Sc cpa license application

Many of these programs are available entirely online. The South Carolina Board of Accountancy will accept applicable college credits and degrees from schools that hold basic institutional accreditation from one of these agencies:. The semester hours of college credit you are required to complete can be earned through a combination of undergraduate and graduate courses and must consist of:. South Carolina CPA candidates who have earned at least semester hours of credit, including 24 semester hours of accounting courses and 24 semester hours of business courses, may apply to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam.

Applications and supporting documents must be mailed to:. Wait to Receive your NTS. South Carolina testing locations include:. The South Carolina Board of Accountancy requires all CPAs to fulfill practical work experience prerequisites before licensure can occur.

You must earn a score of 90 or above and attach a copy of your certificate of completion to your licensing application. Complete at least 24 semester hours of the 36 semester hours of accounting courses required for licensure before embarking upon satisfying the practical experience requirement. Under Board rules, you cannot earn credit for qualifying experience until you have completed these credits credits which must include core classes of tax, auditing, managerial accounting and financial accounting at the Junior level or higher.

There are two ways to fulfill the experience requirement:. Submit the completed Certificate of Experience form only after fulfilling the one-year of experience requirement or five years for teaching , to: South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; Board of Accountancy; P. If an email address is required for electronic delivery, use etranscript nasba. Electronically delivered transcripts must be submitted directly from the institution s.

Photocopies of transcripts are not official and cannot be accepted. Please Note: If you have not yet applied when you submit your transcripts, your education documents will be kept on file for one year. After that time, the documents will be destroyed, and you will need to resubmit new education documents when you apply. If you completed courses at a campus located outside the U.

Transcripts issued by the registrar for the campus located outside the U. If you have completed educational requirements at institutions outside the U. Completed original evaluations must be received by CPAES directly from the evaluation service at the time of application.

Photocopies are not acceptable. A copy of the international transcript must be included with the report sent to NASBA for each individual evaluation from the evaluation service. The application will be considered incomplete without these documents and the processing of the application will not move forward until transcripts are provided.

Please Note: If you have not yet applied, education documents received will be kept on file for one year. After that time, these documents will be destroyed, and you will need to resubmit new education documents at the time of application. Education requirements must be met through academic coursework completed at an accredited institution. Professional training is not acceptable toward these requirements. Coursework completed as part of a Chartered Accountant or similar program is considered professional training and is, therefore, not accepted toward the education requirements for the U.

Uniform CPA Examination. Correspondence and online courses are acceptable when you receive credit for the courses at a regionally accredited university. These courses must appear on an official transcript. Course descriptions of all accounting and business courses taken at academic institutions outside South Carolina not clearly identified by titles, are required.

Residency You are not required to be a resident of South Carolina in order to qualify for South Carolina candidacy. An official transcript from each school listed on your application. International Evaluation with foreign transcripts, if applicable.

Please submit a copy of your international transcript translated into English in a sealed envelope, along with your international evaluation report. The Board of Accountancy does not accept duplicate courses and does not accept courses from schools that do not issue degrees. The Board of Accountancy does not accept nontraditional college credits.

Some examples of credits that will not be accepted are course credits that are obtained through nontraditional methods such as life experiences, competency exams, and competency credits, with the exception of CLEP and AP Exams. Non-accredited university credits will not be accepted, and the Board will not accept credits from non-accredited universities that have been transferred to an accredited university. Section D states that "the Board shall accept a transcript from a college or university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or another regional accrediting association having the equivalent standards or an independent senior college in South Carolina certified by the State Department of Education for teacher training, and accounting and business programs accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business AACSB or any other accrediting agency having equivalent standards.

Official transcripts signed by the college or university registrar and bearing the college or university seal must be submitted to demonstrate education and degree requirements. Photocopies of transcripts must not be accepted. Education Guidelines and Transcript Evaluation Guide. Once all required documentation has been received, and the application is complete, it usually takes about 4 weeks to process the application.

The Board is actively working to reduce the amount of time it takes to process applications to sit for the exam. A complete certificate of experience contains two documents: a completed and signed experience form form as well as a statement of work. The statement of work is a detailed narrative describing your year of experience working for your CPA supervisor.

The statement should thoroughly describe the accounting experience you gained, what your job duties and responsibilities were, and what you were exposed to. It should be typed, on company letterhead, and signed by the CPA supervisor.

Experience may only commence after twenty-four 24 semester hours of upper level accounting courses which must include Managerial and Financial Accounting, Auditing and Tax courses. The standard by which the experience shall be measured is one year of experience employed on a full-time basis in public accounting, with diversified experience. Employment other than in public accounting may count only in proportion to duties contributing to competence in public accounting.

Part-time employment shall be credited in part, based upon actual work hours. The Board will consider 2, hours of such part-time experience as being equivalent to one year of the required experience. Part-time experience must not accrue more rapidly than elapsed chronological time.

If you have part-time hours, you must submit a detailed schedule listing the hours worked by the week. Below are examples of questions about several areas that can be used toward your experience. Keep these types of questions in mind when describing other duties.

My supervisor has a CPA certificate, but does not have a current license to practice since he has not completed the CPE requirements. Does my experience count? I work in industry and we have a CPA in the accounting department where I work.

She reviews some of my work, but she is not in a management level above me. Will she be regarded as my supervisor? However, I assist the outside auditors for about four weeks each year. May I count this experience? I work in industry and have a licensed CPA supervisor. I perform certain secretarial type duties. In addition, I prepare the company checks and work on the monthly financial statement.

Does any portion of my experience count? I am a working mother and work for a CPA firm full-time during tax season and part-time during the remainder of the year. Does the part-time work count? I work for a CPA firm. During tax season, I often work 50 or more hours per week. May the overtime count toward the, hours per year? May I count experience gained prior to passing the CPA examination?

How long do I have after passing the examination to obtain my experience? The applicant must submit a separate Certificate of Experience Board form signed by each supervisory CPA under whose supervision and review any part of the experience being claimed was gained. All of the questions and blanks on the form must be completed.

The supervisor must have held both a certificate and a license or permit to practice public accounting at the time the experience was gained. Does the Board specify records that should be maintained to document experience? My former employer has delayed completing my Certificate of Experience form. What can I do to get it completed and signed?

I have worked for several different employers. May I submit one Certificate of Experience form that covers all of my experience? I have completed several months of my experience.

May I submit a certificate of experience so the Board can approve the portion I have completed and let me know how much more I need? My Certificate of Experience form was rejected by the Board. May I appeal the Board's decision? Does the Board verify the information on the Certificate of Experience form?

If you provide any of the services described in Regulation A , then you will need to sign up for peer review. Regulation A states that "a licensed firm providing any of the following services to the public shall enroll in a qualified peer review program.

As part of the renewal process, you are required to show that, within the preceding three years, you have undergone a peer review that meets the requirements as described in Section and Regulation CPA Designation. What address should I use to send mail to you? Columbia, SC Transcripts must be sent directly to the Board from the college. If they will be sent electronically, the email address is: contact. Paper copies you may have retained will be accepted only if they are in a sealed envelope.

Exam scores are not received until after the close of each testing window and must be made official at the following Board meeting before they can be transferred. Will the Board of Accountancy send out any reminders for licensees who have not renewed? Renewal is a two-step process: Complete the renewal form and pay your fees online. How can I check my renewal status online to verify it was completed properly?

The deadline for license renewal is p. When am I required to notify the Board outside of the yearly renewal process? You must notify the Board if there are any changes in your address or contact information. A licensee who is retiring may request his or her license be put into Emeritus status. A licensee with Emeritus status must renew his or her license annually, with no fee required.

What is the deadline for firm registration renewal? All owners must be active individual participants in the firm. Does my firm's designated resident manager need to be a CPA? What is my firm's designated resident manager responsible for in regards to non-CPA owners?

The designated resident manager is responsible for ensuring that all non-CPA owners: Comply with all applicable accountancy statutes and regulations. Are of good moral character and do not engage in any conduct that, if committed by a licensee, would constitute a violation.

What if my firm hires a CPA who is licensed in another state? Be careful how you advertise, to ensure that you are not holding out for someone who is not yet licensed as a SC CPA. Do I need to register a firm if I just do some work on the side? You must register as a firm, even if you are a sole proprietor.