Abstract Currently, professional accounting bodies seldom know the extent to which members in small public practice identify with the profession. Social Identity Theory posits that human beings identify with various aspects of their existence. Professional identity is widely seen as a factor in the search for acceptance in the workplace, with multi-national organisations influencing and strategizing to help mould employees to identify with their profession and organisation combined. Members in small public practice are left to their own devices to identify with the profession; however, the extent to which they do identify with the profession is unknown. When accountants do not work in a large organisation but as professionals detached from the arm of a large organisation, their identification with the profession will undeniably vary. Professional conflict between their organisational and client identification will also invariably be impacted. Using a quantitative methods-based approach, this study explores the extent to which professional accountants in small public practice identify with their profession, organisation and clients. The results show significant findings in organisational identification compared to professional and client identification. Discussion therefore arises on what implications this may have for the profession.