Wyo. Code R. 061-0001-3
Accountants, Board of Certified Public
Chapter 3: Certificates (formerly under Dept. of Commerce)
Effective Date: 09/23/2005 to 09/21/2006
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 061.0001.3.09232005
Section 1. Original Certificates. A certificate as CPA may be issued to any person who has successfully completed all sections of the Uniform AICPA Examination and who has met the requirements of W.S. 33-3-109(a)(i) - (v) and the Rules and Regulations. All certificate holders who are engaged in the practice of public accounting in Wyoming as defined in W. S. 33-3-109(c) and Chapter 1, Section 2(d) of the Rules and Regulations are deemed to be in active practice and shall maintain the certificate on active status.
(a) Experience.
(i) The applicant for a certificate as a certified public accountant (CPA) qualifying under W. S. 33-3-109 (a)(v)(A) and (B) is required to demonstrate four (4) years of experience earned in the last ten (10) years preceding the application date which must be verified by a Certified Public Accountant who was active at the time the experience was earned.
(ii) The applicant for a certificate as a certified public accountant (CPA) qualifying under W. S. 33-3-109 (a)(v)(C) and (D) is required to demonstrate one (1) year of experience earned in the five (5) years preceding the application date which must be verified by a Certified Public Accountant who was active at the time the experience was earned.
(iii) The term "year" means a minimum of two thousand (2000) working hours per year. Part-time experience may be considered at a rate of each hour worked up to a maximum of eight (8) hours within any twenty-four (24) hour period.
(b) Equivalent experience. The Board may consider equivalent experience not verified by an active Certified Public Accountant. Documentation verifying equivalent experience must specify the job title, employment period, provide a detailed description of the duties, and be affirmed by an appropriate supervisor or official. This experience may include but is not limited to the following:
(v) Software conversion/installation of financial systems;
(vi) Account reconciliation;
(c) The Board may consider experience gained by applicants under (a)(i) when the experience was gained more than ten (10) years prior to the application date. Any request to utilize this experience must be accompanied by documentation which evidences the applicant has completed the continuing professional education requirements as outlined in Chapter 5 within three years preceding the application date or during another time period acceptable to the Board.
(d) The Board may consider experience gained by applicants under (a)(ii) when the experience was gained more than five (5) years prior to the application date. Any request to utilize this experience must be accompanied by documentation which evidences the applicant has completed the continuing professional education requirements as outlined in Chapter 5 within three years preceding the application date or during another time period acceptable to the Board.
(e) Original certificate applicants shall document that an approved professional ethics examination has been completed at the time of application.
(f) Transfer credit shall be granted to an original certificate applicant if he shows satisfactory completion of all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination given by the licensing authority in any jurisdiction, provided the requirements as outlined in W. S. 33-3-109 and Section 1 of this Chapter have been met.
Section 2. Reciprocal Certificates. Certified public accountants of other states or foreign countries practicing in Wyoming shall obtain an active Wyoming certificate before furnishing services to organizations or individuals which are domiciled in or are residents of Wyoming when any part of the services are performed within Wyoming.
(a) Duly qualified persons may be certified on under W.S. 33-3-116. They shall submit applications, proof of qualifications, applicable fees (fees are not prorated) and other information as follows:
(i) A person holding an active CPA certificate issued by any US state or jurisdiction for four (4) of the last ten (10) years shall be deemed to have met requirements substantially equivalent to Wyoming's requirements and shall be required to demonstrate applicable certificates held are in good standing or have not been otherwise disciplined for cause.
(ii) A person holding an active CPA certificate issued by a state or jurisdiction deemed substantially equivalent to the Uniform Accountancy Act as a one-tier licensing state by the NASBA National Qualification Appraisal Service shall be deemed to have met requirements substantially equivalent to Wyoming's requirements and shall be required to demonstrate applicable certificates held are in good standing or have not been otherwise disciplined for cause.
(iii) A person holding an individual permit issued by a state or jurisdiction deemed substantially equivalent to the Uniform Accountancy Act as a two-tier licensing state by the NASBA National Qualification Appraisal Service shall be deemed to have met requirements substantially equivalent to Wyoming's requirements and shall be required to demonstrate applicable certificates held are in good standing or have not been otherwise disciplined for cause.
(iv) A person holding an inactive or retired CPA certificate, or a person holding a CPA certificate in a state or jurisdiction not deemed substantially equivalent to the Uniform Accountancy Act by the NASBA National Qualification Appraisal Service shall either submit documents to demonstrate the individual qualifications have been determined by NASBA to be substantially equivalent or shall meet the requirements as set forth in Section 1 of this Chapter. An applicant applying under this provision must provide an official transcript which evidences compliance with the educational requirements imposed by W.S. 33-3-109.
(v) A person holding a certificate in another state who qualifies under (i) through (iv) above and who does not intend to render professional services in Wyoming, may submit an application to obtain a reciprocal certificate on inactive status.
(vi) The Board may consider the qualifications of applicants when the certificates have not been held on an active status within the last ten (10) years prior to the application date. Applications submitted by these applicants must be accompanied by documentation which evidences the applicant has completed the continuing professional education requirements within three years preceding the application date or during another time period acceptable to the Board.
(i) A person holding a certificate from foreign countries comparable to the CPA certificate is required to meet all qualifications for certificates provided in W. S. 33-3-116.
(ii) The Board shall waive the Uniform AICPA CPA examination and issue a certificate to a foreign accountant who has completed an examination comparable to the Uniform CPA Examination administered by a foreign authority evaluated by NASBA’s International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB) with requirements determined to be substantially equivalent to the requirements for a Certified Public Accountant.
(A) A person applying under this sub-section shall pass the AICPA International Uniform Certified Public Accountant Qualification Examination (IQEX) with a minimum score of seventy-five (75).
(B) An applicant shall provide evidence of satisfactory completion of the comparable examination administered by the foreign authority.
(C) A person applying under this sub-section shall provide certification from an appropriate foreign authority that no designation awarded has expired, been revoked, suspended, or is under investigation and is in good standing.
(D) Fees for the application shall be submitted by money order or a properly encoded draft drawn on a United States Bank in US funds.
(a) A certificate holder who has not lost the right to active status, who annually certifies he is not actively engaged in the practice of public accounting in Wyoming as defined in W. S. 33-109 (c) and Chapter 1, Section 2(d), and who does not qualify for retired status, shall maintain the certificate on inactive status.
(b) An active certificate holder who is not actively engaged in the practice of accounting in Wyoming shall place the certificate on inactive status by submitting a written request to the Board. The written request shall certify the holder is not actively engaged in the practice of accounting in Wyoming.
(c) A certificate holder who maintains the certificate on inactive status may assume or use the title 'Certified Public Accountant, Inactive' or 'CPA, Inactive' if:
(i) The assumption or use of the designation is not incident to the practice of public accounting as defined in Chapter 1, Section 2(d) of the Rules and Regulations; and
(ii) The certificate has not been revoked or suspended by any jurisdiction for any reason except non-payment of fees; and
(iii) The certificate holder pays an annual fee equal to one-half (½) of the current fees assessed to those who maintain active status.
(d) A person who maintains the certificate on an inactive status shall not be subject to the continuing education requirements.
(e) An inactive certificate holder who has previously met the experience requirements may reactivate the certificate by providing:
(i) documentation which evidences compliance with the continuing professional education requirements set forth in Chapter 5 of the Rules and Regulations; and
(ii) additional fees to maintain active status.
(a) The Board may waive the requirement that certificate holders maintain active or inactive status and allow a holder to retire the certificate and continue to assume or use the title 'Certified Public Accountant, Retired' or 'CPA, Retired' if:
(i) The assumption or use of the designation is not incident to the practice of public accounting as defined in Chapter 1, Section 2(d) of the Rules and Regulations; and
(ii) The certificate has not been revoked or suspended by any jurisdiction for any reason except non-payment of fees; and
(iii) The certificate holder has reached age 60 or is disabled; and
(iv) A one-time fee of $50 is paid.
(b) A retired certificate holder who has previously met the experience requirements may reactivate the certificate by providing:
(i) documentation which evidences compliance with the continuing professional education requirements set forth in Chapter 5 of the Rules and Regulations; and
(ii) fees to maintain active status.
(a) All active and inactive certificates expire December 31 of each calendar year. Applications for renewal shall be mailed to all certificate holders no later than October 1 of each calendar year.
(b) Active Status: Applications for renewal of active certificates shall be postmarked or received by the Board’s office no later than November 1 of each calendar year and shall include the following:
(i) Resident certificate holders and non-resident certificate holders who do not meet continuing education requirements in another United States jurisdiction shall comply with Wyoming’s continuing education requirements by providing a listing of courses completed or proposed in the current calendar year.
(ii) Designated certificate holders as defined in Chapter 1, Section 2(cc) must submit the application to renew the CPA firm permit or office registration in conjunction with the individual renewal application; and
(iii) Applicable fees, to include all late fees, to renew the certificate and CPA firm permit as applicable.
(iv) Late fees shall be assessed to active certificate holders as follows regardless of the day of the week upon which the deadline falls:
(A) a $50 late fee will be assessed for applications postmarked or physically submitted after November 1;
(B) a $100 late fee will be assessed for applications received after December 31 regardless of the postmark date;
(C) A certificate holder who attempts to renew an expired active certificate at any time after the expiration shall pay the applicable annual certificate fee plus a $100 late fee.
(c) Inactive Status: Certificate holders who maintain the certificate on an inactive status shall annually renew the certificate by complying with the provisions of Section 3 of this chapter no later than December 31 of each calendar year.
(i) Certificate holders who submit renewal applications postmarked after December 31 or who attempt to renew an expired inactive certificate at any time after the expiration shall pay the annual inactive fee plus a late fee of $25.
(d) Individual certificate holders shall be responsible for the truth and accuracy of all renewal information submitted regardless of the media utilized to effect the renewal.
(a) Each certificate holder and each CPA firm's designated certificate holder, on a form and in the manner prescribed by the Board, shall disclose information specified in subsections (d) (e) and (f) of this section. Disclosure shall be required upon initial application for an individual certificate or CPA firm permit. Once licensed, disclosure shall be required within thirty (30) days of the imposition of discipline or judgement or with the renewal of the certificate or permit. Actions previously reported do not need to be re-reported upon renewal.
(b) All information or documents disclosed or provided pursuant to the requirements of this section shall be maintained in an investigative file pursuant to Chapter 7, Section 20(c)(ii).
(c) Disclosure shall include but is not limited to the following:
(i) the name of the court or regulatory/administrative entity involved;
(ii) the case number;
(iii) the names of the parties involved;
(iv) the type of reportable event; and
(v) a summary of the reportable events.
(d) Any conviction or finding of guilt, or plea of nolo contendre to:
(i) A felony;
(ii) any crime an element of which is dishonesty or fraud; or
(iii) the denial, cancellation, revocation, suspension or refusal to renew the authority to practice as a certified public accountant by any state, federal agency, or foreign authority, for any cause other than failure to pay a fee.
(e) Imposition of a censure, reprimand, sanction, probation, civil penalty, fine, consent decree or order, by any state board of accountancy, the Securities Exchange Commission, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Internal Revenue Service, or foreign regulatory body that regulates the practice of accountancy.
(f) Any fully adjudicated judgement or settlement in a civil suit or arbitration proceeding entered after July 1, 2005, totaling more than $150,000, and based upon an allegation of dishonesty, fraud, or gross negligence in the practice of accounting, or any action that would constitute a violation of the rules of professional conduct promulgated by the Board. Notification under this section shall apply only to actions directly involving a certificate or permit holder's practice of accounting in Wyoming.
(a) A certificate holder who holds an individual permit-to-practice prior to July 1, 2005, shall be automatically transitioned to active status effective July 1, 2005.
(b) A certificate holder who resides in Wyoming and holds a certificate on inactive status prior to July 1, 2005, shall be automatically transitioned to active status effective July 1, 2005.
(i) A certificate holder who does not provide accounting services as defined in W. S. 33-3-109(c) and Chapter 1, Section 2(d) of the Rules and Regulations may shall request the certificate be placed on inactive status. This request shall be submitted to the Board no later than September 1, 2005 on forms prescribed by the Board and shall provide the following information:
(A) Place of employment;
(B) Name of supervisor or manager, if applicable;
(C) Occupational information regarding services provided in Wyoming or job duties ; and
(D) Rationale for the request to place the certificate on inactive status.
(ii) Based on the information provided subsection (i) above, the Board will determine if the certificate should be maintained on active, inactive, or retired status.
(c) A certificate holder who does not reside in Wyoming and holds a certificate on inactive status prior to July 1, 2005, shall remain on inactive status but shall comply with Section 5(c)and (d) of this chapter.
(d) If the certificate holder transitioned from inactive status to active status is not subject to any investigation or disciplinary action, he may surrender the certificate in lieu of complying with the transition provisions of W. S. 33-3-115 and the Rules and Regulations.