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What To Know About CPE For CPA Professionals
Anyone who is a Certified Public Accountant must follow the CPE for CPA requirements. The CPE, or
Continuing Professional Education, requirements are determined by state boards of accountancy and other
member organizations. These rules on education are required so that accountants will maintain their high
levels of expertise and professional services.
Passing the initial CPA exam is only the first step accountants must take in their professional development.
The CPE is designed to allow financial professionals to stay current on the rapidly changing laws regarding
the industry. Depending on the state where they practice, accountants may need to follow the guidelines set
by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, or the NASBA. There is also the American
Institute of CPAs, or the AICPA. There are also special provisions for any accountants whose work is related
to the Employee Retirement Security Act or the Government Accountability Office.
One way to meet the requirements is by applying for online classes through a company that meets the
states? requirements for maintaining a license through ongoing professional development. Attending a
virtual class offers many benefits. An accountant facing a deadline to meet the requirements will not have to
wait for a class to open up and can get the class completed quickly. The online classes must meet the same
standards as any traditional class held on a school?s campus.
There are a wide range of categories for classes. One of the more popular ones is regarding the many laws
regarding income taxes, which can change from year to year. For example, there is material available for the
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 that affects millions of taxpayers. CPAs are held to a high standard of
professional conduct and there are requirements for them to take ethics classes. They also often do
consulting work and may have to take management/consulting classes. Because of the computer age some
states may require finance professionals to be well versed in the use of internet and computer security tools.
Many CPAs conduct audits of the largest companies in America. This means they must be current on all the
laws and regulations regarding those reviews and reporting their results back to the companies. They must
know what parts of the balance sheet to focus on and what to do if they find irregularities in a company?s
books. Any time a particular part of the financial industry goes through a reform, such as banks, CPAs are
responsible for making sure those new laws are followed. Finance professionals must have a wide range of
skills that they are constantly developing. They must be able to see the big picture regarding a company?s
performance and still be able to read the small print on a budget and know how much the company?s
spending on paperclips.
Besides keeping an eye on Wall Street, most finance experts must also take classes in relation to helping
individuals. They can advise someone on how to handle their estate to minimize their tax liability. They can
also take classes in retirement planning and how to deal with a large amount of personal debt. An accountant
can also be a person?s best friend if they are going through a divorce and want to try and protect their
assets. If one of their clients does have tax problems an accountant may be able to help them resolve any
issues with the IRS. As finance professionals, CPAs may take classes in their specialized areas so they can
continue to give competent advice to their clients and meet their ongoing educational requirements.
Document Tags: online accounting, accounting courses, continuing education, cpe courses
American CPE
http://www.americancpe.com/
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