[Anonymous]

Hi everyone:
nI just passed my last CPA exam section – I need to have my former employer to sign off my experience letter. I sent him an email today and have not heard back from him – can my former employer, an active CPA, refuse to sign off my experience letter with no reason? What should I do in that situation?

n

Thank you all!n

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[Anonymous]

I always thought that the previous employer reserves the right to not sign the experiance letter? Or they can certify the hours worked, but there is a part on the form where they have to sign that they believe you are capable of fulfilling all the duties and responsibilities of a licensed CPA. I know for the attest experiance requirement, firms are more strict in signing the exeriance letter. The min hours in CA is 500, which is not very much at all. At the public accounting firm I worked for, they would say that even if you met that 500 hr requirement and passed the exam, they would not sign the experiance letter if they didn't think you could perform all the functions of an audit without (or very minimal) supervision. I knew alot of people with 3-4 yrs of auditing experiance, well over 500 hrs, and the firm still would not sign their experiance letter. Some of them ended up leaving the firm and getting their experiance letter from somewhere else.

I'm really curious about this because I no longer work in public accounting, and Im worried that my previous firm won't certify my attest exexperiance letter. Any other comments or people who have gone through this?

[wedger]

does anyone know if the hours expire by chance? i left accounting and am an analyst now, but am finishing my test here shortly(hopefully lol). i left public accounting 3 years ago but had 4 years under my belt when I left, so at this point its been a while…not sure if thats an issue or not?

thank you.

[jelly]

Yep, I worked and separated from an employer on so-so terms. He admitted, very grudgingly, that it was absolutely his professional responsibility to fill it out, and certify my hours, otherwise there was going to be lots of issues with the state accountancy board and his liability insurance. (I made a few copies of my paycheck stubs, just in case).

Consider that it's also a liability for your former employers not to sign. How many sketchy things did your former employers do that you know of and remember (or even have tangible proof of)? How much of a headache does your former employer want with the state accountancy board, professional liability insurance company, current clients, and any other government regulatory agency, if it ever got out that the employer's actions were risky, questionable, sketchy, unethical?

Wedger – check with your state. Some states it's 10 years, never, 4 years, etc.

Couldn't pass again!

[wedger]

yea i am in cali…thanks!

[Author]

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