CPA Australia is one of two professional accounting societies in Australia, the other being the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

CPA is an acronym for Certified Practising Accountant, as opposed to US usage Certified Public Accountant. CPA Australia is one of the largest global accounting bodies, having members through Asia Pacific as well as its home base.

Membership

Full membership requires academic qualifications from an accredited university, of at least undergraduate degree level with an accounting major, completion of a certain number of years of supervised experience, and passing five exams supervised by the Society. Further qualifications are necessary to practice as a public accountant, or to offer financial planning services.

A rigorous professional development program is a requirement for continued membership.

Related Organisations

In the Australian regulatory framework, CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants co-operate in an advisory role in formulating and interpreting accounting standards. Both bodies co-operate closely on professional matters, and issue joint handbooks. There was some discussion about merging the membership of both bodies, but there are no concrete plans for this move.

The society has close links with similar bodies throughout the British Commonwealth and the United States, which means some mutual recognition of certifications.

External links

• CPA Australia's website (http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/)