October 23, 2015 - CPE Self-Study Certificates
The Board no longer requires a licensee to submit self-study certicates with CPE Reports. However, the licensee must keep all CPE documentation for a minimum of four complete calendar years should the licensee be selected for CPE audit.
January 12, 2012 - CPE Waiver Due to Health Conditions
The Board reserves the right to request medical documentation when a request for a waiver of CPE hours is received in connection with a health condition.
May 2, 2011 - IRS VITA Program
The Board determined that a licensee may claim 1/2 hour for each hour spent teaching tax courses to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers - not to exceed 20 hours in any three-year rolling period. For example, if a licensee spends four hours teaching a Form 1040 course to VITA volunteers in a structured classroom environment, the licensee may claim 2 hours of CPE credit. The CPE instructor credit must be verified through a Certificate of Participation issued by the VITA program. When recording these hours on the CPE form, the licensee must identify the subject matter taught in the Title of Course column. The licensee may claim credit for teaching the same subject matter only once in any three-year rolling period. The licensee may not claim CPE credit for preparing tax forms under the VITA program.
Retiring CPA CPE Policy
Retiring CPAs (62 years of age and older) who failed to secure and report the required CPE hours during the last calendar year of active licensure, shall be listed on NASBA's Accountancy License Database (ALD) web page as "Retired" instead of "Lapsed due to CPE Non-compliance". However, internal records will continue to reflect the CPE non-compliance status in the event the CPA would apply for activation of licensure at a future date.
WV Code states the following:
§30-9-12. Certificate renewal; conditions of renewal(2) Any certified public accountant receiving the exemption from continuing professional education requirements must place the word "inactive" adjacent to his or her "CPA" title on any business card, telephone directory listing, letterhead or any other similar document or device, with the exception of the licensee's certificate on which the "CPA" title appears: Provided, That a certified public accountant receiving the exemption from continuing professional education requirements who has completely discontinued his or her performance of professional services, who has no active management or supervisory responsibilities in a firm, and who is at least sixty-two years of age is not required to place the word "inactive" or any other word adjacent to his or her "CPA" title on any business card, telephone directory listing, letterhead or any other similar document or device.
CPE Waiver Policy
Pursuant to the Code of State Regulations, Title 1, Series 1, § 7.3.1.B., a licensee who has not met the CPE requirement of any given calendar year must file, in writing, for an exemption of CPE hours due to extenuating circumstances such as accident, illness, military service, or other circumstances.
Licensees may also apply to the Board, in writing, for a waiver of CPE late filing fees and/or CPE Extension request fees based on this request.
Board Staff will review and make a determination regarding all requests for exemption. Board staff will notify the licensee regarding the determination in writing within fifteen (15) days of the request. The licensee may request an appeal of the determination by sending a letter or e-mail within thirty (30) days of receipt of the initial notification to request that the circumstances be reviewed by the entire Board. The appeal will be considered at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.
Subsequent requests for waiver must be made directly to the entire Board for review and consideration.
Appeal Process
- Any licensee who wishes to appeal the initial determination for CPE Waiver shall submit the request in writing (through mail or email) no later than thirty (30) days after the initial notification. Board staff will place the appeal on the Agenda for the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.
- At the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, the Board shall review the request for CPE Waiver and make a decision based on the extenuating circumstances presented by the licensee and, if applicable, the licensee’s CPE history. The Executive Director or CPE Coordinator will advise the licensee in writing within fifteen (15) days regarding the Board’s decision.
- All CPE Waiver requests and resulting correspondence will be uploaded to the licensee’s CPE record. These files will be kept on record for a minimum of ten (10) years.
