The requirements for becoming a CPA in Florida can be a little confusing, so I've put together this guide to help you navigate the process. If you are just starting to do your research for your CPA license in FL, I suggest you start at the top. Otherwise, feel free to skip ahead to any section you'd like to know a little more about.
6 Simple Steps to Becoming a CPA in Florida
Meet eligibility requirements for the CPA exam
These are the basic age and citizenship requirements for taking the CPA exam in Florida:
- Minimum age requirement?: Not
- Is US citizenship required?: Not
- Is Florida residency required?: Not
- Minimum level of education required: See the next section
- Valid Social Security Number (SSN)*required?: Sim
*An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) can also be provided
Meet FL CPA education requirements
In Florida, you need at least 150 semester hours (or 225 semester hours) to earn your CPA license, but only 120 semester hours (180 semester hours) to take the CPA exam, which meansyou can take the test while still in college!
If you want more information, here is a detailed breakdown of exactly what it takes to take the CPA exam and become licensed:
Requirements for taking the CPA exam:
Have at least 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hoursfrom an accredited foreign college, university or equivalent
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Candidates who graduated from a non-accredited school may still be eligible to take the CPA exam, but must have takenat least 15 semester hours of graduate classes from an accredited institution.The 15 semester hours must includeat least nine hours of graduate-level accounting coursework to include three semester hours of graduate tax🇧🇷 These courses cannot duplicate other courses the candidate has taken and cannot be used to meet educational requirements.
Applicants must also submit an assessment of their foreign transcripts, which must be completed by a Board-approved assessment service (seeAssessment Service Approved by the Board).
24 semester hours or 36 hours quarterly of Higher Division Accounting courses including: Tax, Auditing, Finance and Accounting
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Do they have accounting courses at the Law School? In this case, taxation courses are usually the only courses for which the Board can grant accounting credit. The Board will not grant credit for the following:
- Classes on wills and estate transfers or free that do not emphasize tax issues
- Law school courses that duplicate courses for which the applicant previously earned credit (law school courses, Federal Taxes I and II, are substantially equivalent to Taxes I and II (or Personal and Business Taxes) courses. , Tax on Business) that are taught in accounting programs considered duplicative)
24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of general business courses, including at least three (3) semester hours or four (4) quarter hours of business law
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A microeconomics course, a macroeconomics course, a statistics course, a business law course, and an introductory computer course might be a lower division.
Excess upper division accounting courses can be used to meet general business requirement but not business law requirement. However, elementary accounting classes are never acceptable for credit. Nor are non-accounting specialization courses and MBA courses equivalent to elementary accounting.
In addition, the following Law School courses are generally accepted for General Business credit:
- Consumer Law Financing and Corporate Reorganization
- Insolvency Fund Management
- Real Estate Marketing
- Business Organization Wealth Planning
- Corporate Commercial Paper
- Inheritance of the insurance debtor
- Security in Real Estate Assets
- Extra-contractual liability contracts
- Antitrust Agency and Association
- Guaranteed Sales Transactions
Requirements to obtain your CPA license:
Have at least 150 total semester hours or 225 quarter hours (i.e., a bachelor's degree or higher) from an accredited foreign college, university, or equivalent
30 semesters or 45 hours quarterly of Higher Division Accounting courses including: Tax, Auditing, Finance, and Costing/Management
36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours of general business courses, including at least three (3) semester hours or four (4) quarter hours of business law
Register to take the CPA exam and pay exam fees
Be sure to check out this post where I describe everything.CPA exam application processfor you, step by step.
The cost of enrolling and registering for all four parts of the Florida CPA examThey are as follows:
| Section | Taxa |
|---|---|
| Initial registration fee* | $ 50,00 |
| Audit and Certification (AUD) | $ 224,99 |
| Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) | $ 224,99 |
| Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) | $ 224,99 |
| Regulation (REG) | $ 224,99 |
| Total | $ 949,96 |
*FloridaThe Schedule Notice (NTS) window is6 months thenYou just need to register and pay for the exam section(s) you want to take within that period.If you need to schedule any sessions beyond the original 6-month NTS window, a$75 exam feeplus the fees for the associated exam section above will apply.
Have you ever taken the CPA exam in another state? If so, you will also need to submit aAuthorization for interstate exchange of exams and licensing informationform, even if you didn't pass any section.
study for andAPPROVEthe CPA exam!
Studying for the CPA exam is definitely the most challenging and time-consuming part of the entire process, so you might as wellstart studying as soon as your fees are submitted.
Not sure which section of the exam to take first? Check out my post where I break down the pros and cons of each route you can take so you can make the best decision possible:Which section of the CPA exam should I take first?
By far the most important factor for success on the CPA exam issticking to a consistent study schedule and not letting too much time pass between study sessions.
The CPA exam is not a test you can just squeeze yourself into, so be sure to break the material down into manageable chunks in a way that fits into your schedule.
As long as you schedule things correctly, you won't have to sacrifice your entire social life.for the CPA exam as some people say!
You will also need to buy aCPA review coursethis isbest suited for your study style and budget🇧🇷 I have personally tested and vetted all the best review courses available so you can find the best one for you.
If you still can't decide which course is best for you, send me an email and I'll help you personally!
Check Out The Best CPA Review Courses
FL CPA Work Experience Requirements
In addition to the education requirements discussed above, the Florida Division of Certified Public Accountants requires that you have some work experience prior to obtaining your CPA license. The requirements are pretty straightforward, but will vary depending on the type of work you're doing:
- You must have at least1 year work experienceunder an authorized CPA.
- Experience can be full-time or part-time employment, as long as you have workedminimum of 2000 hours over a period of 1-2 years.
Work experience is defined as “any type of service or consultancy involving the use of accounting, attestation, compilation, management advice, financial advice, tax or consulting skills, all of which must be verified by a licensed certified public accountant by a state or territory of the United States. Such experience is acceptable if it was obtained through employment in government, industry, academia or public practice and formed a substantial part of the candidate's duties.
Get your CPA license!
Ufa! Once you've passed all four sections of the CPA exam and met the education and work experience requirements, you'll finally be ready to apply for your CPA license!
The Florida application process is quite simple. To receive your CPA license, you will need to complete and submit the following:
- Your CPA License Application
- Documentation of work experience.
- application costs
Assuming you've completed all the requirements mentioned above, you should be well on your way to earning your CPA license.
Be sure to check out the resources I've included below to help you through the application and licensing process.
Additional information and resources
Contact information
Division of Certified Public Accountants
240 NW 76th Drive, SuÃte A
Gainesville, FL 32607
E-mail:veloria.kelly@myfloridalicense.como
Contact Form:http://www.myfloridalicense.com/contactus/
Phone: (850) 487-1395
Fax: (352) 333-2508
additional organizations
Learn about the best CPA prep courses
Was this post helpful? If so, please share with someone you think might be able to help! If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I'll help you figure things out.
To learn more about some of the things you need to prepare for the CPA exam, check out my in-depth reviews of each of the best courses on the market:
- Roger's CPA Review
- Urgent CPA review
- Wiley CPAexcel
- Becker's CPA Review
- Gleim CPA Review
- Yaeger CPA Review
- Fast Forward Academy CPA Review
FAQs
What are the requirements to take the CPA Exam in Florida? ›
In Florida, you can sit for the CPA exams as long as you have 120 credit hours, which need to include 24 semester hours of upper-division accounting classes, and 24 semester hours of upper-division business classes.
Is the new CPA Exam harder 2024? ›Basically, the CPA Evolution initiative means that the CPA Exam will change by January 2024. And since you will need to demonstrate your skills in the core content areas plus a sub-discipline, the CPA Exam could become much more challenging.
What are the continuing education requirements for Florida CPAs? ›Florida CPAs must complete a total of 80 CPE hours to include at least eight (8) hours in accounting and auditing and at least 4 hours in Board approved ethics every two years.
Which state has the most lenient CPA requirements? ›Colorado's (CO) CPA exam requirements are possibly the most advantageous of all the states. It does not require 150 hours to sit. With no requirement to be a US Citizen, a resident of CO, or a certain age, it makes Colorado one of the easiest states to sit for the CPA exam and become licensed.
What is the easiest CPA Exam to pass? ›What is the easiest part of the CPA exam? BEC has the highest pass rate and is considered the easiest CPA exam section.
Can you pass CPA Exam in 6 months? ›Passing the CPA Exam in 6 months
Students, recent graduates, and people with plenty of time to study should aim to sit for and pass all 4 sections of the CPA Exam in about 6 months. This would have you taking an exam every 6-7 weeks and studying about 22-26 hours each week.