473.301 Purpose.—The Legislature recognizes that there is a public need for independent and objective public accountants and that it is necessary to regulate the practice of public accounting to assure the minimum competence of practitioners and the accuracy of audit statements upon which the public relies and to protect the public from dishonest practitioners and, therefore, […]
473.302 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term: (1) “Board” means the Board of Accountancy. (2) “Department” means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. (3) “Division” means the Division of Certified Public Accounting. (4) “Certified public accountant” means an individual who holds a license to practice public accounting in this state or an individual who is practicing public accounting […]
473.303 Board of Accountancy.— (1) There is created in the department the Board of Accountancy. The board shall consist of nine members, seven of whom must be certified public accountants licensed in this state and two of whom must be laypersons who are not and have never been certified public accountants or members of any closely related […]
473.3035 Division of Certified Public Accounting.— (1) All services concerning this chapter, including, but not limited to, recordkeeping services, examination services, legal services, and investigative services, and those services in chapter 455 necessary to perform the duties of this chapter shall be provided by the Division of Certified Public Accounting. The board may, by majority vote, delegate […]
473.304 Rules of board; powers and duties; legal services.— (1) The board shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this act. Every certified public accountant and firm shall be governed and controlled by this act and the rules adopted by the board. (2) Subject to the prior approval of the Attorney […]
473.305 Fees.—The board, by rule, may establish fees to be paid for applications, examination, reexamination, licensing and renewal, reinstatement, and recordmaking and recordkeeping. The fee for the examination shall be established at an amount that covers the costs for the procurement or development, administration, grading, and review of the examination. The fee for the examination is […]
473.306 Examinations.— (1) A person desiring to be licensed as a Florida certified public accountant shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. (2) An applicant is entitled to take the licensure examination to practice in this state as a certified public accountant if: (a) The applicant has completed 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours from […]
473.3065 Clay Ford Scholarship Program; Certified Public Accountant Education Minority Assistance Advisory Council.— (1) The Clay Ford Scholarship Program for Florida residents is hereby established in the division for the purpose of providing scholarships to minority persons as defined in s. 288.703 who are students enrolled in their fifth year of an accounting education program at an […]
473.308 Licensure.— (1) A person desiring to be licensed as a Florida certified public accountant in this state shall apply to the department for licensure, and the department shall license any applicant who the board certifies is qualified to practice public accounting. (2) The board shall certify for licensure any applicant who successfully passes the licensure examination and […]
473.309 Practice requirements for partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies; business entities practicing public accounting.— (1) A partnership may not engage in the practice of public accounting, as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a), or meet the requirements of s. 473.3101(1)(b), unless: (a) It is a form of partnership recognized by Florida law. (b) Partners owning at least 51 percent of […]
473.3101 Licensure of firms or public accounting firms.— (1) The following must hold a license issued under this section: (a) Any firm with an office in this state which performs services as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a); (b) Any firm with an office in this state which uses the title “CPA,” “CPA firm,” or any other title, designation, words, letters, […]
473.311 Renewal of license.— (1)(a) The department shall renew a license issued under s. 473.308 upon receipt of the renewal application and fee and upon certification by the board that the Florida certified public accountant has satisfactorily completed the continuing education requirements of s. 473.312. (b) A nonresident licensee seeking renewal of a license in this state shall […]
473.312 Continuing education.— (1)(a) As part of the license renewal procedure, the board shall by rule require Florida certified public accountants to submit proof satisfactory to the board that during the 2 years prior to application for renewal, they have successfully completed not less than 48 or more than 80 hours of continuing professional education programs in […]
473.3125 Peer review.— (1) As used in this section, the term: (a) “Licensee” means a licensed firm or public accounting firm as defined in s. 473.302(7) and engaged in the practice of public accounting as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a) that is required to be licensed under s. 473.3101. (b) “Peer review” means the study, appraisal, or review by one […]
473.313 Inactive status.— (1) A Florida certified public accountant may request that her or his license be placed in an inactive status by making application to the department. The board may prescribe by rule fees for placing a license on inactive status, renewal of inactive status, and reactivation of an inactive license. (2) A license that has become […]
473.314 Temporary license.— (1) The board shall adopt rules providing for the issuance of temporary licenses to certified public accountants or firms of other states who do not meet the requirements of s. 473.3141, for the purpose of enabling them or their employees to perform specific engagements involving the practice of public accountancy in this state. No […]
473.3141 Certified public accountants licensed in other states.— (1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, an individual who does not have an office in this state has the privileges of Florida certified public accountants and may provide public accounting services in this state without obtaining a license under this chapter or notifying or registering with the […]
473.315 Independence, technical standards.— (1) A certified public accountant shall not express an opinion on the financial statements of an enterprise unless she or he and her or his firm are independent with respect to such enterprise. (2) A certified public accountant shall not undertake any engagement in the practice of public accounting which she or he or […]
473.316 Communications between the accountant and client privileged.— (1) For purposes of this section: (a) An “accountant” is a certified public accountant. (b) A “client” is any person, public officer, corporation, association, or other organization or entity, either public or private, who agrees with an accountant or accountant’s employer to receive professional services. (c) A communication between an accountant and […]
473.318 Ownership of working papers.—All statements, records, schedules, working papers, and memoranda made by a certified public accountant or firm or her or his employee incident to, or in the course of, professional services to a client, except the reports submitted by the certified public accountant or firm to the client and except for records which […]
