Missouri - Become a CPA

If you plan to seek employment as an accountant in Missouri, you may be eligible to start on the path toward CPA licensure. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to become a certified public accountant in the Show-Me state.

Required Education

Before you can sit for the CPA exam, you’ll need to make sure you’ve first completed the education requirements set by the Missouri State Board of Accountancy.

CPA candidates must have a minimum education of a bachelor’s degree. Students must also complete 150 semester hours from a school accredited by one of the following groups:

• • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools--Higher Learning Commission

  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges--Commission on Institutions of Higher Education

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges--Commission for Senior Colleges

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools--Commission on Colleges

Your 150 semester hours must include the following:

• • 33 semester hours logged in accounting, including:

  • At least one auditing course

  • 18 semester hours logged in upper division accounting courses (not including accounting law or business law classes)

  • 27 semester hours logged in general business classes

Community college, online, correspondence, and CPA review courses are all acceptable in completing these requirements, as long as all submitted credits come from an accredited college or university.

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Taking Your CPA Exam

After you’re finished with your education requirements, you can submit an application to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam.

• • Register online or download an application form at the CPA Examination Services (CPAES) website.

  • Submit the required paperwork. Be sure to include the following:

  • An official college transcript (in a sealed envelope from the university)

  • A Certificate of Enrollment signed by a university official (only needed f still attending college)

  • Payment of the application and exam fees (either online with a credit card or by sending a check, money order, or credit card form)

  • Wait for your Notice to Schedule (NTS) to arrive by mail, email, or fax. You will be able to choose your preferred delivery method when you register.

  • Schedule your testing date at the Prometric website. You can take the exam in one of the following Missouri locations:

  • Jefferson City

  • Kansas City

  • Lees Summit

  • Springfield

  • St Louis

Arrive at your selected testing facility, on time and prepared to take your exam.

• • Wait to receive your exam scores in the mail. Results are generally sent out within two to three weeks.

Pre-Licensing Experience Required

CPA candidates are required by the state of Missouri to complete at least one year of accounting experience before they are eligible for full licensure.

Before you start working as an accountant, you must take the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s Home Study Course on Professional Ethics. Materials to complete the class can be ordered online.

After passing the AICPA Home Study Course, you’ll be able to take on a supervised position as an accountant in Missouri. In order to count toward your CPA requirement, your work experience must meet the following stipulations:

Last for one full year in duration (2000 hours)

Take place under direct supervision by a licensed CPA, either in Missouri or a different location

Take place in a government, industry, academic, or private accounting practice

Include experience in the following concentrations:

• • Accounting

  • Attest

  • Compilation

  • Consulting

  • Governmental accounting, budgeting or auditing

  • Management Advisory

  • Review

  • Tax

If your position requires you to sign reports or supervise attest services, you must spend an additional 2000 hours working in attest services prior to obtaining your CPA license. This must take place in a public accounting practice, or by working as a government arbitrator.

When you’ve completed your required time, ask your supervisor (officially known as the Endorser) to fill out the Experience section of the Application for Initial License to Practice Public Accounting. They’ll also need to complete the Endorser-Experience Addendum, which must be signed in the presence of a Notary Public.

Submit all required documents with your application to Missouri State Board of Accountancy, 3605 Missouri Blvd., P.O. Box 613, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0613.

Obtaining Your Missouri CPA License

Once you’ve completed all of the following requirements, you’ll be eligible to obtain your Missouri CPA licensure.

• • Bachelor’s degree completed with a minimum of 150 semester hours

  • Application and school transcript submitted to the Board

  • Pass both the Uniform CPA Exam and the AICPA Home Study Ethics Exam

  • At least one year (2000 hours) of experience, depending on position

To finish the process and get your CPA license, you must complete and submit your licensure application to the Board. Your application must include the following:

• • The date you passed the AICPA Ethics Exam

  • The Experience section of your application completed by your Endorser

  • The Endorser-Experience Addendum, completed by the Endorser and notarized

  • A $90 application fee

Upon completion, submit your application to Missouri State Board of Accountancy, 3605 Missouri Blvd., P.O. Box 613, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0613.

Keeping Your License Current

Missouri requires all licensed CPAs to satisfy continued professional education (CPE) requirements in order to stay in good standing with the Board.

Certified accountants must complete a total of 120 CPE hours every three years, with the following specifications:

• • A minimum of 20 CPE hours must be taken per year

  • Two CPE hours every year must be in the field of professional ethics

Approved CPE course subjects include:

• • Accounting

  • Assurance

  • Auditing

  • Consulting

  • Ethics

  • Management

  • Specialized knowledge/applications

  • Taxation

CPAs working as government auditors must complete 80 CPE hours in attest and/or auditing courses, 24 of which must be applicable to government.

Credit hours can be accumulated in the following ways:

• • University level courses (both credit and non-credit)

  • Online courses

  • Teaching and lecturing

  • Group studying programs

  • Independent study (under guidance from a CPE sponsor)

  • Writing articles and/or case studies for accounting publications

Be sure to maintain documentation of all CPE hours for at least five years after completion, including course/content description, name of CPE sponsor, location of credit program, and total hours logged.

You may find it helpful to become a member of local accounting organizations, especially when it comes to staying on top of new rules and regulations. The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is a valuable group to join, as well as the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Becoming an Accountant is quite similar to getting your CPA license. There are specific actions that you require to take before you can begin to function as an Accountant

But certainly, there are some differences between Book-keeping Education Requirements and also a CPA certificate. The most vital point to remember is to follow the standards that are offered to you by the different Accounting Certification Requirements (A/C).

All new Accountants should take an examination in order to start working as an Accountant. If you do not pass the test or it is failed, after that you will require to take a training course in order to become accredited. You can either obtain a Certified Public Accountant or Qualified Tax Accountant.

You ought to recognize every one of the CPA education needs and understand any adjustments that may transpire in this area. If you do find yourself curious about ending up being an Accountant, after that you must constantly have a clear concept of the course you are to take. This will help you comprehend what you need to learn about Accounting.

Now, what is the distinction in between both courses of Accounting? There are a number of distinctions in between a CPA as well as an accountant and also you ought to be familiar with them prior to you take into consideration moving forward with your career as an Accountant.

Accountants are those individuals who aid firms with taxes, financial planning, forecasting, auditing, and also capital expense. A CPA will typically start out as a CPA however in some cases they will certainly be required to take courses in federal government Accounting.

What is a CPA? State-licensed Accountant or Qualified Tax Accountant.

You will certainly need to contend with at the very least a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, ideally from a great College. The right education will furnish you with everything you need to learn about taxation and accounting. Additionally, there are lots of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) to pick from so the more experience you have with computer systems, the better off you will certainly be.

You must obtain a CPA certificate if you wish to move forward with your career as an Accountant. If you do not have this certificate, after that you will require to get a CPA qualification.

Just how to obtain your CPA permit depends on your present state and also what kind of institution you went to, exactly how great education you got and also where you function. In most states, you need to go to a number of classes so as to get your permit. With a little good luck, nevertheless, you will certainly have passed your CPA classes and you will have already gotten your permit when you complete your work experience.

Currently, there are some states that will send out your qualification to you and also the required courses you need to pass. Some states will even offer you a cost-free practice examination, so you can obtain your certificate while you are still functioning your way via your training.

It's actually up to you if you want to get your CPA license today or if you intend to wait for the exam to happen. Nevertheless, you should prepare to get your CPA certificate the next time you want to. If you are serious about doing this kind of job, then you need to certainly know what to anticipate in your instructional needs.

Lots of pupils checking out online might currently be running in an accounting setting in addition to will certainly complete the internet degree while still employed. Search for an internet accounting degree. Before employing, nevertheless, it is extremely essential to thoroughly examine each establishment as well as the program of rate of interest to ensure that the online education and learning you obtain is top quality.

Though a lot of these individuals are already excellent with their funds before working as an accounting professional or State-licensed accountant, a perk of the job is getting a lot more financial proficiency, which can aid accountants along with Certified public accountants with personal financial matters. However, accounting specialists call for more than just financial knowledge to do their tasks well.

Incumbents function at first under close assistance to execute specialist operating or price audit job calling for the standardized application of reputable bookkeeping concepts, ideas, concepts and approaches. The book-keeping systems to which incumbents are assigned are commonly secure and also well established. Incumbents obtain much less directions as they obtain included audit understanding and also capabilities.

Winding up Being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) provides an accountant greater standing in the eyes of business calls, specialist peers, regulatory authorities, in addition to customers alike. This is since a CPA has satisfied minimum education and learning as well as learning demands, passed a laborious four-part evaluation, as well as also acknowledged to follow by a code of values. The CPA classification is one of the most highly-sought after and also practical credentials for accountants, according to the 2013 Robert Half Report on Accountancy as well as Financing.

Any kind of certified accountant can do a great deal of these tasks; nevertheless, a State-licensed accountant can do 2 factors that an accountant without a CPA certificate can not: Prepare audited or evaluated financial statements and additionally file a record with the Supplies in addition to Exchange Repayment (SEC). All public firms should send audited monetary declarations with the SEC.