Firms
The Firms division of the Licensing section of the Board is responsible for processing initial and renewal CPA firm registrations, monitoring the peer review compliance program, and overseeing the CPE compliance program for individual CPAs.
Contacting the Licensing Staff
Buck Winslow, Manager, (919) 733-1421
Cammie Emery, Specialist, (919) 733-1423 (initial and renewal CPA firm registrations, CPE, and peer review)
Mailing Address
Licensing Section
NC State Board of CPA Examiners
PO Box 12827
Raleigh, NC 27605-2827
Fax Number
Attn.: Licensing
(919) 733-4209
CPA Firm Registration
Pursuant to 21 NCAC 08J .0108, a CPA firm, unless it is a professional corporation (PC), professional limited liability company (PLLC), or registered limited liability partnership (LLP), must register with the Board within 30 days after opening an office in North Carolina. CPA firms that are professional corporations, professional limited liability companies, or registered limited liability partnerships must register with the Board prior to the formation of the CPA firm.
All information provided for registration must pertain to the events and actions taken during the year preceding the year of registration. The last day of the preceding calendar year is considered the “year-end.” One representative of a CPA firm may file all registration documents for each of the CPA firm’s offices in North Carolina, but responsibility for compliance with the Board’s rules remains with the individual office supervisors or managers. The Board does not require a CPA firm to carry liability insurance. The North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) requires some professions, including accounting, to purchase an annual privilege license. Please contact the NCDOR for information on the privilege license requirement.
| NC CPA Firm Registration and Renewal Fees | |
|---|---|
| Individual Practitioner Registration | $0.00 |
| Renewal of Individual Practitioner Registration | $0.00 |
| Partnership Registration (Partners in NC Only) | $0.00 |
| Renewal of Partnership Registration (Partners in NC Only) | $0.00 |
| Partnership Registration (partners in NC & other jurisdictions) | $10.00 per partner (Maximum fee $2,500.00) |
| Renewal of Partnership Registration (partners in NC & other jurisdictions) | $10.00 per partner (Maximum fee $2,500.00) |
| Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Registration (Partners in NC Only) | $0.00 |
| Renewal of LLP Registration (Partners in NC Only) | $0.00 |
| LLP Registration (partners in NC & other jurisdictions) | $10.00 per partner (Maximum fee $2,500.00) |
| Renewal of LLP Registration (partners in NC & other jurisdictions) | $10.00 per partner (Maximum fee $2,500.00) |
| Professional Corporation (PC) Registration | $50.00 |
| Renewal of PC Registration | $25.00 ($10.00 late fee if renewal submitted after deadline [NCGS 55B-11]) |
| Professional Limited Liability Corporation (PLLC) Registration | $50.00 |
| Renewal of PLLC Registration | $25.00 ($10.00 late fee if renewal submitted after deadline [NCGS 55B-11]) |
In addition to the initial CPA firm registration, all North Carolina CPA firms are required to renew with the Board each year. One annual listing by a representative of a partnership, registered limited liability partnership, or professional limited liability company will satisfy the requirements of all partners or members of the CPA firm. If a CPA firm has dissolved or if any of the information provided to the Board during registration changes, the Board must be notified in writing within 30 days after the dissolution or change occurs. Not renewing a firm’s registration does not take the place of notifying the Board that the firm is terminating its registration.
If a CPA firm fails to comply with any part of 21 NCAC 08J .0108 or 08J .0110, and continues to offer or render services, the Board may take disciplinary action against the CPA firm’s members. Such discipline may include:
- a $100.00 civil penalty for non-compliance of less than 60 days;
- a $200.00 civil penalty for non-compliance in excess of 60 days but not more than 120 days;
- a $500.00 civil penalty for each member for non-compliance in excess of 120 days.
If you have questions regarding CPA firm registration, please contact Cammie Emery.
CPA Firm Practice Privilege/Notice of Intent to Practice
NCGS 93-10(c), Practice Privileges, states:
A firm whose principal place of business is outside this State and has no office in this State is granted the privilege to perform or offer to perform services, whether in person or by mail, telephone, or electronic means, in this State as a firm without notice to the Board, submission of any other documentation, or payment of any fee, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection. A firm that exercises the privilege afforded under this section simultaneously consents as a condition of the grant of the privilege to:
(1) Comply with the laws of this State, the provisions of this Chapter, and rules adopted by the Board.
(2) Be subject to personal jurisdiction, subject matter jurisdiction, and disciplinary authority of the Board.
(3) Provide notice without a fee to the Board if any individual with the firm who has been granted privileges in North Carolina to practice as a certified public accountant performs any of the following services for a client in this State:
a. A financial statement audit or other engagement performed in accordance with the Statements on Auditing Standards.
b. An examination of prospective financial information performed in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements.
c. An engagement performed in accordance with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board auditing standards.
If you have questions regarding CPA firm practice privilege or the Notice of Intent to Practice, please contact Buck Winslow. Additional information about mobility is available here.
Peer Review
Pursuant to 21 NCAC 08M, a CPA or CPA firm providing any of the following services to the public must participate in an approved peer review program:
- audits;
- reviews of financial statements;
- compilations of financial statements; or
- any engagements to be performed in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements
A CPA firm that does not have offices in North Carolina and that has provided any services listed in G.S. 93-10(c)(3) to North Carolina clients is required to participate in a peer review program.
Within 30 days of issuing any of the reports listed above to a client, a CPA or CPA firm must register with the AICPA Peer Review Program. Coastal Peer Review, Inc., administers the AICPA Peer Review Program for all CPA firms in North Carolina that do not provide services to publicly traded companies. To enroll in the AICPA Peer Review Program, please contact Coastal Peer Review, Inc., by telephone at 800-730-34126 or email.
A CPA firm registered for peer review must provide the Board with the following:
- peer review due date;
- year-end date;
- Final Letter of Acceptance from peer review program within 60 days of the date of the letter; and
- A package to include the Peer Review Report, Letter of Response and Final Letter of Acceptance for all failed and second passed with deficiencies modified reports issued by a peer review program within 60 days of the date of the Final Letter of Acceptance.
A peer review is not complete until the Final Letter of Acceptance is issued by the peer review program with the new peer review date. If a CPA firm required to participate in a peer review program fails to comply with 21 NCAC 08M .0105(c), (d), or (g), the Board may take disciplinary action against the CPA firm’s members which may include a suspension of each members’ CPA certificate for a period of at least 30 days and a civil penalty up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) as set forth in G.S. 93-12(b)(9).
A CPA or CPA firm that does not provide any of the services listed above is exempt from peer review until the CPA or CPA firm issues the first report to a client. A CPA, a new CPA firm, or a CPA firm exempt from peer review that starts providing any of the services listed above must furnish the peer review program with selected financial statements, corresponding work papers, and any additional information or documentation required for the peer review program within 18 months of issuing the first report to a client.
The Board does not grant extensions to complete the peer review; you must contact the administrator of the peer review program to request an extension. If you are participating in the AICPA Peer Review program and need to request an extension, please contact Coastal Peer Review, Inc., by telephone at 800-730-34126 or email.
For additional information about the AICPA peer review program, please review the AICPA Peer Review Program FAQs.
Address Change
21 NCAC 08J .0107 requires CPAs and CPA firms to notify the Board in writing (email, mail, or fax) of any change in mailing address, physical address, practice address, phone number, employment, email address, website address, etc., within 30 days of the change. CPA firms are encouraged to submit address changes online using the Board’s secure server. To change a firm’s address online, enter the firm number and the certificate number of the supervising CPA of record.
Board staff cannot accept any address changes not made in writing. Address changes made with the NCACPA, AICPA, or other professional organizations do not update the address information on file with the Board. Email addresses are not public record information and are not included in the database or the Register of CPAs.