[Anonymous]

I’m in Iowa. I have met every requirement to get my license. Currently where I work 4 people have passed the CPA exam. None have active licenses. Originally I worked under a CPA for 9 months she is no longer here.

A firm is coming in to audit us later this month. My boss seems to think they can sign off on my experience. Is this true? If the answer is No can I beg my previous boss to sign off on nine months and then talk to the boss I had before (she didn’t like me much) to sign off on the other three months.

[Anonymous]

Nevermind I emailed the iowa accountancy board. They actually responded. There answer was as followed in case anyone from Iowa wants to know:

3.12(4) All experience shall be verified by a licensee with direct supervisory control over the

applicant or by a licensee who can attest that the experience gained by the applicant meets the

requirements of subrule 3.12(1) if the applicant is not supervised by a licensee.

https://www.nasba.org/files/2011/02/Rules_Regs_Iowa.pdf

[y_u_no_pass]

So then you could have the auditor sign off?

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Anonymous]

Thats the way I'm interpreting the answer. The answer was not exactly in depth. But the requirments of 3.12(1) that they refer to basically encompass any kind of accounting experience. So I assume the auditor will come here see that I have been working here over a year. My boss will tell them my job duties and they will sign off.

[Cpachance]

Wow, so glad this post is here! I actually have a question about experience as well. I am in Alabama. Here are the published rules regarding experience https://www.asbpa.alabama.gov/PDF/rules/30-X-5-.06.pdf.

In reading these rules, I could not answer my own question. I am trying to figure out if my experience will “carry forward”? I have the public experience required to get the CPA, but just have to pass the test. If I were to change jobs, would I have to work an additional 2 years in the corporate field, or would my experience carry over?

[Kimboroni]

ajmallie, even if it is allowed, it will still be up to the discretion of the auditors whether or not they are comfortable doing that. So think carefully about your approach.

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Anonymous]

@Cpachance, I would think your experience would count. I didn't see any kind of timeline in the document you linked to.

@ajmalie, I would think your previous supervisor would be more likely to sign off on your experience than an auditor that really isn't familiar with your work.

[twrogers]

I am also in Iowa. For what it's worth, I had a previous employer sign-off on my experience with no issues. Granted this employment was for more than the required year. The Iowa application has more than one spot for a CPA to sign-off, so do you have 3 months of other work experience a different CPA could sign-off on?

BEC - 79(8/13)
FAR - 76(10/13)
REG - 82(11/13)
AUD - 91(1/14)
Ethics - 93

[sdguy]

A prior employer or boss can always sign off. Regarding an outside auditor, I doubt that's possible. I don't think you're interpreting correctly. I understsnd it as: if your direct supervisor isn't a CPA, but someone else in your firm is (and the cpa has been there for the 1 year that you have), then they can sign off on your experience.

AUD: 83
FAR: 77
REG: 86
BEC: 86

[Anonymous]

I agree with Kimboroni – some states (which it sounds like yours is) are more vague on defining who would be able to sign off on your experience. I would think that if you were trying to convince an external auditor, it would be much easier to do so if you had a good relationship with them yourself. At the very least, it wouldn't hurt to have that conversation with them.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't get my hopes up on thinking that the externl auditor will sign off on your hours, especially if they don't know you that well. JMO.

[sdguy]

If the external auditor didn't supervise you for a year, how can they sign off on your experience?

AUD: 83
FAR: 77
REG: 86
BEC: 86

[Anonymous]

@SDguy I have read the Iowa rules inside and out. I linked them above. They are very vague. They say any active CPA who can attest to your time can sign off. Nothing about them being a direct supervisor or even working with you. I assume if the accountant who is coming for the audit is okay with it it's fine. Yes It is totally up to them but I have been in communication with 1 of the 3 auditors coming for field work for almost a year.

In Iowa almost any accounting experience counts. So I would think they would be more likely to sign off in Iowa.

If It doesn't work I'll just go to previous supervisors but I will get back to everyone here and let you know if it works or not. I talked to the Iowa board over the phone. Again they didn't definitively say yes. They were vague much like the email response, but they made it sound like if the CPA is comfortable attest to what I have done they can sign off. It's real easy for them to see I have been employed here for over a year.

[fsugirl2005]

I got a similar answer from FL Board of Accountancy. From what I was told, the active CPA just has to be familiar with my work. They didn't have to supervise me. That response from them made me very happy.

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

[Anonymous]

Update:

It was a little extra work but I wrote a letter to the auditing firm and they did sign off on my experience even though they were not directly supervising. I think Iowa is very lenient when it comes to the experience requirement.

[Author]

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