Coalition launched to protect professional licensing

In the wake of various state deregulatory proposals that threaten to adversely affect the CPA profession, the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) have helped found a new coalition of advanced professions, the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL).

The group aims to educate policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards for highly complex, technical professions that have a clear impact on the public’s fiscal health and welfare.

“Weakening professional licensing standards on a state-by-state basis will destroy the confidence in qualifications and completely disrupt existing mobility models for advanced professions like ours,” Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, president and CEO of the AICPA and the CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, said in a news release. “Employers will be less inclined to accept out-of-state licenses if some states have rigorous requirements and others have weak requirements. The result: It will become more difficult for CPAs to move and maintain their careers across states.”

In other advocacy news:

• The AICPA responded to a discussion draft issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development with specific recommendations to address the tax challenges of a digital global economy.
• A new Colorado law allows nonresident CPAs to meet Colorado’s CPE requirements as long as the CPAs meet the CPE requirements in their home states.
• The U.S. Senate ratified four international tax treaties with Spain, Switzerland, Japan, and Luxembourg.