CBA LENDS ITS SUPPORT FOR UAA.

After studying the Uniform Accountancy Act for several years, the California Board of Accountancy has decided to support its adoption and will bring the issue before the state Legislature this fall as part of its sunset review.

The UAA includes education, experience and exam conditioning requirements, and if adopted by the Legislature, California would be designated as a substantially equivalent state. The substantial equivalency designation would allow California CPAs to provide services to clients across state lines after properly notifying the appropriate state boards of accountancy.

If passed, the UAA and substantial equivalency would facilitate consumer protection via more consistent guidelines for CPAs nationwide. For example, part of the UAA's education component is the 150-hour requirement. Currently 48 of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions require CPA candidates to have 150 hours of education. California is one of the few states that still allows CPAs to become licensed with only 120 hours of education.

Subtantial equivalency also would allow California CPAs to be more competitive in today's global marketplace by allowing them to work with clients from across the country. If California doesn't adopt the national standard, California CPAs could be barred from interstate practice. Thirty-one states already require entering CPAs to have 150 hours of education to practice in those states.