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Proposal would give foreign accountants a path to CPA

Holders of qualified designations would still need to pass an examination.

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2016. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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Changes proposed for the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA) and the Uniform CPA Examination Model Rules are designed to help holders of qualified foreign designations apply for state licensure as a CPA, and the proposal supports the updated Uniform CPA Examination.

The AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) published an exposure draft containing the proposal and seek comments by Sept. 1.

Under the proposal, holders of qualified foreign designations would have a unilateral pathway to CPA licensure. The NASBA/AICPA International Qualifications Appraisal Board would conduct an evaluation to verify that the foreign designation has licensing requirements that are substantially equivalent or higher compared with those in the UAA.

Applicants with approved designations would still be required to pass the International Qualification Examination.

The current UAA requirement that the foreign body have reciprocal recognition of U.S. CPAs would be eliminated. Currently, the AICPA and NASBA have mutual recognition agreements with six foreign accountancy bodies.

Comments on the ED can be emailed to uaaexposuredrafts@aicpa.org or lhaberman@nasba.org.