Massachusetts CPAs complete 80 hours of continuing professional education during the two-year period immediately preceding license renewal. Licenses expire biennially on June 30. The Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy does not require pre-approval of CPE courses but accepts programs from NASBA National Registry sponsors.
CPE Requirements
Applicants for biennial permit renewal who engage in public practice complete 80 hours of acceptable continuing education during the two-year period immediately preceding re-registration.
Reporting Period
The biennial reporting period runs from July 1 to June 30. Licenses renew biennially on June 30.
Credit Measurement
Qualifying programs must be at least one class hour (50-minute period) in length. License holders receive one credit for any activity that is more than 50 minutes but less than 100 minutes.
Conference or convention attendees may combine several small segments that are less than 50 minutes. For example, five 30-minute presentations equal 150 minutes and count as three credits.
Continuing education credits are given as whole numbers only. The Board accepts CPE credit in 0.2 or 0.5 hour increments, with a minimum credit amount of 0.2 hours.
Acceptable Subject Areas
The overriding consideration in determining whether a specific program qualifies is that it be a formal program of learning which contributes directly to the professional competence of a license holder in public practice. License holders determine the course of study to pursue based on their practice area.
Generally accepted subject areas include:
- Accounting
- Auditing
- Financial Reporting
- Taxation
- Management Service
- Computer Science
- Communication Arts
- Mathematics, Statistics, Probability and Quantitative Applications in Business
- Economics
- Business Law
- Administrative Practice (engagement letters, fee structures, personnel)
- Functional Fields of Business (finance, production, marketing, personnel relations, business management and organization, social environment of business)
- Specialized Areas of Industry (real estate, farming, film industry)
Subject areas not listed may be acceptable if the license holder explains how the course benefits their position as a public accountant and demonstrates that it contributes to professional competence.
Law school courses qualify if in the area of business or commercial subjects, or otherwise add directly to professional competence. Programs in private industry are acceptable only if they add to the professional competence of the license holder to practice public accountancy. CPA review courses taken by licensed public accountants qualify if they meet the appropriate requirements.
Alternative Credit Activities
Massachusetts accepts CPE credit from various professional development activities:
- University/College Courses: Academic credit courses earn 15 CPE hours for each semester hour. Non-credit courses earn one CPE hour for each classroom hour.
- Instruction: One hour of credit for each hour completed as instructor or discussion leader. Two hours of credit for preparation time per presentation hour. Maximum credit allowed is 50% of total hours required. The Board grants no more than 40 CPE hours per renewal period for presenting or preparing to present programs.
- Self-Study Programs: Formal correspondence or other individual study programs providing evidence of satisfactory completion may qualify, with credit amount determined by the Continuing Education Committee. License holders must log subject matter studied, hours spent, and dates. The licensee must also obtain a guideline for the amount of time a student should study for the program from the program provider. If a log and guideline from the program provider are not submitted to the Board, the Board grants a maximum of 20 CPE hours for any one program.
- Professional Development Programs: Professional development programs of national and state accounting organizations, technical sessions at meetings of national and state accounting organizations and their chapters, programs in other organizations (accounting, industrial, professional), and other organized educational programs on technical and practice subjects.
Ethics Requirements
Effective for all licenses expiring on or after June 30, 2007, four hours of acceptable continuing education must be in the area of professional ethics. Ethics courses do not need to be state-specific.
Carryover
No carryover is permitted from one two-year period to another. Although 80 hours acquired in one of the two years covered by the registration period qualifies a license holder for the two-year period, license holders cannot carry forward credits to subsequent renewal periods.
Documentation Requirements
Candidates for biennial permit renewal provide a signed statement, under penalty of perjury, supported by documentation disclosing the following information:
- School, firm or organization conducting course
- Location of course
- Title of course or description of content
- Dates attended
- Hours claimed
The Committee on continuing education verifies information submitted by license holders on a test basis. If a Continuing Education Statement is not approved, the applicant receives notification and may be granted time to correct deficiencies.
Exceptions
The Continuing Education Committee makes exceptions from the continuing education rules where:
- Reasons of health, certified by a medical doctor, prevent compliance
- The license holder is on extended active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States
- Other good cause exists
No exception is made solely because of age.