Hawaii - Become a CPA

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that demand for accountants and auditors will grow by 10% between 2016 and 2026 and add 139,900 new professionals to the field. The growth in Hawaii specifically is projected at 8% by 2024, at which time approximately 5,660 accountants will be at work throughout the state. The median wage for accounts in Hawaii was $57,550 in 2016, making this a career path that is both lucrative and in demand. Use this comprehensive guide to learn exactly how to become a CPA in Hawaii.

Education Requirements

The Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy sets the standards that candidates must meet in order to obtain a CPA license in the state. The process begins by satisfying strict education requirements. Hawaii has specific requirements to become an accountant and one of the first steps is getting an Associate’s in Accounting degree. Learn more on our associates page. Follow these steps:

• • Complete 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours of college education from an accredited institution. Correspondence, online, and community college courses all count as long as they are earned through a qualifying four-year institution and appear on an official transcript.

  • A candidate must earn a baccalaureate degree or higher or be able to provide evidence proving acceptance to an advanced degree program.

  • At least 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours must be in accounting courses. Applicable courses include accounting, auditing, taxation, and managerial accounting. At least 18 of those hours must be in upper-division (Junior or Senior) or graduate-level courses.

  • At least 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours in upper-division or graduate-level accounting or non-accounting business-related courses. Applicable courses include marketing, finance, business law, business ethics, and many more.

  • Candidates with degrees from foreign institutions may apply college credits earned abroad as long as they are submitted to a foreign education evaluation and determined to be equivalent to an American institution. Contact the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASB) to request an evaluation.

Featured Online Programs

Exam Requirements

The next step is to take a generic exam known as the Uniform CPA Exam. Typically, applicants take the exam after earning a degree, but only the following requirement must be met in order to schedule the exam:

• • Completed 18 hours of upper-division or graduate-level coursework in accounting and auditing.

  • Have a statement certifying the candidate will graduate from a baccalaureate program within 120 days of taking the exam.

  • Have a statement certifying any accounting degree earned abroad.

As long as those conditions are met any candidate is allowed to take the Uniform CPA Exam by following these steps:

• • Visit the website for CPA Examination Services (CPAES) to register for the exam and download the official application form. In addition to the form, applicants must submit the following documents.

  • An official college transcript in a sealed envelope.

  • Payment for the exam fee.

  • A foreign education evaluation form if applicable

  • An ADA accommodation form if applicable.

  • A certificate of enrollment form if the candidate is still completing a degree.

  • Send all of the necessary documents to the CPA Examination Services - HI, PO Box 198469, Nashville, TN 37219.

  • Wait for the NASBA to send a Notice to Schedule (NTS) alerting the candidate that he or she is eligible to take the uniform CPA exam.

  • Access the Prometric website to schedule a time, date, and test taking location.

  • Prepare for the test and travel to the testing location on the prescribed date.

  • Access the test scores at 48 hours after taking them and wait for an official notification from the NASBA.

Experience Requirements

After completing a degree and passing the uniform CPA exam it's possible to secure work as an accountant in a number of different settings. CPA practice privileges are granted, allowing candidates to work under the supervision of a CPA from Hawaii who already has a license. Candidates must gain a certain amount of on-the-job experience before becoming eligible for CPA licensure:

• • Option 1 – A candidate may complete 1500 chargeable hours in auditing while employed full time (a minimum of 35 hours a week) at a public accounting firm that follows Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and auditing best practices.

  • Option 2 – A candidate may complete two-years of full time (a minimum of 35 hours a week) work in several industries:

  • Private industry

  • Government

  • Education – Teaching classes on accounting and auditing at the higher under-gradate or graduate levels.

  • Public accounting practice – Work not focused on auditing like preparing taxes or issuing reports on financial statements.

  • Obtain the Application for License-CPA packet and complete Part 1 of the Certification of Public Accountancy Experience form.

  • The candidate's supervisor completes Part 2 of the form and returns it to the candidate. The form is then included with the rest of the documents for the CPA license.

Licensure Requirements

Unlike some other states, Hawaii does not require candidates to pass a state-specific test to earn a CPA license. After a candidate has earned a Bachelor of Science accounting diploma, passed the Uniform CPA Exam, and met an experience requirement the only thing left is to apply for the license:

• • Complete the CPA license package issued by the state of Hawaii. Candidates are allowed to apply after passing the Uniform CPA exam, but they will not be granted a Permit to Practice until the education and experience requirements have been met as well. In order to apply a candidate must be over 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or an alien who is authorized to work in the U.S. The following documents are required at submission:

  • The Application for CPA License form.

  • Three Certificates of Competence (included in the CPA license package). These must be completed by a non-relatives who can attest to the candidate's professional competence. The certificates must be signed in the presence of a notary public.

  • Certified college transcripts from the institution that issued the baccalaureate degree.

  • The Certification of Public Accountancy Experience form completed by the candidate's supervisor.

Send all documents to the Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy, DCCA, PVL Licensing Branch, P.O. Box 3469, Honolulu, HI 96801. Also include a check or money order for $195 if the license is issued in an even-numbered year or $127 if the year is odd-numbered.

• • Wait for the Board to send official notification that a CPA license has been granted.

  • Fulfill the continuing professional education (CPE) requirement of 80 hours every two years. This is required in order to receive a Permit to Practice. Passing the Uniform CPA exam is counted as 80 hours of CPE as long as the permit is issued within two years of the candidate passing the exam.

  • Send in the Application for Permit to Practice. Two copies of the form must be included along with any applicable fees. The application is sent to the same address as the Application for CPA License.

  • Expect to receive the Permit to Practice within 30 days of filling the application.

  • Candidates who have a CPA license in another state and wish to practice in Hawaii must follow the above steps for applying for a license and permit. Hawaii does not have reciprocal license agreements with any other state. These candidates must also submit supplemental documents:

  • Obtain the Verification of License and Exam Scores from the CPA license packet. Complete the top parts, then forward to the state where the previous CPA license was obtained. Those officials complete the remainder of the form and then submit it to the Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy.

  • Candidates who have held a CPA license in another state for at least 10 years and have been actively practicing public accounting for at least 5 years may receive a waiver from Hawaii's education requirements. For consideration, submit a waiver request in writing to the Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy.

Continuing Education Requirements

In order to keep the skills of CPA sharp and current, Hawaii requires all CPAs to complete a prescribed amount of continuing professional education (CPE) in order for a Permit to Practice to be renewed:

• • CPAs are required to complete 80 hours of CPE every two years.

  • 4 CPE hours must be focused on ethics and professional conduct.

  • CPAs may carry over 40 hours of CPE credit to the next two-year period.

  • One hour of CPE credit is considered 50 minutes of class or program time.

  • A 6-hour day program is counted as 8 CPE hours.

  • A college credit course worth one semester hour is counted at 15 CPE hours.

  • A college non-credit course worth one semester hour is counted at 1 CPE hour.

  • CPE hours must be focused on subjects related to accounting and auditing. Common subjects are listed below, but the list should not be considered complete:

  • Finance

  • Business management

  • Auditing

  • Insurance

  • Marketing

  • Economics

  • Computer Science

  • Statistics

  • Financial Planning

  • Taxes

  • Only some types of study count as CPE hours. For instance, reading a book on accounting is not considered continuing education. Credit is only awarded when education is offered through one of these platforms:

  • Taking courses at a college or university

  • Teaching courses at a college or university

  • Delivering lectures, discussions, or speeches at events offering CPE credit

  • Participating in interoffice quality review programs

  • Writing books or articles relevant to accounting

  • Completing individual self-study programs that offer a certificate of completion

  • Keep documentation of all completed CPE hours going back five years. Documentation should include:

  • The CPE sponsor's name

  • The identification number of the sponsor

  • The course title

  • The dates attended

  • The CPE hours earned

Many individuals choose a CPA career path in an initiative to make some cash. However what are the demands that you require to have prior to you starting?

Prior to you starting your search for a CPA job course, you will wish to understand what it requires to come to be a CPA. The only need is that you have a bachelor's degree. That is all you actually need.

One requirement of a CPA that you need to understand about is the variety of years that it requires to complete your training. This number differs from one employer to another. Generally, it is two to three years, although that is not a stringent regulation.

When you begin your look for a CPA job path, you will certainly wish to make sure that you understand the variety of years it requires to complete your training. This will aid you understand how much time it will take you to finish your training, and as a result, assist you identify how much it will cost you to finish your CPA training.

As you research CPA training programs, you will certainly learn that there are a great deal of different options that you can choose from. Nevertheless, there are some common items that you will certainly discover that you will certainly need to have before you can end up being a CPA. Allow's check out those requirements.

Commonly, you will need to complete an accounting and also monetary management accreditation or a level in financing. Both of these items are called for CPA work hunters. And this is something that you ought to focus on while you are pursuing your education. It will certainly assist you determine whether or not the CPA career course that you wish to seek is something that you are mosting likely to have the ability to go after.

If you are mosting likely to pursue a profession as a CPA, after that you will need to research accounting and also economic administration. These 2 areas are areas that require a lot of experience in order to complete CPA training. This implies that if you wish to become a CPA, you need to be able to qualify for these courses.

Along with having the ability to have accounting as well as financial management accreditation, you will additionally require to be able to have actually successfully completed an organisation administration or business economics significant. Many CPA programs will allow you to double significantly. If you want to complete your training with 2 majors, after that you will certainly need to have the finance and also accounting majors finished too.

The important things regarding finishing both the accounting and financial monitoring as well as business administration and also organisation economics majors, is that you are taking the opportunity to combine both of these courses. This means that you will certainly be better prepared for the CPA profession path, since you will have a lot more understanding to draw from when you are starting your new occupation.

Now, if you wish to become a CPA, you will certainly need to complete a credit-bearing training course that will count toward your degree. This means that you will need to be able to finish a business level, and a finance level.

In order to come to be a CPA, you will require to have either a bachelor's degree or an affiliate's level. This suggests that you will require to have actually finished four years of university. Many institutions will certainly enable you to finish your research studies at your very own pace, which suggests that you can do so at your own rate.

Once you have actually finished your CPA degree, you will certainly have an excellent chance of being worked with by a CPA company. Nevertheless, if you intend to work for a law practice, you will certainly need to complete a master's level.

While many individuals take into consideration accounting as one homogenous sector, the reality is, there is no person collection accountancy task path. There are a variety of various locations of accounting that you can seek, each with its extremely own location of emphasis as well as area of competence. While almost all accounting tasks will definitely require a basis of important technological accounting capabilities along with capacities, from there, you can go in any selection of guidelines based upon your passions.

If you have actually gotten, or strategy to obtain, a CPA qualification, you are eligible to run at a public accountancy company. A public bookkeeping company typically supplies accounting, tax, consulting, as well as accounting remedies for a range of customers across a selection of sectors, consisting of firms, individuals, nonprofits, along with federal governments. A task in public accounting will give you experience in different aspects of the bookkeeping field, from the prep work as well as evaluation of economic declarations to analyzing budget to tax task to consulting as well as recommendations on an array of monetary problems.

Some accounting specialists choose to operate for monetary planning firms, or as independent economic experts. Financial coordinators help individuals with their financial resources, from budgeting to taxes to spending. In big companies, internal auditors ensure that resources are being utilized effectively, that the business is in conformity with all states along with government demands, as well as funds are not being mishandled.