Pepper0102
offlineMember
Hi everyone:
\nI just passed my last CPA exam section - I need to have my former employer to sign off my experience letter. I sent him an email today and have not heard back from him - can my former employer, an active CPA, refuse to sign off my experience letter with no reason? What should I do in that situation?
Thank you all!\n
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Kricket
offlineModerator
Pepper,
\nYou need to check with your state board. They will have the answer to your question.\n
\n
Rob in TX
offlineMember
yeah I think they can if they feel you have not met the criteria; they are probably looking into the matter and see if your old job qualifies; I would call and speak with them and give them time to respond\n
\n
Pepper0102
offlineMember
Thank you both for your suggestion - I worked 1 1/2 year for my former employer as a senior accountant and left at good term. I am currently applying for my CPA license through the state of NH which requires a minimum of 2 years' experience. Since I worked 1 year w/ my current employer under a CPA, I will need to add my former employment experience to make to the 2 years.
\nI'm not sure why my former employer, an active CPA in TX, didn't want to do that for me; maybe because he thinks it's too much trouble that the state of NH requires him to submit a copy of his CPA license as well as a driver license copy? But I offered him to seal those in an envelope as I understood they are personal information. I hope I will hear back from him next week.\n
SwissBliss
offlineMember
Hey Rob, read the question. The duh comment was rather rude especially based on your follow-up response that you didn't understand the question. The parter doesn't need to check if her activity in TX counts.
\nPepper - they can do that, but it's unusual. The letter just needs to be signed by a CPA that you worked with for that length of time. I don't believe it has to be the lead partner or anything like that. Check to see if there is anyone else you can get to sign the form. My husband had trouble after leaving Deloitte, and he had two years of experience. They made him jump through hoops, and all they have to do in SC is sign the letter. Good luck.\n
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lisa2bcpa
offlineMember
It can be quite an ordeal in CA, I know the partners at my old CPA firm hated doing it. There were times the state board required the partners to sit before the state board and bring workpapers the employee had prepared before the attest hours were approved for that candidate. Atleast in CA, you are required to do it though or you can get in trouble with your own license. Good luck!\n
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Pepper0102
offlineMember
Hi everyone:
I just passed my last CPA exam section - I need to have my former employer to sign off my experience letter. I sent him an email today and have not heard back from him - can my former employer, an active CPA, refuse to sign off my experience letter with no reason? What should I do in that situation?
Thank you all!
Kricket
offlineModerator
Pepper,
You need to check with your state board. They will have the answer to your question.
Rob in TX
offlineMember
yeah I think they can if they feel you have not met the criteria; they are probably looking into the matter and see if your old job qualifies; I would call and speak with them and give them time to respond
Pepper0102
offlineMember
Thank you both for your suggestion - I worked 1 1/2 year for my former employer as a senior accountant and left at good term. I am currently applying for my CPA license through the state of NH which requires a minimum of 2 years' experience. Since I worked 1 year w/ my current employer under a CPA, I will need to add my former employment experience to make to the 2 years.
I'm not sure why my former employer, an active CPA in TX, didn't want to do that for me; maybe because he thinks it's too much trouble that the state of NH requires him to submit a copy of his CPA license as well as a driver license copy? But I offered him to seal those in an envelope as I understood they are personal information. I hope I will hear back from him next week.
SwissBliss
offlineMember
Hey Rob, read the question. The duh comment was rather rude especially based on your follow-up response that you didn't understand the question. The parter doesn't need to check if her activity in TX counts.
Pepper - they can do that, but it's unusual. The letter just needs to be signed by a CPA that you worked with for that length of time. I don't believe it has to be the lead partner or anything like that. Check to see if there is anyone else you can get to sign the form. My husband had trouble after leaving Deloitte, and he had two years of experience. They made him jump through hoops, and all they have to do in SC is sign the letter. Good luck.
lisa2bcpa
offlineMember
It can be quite an ordeal in CA, I know the partners at my old CPA firm hated doing it. There were times the state board required the partners to sit before the state board and bring workpapers the employee had prepared before the attest hours were approved for that candidate. Atleast in CA, you are required to do it though or you can get in trouble with your own license. Good luck!
hdblue
offlineMember
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CalCPASoon
offlineMember
I always thought that the previous employer reserves the right to not sign the experiance letter? Or they can certify the hours worked, but there is a part on the form where they have to sign that they believe you are capable of fulfilling all the duties and responsibilities of a licensed CPA. I know for the attest experiance requirement, firms are more strict in signing the exeriance letter. The min hours in CA is 500, which is not very much at all. At the public accounting firm I worked for, they would say that even if you met that 500 hr requirement and passed the exam, they would not sign the experiance letter if they didn't think you could perform all the functions of an audit without (or very minimal) supervision. I knew alot of people with 3-4 yrs of auditing experiance, well over 500 hrs, and the firm still would not sign their experiance letter. Some of them ended up leaving the firm and getting their experiance letter from somewhere else.
I'm really curious about this because I no longer work in public accounting, and Im worried that my previous firm won't certify my attest exexperiance letter. Any other comments or people who have gone through this?
wedger
offlineMember
does anyone know if the hours expire by chance? i left accounting and am an analyst now, but am finishing my test here shortly(hopefully lol). i left public accounting 3 years ago but had 4 years under my belt when I left, so at this point its been a while...not sure if thats an issue or not?
thank you.
jelly
offlineMember
Yep, I worked and separated from an employer on so-so terms. He admitted, very grudgingly, that it was absolutely his professional responsibility to fill it out, and certify my hours, otherwise there was going to be lots of issues with the state accountancy board and his liability insurance. (I made a few copies of my paycheck stubs, just in case).
Consider that it's also a liability for your former employers not to sign. How many sketchy things did your former employers do that you know of and remember (or even have tangible proof of)? How much of a headache does your former employer want with the state accountancy board, professional liability insurance company, current clients, and any other government regulatory agency, if it ever got out that the employer's actions were risky, questionable, sketchy, unethical?
Wedger - check with your state. Some states it's 10 years, never, 4 years, etc.
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