Being a certified public accountant, or CPA, can be rewarding. CPAs have a variety of job duties including assisting with tax preparation, bookkeeping and financial planning. They can also audit accounts for overspending, fraud and misinformation. If you want to become a CPA in Salt Lake City, then there are several steps that you will need to take.
Complete 150 Hours of Coursework
The Utah Board of Accountancy requires that a person complete 150 semester hours before they can become a Utah CPA. They must have a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in business, accounting or finance. Additionally, people must have 24 hours of the following courses.
- Finance
- Auditing
- Taxation and tax subjects
- Accounting information systems
- Managerial or cost accounting
You must also have 30 hours of the following courses to become a CPA in Salt Lake City.
- Statistics
- Business law
- Computers
- Oral and written communication
- Ethics
- Business administration
- Statistics
Get the Required Hours of Experience
You must work under the direct supervision of a certified public accountant. You will need to get at least one year of experience, which is equivalent to 2,000 hours. While you are working under the supervision and direction of a CPA, you will be able to learn about tax preparation, auditing and bookkeeping.
Take the AICPA Ethics Course
The Utah Board of Accountancy requires that people take the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or AICPA, course and exam. You can find the course and exam materials on the AICPA exam.
Pass the Utah CPA Exam
You will need to pass the Utah CPA exam. The cost is $743, and you will also have to pay $143 for the application fee. Keep in mind that you do have the option of paying for individual sections of the test. The auditing and attestation portion costs $195.35, the business environment and concerts portions cost $176.35, the financial accounting and reporting portion costs $195.35, and the regulation portion costs $176.25.
You will need to pass all four sections with a score of at least 75 percent. This is a difficult exam. Only 50 percent of people pass it the first time that they take it. However, if you prepare for it, then you will greatly increase your chance of passing it.
There are practice tests that you can take that are similar to the real test that you will take.
You will have to pay to take the test again. That is why it is best to try to pass it the first time.
Apply for a License
After you have passed the CPA exam, you can apply for your license. You will need to submit a verification of work experience along with your application. In order to maintain your license, you will need to take 80 hours of continuing education courses every two years. This includes three hours of ethics.