Section 12.5 - Attest Experience Under Business and Professions Code Section 5095(a) To be authorized to sign reports on attest engagements pursuant to Business and Professions Code Section 5095, an applicant for a California Certified Public Accountant license pursuant to Business and Professions Code Sections 5087, or 5093 or holder of an unexpired, valid, active California Certified Public Accountant license issued pursuant to Business and Professions Code Sections 5087, 5092, or 5093 shall show to the satisfaction of the Board that they meet the requirements of this section and Business and Professions Code Section 5095. (1) Some or all of the experience required by Section 5095 and this section may be completed prior to issuance of the California Certified Public Accountant license. Any experience that would be qualifying for purposes of Section 5095 and this section may also serve as qualifying experience for purposes of Section 5093. To be qualifying for purposes of Section 5095 and this section, any experience obtained after issuance of the California Certified Public Accountant license must be obtained while the license is held in active status.(2) A holder of an active California Certified Public Accountant license may commence signing reports on attest engagements upon receipt of notification from the Board that they have met the requirements of this section and Business and Professions Code Section 5095. A holder of an inactive California Certified Public Accountant license may apply under this section, but must convert the license to active status before commencing to sign reports on attest engagements.(3) An applicant for the California Certified Public Accountant license who has met the requirements of this section and Business and Professions Code Section 5095 may commence signing reports on attest engagements upon license issuance.(b) In order to meet the attest experience requirements of Section 5095 an applicant for or holder of a California Certified Public Accountant license shall show to the satisfaction of the Board that the applicant has completed a minimum of 500 hours of attest experience. This experience shall include all of the following: (1) Experience in the planning of the audit including the selection of the procedures to be performed.(2) Experience in applying a variety of auditing procedures and techniques to the usual and customary financial transactions included in financial statements.(3) Experience in the preparation of working papers in connection with the various elements of (1) and (2) above.(4) Experience in the preparation of written explanations and comments on the work performed and its findings.(5) Experience in the preparation of and reporting on full disclosure financial statements as part of the Audit or other Attest Services. This does not include experience earned through the performance of preparation engagements in accordance with the provisions of the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS).(c) Qualifying experience may be gained through employment in public accounting, private industry, or government. Experience acquired in academia is not qualifying.(d) In order to be qualifying, experience obtained pursuant to Section 5095 of the Business and Professions Code must be supervised by a person holding a valid active license or comparable authority to provide attest services as specified in subdivision (b) of Business and Professions Code Section 5095. Supervised experience means that the applicant's supervisor shall have reviewed and evaluated the applicant's qualifying work, pursuant to subsection (b) on a routine and recurring basis and shall have authority and oversight over the applicant. (1) Experience shall be verified by the licensee supervising the experience..(2) Experience may not be supervised by a licensee who provides public accounting services to the applicant's employer.(3)(A) The verification shall be submitted to the Board on Form 11A-7 (1/22) for attest accounting experience, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and shall be signed under penalty of perjury.(B) If the applicant is unable to obtain the verification required in subsection (d)(3)(A), the Board may approve another form of verification if it contains the information as required in subsection (d)(3)(A).(e) In order to demonstrate the completion of qualifying experience, an applicant for or holder of a California Certified Public Accountant license may be required to appear before the Qualifications Committee to present work papers, or other evidence, substantiating that their experience meets the requirements of Section 5095 of the Business and Professions Code and of subsection (b) of this section.(f) The applicant who is applying with attest experience obtained outside the United States and its territories must present work papers substantiating that such experience meets the requirements of subsection (b) and generally accepted auditing standards. Alternatively, the applicant may acquire a minimum of 500 hours of United States experience which meets the requirements of Business and Professions Code Section 5095 and subsection (b).(g) An applicant who is applying with experience obtained five (5) or more years prior to application and who has not passed the Uniform CPA Examination during this five-year period shall be required to complete 80 hours of continuing education, which shall meet the following requirements: (1) The 80 hours must be completed in the two years preceding approval of the application by the Board.(2) All 80 hours must meet the requirements as described in Section 88.(3) The 80 hours must include, at a minimum, the following: (A) 16 hours in financial accounting standards.(B) 16 hours in auditing standards.(C) 8 hours in compilation and review.(D) 8 hours in other comprehensive basis of accounting.(E) 8 hours in the prevention, detection, and/or reporting of fraud affecting financial statements.(F) 24 hours in courses that meet the requirements of Section 87(a)(2) or Section 87(a)(3).(4) Certificates of completion must be submitted to the Board and shall contain a verification certified by a program provider representative such as a signature or seal. The certificate of completion must also delineate the subject areas for which the applicant may claim credit.(h) The experience required by Section 5093, or 5095 of the Business and Professions Code may be obtained in full-time or part-time employment provided the total experience completed by the applicant is the equivalent of at least one year of full-time employment for an applicant qualifying under Section 5093. In evaluating an applicant's experience, 170 hours of part-time employment shall be considered equivalent to one month of full-time employment.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 16, § 12.5
1. New section filed 6-12-2002; operative 6-12-2002 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2002, No. 24).
2. Redesignation of portion of subsection (c) as new subsection (c)(1) and new subsection (c)(2) filed 7-19-2004; operative 8-18-2004 (Register 2004, No. 30).
3. Repealer of subsection (g), subsection relettering and amendment of NOTE filed 5-1-2006; operative 5-31-2006 (Register 2006, No. 18).
4. Amendment of subsections (a)-(a)(1) and (f) filed 9-19-2008; operative 10-19-2008 (Register 2008, No. 38).
5. Amendment filed 1-10-2012; operative 2-9-2012 (Register 2012, No. 2).
6. Amendment of subsections (a), (d) and (g) and new subsections (g)(1)-(4) filed 9-10-2013; operative 1-1-2014 (Register 2013, No. 37).
7. Amendment of subsections (g)(1)-(3), repealer of subsection (g)(3)(A), subsection relettering and new subsection (g)(3)(F) filed 8-24-2015; operative 10-1-2015 (Register 2015, No. 35).
8. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (d)(3)(A) filed 3-1-2018 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2018, No. 9).
9. Amendment of subsections (b)(5) and (d)(3)(A) filed 10-26-2021; operative 1-1-2022 (Register 2021, No. 44).
10. Amendment of subsections (a)-(a)(2), (d)(1), (d)(3)(A)-(B), (e) and (h) filed 2-8-2023; operative 4-1-2023 (Register 2023, No. 6). Note: Authority cited: Sections 5010 and 5095, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 5023, 5092, 5093 and 5095, Business and Professions Code.
1. New section filed 6-12-2002; operative 6-12-2002 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2002, No. 24).
2. Redesignation of portion of subsection (c) as new subsection (c)(1) and new subsection (c)(2) filed 7-19-2004; operative 8-18-2004 (Register 2004, No. 30).
3. Repealer of subsection (g), subsection relettering and amendment of Note filed 5-1-2006; operative 5-31-2006 (Register 2006, No. 18).
4. Amendment of subsections (a)-(a)(1) and (f) filed 9-19-2008; operative 10-19-2008 (Register 2008, No. 38).
5. Amendment filed 1-10-2012; operative 2-9-2012 (Register 2012, No. 2).
6. Amendment of subsections (a), (d) and (g) and new subsections (g)(1)-(4) filed 9-10-2013; operative 1-1-2014 (Register 2013, No. 37).
7. Amendment of subsections (g)(1)-(3), repealer of subsection (g)(3)(A), subsection relettering and new subsection (g)(3)(F) filed 8-24-2015; operative 10/1/2015 (Register 2015, No. 35).
8. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (d)(3)(A) filed 3-1-2018 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2018, No. 9).
9. Amendment of subsections (b)(5) and (d)(3)(A) filed 10-26-2021; operative 1/1/2022 (Register 2021, No. 44).
10. Amendment of subsections (a)-(a)(2), (d)(1), (d)(3)(A)-(B), (e) and (h) filed 2-8-2023; operative 4/1/2023 (Register 2023, No. 6).