[ramanabandaru]

I AM CURRENTLY WORKING IN A BANK IN INDIA AND I AM 47 YEARS OLD. I WISH TO PURSUE CPA (US) COURSE, AND MY AIM IS TO ATTAIN A JOB IN USA OR CANADA (I.E. OUTSIDE INDIA). BY THE TIME I PASS THE EXAM, I WILL BE AROUND 49 YEARS. I WILL BE STILL HAVING 15 YEARS OF WORK LIFE POST LICENCE. DO THE COMPANIES REALLY CONSIDER THE PEOPLE OF MY AGE FOR APPOINTMENT? IS IT WORTH DOING THE COURSE AT THIS JUNCTURE, CAN I GET THE RIGHT JOB, THOUGH AT A JUNIOR LEVEL, IN US OR CANADA AT THE AGE OF 49 YRS?

[SeattleCPA]

Maybe.

A problem is, you'll need at least 2 and possibly more like 3-5 years of experience to really get proficient technically.

And so the question you have to ask yourself is, do I want to be a 50-year-old in an entry level position having my work reviewed and possibly being supervised by someone younger than your daughter or son.

BTW, in the US at least, if you could choose tax, yes you're late to the game, but the employment opportunities should be really good. Terrible talent shortages for employers. WHICH IS GREAT FOR THE TALENT!

Not sure about the mechanics of getting employment in US if you don't already have permanent residency status, but another option for US accountants would be to go with the enrolled agent designation (rather than the CPA thing) and then invest all the time you would have spent on CPA exam stuff unconnected with tax on learning tax.

Also there are some great Indian tax accounting firms that serve US taxpayers and have really knowledgeable-about-US-tax-law people. If you could ever locate one of those firms and begin working there–maybe while getting the EA designation or working on CPA exam–you could work on your experience and the credential in parallel.

[Ninja Albert]

Hi Im not there yet, But it seems like the investment is worth it, you most probably can land a better higher rate job/salary with what Im hearing from others, its small investment a little time consuming but worth it.

[Author]

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