Who’s Protecting the CPA?

By Alan D. Feldstein

The fallout from the Enron debacle has the potential to permanently tarnish the reputation of this country’s hard-working CPAs. Unfortunately, the bad press CPAs are contending with is an image problem created by large accounting firms over the past few years. As CPAs in public practice, we act as both a financial advisor and a therapist for our clients in addition to our duties as auditors and tax professionals. Who is going to step forward and advocate for CPAs in public practice? Who is going to make sure that local and regional accounting firms, the backbone of the American business community, maintain their place as trusted financial professionals? The answer is NCCPAP.

What is NCCPAP? The National Conference of CPA Practitioners is a professional organization whose mission is to advocate for and educate CPAs in public practice. Membership in NCCPAP is by firm and is restricted to those in public practice. Except for a paid office staff, NCCPAP is an organization of volunteers, with a board of directors made up of only CPAs in public practice. Although we often serve the same constituency as the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the state societies, NCCPAP is not an alternative but a complement to these organizations.

NCCPAP formed in 1978 during the time when the AICPA instituted the division of firms (SEPCPS and PCPS). The primary purpose was to make sure the AICPA did not favor one class of CPA firm over another. An entire population of CPA firms believed it had been totally abandoned by the AICPA. Through the first couple of years, NCCPAP grew to a membership of almost 1,500 CPA firms across the country, with firms ranging in size from sole practitioners to those with more than 200 professional staff members. Chapters were organized in New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland counties as well as in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Houston and Dallas.

NCCPAP has since grown to become a practical voice for CPAs across the country. NCCPAP took the lead against the AICPA in their attempt to create a global credential (“XYZ”). Along with the New York State Society of CPAs, we were able to defeat the AICPA’s attempt to dilute the value of the CPA. We have worked very hard to maintain 100 percent ownership by CPAs in their firms in New York state. NCCPAP is currently working with the NYSSCPA on a positive, meaningful accountancy bill for New York state. We are a voice in Washington, D.C., and we maintain liaisons with Congressional offices as well as the Treasury Department. We are responsible for providing “mainstream practical” information to many Senate and Congressional committees by way of written positions and testimony on panels.

We have been graciously offered this space by the NYSSCPA to help address issues that affect the practice of public accounting at the local and regional level. This opportunity to work with the NYSSCPA will only serve to benefit all CPAs in our efforts to remain the trusted financial professionals we are.

I invite all of you to visit our website at www.nccpap.org to learn more about NCCPAP, our accomplishments, our continuing professional education, our committees and the added benefits of becoming a member.