Why Continuing Education For Accountants Is Crucial

 If you’re a CPA, then you’re required to go through CPE. Each state has its own requirements, so you’ll have to check with your to see the specific ones for your area.

In general, you have to complete at least 120 hours of CPE every 3 years, as this is the reporting period.

Why Is CPE Important?

As a CPA, you’re advising your clients on issues having to do with their finances. Not only that, but many clients will have their own businesses where they’ve put a lot of money into and many other stakeholders are involved.

Considering that the financial world isn’t a static thing, it’s vital that you continue your accounting education, even if you’re the best around. Standards, as well as rules and regulations, are always changing, so you need to keep up with the times.

How to Go Through CPE

There are several CPE choices, depending on the niche you’ve chosen. For example, there’s COPAS, which is the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies. They have CPE that focuses on the oil and gas industries, so if your clients are mainly from this industry, you’d take oil and gas courses with COPAS.

Do note that you must take Qualifying Programs. Otherwise, your credits won’t count. There are rare exceptions where you’re allowed to enroll in programs that aren’t approved by the NASBA or the AICPA, but you should first check with your state-level board before spending the time and money on them.

In general, 50 minutes are equivalent to 1 CPE credit. And you must take 120 credits over 3 years. If you only take part of a course, then you can’t claim credits for the entire course (you’d be surprised at how many people try to do this).