So What Is a Certified Public Accountant?

So What Is a Certified Public Accountant?

Certified Public Accountant

A Certified Public Accountant is the title given to all qualified accountants in America who have passed an exam known only as, the "Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination." They must also meet additional education from the state and experience requirements for certification as a CPA. Those who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination but may have not completed the required on-the-job experience or have met it previously but in the meantime have lapsed any continuing education of the professional nature are, in many states, allowed the designation "CPA Inactive" or an equivalent phrase.

In most American states, only CPAs who get licensed are legally able to provide opinions on financial statements to the public attestation (including auditing). Some exceptions to this rule are Arizona, North Carolina, Kansas, and Ohio where the practice of auditing is not restricted, although the "CPA" designation is restricted.

Below the tier of CPA, some states in the U.S. have a lower tier of accountant qualification, often entitled "Public Accountant"designated with the letters "PA". However with only 10 states continuing to offer the designation of PA, the majority of states have closed the designation "Public Accountant" to new entrants. Most Public Accountants belong to an association known as the National Society of Public Accountants.

Some U.S. states may prohibit the use of particular designations such as "Public Accountant" or "Certified Public Accountant," or even the abbreviations "CPA" or "PA", by a person who isn't certified as either a CPA or PA in that specific U.S. state. Because of that, in many circumstances, CPA's from out of state are in fact restricted from using the "CPA" designation or letters unless a certificate or license from that state is obtained.

The state of Texas prohibits in addition, the use of the designations "auditor" and "accountant" by any person(s) who are not certified as a CPA in the state of TX, unless that individual is a Certified Public Accountant in a different state, a resident not of Texas, and meets requirements for practice in the state of TX by out-of-state Certified Public Accountant practitioners and terms.

Beyond the basic licensing and education requirements, most of the state boards require any applicants for CPA status to complete a special examination specifically regarding ethics. Many U.S. states require that ethics course include a review of that state's specific rules for professional practice to ensure that each CPA is well educated for their particular state.

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