STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust and Estate Accounting (Northern Ireland)

This course provides practitioners with the practical and technical knowledge and skills required to deliver advice in Northern Ireland relating to trust and estate accounting. This Advanced Certificate can be taken as part of the STEP Diploma.

Course details

This course provides practitioners with the technical knowledge and practical skills required to deliver holistic advice in Northern Ireland relating to trust and estate accounting. 

  • Gain in-depth expertise: Improve your technical knowledge of the issues arising in relation to trust and estate accounting and the laws and procedures involved.
  • Practical focus: Practical advice and guidance written by practitioners, for practitioners.
  • Build valuable connections: Network with like-minded professionals in varied roles and firms.
  • Industry recognition: A recognised ‘gold-standard’ professional qualification for those working in the industry. Successful completion provides 30 Diploma Level credits towards STEP membership, enhancing your professional standing, and is awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, a School of the University of Manchester.
trusts and estates accounting Step lock out logo

Register your interest

Students interested in enrolling onto this Advanced Certificate will need to complete a Contact Us form to register their interest and receive information on the next available dates. 

Prospective students registering their interest for this course will be informed by the course closing date whether the intake will be going ahead and invited to apply subject to meeting the entry requirements. 

STEP Advanced Certificate Set 1

Entry requirements

60 Entry Level credits which can be achieved through:

  • Completion of a STEP Certificate (30 credits)
  • Previous learning - confirmed through Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) application - 30 credits
  • Work experience - confirmed through Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) - 30 credits

Note: You do not need to apply for APEL or APCL if you already have confirmed, or if you have studied for at least two STEP Certificates previously.

Become a member of STEP

This is a STEP course/qualification. STEP membership is required to study this course and must be maintained throughout the duration of your studies.

You will need 60 Entry Level credits and if you are not already, you will become an Affiliate member by enrolling on this course. STEP will contact you regarding membership 4-6 weeks after course enrolment.

Successful completion of the course will provide 30 Diploma Level credits as part of the STEP Qualification and Membership framework.

What will I learn?

  • The principles of trust and estate accounting
  • How and why trustees and personal representatives should keep accounts
  • How to prepare and interpret trust and estate accounts
  • The principal trusts for which accounting may be required
  • The special rules relating to the accounting treatment of testamentary trusts or children
  • The law governing the investment of a trust fund by trustees
  • The practicalities of distributing a trust fund, including the trustees’ duty to account to beneficiaries and disclose information
  • How assets are valued for probate and appropriation purposes
  • How the principal type of legacies are accounted for

Is this course right for me?

Ideal for practitioners looking for professional accreditation, moving into or already working within the trusts and estates profession. 

Students of this course typically include:  

  • Legal and trust professionals  
  • Support staff and paralegals  
  • Accountants and banking professionals  
  • Charity specialists  
  • Tax advisers  
  • Independent financial advisers  
  • Executorship administrators 

You will need a working knowledge of Excel for this course.

Course format

The programme is delivered online and will take four months to complete. We recommend that you spend four to six hours per week on private study for the four months prior to the examination.

The course is assessed by a five-hour open-book written examination and candidates must achieve at least 50% to pass.

Course dates

Any questions?