[Anonymous]

I sat and passed all four sections in Missouri but landed a Big4 job in Texas. I’ve started working and had to contact the state board this morning for clarification on some things that weren’t clear. Here’s the skinny:

Texas has the additional requirement for 2 semester Accounting/Tax research, 2 semester hours of written business communication, and 3 semester hours of a board-approved ethics course. This is in addition to the 30 hours of accounting courses above the principals level and 24 hours of other business related classes. If you went to an out of state or a school not on their list, you must have taken classes that are the equivalent of those three and submit the course syllabus so that the board can determine if it meets their standards. Not a course description found in an academic catalog, but the actual syllabus handed out by your professor. If you have passed any section of the exam and either, 1: NOT have completed a similar class or, 2: the board determines that the class does NOT meet their standards, you can NEVER transfer that credit to Texas. Even if you take and complete approved Texas classes the very next day, you can NEVER transfer the credit, and thus, never obtain an original license from Texas. You’re only option is then to obtain an original license out of state and transfer it via reciprocity. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE HEADACHE.

So even if you do obtain a license in another state originally, Texas requires you to have completed 120 hours of CPE DURING the past three years prior to application. So in other words, you pretty much will have to get licensed plus two more years before you can even apply for reciprocity in Texas. So now I have to maintain my Missouri residency (since they require it for licensing and maintenance) and live in Texas for 3 years. At least Missouri allows any CPA from any state to sign off on my work experience, if acquired out of state.

I feel like Tom Hanks in the movie “The Terminal”

[jpj230]

Thank you. I'm planning on keeping my Tennessee license, because there are a few places in Tennessee I would possibly want to move.

You can apply for the exams in Tennessee once you finish a bachelor's degree. To get licensed, you need 150 total hours, 30 in accounting (24 need to be upper level), 24 in business. Then one year of experience, which has pretty broad applicability. You also take the AICPA ethics exam and send it in. If you're transferring grades, I think it's a little different process.

https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/accountancy/license-applicant-resources/licensing-requirements-exams.html

[rencpa]

Thank you jpj230. I will take a look and try to see what is required for Tennessee. I doubt my husband will be willing to move anywhere from Texas. However, who knows.

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