VSCPA Statement on Practice Mobility

The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA) values the dynamics of today's CPA profession and the regulatory environment that is essential for the profession's success. The VSCPA believes that only through the robust intent of regulatory agencies to protect the public, a highly ethical and committed profession, and the acceptance of today's fast-paced commerce, can the CPA profession truly fulfill its commitment to global economies.  

Obstacles to the mobility of a CPA license across state lines neither serve the public interest nor allow the profession to efficiently serve that public. Virginia, along with a few other states, has chosen a model that vigorously protects the public and allows for ease of practice in and out of the state. The VSCPA offers its assistance to help other jurisdictions move toward this successful model of practice mobility.

Other states should model their systems that regulate the CPA profession after that used by the Virginia Board of Accountancy (BOA), which has been tremendously successful and allows for ease of practice without notification and still protects the public. There is no notification requirement for firms or individuals, so long as that person or firm is licensed in a substantially equivalent state or otherwise meets the Virginia BOA's substantial equivalency requirements. The VSCPA and its members greatly value the Virginia BOA's dedication to protect the public while allowing CPAs to easily practice in an increasingly fast-paced business environment.

Public protection has arisen as the major justification for requiring notification and/or fee to practice in a state. Virginia has found the opposite to be true. As a complaint-based state, with clear authority to sanction any CPA professional activity within the Commonwealth, Virginia has a vigorous enforcement program that provides the highest level of protection to the public. Requiring notification offers no additional information or authority that is not gained by automatic consent jurisdiction.

The VSCPA supports revisions to the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA) that do not require notification to state boards of accountancy by CPAs with valid licenses. These changes are necessary to adapt the CPA profession to today's business climate, and the proposed revisions do not hinder a state board's ability to protect the public.

CPAs must be able to work within the new global economy, facilitated by instant communication. The CPA profession and regulatory bodies must work together to make that level of service a reality. No notification is the biggest step in that process. Please join Virginia in emphasizing the efficiency of automatic jurisdiction consent, and the ability to vigorously protect the public while increasing professional mobility.

Thank you for the opportunity to convey our thoughts on the mobility crisis. Should you have any questions or need additional information, you may contact me or Emily Walker, VSCPA government affairs director, at (804) 612-9428 or ewalker@vscpa.com.

Sincerely,


Monique T. Valentine, CPA
Chair of the VSCPA Board of Directors