Wisconsin allows three education and work paths to CPA certification

Applicants can meet CPA education and work requirements through three paths. Applicants need a degree from an accredited college or university. Each path requires accounting and business coursework meeting the Accounting Examining Board’s rules. Relevant work must be verified and satisfy the board. It can come from government, businesses, teaching, or public accounting. A separate exception allows certain training and service to count toward the 150 semester hours. Work must follow completion of the education needed to take the CPA exam and fall within the five years before applying for certification.

Applicants can take the CPA exam with a bachelor’s degree or at least 120 semester hours of education. The degree or semester hours must come from an accredited college or university. Both routes require accounting and business coursework meeting the Accounting Examining Board’s rules.

CPAs licensed or certified in another state can practice through Wisconsin’s license exemption if they meet similar qualifications. This provision covers CPAs with credentials from another state. The person must hold a valid out-of-state CPA license or certificate and meet requirements similar to Wisconsin’s certification requirements. Existing privileges are protected for people whose main business or home is outside Wisconsin and who held both an out-of-state credential and Wisconsin practice privileges on the required date. The protection for existing privileges uses the day before this provision’s effective date. The introduced text leaves that date blank.

The law removes specific college coursework requirements in accounting information systems. This applies to the college coursework rules for CPA certification. Applicants must still meet the accounting and business coursework rules for their certification path.

CPAs renewing at least five years late must report at least 120 continuing education credits earned during the preceding three years. This rule covers renewals five years or more after the renewal date. Applicants must state under penalty of perjury that the credits meet the board’s continuing education rules. The three-year period ends on the renewal application date.