If only I’d a nickel for each time someone inquired about exactly what the difference is between CPAs and non-certified accountants. Essentially, non-certified accountants can simply hang up the phone their shingle and open their doors for business. There are no educational requirements. When they want to prepare taxes, most states need a certain quantity of qualified hours of study plus training hours every year.
By comparison, CPAs have usually majored in accounting in college; sat for CPA exams covering theory, practice, auditing, and law; worked to have an established accounting firm for 2 years; and, acquired five-hundred hours of auditing time for you to earn their certification. In addition, they are necessary to develop a certain quantity of hours of training to keep their license.
Whoa! Why is it that one individual needs to undergo rigorous testing and on-the-job training being certified to practice accounting and the other can practice accounting without any formal training? It must do using the idea of “free enterprise”. Remember the old adage, “Caveat Emptor”? It means, “Let the customer beware”. Quite simply, it’s the buyer’s responsibility to choose a professional professional.
But, there are several legal restrictions that define the range of services that can be performed for certified and non-certified accountants. For instance, there are three main types of financial statements that may be prepared by accountants: (1) audited, (2) reviewed, (3) compiled.
Merely a CPA can prepare an audited financial statement. This method requires the CPA to methodically examine and try out the financial records of the company. A report will be issued by the auditing accountants stating whether they found the information contained in the financial statements to be presented fairly, in all material respects.
In addition, merely a CPA can prepare a reviewed financial statement. The review process is less involved than an audit but some tests are completed to verify information. The CPA issues a study describing the scope of the review, its limitations, and findings.
Both CPAs and non-certified accountants, including bookkeepers, can prepare compiled financial statements. A study is issued with compiled statements indicating that no auditing or review methods were used which the fiscal reports were compiled using information supplied by management.
This means that, if you want to have your financial statements audited or reviewed, you’ll want a CPA perform that actually work. Obviously, those services cost more than the usual compiled financial statement. Your circumstances may dictate a need for such services. For example, it may be essential for any bank loan to possess your financial statements audited. Or, other partners or stockholders may insist that the books be audited or reviewed in order for them to feel secure within their investment. Usually, these are businesses that possess a substantial value. Most small businesses will never need to have their financial statements audited or reviewed.
Market conditions have triggered the use of non-certified accountants because, characteristically, CPAs charge more for his or her services than non-certified accountants and bookkeepers. CPAs will also be bound to follow precise standards when preparing financial statements, driving their costs higher. They need to conform since the State Board of Accountancy (regulatory agency that issues the certificates) periodically reviews their work and, if certain procedures are not followed, the practitioner’s license could be place in jeopardy. At the same time, many small businesses have limited funds, so naturally seek methods to save money on accounting fees. Many small businesses do their own books in the past year. They then try to obtain a financial statement prepared as quickly and inexpensively as possible with a professional at the end of the entire year in order to file their tax statements.
A non-certified accountant can make a simple financial statement that amply offers the information essential to file a tax return. This is not to say that non-certified accountants will use any information that is given to them. At minimum, deposits and cash disbursement information ought to be verified with a bank reconciliation. A great accountant will question the customer for many type of documentation if the figures seem unreasonable. In most cases, banks accept a compiled financial statement, prepared by some other accountant, whether a CPA or not.
This has come up with so called “turf battles” in some states between CPAs and non-certified accountants. These battles happen to be fought all the way towards the states’ supreme courts. Usually issue involved is the utilization of “commercial free speech”. The reason being some CPAs do not want non-CPAs to be able to call themselves “accountants”. In some cases, they do not want non-CPAs in order to make use of the term “accounting”. In Maryland, CPAs lost the battle. In California, a compromise was reached whereby non-CPAs are required to disclose that they are non-certified on any literature where they make reference to themselves as an “accountant”. Bookkeepers are unaffected since it is understood that a bookkeeper isn’t a CPA.
In California, there are approximately 20,000 non-certified, independent accountants. That like to call themselves “independent” since they’re free of the restrictions of the state boards and the American Institute of Cpas (AICPA). Many of these 20,000 people also prepare income tax.