The Association of Indirect Tax was formed on 23rd July 1991 as a company limited by guarantee and formally launched on 17th October 1991. The reasons for the formation were agreed as follows:

(a) The subject matter of Indirect Taxation was considered sufficiently wide to merit its own specialist professional body.

(b) Many of those who practice in Indirect Taxation were former members of Customs & Excise and it was considered that as such they required a specialist professional body to represent and support them.

(c) There was a need for a professional body of Indirect Tax practitioners to provide recognition for existing practitioners and for a standard of quality for clients and potential clients by reference to training and qualifications.

(d) There was a need to reflect the enhanced importance of Indirect Tax practice.

(e) There was a need for Indirect Tax practitioners to be able to instruct Counsel direct.

The following mission statement was agreed:

"To establish a professional body of Indirect Tax practitioners to regulate and support its members in providing services to clients of a recognised and consistently high standard."

With this in mind the Association applied for the right to call itself an "Institute" and formally changed its name to the Institute of Indirect Tax Practitioners on 1st December 1991.

After its first two very successful years as an Institute it became apparent that demands on the Institute were coming not only from those in professional practice but from several other DISCIPLINES where there was a deep rooted interest and involvement with Indirect Taxation. Interest was coming from the worlds of business, the professions and academic establishments. This interest was not only from within the United Kingdom but from many other countries.

It was for this reason that a resolution was put to the member at a general meeting and which was duly passed to change the name to The Institute of Indirect Taxation.