How to Check if Someone Has a CPA Certification
The CPA, or Certified Public Accountant, designation is available to individuals who have fulfilled specific educational and examination criteria in accountancy, allowing them to apply for membership with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or other comparable professional organizations in the United States.
Verifying if someone holds a CPA certificate is necessary, particularly if you’re considering hiring them or seeking their professional advice. The CPA certification stands out in the accounting field, highlighting individuals who possess exceptional skills and uphold the highest ethical standards. This blog provides essential information for verifying CPA credentials, guiding you toward making informed decisions in the future.
Understanding the CPA Designation
Becoming a CPA involves career experience, education, and an academic test examination that is recognized by the state boards of accountancy in the USA. This means that the holder has passed a course of study recognized by the nation and has accepted to work under a strict code of conduct.
Key Requirements for CPA Certification
Requirements: Depending on the role, the candidate should have a college education of at least 150 semester hours completed as well as accounting and business courses completed.
Uniform CPA Examination: Candidates are required to pass the Uniform CPA Examination in knowledge areas such as auditing, business environment, and financial accounting.
Experience: The candidates are required to accrue work experience under an employer’s supervision—an employer who is a licensed CPA.
Ethics: Each candidate must complete an exam in ethics or an equivalent course.
Steps to Verify CPA Credentials
1. Request Proof from the Individual
To confirm the authenticity of a person who is a CPA, ask him/her to present his/her CPA certification credentials.
This could include:
CPA License: A physical or digital copy of their state CPA license.
Continuing Education Records: This is any record that can show that an individual has complied with the continuing education requirements.
Employment References: Professional endorsers who can attest to that.
2. Contact the State Board of Accountancy
There are CPA boards of accountancy in every state in the United States of America. You can confirm the standing of a CPA by making direct contact with the respective state board. Here’s how:
Finding the Correct State Board
There is more information that needs to be asked, such as determining in which state the individual claims to be licensed. It is possible for an individual CPA to be licensed in many states.
Using Online Verification Tools
All of the state boards provide information that can be accessed to check the licenses of CPAs online. This type of tool requires the individual name and license number. Some of the states also provide official lists of CPAs where one can just enter a name to get the results.
Contacting the Board Directly
In the absence of online means, use a telephone or e-mail to reach the state board. It may be necessary to include certain details like the CPA’s name and license number so as to ease the search.
3. Utilize the NASBA Verification Service
The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, or NASBA, also plays an important role that involves endorsement of CPA credentials for individuals in all states. This may be helpful if you need to check licenses of several services, or if you require the centralized process of license check. Here’s how to use it:
Go to NASBA’s site: Find your way to the verification services page of NASBA.
Search by Name: To find the CPA, enter the name in the search field. It helps in gathering data from state boards in case of cross-checking licenses from different states.
Revised Results: Review all the details stated and compare them with the details given by the respective individual.
4. Check Professional Associations
A lot of CPAs are affiliated with professional bodies of accountants like the American Institute of CPAs or the territorial state CPA societies. Each of these organizations has some code of ethics that the members are supposed to follow, and in addition, individuals also may have to attend classes in eight different topics/areas.
There are various ways you can confirm membership status:
Visiting the AICPA Website: Make use of the search option commonly found on their website to look for a member.
Contact: All CPA societies of member states should be contacted for certification of membership.
5. Look for Public Records
Some CPAs may have certain records of their certification due to engagement of the CPA in various organizations, public companies, and the government.
Searching through:
Company Websites: Reviewing the biographies of company executives or financial officers.
Job Advertisements: Searching for new positions in this field will be also useful.
Additional Considerations
Importance of Due Diligence
Know the credibility of a candidate for CPA when hiring, especially when the selected candidate will be responsible for overseeing finances in your company. This helps to guard an organization against fraud or lack of competence that may lead to detrimental losses.
Red Flags to Watch For
Lack of Proof of CPA: It is better to look for another candidate if the candidate in question is reluctant to show proof of their CPA certification.
Unreliable Source of Information: The information that conflicts with the official records needs to be investigated more thoroughly.
Legal and Ethical Implications
Utilizing a CPA’s credential without securing permission from the holder is both illegal and morally wrong. This promotes a culture of professionalism, where individuals who engage in malpractice or submit fraudulent documents may face legal repercussions and the potential embarrassment of having their work history exposed as inauthentic.
