Accounting Norway is a market oriented, competence- and service organization. Main targets are:

• Promote services of high quality for the members
• Promote favourable working conditions
• Being the main spokesman of the business sector
• Being an attractive partner and employer

Purpose

The purpose of Accounting Norway is to promote and encourage professional and technical interest and skills, economic and social interests by:

• Ensuring and protecting the members interests towards authorities
• Promote and encourage quality requirements
• Strengthening the members competence and skills
• Serve as a productive link between members, stimulate the collegiate and professional community 
• The members interests in legislative and political areas and ensuring favorable conditions for the sector and their SME customers
• The foundation of regional groups on experience exchange
• Support members on a wide range of issues 
• Offer a wide range of courses and seminars

Authorisation of accountants in Norway

All persons that offer accounting services to others have to be state authorized in accordance with Norwegian law. The Law of Authorisation for Accountants was implemented in 2023. In order to gain state authorization the accountant must have a minimum of formal education (minimum of 3 years of higher education within accounting, taxation, economics and business administration) and a varied and relevant practice (minimum of 2 man-years within the last 5 years period).

In order to keep their authorization the accountants are bound to update their knowledge by attending a minimum of 80 course hours within a period of 3 years. Within these areas, Accounting Norway offers a wide supply of relevant courses (accountancy, business development, economics, taxation and dues, legal matters, management, asf).

The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway (Finanstilsynet - www.finanstilsynet.no) has the administrative and controlling authority

Membership development and structural changes

The number of accountancy firms is declining due to take-over and merger. New actors on the accountancy arena are telecomputing, banks, Microsoft, other professions. Net accounting is expected to increase (reduced transaction costs).

Main tendency is many micro firms, the traditionalists are vanishing, larger unities/chain stores/alliances, new customers (medium sized companies), increase in outsourcing and prices are increasing.