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CPA is an internationally recognized accounting designation. The license you earn comes after studying hard, acquiring domain knowledge, and passing a difficult exam.
There's more to it than that, though. Your state's board of accountancy has specific CPA CPE requirements for renewing your license every 1-3 years. Currently, 55 licensing jurisdictions exist in the U.S. So, how are you going to complete your CPA CPE requirements? Do you have any plans?
This article is for you. Here, we will guide you on 10 important things to consider complying with CPA CPE requirements..
CPAs need to ensure that they get their CPE credits from accredited CPE sponsors from NASBA. Before selecting any CPE provider - CPAs must check the inclusion of the name of the sponsor in the Register of Sponsors with NASBA.
Each state has its own CPE requirements for CPA. In general, most states require 40 CPE requirements CPA annually. Some states require 80 CPE credits within 2 years, while others require 120 CPA CPE.
States including Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, North Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming require 120 hours in every three years. Therefore, the number of CPE credits you need to complete depends on what state CPA license you want.
Ethics plays an important role in the accounting industry. Every state board mandates CPAs to complete ethics CPE credits (depending upon the state) to comply with their CPA CPE requirements. These ethics CPE requirements vary by state, necessitating knowledge of either AICPA's general ethics or state-specific guidelines.
Ethics Requirements:* South Dakota, Louisiana, Georgia and New Jersey are states that don’t require Ethics CPE Credits.
When it comes to selecting the CPE course, it becomes important to check whether the topic of the course applies to CPA CPE ethics. Ensure the subject area of the course directly or indirectly relates to accounting and CPA’s business.
Subject areas that contribute to the professional competence of a CPA,
Accounting, Auditing, Taxes, Information Technology, Finance, Communications and marketing, Computer Software and Applications, and Ethics.
CPE courses are available in different formats, including Conferences, Live Webinars, Self-Study, Podcasts, E-books, etc. Choose the format that suits your learning style and schedule. Online options are increasingly popular due to their convenience, allowing CPAs to complete courses at their own pace and from various locations.
An instructor plays a key role in the quality of a CPE course. If you are looking for a provider who can deliver content effectively and provide accurate answers to questions, be sure that the provider employs experienced and knowledgeable subject matter experts.
A certain amount of CPE in a specific field becomes mandatory. It may change Depending on the state. So you must look into the compliances of subjects such as accounting or taxation, or technical courses.
The rules may state that you need to earn at least half of the CPE requirements through live classes since they are participatory events. The rest half of the credits must be obtained through self-study programs.
Many state boards of education do not accept CPE credits for personal development courses, communication courses, marketing courses, management courses, and other non-technical courses. In addition, several jurisdictions have limitations on the total number of CPE credits that can be earned in a variety of areas, including communication, marketing, software, management courses, spirituality, and technology.
The deadline for CPAs professionals to submit their credits is December 31. But, it varies from state to state how many credits are required.
Your deadline would be close to December 31 if you were licensed on or around that date. Due to COVID-19, state-specific extensions, or your initial license issue date, your license might expire on a different date.
Online CPE courses are available for all Alaska CPE courses. Furthermore, you can take all courses whenever it is convenient for you.
CPE Reporting Cycle: By December 31 every two years
CPE Credit requirement: 80 hours
Ethics credits: 4 hours
CPE Reporting Cycle: January 1 to December 31 over a 3-year
CPE Credit requirement: 120 hours
Ethics credits: 4 hours
Always check the CPE reporting deadline of your state. It helps you to prepare prior so that you can meet the requirements before the deadline.
Credit hours for professional financial training must be awarded by an organization or individual that hosts the training. As an additional verification of a CPA's compliance with requirements, the State Board of Accountancy may request CPE certificates. A record of all attendance certificates is essential because these requests can happen at any time.
In order to maintain the credibility of CPE credits, CPAs are required to keep documentation of their completion for at least five years. It is important that you obtain the information needed for CPE reporting. The simplest way to achieve this is to create a certificate containing the following information.
The responsibility for documenting CPE credits also extends to reporting CPE activity accurately. By doing this, you are only claiming credit for learning activities that improve your professional competence and only reporting the portions of a course that you have attended.
You should also ensure the CPE program sponsors recommend your learning activity and that it adheres to the regulations of your state board.
Accumulated CPE credits must be accurately recorded by CPAs. As part of this process, documentation and evidence of participation and completion of learning objectives should be retained.
When regulators or other organizations ask CPA members to provide evidence of continuing education, retaining documents is mandatory.
The certificate of completion is issued by an approved sponsor of a CPE program
Certificate showing completion of self-study program assessments
It is important that you comply with the CPE requirements set out by the AICPA and your state accounting board. An authorized provider of CPE credits can only count your CPE credits.
MY-CPE is one of the leading CPE course providers with the depth of experience and expertise it offers. From 12,000+ hours of courses to flexible learning experiences with On-Demand courses, Live webinars, and Podcasts courses, you can pick any mode to learn and complete your CPE requirements.
The number of CPE credits required for CPAs varies depending on the state or jurisdiction where you are licensed. It can range from around 40 to 120 credits per three-year reporting period. Each credit typically represents one hour of instruction.
CPAs can fulfill their CPA CPE requirements through a variety of courses and activities. These may include seminars, workshops, webinars, conferences, self-study programs, college courses, and professional development events. Some states also accept teaching or publishing in accounting-related fields as qualifying activities.
Yes, CPE courses for CPAs typically need to cover specific subject areas to ensure that CPAs stay up-to-date with relevant knowledge and skills. Common subject areas include accounting principles and practices, auditing, taxation, business law, ethics, and professional conduct.
Most states do allow CPAs to carry forward excess CPE credits to the next reporting period, though the rules on carryovers may vary. Usually, there is a limit on the number of credits that can be carried forward, and ethics-related credits might have different carryover rules.
Failure to meet the CPE requirements can result in the suspension or revocation of your CPA license. To avoid this, it's crucial to track your CPE credits diligently and ensure that you complete the required number of credits within the specified time frame.
If you are unable to meet the requirements due to specific circumstances, some states may offer extensions or exemptions under certain conditions. It's essential to check with your state's Board of Accountancy for specific guidelines and options.
Nicholas Branson, CPA 
