Global Accounting Alliance

What Global Accounting Alliance does

The Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) is a not-for-profit alliance of 10 of the world's leading professional accountancy bodies, formed in November 2005 and registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales. The 10 member organizations are AICPA & CIMA, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Chartered Accountants Ireland, Chartered Professional Accountants Canada, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer in Deutschland (IDW), Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, collectively representing over 1.4 million professional accountants globally. Its mission is to serve the public interest by promoting quality services, sharing information, and coordinating advocacy on international issues facing the profession, with the secretariat hosted out of offices at AICPA & CIMA (New York headquarters), CPA Canada, and ICAEW.

The GAA coordinates member activity through five Working Groups (Audit & Assurance, Education, Sustainability, Tax, and Influence & Advocacy), plus an Ethics working stream, and produces publications such as the Corporate Natural Capital Accounting report, the Attraction & Retention in the Global Accounting Profession survey (conducted with AICPA & CIMA and CAPA, covering 2.5 million accountants across 33 bodies), and guides on sustainability assurance and nature-related financial disclosure. It operates the GAA Passport program to support cross-border membership and submits comment letters to standard-setters including IFAC, IESBA, IAASB, and ISSB, with the 10 member bodies covering jurisdictions accounting for 60% of global GDP.

The GAA does not develop or sell proprietary technology products and has no commercial pricing model. Revenue comes from membership contributions from its 10 member organizations rather than licensing, transaction fees, or service revenue. Distribution of GAA resources and passport benefits flows through the member bodies to individual accountants, supplemented by the public website, downloadable reports, co-sponsored by-invitation forums (Global Accounting and Audit Forum, Sustainability Assurance event, Ethics Event), and thought-leadership content on LinkedIn and multimedia channels. The alliance is governed by a Board of Directors comprising the CEOs of its member organizations, with Jim Knafo serving as CEO and Pamela Steer (CEO of CPA Canada) elected as Chair effective April 1, 2026.

Name

Global Accounting Alliance

Legal name

Global Accounting Alliance

Website

https://globalaccountingalliance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Global Accounting Alliance is a not-for-profit alliance of 10 leading professional accountancy bodies representing over 1.4 million accountants globally. It coordinates advocacy, working groups, and standard-setting engagement across major capital markets, funded by member contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions from member bodies: The GAA is funded through contributions from its 10 member organizations (professional accountancy bodies). As a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, it operates on membership fees rather than commercial product or service revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Global Accounting Alliance is a not-for-profit alliance of 10 leading professional accountancy bodies (AICPA & CIMA, CA ANZ, Chartered Accountants Ireland, CPA Canada, HKICPA, ICAEW, ICAS, IDW, JICPA, SAICA) collectively representing over 1.4 million professional accountants. It facilitates information sharing and collaboration across Audit & Assurance, Education, Sustainability, Tax, Influence & Advocacy, and Ethics Working Groups; offers the GAA Passport for cross-border member support; publishes guidance reports; and coordinates advocacy on international standards with bodies such as IFAC, IAASB, ISSB, and IESBA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GAA Working Groups (Audit & Assurance, Education, Sustainability, Tax, Influence & Advocacy, Ethics) Permanent collaborative groups that facilitate information sharing and collaboration among member-body staff; meet with key national and international stakeholders; and lead the advancement of the accounting profession through special projects directed by the Board and CEO. The five permanent working groups cover Audit & Assurance, Education, Sustainability, Tax, and Influence & Advocacy, with an additional Ethics group.
• GAA Passport Program Cross-border membership support program that enables professional accountants who are members of one of the 10 GAA member bodies to receive recognition and assistance when working temporarily in another country covered by the GAA.
• Global Accounting and Audit Forum By-invitation forum that brings together professionals from accounting, academia, investors, regulators, and business leadership to discuss global accounting and audit issues. Co-sponsored with member bodies and event partners.
• Comment Letters and Advocacy Submissions to Standard-Setters Formal comment letters and policy responses submitted by the GAA to international accounting, ethics, and sustainability standard-setters (IFAC, IESBA, IAASB, ISSB), representing the coordinated position of the 10 member bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forty countries are now advancing ISSB-aligned disclosure frameworks, jurisdictions accounting for 60% of global GDP, 40% of capital markets, and 60% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• ICAEWflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2025The GAA held its Sustainability Assurance event on March 3, 2025, at Chartered Accountants' Hall, London, hosted by ICAEW. The event brought together audit and assurance providers, board members, corporate preparers, investors, regulators, and standard-setters to discuss sustainability assurance.
• Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024The GAA and JICPA co-sponsored the Global Accounting and Audit Forum on April 15, 2024, in Osaka, Japan — an exclusive by-invitation-only forum organized by Nikkei and supported by the Japan Financial Service Agency, Japan Audit & Supervisory Board Members Association, Japan Association of Corporate Directors, Japan Exchange Group, and the Institute of Internal Auditors. Over 125 professionals attended from accounting, academia, investors, regulators, and business leadership.
• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2023The GAA partnered with IFAC, We Mean Business Coalition, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S), and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) on guidance to help professional accountants deliver robust greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting, released in two parts in May 2023.
• Economist ImpactflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2023The GAA sponsored a panel discussion on 'Championing Ethical Leadership amid Competing Pressures' with Economist Impact on May 11, 2023, in Brussels. The event explored how business leaders, regulators, and professional bodies can work together to promote ethical behavior.
• AICPA & CIMA (Association of International Certified Professional Accountants)coreOthers · 1 November 2005The GAA is composed of 10 leading professional accountancy bodies. AICPA & CIMA is one of the founding member organizations, contributing to information sharing, working groups, and the GAA's mission to advance the accounting profession globally. The GAA secretariat operates out of AICPA & CIMA's offices in New York.
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)coreOthersCA ANZ is one of the 10 GAA member organizations, participating in all working groups and contributing to the alliance's global initiatives on sustainability, education, ethics, and audit quality.
• Chartered Accountants IrelandcoreOthersChartered Accountants Ireland is a member of the GAA, representing nearly 40,000 members across 100+ countries and supporting the education of 8,600 students. It contributes to GAA working groups and initiatives.
• Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA Canada)coreOthersCPA Canada is one of the GAA's 10 member organizations. CPA Canada CEO Pamela Steer was elected GAA Chair effective April 1, 2026. The GAA secretariat operates out of CPA Canada's offices. CPA Canada is a founding member of the GAA.
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)coreOthersHKICPA, with over 47,000 members and 14,000 registered students, is a GAA member organization contributing to the alliance's global standards, sustainability, and professional development initiatives.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)coreOthersICAEW is one of the GAA's 10 member bodies, with over 187,800 members and students. The GAA secretariat operates out of ICAEW's offices. ICAEW is a world-leading improvement regulator and contributes to all GAA working groups.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)coreOthersICAS is a GAA member body and the first professional body of accountants, created by Royal Charter in 1854. ICAS CEO Bruce Cartwright served as GAA Chair from January 1, 2025, succeeding Barry Melancon.
• Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer in Deutschland (IDW)coreOthersIDW is the German public auditors' professional body with over 14,000 members. It is a GAA member organization contributing to audit, assurance, and ethics working groups.
• Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA)coreOthersJICPA represents over 43,000 members and co-sponsored the 2024 Global Accounting and Audit Forum with the GAA in Osaka on April 15, 2024. It is a key member organization contributing to sustainability, education, and audit working groups.
• South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)coreOthersSAICA, representing over 50,000 members and associates, is a GAA member body contributing to the alliance's sustainability, education, and professional standards initiatives.
• We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GAA partnered with WMBC alongside IFAC, A4S, and WBCSD on guidance for accountants on greenhouse gas reporting, released May 30, 2023.
• Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GAA partnered with A4S alongside IFAC, WMBC, and WBCSD on guidance for accountants on greenhouse gas reporting, released May 30, 2023.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GAA partnered with WBCSD alongside IFAC, A4S, and WMBC on guidance for accountants on greenhouse gas reporting, released May 30, 2023.
• Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GAA, in partnership with AICPA & CIMA and CAPA, conducted a comprehensive survey on attraction and retention in the global accounting profession, sent to 35 member bodies with responses from 33 representing over 2.5 million accountants globally (report published February 2024).
• NikkeiflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNikkei organized the 2024 Global Accounting and Audit Forum co-sponsored by GAA and JICPA in Osaka. Nikkei hosted the event recordings on its channel.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GAA commissioned ERM to lead a report on Corporate Natural Capital Accounting (CNCA), supported by the Biodiversity Footprint Company, IDEEA Group, and eftec. The report was published in May 2024.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA): CIMA is one half of the AICPA & CIMA partnership and a major GAA member body. It is a globally recognized professional body focused on management accounting, and through its partnership with AICPA, it operates across roughly 200 countries with significant overlap with GAA's professional-development agenda.
• International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO): IOSCO is the international body that brings together securities regulators and sets standards for cross-border securities regulation. It is a key stakeholder for GAA's member bodies on audit oversight and capital markets issues, and is referenced in GAA's engagement materials.
• IFRS Foundation: The IFRS Foundation is the independent, not-for-profit organization that sets IFRS Accounting Standards and oversees the ISSB. GAA's member bodies actively engage with the IFRS Foundation's standard-setting boards, making it the upstream institution whose outputs drive much of GAA's advocacy agenda.
• Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA & CIMA): AICPA & CIMA is both a GAA member organization and an independent global body for CPAs and management accountants. The GAA secretariat operates out of AICPA & CIMA's New York offices, making it both a member/host and a separately significant professional body with overlapping global reach.

Direct peers

• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC): IFAC is the global umbrella organization for the accounting profession, representing over 180 member bodies. It is the most direct peer to GAA, with overlapping scope in standard-setting advocacy, public interest work, and sustainability initiatives; GAA has partnered with IFAC on GHG reporting guidance.
• Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA): CAPA is a regional alliance of accountancy bodies across the Asia-Pacific region. GAA has partnered with CAPA on the Attraction & Retention survey covering 33 member bodies and 2.5M accountants, and CAPA serves a structurally similar coordination role at a regional level.
• Accountancy Europe: Accountancy Europe is a regional federation of 51 professional accountancy bodies from 35 European countries. It mirrors GAA's federation-of-bodies model at the European level, providing comparable services in advocacy, thought leadership, and policy engagement on EU regulatory matters.

Emerging players

• International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC): The IIRC was a global coalition promoting integrated reporting that merged into the IFRS Foundation in 2022. Its former remit on integrated thinking and corporate reporting overlaps with GAA's sustainability and assurance working group agendas, making it an adjacent peer in the reporting-standards ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/globalaccountingalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Accounting Alliance