Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants

If you have concerns about both your finances and taxes, speaking with a financial advisor who’s also a CPA might benefit you. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three what is a cpa financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

• Getting your license is a rigorous but rewarding process requiring ample preparation and testing.
• Brian O’Connell is a freelance writer based in Bucks County, Penn.
• The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation.
• She earned a bachelor of science in finance and accounting from New York University.
• If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
• This is because CPAs can offer a full range of services, while ultimately a general accountant will run into legal limits on their authority.

A CPA is an accounting professional licensed and credentialed by a state or territory to offer accounting services, including tax preparation, to the public. Certified for their accounting skills, educational background and their ethical standards, CPAs are granted the right to represent taxpayers before the IRS by the Department of the Treasury.

Tax Filer

I decided in college as an accounting major that I wanted to try to get my CPA as soon as I could. Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for Accounting.com as a side project.

He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Credit for the Commercial Law courses will be given provided the applicant has a J.D. After you have been determined eligible to sit for the computer based examination, you will be sent a “Notice to Schedule” . That means you will have 9 months from the date the NTS is issued to schedule, make appointment, and take the examination section for which you have applied.

Get your max refund

CPAs have passed the Uniform CPA Exam – a rigorous exam that tests one’s understanding of tax law and standard accounting practices – and obtained a state license, which includes ethical requirements. They must take professional education courses to maintain their license, and may lose it if they are convicted of fraud, negligence or ethics violations. Furthermore, CPAs have unlimited representation rights to negotiate with the IRS on your behalf. These accountants have additional training and certifications in areas of taxes, audits, ethics, and government regulations. A CPA may manage the accounts payable and receivable, payroll, financial records, filing taxes, and some client communications. Certain companies may require a CPA instead of a standard accountant depending on the nature of their finances.

Readers wondering “What is a CPA?” may think only of their local tax preparation professional — someone who sits behind a desk and files dozens of tax returns from January to April. A CPA career path offers many different avenues and destinations, with year-round work opportunities beyond tax season.

What is a CPA? What does a Certified Public Accountant do?

I really enjoyed working on various types of projects with different clients. I worked with many different not-for-profit organizations and found that I have a passion for mission-driven organizations. In addition to completing a program of study in accounting, and acquiring professional work experience in public accounting, a CPA candidate also must sit for and pass the Uniform CPA Examination. The MBA is an academic masters degree in business administration. If you are interested in starting or running a business, the MBA is a comprehensive degree that may be better for you. If you are a “numbers person” or interested only in the accounting profession, the CPA may be better for you.