Q: According to the applicable requirements of the Ministry of Finance, the accountant-in-charge shall hold the accountant qualification certificate. However, we want to ask what requirements and what qualifications must be met for a Taiwan person to become Accountant Director in a foreign-funded enterprise? Whether such Taiwan person must take the accounting qualification examination? Or any otherwise requirements such Taiwan person must met?

A: The Administrative Measures for Accountant Qualification of the Ministry of Finance [CZBLD26] goes, “China implements the accounting qualification examination system. … The applicants passing all the courses of the accounting qualification examination may apply for the accountant qualification certificate from the local financial department above the county level in the place where the accounting qualification examination was taken, Finance Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and the Central Authority (hereinafter referred to as the “Management Authority of accountant qualification certificates”). The Measures is applicable for application for accountant qualification certificates by residents from Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions, Macao Special Administrative Regions, and Taiwan.” Therefore, foreigners must hold an accountant qualification certificate for them to engage in accountancy. The above reply is only for reference, and the actual operation shall be subjected to the judgments by the competent finance authority.