[Mary 2496]

This has been irritating me more and more because it’s a discredit to the accounting profession.

Someone that I know very well just graduated with a degree in accounting. S/he gained employment with a local, very large and well-known public accounting firm. For the first four months of employment, this person was given the “task” of passing the CPA exam. S/he would sit in their assigned office all day, for eight hours, and do nothing but study even though they were on company time. Okay – sounds great. Because this is the person’s only “job,” s/he passes the exams quite quickly (in about a five or six month period).

S/he has zero professional experience in accounting. I know this for a fact. After s/he passes the exam, one of the CPA’s in the same office signs off on that person’s paperwork so that the license can be issued for this person. The CPA fills out the necessary areas and states that the applicant has more than two years of experience. (It is one to two years experience depending on education level achieved, per Ohio law.)

I was really disappointed at this, not because the person was issued a license, but because this is really a well-respected CPA practice nationwide. I was a bit upset that they’d downplay the profession like this, so to speak, as the firm is known for its commitment to sound ethical practices.

Any thoughts?

[Rocky123]

Wow… Not surprising though. I can see why an ethics course is now a requirement for a CPA license!

Perfect example of how life isn't fair and it's who you know that counts.

The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground.

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[Mary 2496]

and that's exactly it. You're definitely right about the need for an ethics course!

I was more upset that it happened at a very well-respected firm that's known for it's commitment to ethics and upstanding business practices. I wouldn't have been as upset if it came from a small CPA firm. Definitely unfair to the candidates that have passed and are trying to gain the experience they need and totally uncool to the profession as a whole.

[Lion_of_the_Rock]

Nothing about people is surprising.

DTA, don't trust anybody (thank you Stone Cold Steve Austin).

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[Anonymous]

Eventually people can sniff out bs and realize the depth of someone, can't allow that to discourage you along your way.

[Mary 2496]

True … I just couldn't believe that this particular firm would do something that is a blatant violation. It really caught me off-guard.

[Uhartsoccer21]

This risk of ruining your reputation and putting a red flag on a firm isn't close to the reward of gaining one more CPA with no accounting experience.. I'm more confused by this scenario.

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[Herbieherb]

Sounds similar to someone I knew in one of my old jobs, company was paying for his/her MBA, he/she would sit all day in his/her office and do homework, projects etc. Can obviously see textbooks, notes etc thru the window in the office. The staff complained about it and management did nothing…I wish I had it that good

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[Mary 2496]

Right?! I wish I had it that good, too!

@ Uhart – I actually started thinking about this situation more and more. If the state board ever found out, I wonder who would be in hot water – the firm, the CPA, or I am guessing, both. To me, it wouldn't be worth my license after all I will have been through. Not – a – chance – in – hell – would I even risk it.

This is a large firm that we even sometimes refer our clients to, when they need audits for public companies (which we don't do). I was just a bit dismayed, due to their outstanding reputation.

I was like, “how in the hell was his license issued?” I then discovered what actually happened.

[stag]

something doesn't add up for me. If Ohio law requires 1-2 years experience, how can anyone sign off on the paperwork even if they count studying for CPA exam as work. Like you said, s/he just graduated and spent first 4 months studying. What happen if a person worked from the day one, but during summer wasn't working on a client, does those months in the summer not count? I figure most firms will not be count days their people actually work on clients, but rather time of employment as basis for signing off on paperwork.

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[taxman89]

@ Stag exactly. they are signing off on their experience when they havnt even been out of school 6 mon (at least thats how i read it). seems needlessly risky imo. if caught i am assuming the license of the new “cpa” and the “cpa” that signed off on the exp would be revoked….and if it isnt, it should be

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[Mary 2496]

@ taxman – you're right, that's exactly what is happening at this firm. I know for sure that it happened with the person I know and this is a public accounting firm that probably employs around 80 accountants including CPA's, so who knows how many others they've done it with.

The person I know gets to work is hired by them, told to finish exam and paid to do so while working, and then a CPA at the firm signs off on that person saying s/he has two plus years of experience when in reality, the person who just passed the exam has a few months experience, and none of them were actually even professional experience because s/he had no client contact – only job was to finish the exam.

* And you're damn right, they both should be revoked. This whole situation struck a nerve with me, big-time, especially due to their notoriety in this area for being one of the most upstanding public accounting firms in the U.S.

[stoleway]

I really dont like the fact that the CPAs in this firm are falsifying information, but this individual getting a license is actually not a big deal at all. The person has passed the exams which is obviously the most difficult aspect of being a CPA.

The best way to go about this is to blow the whistle. If giving out license to people with zero experience seems to be a problem, then we might need to institute legal action against states that gives out CPA licenses based on education. I think the experience requirement has many loopholes in most cases, simply because you only need to work under a CPA in certain situations regardless of your work title or duties.

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[Mary 2496]

In Ohio, you need to work under a CPA, but for a certain number of years (one – two in most cases). I just think it really mocks the point of the whole experience requirement, and I would even wonder if the AICPA and/or state boards know that things like this would happen. Would it be assumed that there would be some degree of fraud and deceit from those already licensed? Although it still doesn't make it right, I just don't like to see the profession downgraded, and this is an act that in my opinion, definitely works to downgrade the profession.

Thanks for everyone's input – I am so glad to know that I wasn't the only one that felt it was a horrible thing for them to do.

[taxman89]

“If giving out license to people with zero experience seems to be a problem”

thats not the issue at all. the point is that the new “cpa” is knowingly, unethically and illegally, obtaining his/her cpa license when he/she has not completed the requirements to be licensed in his/her state… really is no gray area here imo.

whether the exp requirement makes sense or not is a different discussion

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Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[Rocky123]

I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to “ethics” at these companies. It's a joke. It really is. These companies will do whatever they want as long as they can get away with it.

The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground.

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[Author]

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