NASBA BOD Okays Unilateral Pathway

State Board Report

November 2016

A change to the Uniform Accountancy Act Section 6(g) that eliminates the requirement for reciprocal recognition of U.S. CPAs was approved by the NASBA Board of Directors at their October 28 meeting in Austin. The AICPA is to vote on this change in January. The amendment, as presented to the NASBA Board by UAA Committee Chair J. Coalter Baker (TX), would not modify the evaluation procedures of the NASBA/AICPA International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB), but would permit their evaluation of a designation to proceed even though the country where the designation is awarded would not be performing a similar evaluation of the U.S. CPA for licensure. IQAB Chair Telford A. Lodden (IA) compared the mutual recognition agreement path and the unilateral pathway at the NASBA Annual Meeting. At that time he emphasized that this unilateral approach would bring international qualified experienced accountants who are working in the United States under the Boards’ jurisdiction, better protecting the public in their states.

The NASBA Board also voted to approve changes to UAA Model Rules 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7 and 5-8 as recommended by the CBT Administration Committee. These modifications support the revised Uniform CPA Examination that will be launched on April 1, 2017.

Following the Annual Business Meeting, on November 1, the 2016-2017 NASBA Board of Directors met briefly to elect A. Carlos Barrera (TX) to serve as NASBA Treasurer and Janice L. Gray (OK) to serve as NASBA Secretary.