[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I am looking for a position and I was wondering if private industries reimburse exam fees/give bonuses for passing the exam like in public accounting. I would assume much smaller companies do not have the budget to reimburse such expenses and pay bonuses but what about medium to larger companies? How do I bring it under these 2 scenarios?

1) Full-time position: Do I bring it up aka negotiate once I have been formally offered the position? Or when is the appropriate?

2) Intern to FT position: I know not to bring it up during the interview for an internship but what happens if I successfully complete the internship and they offer me a full-time, do I negotiate at that point?

[kayfcpa16]

Each company is different, don't assume.

For the Full position I believe it would be appropriate to bring up the fact that you would like to obtain your CPA and ask what are the policies regarding study leave, if available and expenses. I would allow them to make mention of any bonus and not bring it up otherwise, may seem money hungry.

I work in private (started part-time in my senior year of college) During the interview I made it clear that I wanted to obtain my CPA, however I did not ask about anything, when the time came I had that conversation with necessary parties.

May the force be with you .

BEC - 78 (2/16)

FAR - 78 (2/16)

AUD - 69 (8/16), 75 (10/16)

REG - 65 (8/16), 65!! (10/16) - Just Shoot Me [Re - Retake (1/17) 75!] ..

DONEEEEEEEE

 

FAR - 2/16 - 78
BEC - 2/16 - 78
AUD - 8/16
REG - 8/16

[EuroAddict]

Being so new it's a tough call.

If you are applying somewhere that doesn't need you to be CPA then most likely you have no shot at bonus etc

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[ruggercpa2b]

I would not assume that smaller companies are not going to pay. Sometimes they want that person to be a CPA and they will pay for you to take the exam

As others mentioned, every company is different. Its not something you would negotiate when you get the offer. My first job out of college I worked for a fortune 500 company in internal audit. When I expressed interest in getting my CPA they flat out told me it was not something required to do my job and not to expect a raise. However, they did have a department policy that was up to the manager's discretion that they would pay for your materials and also reimburse you for your exams. But it was also up to the manager if you ended up leaving within a year to pay back that money. CPA reimbursement was actually not company policy.

These are probably things you could ask when you actually start and go through your new hire training. I currently work in public and my firm does not reimburse me for passing nor do I get a bonus. Only first year staff are eligible for the cpa bonus and I was hired on as a senior. I am fine with that, and that was something I knew coming in.

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - NINJA in Training
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 1/6/18
FAR - TBD
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[EuroAddict]

Also, would you be working under a CPA at this place? If not and you still want your CPA I suggest a diff job. You need to be working under a CPA to get the work experience required for the license.

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Inquiring about study leave isn't necessary since thankfully I'm done with the exam. I haven't been offered anything but I put that I passed the exam in my resume so I would think that they will interpret that as me looking for that 1 year experience. I am still looking to get my feet in accounting (only have a few months in public) so I wouldn't reject an offer just because I wasn't working under a CPA (working under one is obviously the preferred choice). Thankfully in NJ the exams do not expire once it is over so I am not on a timeline to get that 1 year experience. I have learned from reading in this forum that passing the exam is not the golden ticket to getting a position. Relevant experience seems to weigh more.

I might have to accept the possibility I will not be reimbursed for the exam fees. It would feel nice to be rewarded for all the hard work I put in instead of being rewarded with the additional debt I incurred but I understand in positions where a CPA is not needed, that will not happen. I definitely don't qualify for any senior positions so hopefully I can find a position where they reward first-year staff.

[Anonymous]

“You need to be working under a CPA to get the work experience required for the license. “

This is not correct in all states. In Virginia for example, you only need :

Prior to applying for a license, a person must have been employed in academia, a firm, government or industry in any
capacity involving the substantial use of accounting, financial, tax or other skills that are relevant, as determined by
the Board, to providing services to the public using the CPA title or to an employer using the CPA title for a period
that is the full-time equivalent of one year.

So I had over ten years private industry experience in accounting and finance but did not need to have a CPA boss.

[Anonymous]

Talking to friends, it's rare to get an immediate raise or bonus in industry for becoming a CPA. It may factor into your performance review and help you get a larger raise and bonus at the normal time. It also gives you a better shot at promotions or other opportunities in the long run, even if the position doesn't really need the license, many employers see it as a positive.

Even if the company doesn't specifically mention CPA exam reimbursement, some friends had good results asking their manager to reimburse the expense out of the department training budget. Compared to $2k+ for a week-long training class (especially if there's travel) it shouldn't be too tough to make the case for actual expenses of $1k in test fees and $1k in study material when you pass all four sections.

[Track55]

I work for a Fortune 500 company and they don't give out raises or bonus. Everyone is expected to have a certification since the audit committee is really pushy and some people have four cert's.

That being said, they pay for professional memberships once you have a cert.

AUD - 99
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FAR - 86
REG - 92

California - Internal Audit

CPA since December 2016.

(took seven tries, 1 year 10 months).

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
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Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[Author]

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