[mitchvols]

I just got licensed not too long ago, and I have noticed that a lot of people go and join the AICPA. Which I cannot find a good answer to, why join the AICPA? And how would I benefit? I am not in public, and really don’t have any interest in going into public.

Or even the state society, which would be TSCPA for me.

The best explanation I have found for joining is that it uses your fees to fund lobbying. But I have no idea if that is even true.

Thanks guys

[Track55]

The next invoices I get will not be $50 cpa candidate. They will be the full $300 for the national and state societies. I will renew with CalCPA. They have local events and they also give free ethics C.P.E's which I need anyways. Plus my name came out in the magazine one time.

I will not renew with AICPA as I got nothing out of it. I may pay the $60 to keep the magazine subscription but that's it.

My employer pays for IIA.

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[mitchvols]

Thanks Track, from what I understand too is that California, for some reason, has a lot more ethics requirement than the other states. From internal audit in your signature, looks like you are in private as well. I am really not seeing the point in spending the money for it, or even getting my company to pay for it.

Has anyone else had a different experience?

[SeattleCPA]

I've been a member of the AICPA for, gosh, 30 years. Maybe 35 years. I think the membership is worth it.

Here are some of the reasons I think you ought to reconsider joining if you work or think you'll work in public accounting…

1. Your employer will probably pay your dues in many situations. (I pay the dues for any CPA in our firm.)
2. Your membership gets you access (probably) to cheap insurance for LT disability and life.
3. If you're interested in public accounting jobs, you have access to things like the AICPA's MAP survey and maybe even the dynamic benchmarking… and that info will let you make way, way better career planning decisions. (Example: Thinking about someday opening your own small firm? Everything you need to know about the finances of that option are in the online version of the MAP.)..

PS. Any of you guys thinking about working in a CPA firm should track down a copy of the MAP (google on AICPA MAP survey)… usually some state society will have made a copy available at their website… that's a goldenn resource for stuff like common salaries, firm profitability, etc.

[Author]

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