Topics: Website design & costs
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Quick answer: Yes, a CA firm can run a website, as long as it informs visitors rather than solicits them. ICAI's Website Guidelines allow factual content such as the firm name, FRN, partners, services and knowledge articles, and have barred client names, fees, testimonials and "best firm" claims. The revised Code of Ethics, applicable from 1 April 2026, loosens promotion only for services that aren't exclusive to chartered accountants.
For a chartered accountant, the first question about a new website is rarely about colours or layout. It is whether the site could put the firm in breach of the Code of Ethics. That caution is sensible: ignoring the Council's guidelines counts as professional misconduct, and the rules were revised on 1 April 2026. This guide turns those rules into page-by-page decisions. We build websites; we don't sit on disciplinary committees. Treat this as a working checklist and confirm anything borderline against the current text on icai.org.
Can a CA firm have a website under ICAI rules?
Yes. ICAI has allowed members and firms to have websites since it first issued Website Guidelines in 2001; the guidelines set the boundaries, not the permission.
The restrictions come from the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949. Clause (6) of Part I of the First Schedule bars soliciting clients, and Clause (7) bars advertising except as the Council permits. Clause (1) of Part II of the Second Schedule then makes breaching Council guidelines a misconduct in itself. ICAI's advisory of 14 October 2020 explained how those clauses apply online, after the guidelines were revised at the Council's February 2020 meeting.
The principle underneath has been "pull, not push". A website is something a person chooses to visit; it shouldn't chase people who never asked. Until April 2026, a firm's services could not be presented in push mode at all. That is the part that has now changed, and only partly.
What information is a CA website allowed to show?
Factual information a visitor would reasonably look up: who you are, how to reach you, what you do and what you know. Compliant sites typically include:
- The firm name with "Chartered Accountants", the firm registration number (FRN) and the year of establishment
- Office addresses, phone numbers, email and working hours
- Partners' names, qualifications and areas of work, with passport-style photographs
- The services the firm provides, described plainly
- Articles, tax updates and educational videos produced by the firm
- Careers and articleship openings
- Links to regulators and professional bodies
Notice what the list has in common: every item can be checked. None of it is an opinion about the firm's quality.
What is prohibited on a CA firm website?
ICAI's 2020 advisory listed 29 prohibited items and said the list was not exhaustive. Grouped, they look like this:
| Category | Examples from ICAI's 2020 list | What it means for your site |
|---|---|---|
| Clients | Client names or logos; testimonials naming clients | No client wall, no named case studies, no embedded reviews |
| Price | Professional fees, or saying a service is free | No pricing page, no "free consultation" banners |
| Self-praise | "Leading", "Best" or "Top" firm; subjective claims about quality or facilities; "why choose us" | Describe services; don't rank yourself |
| Recognition | Awards, gradings, ISO or other certifications, media coverage | Hold them if you like, but don't display them |
| Associations | Affiliations with national or international bodies, empanelments, Institute committee roles | Leave them off partner bios |
| Media | Photographs other than passport style, event galleries, non-educational videos | No office party albums or promotional films |
| Scope | Activities outside the profession, government liaison claims, arranging loans, non-professional news | Keep every page about professional services |
| Links and ads | Links to commercial organisations; advertising any product or entity | No affiliate links or sponsor banners |
| Delivery | Presenting services in push mode | Revised in 2026 for non-exclusive services |
The table summarises; the advisory is the authority. If something on your draft site appears in that list, assume it has to go unless the current guidelines clearly permit it.
What changed in ICAI's advertising and website rules from April 2026?
Per ICAI's press release of 12 December 2025, the Council's 447th meeting approved the revised 13th edition of the Code of Ethics, applicable from 1 April 2026, including amendments to the Advertisement and Website Guidelines. The changes ICAI announced:
- Push promotion for non-exclusive services. Services that are not exclusive to the CA profession, with consultancy and accounting given as examples, can now be promoted through push mode.
- More creative advertisement write-ups. The amendments are meant to give members greater creative flexibility within the advertisement rules.
- Websites for network firms. Network firms registered with ICAI may now develop and maintain their own websites.
What the announcement doesn't say matters just as much. It does not open audit and other attest work to promotion, and it does not declare testimonials, client names or fees acceptable. Because the 2020 list predates the 13th edition, read the current Website Guidelines for exact wording instead of relying on news summaries, this one included.
For a website, the consequence is structural. Keep exclusive services, such as statutory audit and certification, on calm factual pages. Give non-exclusive services, such as bookkeeping, virtual CFO work or business advisory, pages of their own, so any email campaign or ad points only at them.
Which pages should a compliant CA website include?
Seven core pages cover almost every practice: home, firm profile, partners, services, knowledge resources, careers and contact, plus a disclaimer and privacy notice.
| Page | What it carries | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Firm name, FRN, a line on practice areas, office locations, a contact route | Taglines that slip into "best" or "trusted by hundreds" |
| Firm profile | Year established, offices, practice areas, how engagements are structured | Awards, rankings or growth boasts |
| Partners | Names, qualifications, areas of work, passport-style photos | Committee memberships and empanelments |
| Services | One section per service, split into exclusive and non-exclusive | Fee mentions, "free" offers, promised outcomes |
| Knowledge resources | Articles, due-date calendars, explainer videos | Sign-offs that read as soliciting work |
| Careers | Articleship and staff openings, how to apply | Event photos used to show "culture" |
| Contact | Address, map, phone, email, an enquiry form | Pop-ups or chat widgets pushing consultations |
Add a short disclaimer stating that the site is for information and isn't an advertisement or solicitation. It's a sensible safeguard, though it can't rescue content that breaks the guidelines. Add a privacy notice as well, because an enquiry form collects personal data.
How do you design a CA website that builds trust without soliciting?
Let verifiable detail do the persuading. Someone comparing three firms will trust the one showing qualified partners, clear services and published expertise over the one praising itself.
| Tempting element | Compliant alternative |
|---|---|
| Client testimonials | Partner profiles with qualifications and years in practice |
| "Best CA firm in Pune" | A precise description of practice areas and office locations |
| Client logo strip | The sectors the practice covers, without naming anyone |
| Awards and rankings | Articles and papers written by partners |
| "Why choose us" | A factual page on how an engagement runs, from documents to filing |
| Fee packages | An enquiry form asking what the visitor needs |
Visual choices send the same message. Restrained colour, credible typography, generous spacing and readable tables suit a profession built on accuracy. Skip autoplaying sliders and countdown offers; they look out of place even where they're technically allowed. Make it quick on a phone, since many clients will look you up on one between meetings.
Most firms need a small-business or custom site rather than anything elaborate. Our breakdown of what a professional website costs in India puts those at ₹15,000–₹60,000 and ₹60,000–₹1,50,000 respectively. If you're weighing up suppliers, our guide to choosing a web design company lists the questions to ask; add one more: "Have you built a site under ICAI's guidelines before?"
How should a CA firm handle blogs, social media and Google profiles?
Apply one test everywhere: factual, educational and free of solicitation.
- Blogs. Tax and compliance explainers fit the knowledge-resources idea well. Date every post, revise it when rules change, and end with a neutral line rather than "contact us to save tax".
- Social media. Share the same educational material. Don't repost client praise, and keep any push promotion confined to non-exclusive services once you've read the 2026 text.
- Google Business Profile. Stick to the firm name, address, hours, phone and website. Clients may leave reviews of their own accord; running a review drive, or copying those reviews onto your site, risks breaching the testimonial restriction.
- Ads. Paid search and social ads are generally treated as push promotion, so limit them to non-exclusive services and read the Advertisement Guidelines before spending anything.
The habit that keeps firms out of trouble is simple. Keep a one-page compliance checklist drawn from the current guidelines, and have a partner sign off every new page, post or ad before it goes live.
Frequently asked questions
Can CAs show client testimonials on their website?
ICAI's 2020 list of prohibited website content included testimonials naming the client, and client names and logos generally. The April 2026 amendments, as announced, don't lift that. Leave testimonials off and let partner credentials and published articles carry the trust.
Can a CA firm run Google or Meta ads?
From 1 April 2026, ICAI allows services that aren't exclusive to the profession, such as consultancy and accounting, to be promoted through push mode, and paid ads are generally treated as push promotion. Ads shouldn't promote audit or other exclusive services, and they must follow the Advertisement Guidelines. Read the current text before launching a campaign.
Do I need to inform ICAI about my firm's website?
We haven't been able to confirm a current requirement to notify the Institute of a website address, so check the Website Guidelines in the 13th edition or ask ICAI's Ethical Standards Board directly. Either way, keep a dated record of the site's content and the compliance checks you ran.
Can a CA firm website mention fees?
No. ICAI's 2020 advisory lists professional fees, and statements that a service is free, among prohibited website content. Use an enquiry form and discuss fees privately with each prospective client.
Can a CA firm publish blog posts on tax topics?
Yes. Articles and educational content fit the knowledge resources the guidelines permit. Keep them informative, avoid naming clients in examples, and don't close posts with a sales pitch.
Plan your firm's website with us
We build calm, fast sites for practices and map every page against the current guidelines before design starts. See how we approach websites for professional firms, then tell us about your practice and we'll help you plan a compliant CA website, with a fixed price usually within one business day. Prefer a conversation first? Book a free call.