NASBA has taken a huge first step in offering a single-source national database of all licensed Certified Public Accountants with the launch of CPAverify.org. The new website is a CPA lookup tool that is populated by official state regulatory data sent from State Boards to a central database that is free and open to the public.
This database is something that's been in high demand for some time by the profession, CPA firms and federal regulatory agencies such as the PCAOB and the IRS. NASBA is very pleased to fill this much-needed void in the marketplace. CPAverify is an outward-facing version of an internal CPA database that has been in operation by NASBA for the past several years and in use only by authorized State Board personnel.
The initial launch of the CPAverify.org website includes licensee data for 22 states with additional states being added regularly.
"With database platforms, data processes, privacy policies and freedom of information laws varying from state to state, it is quite an undertaking to synchronize all those various data feeds into one useful tool that can be available to help support the State Boards with public protection and enforcement efforts," stated David Costello, CPA, NASBA President and CEO. "For this reason, NASBA and the State Boards are very proud to be launching the service for public consumption and additional states' data will be added regularly until all 55 CPA licensing jurisdictions are included."
How does it work?
It's pretty simple. For example, employers who are vetting potential finance employees can quickly use CPAverify to see if those candidates have the appropriate state license. The service will also show if that license is in good standing, how long it's been held and for many states if there have been any disciplinary actions against the license holder. (The website won't go into details about disciplinary actions, but that information can be obtained from the appropriate State Board of Accountancy.)
In addition, if a CPA holds licenses in multiple states, then those records will appear as well (if that state's records are available).
Your single source
The chief benefit of CPAverify.org is that it is a single source for licensing information. Most State Boards of Accountancy have this information available, but CPAverify.org aggregates all of that information into one single location for convenience and enhanced accuracy and can link an individual CPA's records across multiple jurisdictions. For the first time, companies and individuals looking to research a CPA won't have to visit multiple websites, but can get their information from one source.
Again, CPAverify is a free service provided by NASBA. Whether employers are looking to add staff or someone is looking for help with their taxes, CPAverify provides a fast, simple check of whether the CPA is officially licensed and gives a review of the current license status and general license history for that CPA (if applicable).