Practice Privileges Effective January 1, 2011, practice privileges became available in Alaska. For more information on Practice Privilege, please review Alaska Stat. § 08.04.420. Additional information about substantial equivalency is also available at Alaska Stat. § 08.04.075 and 12 AAC 04.285.
An individual who does not have a license in Alaska but who is licensed to practice public accounting in another state and whose principal place of business for the practice of public accounting is in the other state may engage in the practice of public accounting in Alaska under a practice privilege if the state in which the individual is licensed: - Requires as a condition of licensure that an individual:
- Have at least 150 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university;
- Achieve a passing grade on the Uniform CPA Examination; and
- Possess at least one (1) year of experience, which includes providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills. The experience may be obtained through practice with the government, industry, colleges, universities, or the public; OR
- The individual's qualifications are substantially equivalent to the above listed requirements. However, the education of an individual who holds a valid license to practice public accounting that was issued by another state before January 1, 2013, and who passed the Uniform CPA Exam before January 1, 2013, is exempt from the 150-hour educational requirement.
Alaska uses this list of substantially equivalent jurisdictions to assist CPAs in determining whether or not their home jurisdiction is considered substantially equivalent for mobility by the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy.
An individual who is qualified to engage in the practice of public accounting in Alaska is not required to provide notice to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy, to pay a fee to the Board, or to submit documentation to the Board. The person may engage in practice privileges in Alaska by mail, by telephone, by electronic means, or in person.
An individual who establishes a principal place of business in Alaska and holds a current CPA license in another state in good standing may practice public accounting in Alaska without a license for a period of 180 days. The individual is required to obtain a license by reciprocity under 12 AAC 04.165 not later than 180 days after establishing a principal place of business in Alaska as per 12 AAC 04.251.
Consent to Jurisdiction An individual with a practice privilege who engaged in the practice of public accounting in Alaska, a firm with an Alaska permit issued by the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy who engaged in the practice of public accounting in Alaska, and a firm that hires an individual with a practice privilege shall: - Consent to the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy;
- Agree to comply with the Alaska laws, rules and regulations adopted by the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy;
- Agree that the individual or firm will stop offering to engage or engaging in the practice of public accounting, whether individually or on behalf of a firm, if the license from the state of the individual's or firm's principal place of business becomes invalid; and
- Consent to the appointment of the state board that issued the individual's license as the individual's or firm's agent for service of process in a court action or in another proceeding against the individual or firm that arises out of a transaction or an operation connected with or incidental to the individual's or firm's engagement in the practice of public accounting.
Firm Registration May Be Required A firm that does not have an office in Alaska, that is authorized to practice public accounting in another state, and that performs Attest Functions for a client whose home office is located in Alaska may not engage in the practice of public accounting in Alaska unless the firm has a CPA firm permit. "Attest Function" means: - an audit or other engagement, if the performance of the audit or other engagement is established by the Statements on Auditing Standards;
- a review of a financial statement, if the performance of the review is established by the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services;
- an examination of prospective financial information, if the performance of the examination is established by the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements;
- an engagement, if the performance of the engagement is established by the Auditing Standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; or
- any examination, other than an examination described above, review, or agreed upon procedure performed in accordance with the standards on attestation engagements.
For out-of-state Partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, and other legal entities for permits: The board shall grant a permit to engage in the practice of public accounting to a firm that does not have an office in the state but provides, or offers to provide, attest functions in the state, if the firm meets the following requirements: - The firm meets the requirements of more than one-half of the ownership of the firm belongs to certified public accountants of this or another state in good standing;
- The firm complies with the requirements of Peer Review in Alaska Stat. § 08.04.426;
- The attest functions performed by the firm in the state are performed by an individual who is a certified public accountant of this state in good standing or who has a practice privilege; and
- The firm holds a permit to engage in the practice of public accounting in good standing in the jurisdiction in which the principal office of the firm is maintained.(See Alaska Stat. § 08.04.420)
For mobility purposes, "CPA license" means a CPA license granted by the state board after all education, exam and experience requirements have been met. A CPA performing services through mobility may only perform the same level of services (attest or non-attest) in the mobility jurisdiction as he or she is permitted to perform in the home jurisdiction. Please note the following if you are coming from one (1) of the jurisdictions listed: - An Alabama certificate holder may not hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
- A Connecticut certificate holder may not hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
- An Illinois certificate or registered certificate holder may not hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
- Both a Hawaii CPA license and permit are required in order to hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
- A Kansas certificate holder may not hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
- Both a Nebraska CPA certificate and permit are required in order to hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
- An Oklahoma registrant must hold an active permit In order to hold out or practice as a CPA in a mobility jurisdiction.
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