A Certified Public Accountant or CPA is a special type of accountant. Officially it is the name of a person in America, who has passed the Uniform Certified Public Accounting Examination and has fulfilled some extra state education and experience requirements to receive this certification. This evaluation is gruelling and requires upwards of 150 hours of special education. However, what exactly does this mean to you as a business proprietor. Do you Want a CPA or will a normal accountant or even a bookkeeper is adequate for your small business? Many people use the term CPA and accountant but there’s a very major difference. The CPA designation carries a whole lot of weight within the financial community and surely within the accounting profession.

Services Offered By Certified Public Accountants

In public accounting, those accounting services provided to a Small Business On a contract basis, a Francisco De Armas Cubas illustrates to and provides assurances that financial statements are accurate and reasonable and adhere to generally accepted accounting principles GAAP. They also attest to the reasonableness of disclosures and that statements are free of material misstatement. As an auditor, a CPA’s are required by professional standards and Federal and State legislation to keep independence in the entity for which they are conducting an audit and review, often known as and attestation.

A CPA may also work as a consultant, advising companies on acceptable Business practices and making recommendations on fiscal management. Typically these consultants do network as auditors for a business at the exact same time they are acting as consultants. As part of the certificate, a CPA must complete 40 hours of continuing professional education CPE every year to keep up with the new rules and regulations in the financial, accounting, and business world. This is evidence of the high degree of expectations of the accounting profession for a Certified Public Accountant.

If for no other reason than Tax Planning it is good to have the guidance of an accountant. And as far as company management and fiscal advice access to a great accountant is quite desirable. In general you can assume that anybody who has taken the opportunity to become certified as a CPA, and maintain that certificate, is at the top levels of the skill set of an accountant. It is a clear credibility booster to be a CPA. But does that mean they are better than a normal accountant. However, it does indicate a level of commitment that is worth considering. Surely if legal proceedings are required, the assurance of a CPA will hold more weight than a normal accountant. Again much depends on the standing of the CPA from the community also. Surely an audit by a CPA has an implied level of authenticity.