[NorCal]

I’m getting ready to submit my paperwork to the CA Board and have a couple of questions some of you might be able to answer (or at least provide an opinion on 🙂

I passed my last two parts in August and the scores haven’t been transferred to my record yet (they’re still showing as advisory scores only). Do I need to wait until I officially get credit for them (which I’m assuming will be sometime before the end of this month) or is it OK to submit the paperwork now?

My second question has to do with the signature requirement for the experience portion of the application. I’ll be applying for the general license and the form requires two signatures (the first one from your supervisor who needs to be a CPA and the other one from a person with a higher level of responsibility within the organization than the first signer; however, he/she doesn’t need to be a CPA). The second signature is not required if the first signer is a business owner. I work for a governmental entity and my supervisor (the first signer, CPA) is an elected official who does not report to anybody else in the organization. I’m planning on submitting the application with just his signature and attaching a memo explaining that he’s elected and there isn’t anybody with a higher level of responsibility within the organization. Does that sound like a reasonable thing to do?

Also, does it really take 12 weeks for the Board to issue a license? I would love to get the license (and the raise) before I go on maternity leave. Thank you for your answers and good luck to everybody.

[Anonymous]

I submitted my application the day after I found out my advisory passing score. It took about two weeks to post as official. So it's fine to submit your application now. The experience form sounds like it'll work. But the total process from mailing the application to receiving the license number in the mail took about 6 weeks. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

It didn't take them that long to issue my license. Probably about 6 weeks.

If you have any questions about your form, give them a call. They were extremely helpful. You're better off getting them what they will accept the first time then having to resolve a problem. My signatures came from people that I worked with 20 years ago and were licensed out of state. They helped me worked through problems with my signatures and even called the supervisor and spoke to him to verify information to help get an issue with my form worked out!

[NorCal]

Thank you for your input.

I called the Board a couple of days ago and was told not to send in my application until I've received a congratulatory letter, which is 6-8 weeks after the exam scores have been finalized (and my last two scores are still showing as advisory only). Apparently that's how long it takes for the exam unit to transfer a file to the licensing unit.

In addition, I was strongly encouraged to submit an application with two signatures to avoid any delays in processing.

[Anonymous]

Please give me some ideas…

I am leaving a local CPA firm on a good term. I gave over a month notice and I am currently involved in training the replacement. I have asked the 2 partners to sign off my application, but they have not got back to me about the application. One of the 2 partners seemed reluctant to sign off for me. (I am waiting on the score for the last section.)

I have been with this firm for 3 years. I was working part-time while in college the first year with the firm. My duty was some entry level accounting services like bank reconciliations, sales and payroll tax returns and some secretarial stuff like taking phone calls and assembling the returns. One of the firm partners doesn't think these hours count toward the general experience certification.

Then I became a full-time accountant doing tax returns and more accounting services for about 2 years till now. I worked about 56 hours a week during tax season and 40 hours a week during off season. However, summer time is always very very slow that the firm does not have enough works to keep me busy. One of the firm partners does not think that she cannot sign off all the hours that I showed up for work because some hours are not billable (or no billable hours because of no work for me). She thinks the overtime hours I worked during tax season does not compensate the slow time either.

Do the hours need to be billable in order to qualify for general experience certification? What should I do in this situation? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[NJCPA2B]

I think you are OK with your work experience. I think in CA you only need one year experience working under a CPA. In NJ, there's no mention about billable hours……lol. You should pursue a partner or manager that likes you. Sometimes a partner is busy and doesn't realize how important it is to you. Be persistent! I think the one partner who is giving you a hard time is an a@@! You've been there 3 years; give me a break!

BEC=77, FAR=78, REG=73,74,80, AUD=70,69, 84 DONE!

[Anonymous]

NJCPA2B is right, there's no mention about billable hours. It's one-year of experience working under the supervision of a CPA. I didn't do auditing, tax or any of those things, my experience was in consulting services related to the design, selection and implementation of financial systems.

Anyway, in regards to your supervisors signing the form, the forms specifically states who, what and when, but I guess it wouldn't be to your advantage to threaten the supervisor with disciplinary action either….:

Who Completes: The licensed CPA holding a valid license to practice public accounting

who supervises the applicant’s performance of services provided. A

second licensee with a higher level of responsibility in the firm must also

verify the applicant’s experience. If the licensee who supervises the

applicant is a sole proprietor, partner, or shareholder, no second

signature is required.

Required Action: Complete and verify your supervision of the applicant’s general

experience.

When: Upon the applicant’s request. Failure to submit the Certificate of

General Experience – Public Accounting is viewed by the Board as an

attempt to impede the applicant’s certification and may result in

disciplinary action.

If you are going for Attest verification, that may be a little bit different. This is just the general experience.

[pankitp]

As for California, I was also made aware by the board that the law does not say “Direct Supervision”, so if a personnel at your home office is CPA licensed, they can sign the form. I'm having a hard time convincing my employers to sign on the experience certification form.

[Anonymous]

Curious on the topic of experience certification not needed to be signed by direct supervision in CA.

My direct supervisor is not a CPA, neither are her bosses 3 level up. I figured I have to obtain a signature really high up there (VP level etc). Does anyone has similar experience and managed to get a signature? Is this really okay in CA? I am seriously considering switching job in order to get the certification but hopefully dont have come to that! Any advice will be greatly appreciate!

Thank you.

[pankitp]

CINP, I received and email from the California board advising me that “Direct Supervision” is not needed.

I too am in the process of having a supervisor 3-4 levels above me sign the form, but for obvious reasons and lack of clarity in the language, they are hesitant on signing it. I can share that email with you, in fact, I would encourage you to email the board directly and find out what they say so we can compare their answers.

Here is the mail from the board

---

Dear Pankit Patel,

In response to your email, Sections 5092 and 5093 of the California Business and Professions Code and Sections 12 and 12.5 of the California Board of Accountancy Regulations require that qualifying experience be performed in accordance with applicable professional standards and be performed under the supervision of an individual holding a valid and active license to practice public accountancy. The law does not indicate that experience be directly supervised by the licensee.

Based on the above, if you or the CPA located at your home office supervised the preparation of the work experience, you or he/she would qualify to sign the Certificate of Experience on behalf of the applicant. Keep in mind unless either of you are the owner of the company, a second signer of a higher level of authority is required to sign the Certificate of Experience as the second signer. The second signer is not required to hold a license to practice public accountancy.

I hope the above is helpful.

Sincerely,

Stephanie A. Hoffman

Licensing Coordinator

---

So here you go CINP – email them at

LicenseInformation@cba.ca.gov

and let me know what their response is.

thanks

[Anonymous]

Hi Pankit, thanks a million. Your note gave me hope! That is excellent news.

I have just emailed them (i noticed the email posted on CBA website is ‘licensinginfo@cba.ca.gov'. Anyway, i emailed to both). Will post back here once I get a response. Keep fingers, feet and eyes crossed!

[pankitp]

Hey CINP,

Awesome…ill be rooting for you (and me)…

do let me know what happens.

thanks

[Anonymous]

Pankit, how long did you wait for a reply? I sent on Monday 7pm and still waiting for a response.

[pankitp]

I would wait until Monday.

Let me know…ill dig up the direct phone number to the licensing department if we have no reply by then

[pankitp]

Hey CINP,

any responses from the board?

[Anonymous]

Hi Pankit,

Unfortunately, nothing yet. I even sent a follow up note last Thursday. 🙁

If i dont get a response in 1 week, unlikely I will get a response at all ??

How long did it take them to respond to you?

[Author]

Replies