Arizona - Become a CPA

A CPA certificate and licensure is one of the most highly sought after in the world of business and industry. Every business owner wants a CPA on his or her side to help navigate the business environment. There are needs for CPAs in non-profits and government, too. For this reason, state governments don't make it easy to attain that license, and Arizona is no different. They have their own specific requirements that you will need to adhere to so that you can become licensed and maintain a career in good standing.

Academic Standards for Arizona CPAs

In order to obtain a full CPA license in Arizona, you will need a bachelor's degree plus more credits. In total, the Arizona State Board of Accountancy requires that you complete 150 semester hours of undergraduate coursework – or the equivalent in quarter hours. You will need to make accounting your major concentration and complete 24 semester hours in accounting. They include:

• • 12 semester hours worth of coursework in upper-level accounting classes

  • 18 semester hours in accounting-related courses such as:

  • Marketing

  • Management

  • Business Law

  • Ethics

  • Statistics

  • Mathematics – college algebra and above

  • Computer Science

  • Business

  • Speech communication

  • Other courses are accepted provided that they are closely related to accounting, pending Board approval.

  • One of the first steps is to obtain an Associates Degree In Accounting, learn more here.

Since a standard B.S. degree is 120 hours, you may graduate with courses still to take. The extra 30 hours might include graduate coursework in accounting or closely related fields. For instance, you could take computer science courses if you were interested in doing IT audits or you might delve into tax accounting. You will certainly want to take a for-credit CPA examination preparation course. Note that non-credit, commercial preparation courses may be helpful, but will not satisfy the Board's academic standards. The board also notes that preparation courses cannot be used for the total requirement if they duplicate other courses you've already taken. You may need to discuss this with your academic adviser prior to enrolling in full-credit, preparatory courses.

1. Accreditation

Your education must be at a standard recognized by the Arizona board. Therefore, make sure that your school is fully accredited at the time you enroll, and be aware if your school loses accreditation so you can transfer to a recognized institution. The accreditation agencies the board looks for include:

• • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

  • New England Association of Colleges and Schools

  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

  • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

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Exam Requirements

In order to sit for the CPA exam, you will need to be at least 18 years of age and have completed a bachelor's degree with a concentration in accounting. You can sit for the examination with only 120 hours of undergraduate coursework.

You will not be able to qualify for a full license in Arizona until you complete the full academic requirements, but it is still a good idea to take the examination as soon as you can. That is, since the test is so rigorous and has such a low pass rate for first-time takers, the sooner you gain experience taking the test, the better off you will be.

To get started in the examination process, you will need to apply to sit for the exam. The Board has an application on their website, which you will need to submit along with an application fee. As of this writing, that fee is $100, but check with the board website in case there has been a change.

You must also submit full, official academic transcripts to verify that you have completed the required 120 semester hours with a concentration in accounting.

Experience Needed

To become a CPA in Arizona, you will need to complete a tenure in a professional accounting environment. Arizona requires that you work for one full year, or 2,000 hours, under the supervision of a licensed CPA. During this time, you must account for your experience so that the board will understand that you have been exposed to the profession. Your supervisor may be familiar with the process, and will help you demonstrate your experience with some of the following:

• • Consultations

  • Financial accounting

  • Tax accounting

  • Audits

  • Attestation

  • Management advisory

  • Compilation

While many other states require that your qualifying experience align with your specific career goals, Arizona does not make this mandatory. However, you should decide what area of business or accounting is most appealing to you prior to choosing a supervisor for the experiential portion of the licensing journey. That is, it's never too early to start building a foundation for a future that is fulfilling and successful.

You can discuss this with an adviser in your accounting department. They can surely help you find the best firm or company to set a successful course. You might also seek out alumni from your school who may have advice or contacts for you to pursue.

Arizona's CPA Licensure Requirements

You will want to keep track of all of your accomplishments as you proceed towards a full CPA licensure in the state of Arizona. In the broad view, the Board asks that you fulfill requirements in four major areas:

• • Education

  • Examination

  • Experience

  • Ethics

1. Academics

Your educational requirements include a bachelor's degree with a concentration in accounting and then 30 more semester hours of coursework in accounting. Once you have your bachelor's degree, you can begin working on your exam. Note that your application to sit for the exam should include an official transcript that reflects at least 12 semester hours in upper-level accounting coursework, and 18 semester hours in accounting-related coursework.

To fully satisfy the Board's licensure criteria, you will need to complete 150 semester hours – or the quarter-system equivalent. After you have completed your bachelor's degree, it's likely that you'll need approximately 30 additional hours. You may take for-credit CPA examination preparation courses, provided that they are not duplicates of courses you've already completed.

2. Examination

Once you are ready to take the examination, you will need to apply to sit for it. They will need to see your official transcripts and a $100 application fee. The exam application is available on the Board's website.

When you have successfully passed all parts of the CPA exam, congratulate yourself for a job well-done. Then, have your scores sent to the Board to be included in your application file.

3. Experience

Once you have completed 2,000 hours of accounting experience under the supervision of a licensed CPA, or other professional, you must submit a Certificate of Experience to the Board. If you had multiple supervisors, each must complete this form. The board does make an allowance for supervisors that are not licensed CPAs, however. If your supervisor is not licensed as a CPA, they should include their resume and a current job description. Their credentials must reflect an understanding of accountancy and an education similar to that of a CPA.

If you are coming to Arizona from another state or jurisdiction and have been working for yourself, you still may apply. To satisfy the experience portion, have three of your best clients write letters attesting to your expertise and competence in the field.

4. Ethics

Arizona requires that all applicants for a CPA license take and pass an Ethics course. This course is taken on an independent-study basis and you may receive the materials from the AICPA. The materials include a practice test. The final multiple-choice test is open book. Thus, this will likely be the easiest part of the process, but it should be taken seriously.

Continuing professional education

To maintain your hard-won CPA license, you need to continue to study and submit proof thereof to the Arizona State Board of Accountancy. The Board requires 80 continuing professional education hours every two years.

To fully comply with the Board, make sure that these hours are spent in courses that specifically pertain to your profession and that you adhere to their specific rules:

Minimum 16 hours in live/interactive environments including classrooms or webinars

40 hours studying one or all of the following:

• • Auditing

  • Accounting

  • Taxation

  • Business Law

  • Management advisory services

  • A minimum of 16 hours must cover auditing, accounting, or taxation

  • 4 hours of ethics that are above and beyond the 80 CPE hours, including:

  • One hour dedicated to accounting and the AICPA professional code of conduct

  • One hour dedicated to the ASBA statutes and administrative rules

As I've claimed in the past, people who wish to get in the accounting profession can be in several professions. After a while, you will certainly identify that your work is only a fraction of what a CPA does and also will just as soon sit in the background enjoying the different activities as you make a nice salary.

So, what can you perform with a CPA license? Allows take a look at what sort of work you could be doing while you're researching for your CPA.

I make certain the individual who created this career was going for the accounting sector. They definitely were successful. By the way, if you do not have a degree in accounting, but still intend to operate in this occupation, you can seek various other careers in its location.

If you want to return to the institution to graduate in accounting, all you need to do is locate a school where you can enroll as well as they will certainly assist you obtain your level there. Additionally, they can help you discover internships and more, depending upon what you are interested in doing.

Although, the most preferred thing to do for the most part is to obtain a partner's level and afterwards take on the internet courses to obtain your bachelor's degree, there are some occupations where you will need a bachelor's. As an example, a lawyer needs a masters, a pharmacist requires a PhD in pharmacology, a dental professional needs an oral aide certificate, and so on.

If you are currently in a health associated occupation and also are preparing to become a CPA, but just do not know where to start. Simply remember that being a CPA is an excellent tipping stone to an additional occupation.

The best job worldwide is now open to all individuals who are preparing to tackle the obstacle of coming to be a CPA. Ending up being a CPA will allow you to make money, not only now however gradually, when you become a CPA yourself.

Among the reasons why ending up being a CPA is such a great suggestion is since it will enable you to see that there are other aspects of the accounting career besides simply bookkeeping. It also gives you an unique point of view that will certainly bring you a lot of satisfaction.

Being a CPA likewise enables you to see that the accounting career has been open to everyone, even those that do not have a level in accounting. As well as additionally, it's a career where you can be very productive.

As a CPA, you will be able to make a difference, since not only will you be helping clients as well as their business, but you'll also be helping the accounting career. Being a CPA will be a capability that is indispensable.

As you remain to obtain your level in accounting, in addition to other points, you will be able to move right into the management positions of the accounting market. You'll be able to begin a consulting company, which is actually where your real earnings prospective lies.

What can you make with a CPA license? You can be a CPA or start your very own company as well as be a big aid to the industry.

The basic bookkeeping experience should be taped. If made in public audit, it has to be taped on the Certification of General Experience Public Accounting Kind. A competent Certified Public Accountant should supervise the job as well as likewise authorize this paper. If a deceptive industry or federal government audit is obtained, it needs to be documented on the Qualification of General Experience Non-Public Accounting Form.

If the licensee is the proprietor of the individual market firm, a 2nd trademark is not required. If the licensee is not the owner, nonetheless, a 2nd person with a higher level of commitment within business needs to sign the kind. The second endorser need not be a certified Certified Public Accountant.

Happening a CPA needs a majorly financial investment as well as likewise mindful planning. In addition, CPA candidates should fulfill specific education demands as well as similarly record any kind of audit task experience. Thus, you need to recognize what is looked at the Certified Public Accountant test and specifically how the evaluation is performed with examination facilities. Use these ideas to gain a Certified Public Accountant authorization and also kick-start a very satisfying career!The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) determines what is examined by the CPA exam as well as Likewise employs industry professionals in addition to academics to compose exam inquiries.