[GtcpaAlmost]

So I’ve passed the test, have taken the 30 hours of upper level accounting, and have 150 credit hours. My concern lies with my work experience. I’m working under a CPA, but I’m working as a Financial Analyst which involves a lot of work with Financial Statements. But I don’t have the experience of Auditing or Tax that someone may have that works for an Accounting firm.

Does anyone out there know if the CPA licensing board looks closely at the job description of the candidate or are they more concerned primarily with the fact that you are working under a CPA? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure the specific experience requirements vary state to state, but for CO it seems like their main requirements consist of working under an active CPA and that your job duties include applying GAAP and doing more than just bookkeeping tasks. You don't have to be doing either Audit or tax…but that's for CO, GA may be different.

[Anonymous]

There are two different kind's of CPAs- Ones that have met the attestation requirement by acquiring audit hours and can sign an opinion, and one's that met their experience requirement under general accounting duties. In CA, there is actually a special designation on your license that distinguishes which kind of CPA license you have.

I'm pretty sure on the experiance certification there are specific types of accounting duties that you are expected to have experiance in. Go to your state board's website and download the forms for application for licensure and see what it says.

[Anonymous]

@Cal, that's really interesting about the special designation on your license depending on how you obtain your experience. I assume tax work would fall under general accounting then or does that get a different designation too?

[Anonymous]

I think tax work would fall under general accounting. I don't know if all states have this designation, but I know CA does. When you go to the CA Board's website and look up someone's license, there is an “A” or a “G” designation under the field name “Experience Completed”.

Here's the definition from the website:

Experience Completed

The Experience Completed field reflects the type of experience the licensee completed either at the time of initial application for licensure as a CPA, or subsequent to obtaining the CPA license. The “A” designation indicates the licensee completed the experience required to perform the full range of accounting services, including signing attest reports on attest engagements. The “G” designation indicates the licensee completed the experience required, except attest experience, and therefore is not authorized to sign reports on attest engagements. This licensee can perform all other accounting services and may also participate in attest engagements.

A This licensee completed the experience required to perform the full range of accounting services, including signing attest reports on attest engagements.

G This licensee completed the experience required, except attest experience, and therefore is not authorized to sign reports on attest engagements. This licensee can perform all other accounting services and may also participate in attest engagements.

NOTE: The Experience Completed field is left blank on the Web License Lookup for firm licenses, as the designation applies only to individual licenses.

[kandisjoy]

I'm a California candidate and I'm not sure if I have the required audit hours. I worked at a CPA firm for one year and did one audit season. Are CPA firms requried to keep this kind of information available? I'm wondering if they would sign for me… If not, I have had enough experience under my current boss (who is a CPA) to get the “G” designation. Has anyone experienced this type of situation and/or know the answer?

FAR: 71, 77
BEC: 70, 82
AUD: 62, 78
REG: 71, 68, 85

CA Licensed 11/2011

[Anonymous]

I think the minimum number of required audit hours for CA is 500 hrs, but they have to be allocated to different areas of the audit, AND the CPA has to certify that in their OPINION your experiance demonstrated the ability to plan and perform an audit under limited supervision. You also have to show hours specifically attributed to planning, performing, preparation of the financials, and show if these hours were obtained working on an audit, review, compilation, or other engagement. (there are limitations about how many of your audit hours can be obtained doing things like compilations and reviews. You can only attribute the hours spent performing audit procedures during these types of engagements)

If you look at the certification form, every question says something like “Did the application have experience in planning?” and the next question is “In your opinion, did the applicant demonstrate a proficiency or satisfactory understanding in accordance with current standards and pronouncements of the profession?”

Im worried about this too because I'm not in auditing anymore, so I don't know if my previous employer would say that in “their opinion” I have performed the ability to plan and perform an audit under limited supervision. The 500 min hour requirement is just a guideline, and doesn't mean that they have to certify your experience if in “their opinion” it doesnt meet the standards of the profession.

[Author]

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