Accounting / CPA Certification and Licensing
Related Keywords: CPA certification, CPA Licensing, Accounting certification, Accountant Certification
Although the CPA exam is uniform, CPA licensing and certification requirements are regulated separately by each state's laws and thus vary by state. Some states have a 2-tier system where by a person first becomes certified as a CPA -- usually by passing the CPA exam. That person would then be eligible to be licensed once a certain amount of work experience is accomplished. Still other states have a 1 tier system where a person would be certified and licensed at the same time when both the CPA exam is passed and the work experience requirement has been met, that person would then become a licensed and certified public accountant (which differs from a Tax Attorney).Aside from passing the CPA exam, states typically require:
* Completion of an accounting program at an accredited university/college with 150 credit hours (specific accounting and business law courses may be required);
* Working experience of public accounting for a certain period of time (for example, 1 year), with some states recognizing equal accounting experience outside of public accounting; Some states, including Colorado, waive the work experience for those individuals who have earned an MBA in Accounting;
* Attendance for a minimum number of hours annually (typically 40 hours annually or 80 hours bi-annually) to maintain the CPA license.
Some states also require an additional exam, generally in state rules and ethics, before being licensed in the state.
