactions.
- Value Added Tax (VAT) & Administration: Advanced compliance, group registration, and complex international transactions.
Key Learning Outcomes
Candidates are expected to demonstrate high-level expertise in:
- Applying advanced knowledge of the UK tax system to individuals and businesses.
- Evaluating tax impacts of financial decisions and identifying how different taxes interact.
- Minimizing or deferring liabilities using legitimate tax planning measures.
- Communicating complex tax advice effectively to clients and tax authorities like HMRC.
- Demonstrating professional skills such as analysis, evaluation, skepticism, and commercial acumen.
Exam Format
The exam is a 3-hour and 15-minute computer-based assessment consisting of:
- Section A: One 50-mark case study question (including 10 professional skills marks and 5 ethics marks).
- Section B: Two 25-mark questions, each containing 5 professional skills marks.