For most of the profession's history the answer was a firm no — a Chartered Accountant in India could not advertise or actively solicit work. A limited, passive ("pull") website was allowed, but pushing your services out to an audience was not. That changed on 1 April 2026, when the ICAI's 13th Edition Code of Ethics came into force and, for the first time, opened a carefully bounded door to promotion. This guide explains what a CA can and cannot do today, in plain English.
The starting point: no solicitation
The foundation hasn't moved. Under Clause (6) of Part I of the First Schedule to the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, a member in practice is deemed guilty of professional misconduct if they solicit clients or professional work — directly or indirectly — by circular, advertisement, personal communication or interview, or by any other means. That prohibition on solicitation is still very much alive in the 2026 Code.
The distinction that matters is between solicitation (chasing a specific client or work — still banned) and promotion (making your existence, services and expertise known to the public — now permitted within limits). Getting this line right is the whole game.
What changed in 2026
The 13th Edition, approved at the ICAI's 447th Council Meeting in December 2025 and effective 1 April 2026, relaxed the historic ban and gave members meaningful room to build a professional presence online. In broad terms, it now permits:
- "Push"-mode promotion for non-exclusive services — services not reserved exclusively to CAs (consultancy, accounting, advisory) can be actively promoted, not just published on a passive website.
- A genuine social and web presence — firm websites, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram professional pages, Google Business profiles and professional directories are all fair game.
- Content that showcases expertise — service offerings, educational posts, regulatory updates, and your credentials and experience.
What a CA can do now
- Run a professional website and social profilesin your name or firm's trade name.
- Publish educational content — explainers on tax changes, compliance deadlines, GST updates, and how-to guides for business owners.
- State your services, credentials and experience factually.
- Promote non-exclusive services (advisory, consultancy, accounting) more actively.
What is still off-limits
- Soliciting a specific client or engagement — directly or indirectly.
- Sensational, exaggerated or comparative claims— communication must be fact-based, verifiable and dignified. No "India's No. 1 CA", no disparaging competitors.
- Listing on app-based aggregator platforms for services exclusively reserved to CAs.
- Anything that compromises the dignity of the profession or misleads the public.
A simple test before you post
When you're unsure whether a post crosses the line, ask three questions:
- Is it factual and verifiable? Could you defend every claim in it?
- Is it educating, not chasing? Are you sharing useful knowledge, or targeting a named prospect?
- Does it uphold the profession's dignity? Would it read well to a peer and the ICAI?
If all three are yes, you're likely on safe ground — but confirm against the current Code. If any is no, rework it.
Generate ICAI-aware content in seconds
BrandSaathi drafts LinkedIn & Instagram posts for practising CAs and flags the ICAI 13th Edition rule each draft touches — so you can review before you publish.
Where BrandSaathi fits
Building this presence by hand is slow, and the compliance line is easy to cross without meaning to. BrandSaathi generates LinkedIn and Instagram content built for practising CAs — and annotates each draft with the ICAI 13th Edition rule it applied, so you can see exactly why a line is worded the way it is before you publish. See how it works for Chartered Accountants, or read the practical social media playbook for CA firms.