Who is a CPA?

Accounting is a discipline which provides financial and other information essential to the efficient conduct and evaluation of the activities of any organization. The information which accounting provides is essential for

(1) effective planning, control and decision making by management, and

(2) discharging the accountability of organizations to investors, creditors, goverment agencies, taxing authorities, association members, contributors to welfare institutions and others.

Accounting includes the development and analysis of data, the testing of their validity and relevance, and the interpretation and communication of the resulting information to intended users. The data may be expressed in monetary or other quantitive terms, or in symbolic or verbal forms.

Some of the data with which accounting is concerned are not precisely measurable, but necessarily involve assumptions and estimates as to the the present effect of future events and other uncertainties. Accordingly, accounting requires not only technical knowledge and skill, but even more importantly, disciplined judgement, perception and objectivity.

With this broad field of accounting, certified public accountants are the identified professional accountants. They provide leadership in accounting research and education. In the practice of public accounting CPAs bring competence of profesional quality, independence, and strong concern for the usefulness of the information and advice they provide on which management decisions are made.

The professional quality of their services is based upon the requirements for the CPA certificate - education, experience and examination - and upon the ethical and technical standards established and enforced by their profession.