[account_me_out]

I am a career-changer with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field living in Texas. I have started taking the classes I need to sit for the CPA exams, but the educational requirements in TX are quite stringent. I need to take 30 units of accounting credits plus 24 business credits which of course is expensive and time consuming. I am currently looking at getting licensed in a state with less stringent educational requirements and then applying for reciprocity in TX.

I’m considering Delaware at the moment because they :
1. have no residency requirement
2. Accept credits from community college (where I am taking my accounting classes now)

I’m having difficulty understanding the work experience requirement from Delaware, does anyone who has done it care to weigh in and explain it to me? Their website is not that user friendly.

Would you recommend another state for any other reason I may not have considered?

Has anyone applied for reciprocity with Texas and how was the experience?

I can’t tell from the Texas website what it is like to practice in Texas while being licensed in another state. I am currently assuming it is possible but don’t know for sure. I would pass the exams, work under a CPA, and immediately apply for licensure and reciprocity as soon as I am able.

[jbergmann1]

I would recommend Texas. Just get the requirements. I am in Texas and I am not aware of any community college programs in Texas that would adequately prepare you for the CPA exam.

Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam!
License application in progress

[account_me_out]

Thanks for the reply jbergmann1, I guess I didn't express myself very well in my original post. I am well aware of the TX requirements and plan to seek licensure in another state. There are actually four community colleges in the state that offer the required classes which are accepted by the state board, but my issue is that I need many more credits of education in TX than I would in another state.
I'm just looking for advice from people who have applied for reciprocity in TX and what it was like. Also wondering if there is another state besides DE that I may not have considered which might be fit my needs. I'm looking for a state that does not have a residency requirement, doesn't add all of the business credits on top of the accounting credits that TX does, and accepts credit from community colleges.

[jbergmann1]

My only point is that most jobs that want to hire CPA candidates would want someone that is eligible in their state.

That is all.

Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam!
License application in progress

[Trele6]

I'm in Texas and didn't have the ethics class needed to sit for the CPA exam. I went through New Mexico instead. At some point here in the future I will do the reciprocity with Texas. In the end it is the same as a person taking and passing the exam from Texas. The reciprocity process doesnt appear to be that hard either. Just a couple $100 in fees etc and you get your license.

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[account_me_out]

Thanks, Trele6, really glad to hear from someone who is doing it. One thing I wondered is about the TX rule that says you have to have so many hours of CPE during the last three years? I think it is 120 hours, with 20 hours per year. I am assuming that requirement is waived for newly licensed CPAs applying for reciprocity, but I haven't heard back from the TX state board about that yet so I'm not positive. Someone on this board made a post several months back claiming that you had to wait for those three years to go by before applying for reciprocity, but that doesn't seem right to me. Have you looked into that?

[Trele6]

I had that same exact question so I emailed them about it. Below is their response:
“This will be waived as you are a newly licensed CPA.”
licensing@tsbpa.texas.gov

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[account_me_out]

Thanks! That's very helpful

[August]

“I'm having difficulty understanding the work experience requirement from Delaware, does anyone who has done it care to weigh in and explain it to me? Their website is not that user friendly.”.

I got my license in Delaware in 2013. I assume that the work requirement hasn't changed since then.

Delaware accepts pretty much any accounting experience provided it was performed under a CPA with an active license. The experience must have been earned after you received your college degree and cannot be from longer than ten years ago.

In 2013, I was not working for a CPA so I used my experience working in investment accounting from 2003 until 2006. My boss from that job was licensed in Massachusetts and was able to sign off.

Hope this helps.

[Trele6]

The New Mexico signoff by a CPA is a little easier. You don't have to have worked for the CPA or under them. You just need a CPA to vouch for you on a form and confirm they are in good standing with their state.

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[Author]

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