Chapter 473 — Chapter 473

The Legislature recognizes that there is a public need for independent and objective public accountants and that it is necessary to regulate the practice of public accounting to assure the minimum competence of practitioners and the accuracy of audit statements upon which the pub…

As used in this chapter, the term:(1) “Board” means the Board of Accountancy.(2) “Department” means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.(3) “Division” means the Division of Certified Public Accounting.(4) “Certified public accountant” means an individual who ho…

(1) There is created in the department the Board of Accountancy. The board shall consist of nine members, seven of whom must be certified public accountants licensed in this state and two of whom must be laypersons who are not and have never been certified public accountants or m…

(1) All services concerning this chapter, including, but not limited to, recordkeeping services, examination services, legal services, and investigative services, and those services in chapter 455 necessary to perform the duties of this chapter shall be provided by the Division o…

(1) The board shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this act. Every certified public accountant and firm shall be governed and controlled by this act and the rules adopted by the board.(2) Subject to the prior approval of the Attor…

The board, by rule, may establish fees to be paid for applications, examination, reexamination, licensing and renewal, reinstatement, and recordmaking and recordkeeping. The fee for the examination shall be established at an amount that covers the costs for the procurement or dev…

(1) A person desiring to be licensed as a Florida certified public accountant shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination.(2) A person applying to the department to take the licensure examination must create and maintain an online account with the department a…

(1) The Clay Ford Scholarship Program for Florida residents is hereby established in the division for the purpose of providing scholarships to minority persons as defined in s. 288.703 who are students enrolled in their fifth year of an accounting education program at an institut…

(1) A person desiring to be licensed as a Florida certified public accountant in this state shall apply to the department for licensure, and the department shall license any applicant who the board certifies is qualified to practice public accounting.(2) The board shall certify f…

(1) A partnership may not engage in the practice of public accounting, as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a), or meet the requirements of s. 473.3101(1)(b), unless:(a) It is a form of partnership recognized by Florida law.(b) Partners owning at least 51 percent of the financial interest…

(1) The following must hold a license issued under this section:(a) Any firm with an office in this state which performs services as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a);(b) Any firm with an office in this state which uses the title “CPA,” “CPA firm,” or any other title, designation, word…

(1)(a) The department shall renew a license issued under s. 473.308 upon receipt of the renewal application and fee and upon certification by the board that the Florida certified public accountant has satisfactorily completed the continuing education requirements of s. 473.312.(b…

(1)(a) As part of the license renewal procedure, the board shall by rule require Florida certified public accountants to submit proof satisfactory to the board that during the 2 years prior to application for renewal, they have successfully completed not less than 48 or more than…

(1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Licensee” means a licensed firm or public accounting firm as defined in s. 473.302(7) and engaged in the practice of public accounting as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a) that is required to be licensed under s. 473.3101.(b) “Peer review” mea…

(1) A Florida certified public accountant may request that her or his license be placed in an inactive status by making application to the department. The board may prescribe by rule fees for placing a license on inactive status, renewal of inactive status, and reactivation of an…

(1) The board shall adopt rules providing for the issuance of temporary licenses to certified public accountants or firms of other states who do not meet the requirements of s. 473.3141, for the purpose of enabling them or their employees to perform specific engagements involving…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, an individual who does not have an office in this state has the privileges of Florida certified public accountants and may provide public accounting services in this state without obtaining a license under this chapter or notifyin…

(1) A certified public accountant shall not express an opinion on the financial statements of an enterprise unless she or he and her or his firm are independent with respect to such enterprise.(2) A certified public accountant shall not undertake any engagement in the practice of…

(1) For purposes of this section:(a) An “accountant” is a certified public accountant.(b) A “client” is any person, public officer, corporation, association, or other organization or entity, either public or private, who agrees with an accountant or accountant’s employer to recei…

All statements, records, schedules, working papers, and memoranda made by a certified public accountant or firm or her or his employee incident to, or in the course of, professional services to a client, except the reports submitted by the certified public accountant or firm to t…

Public accounting services as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a) and (c), and those that include tax filings with federal, state, or local government, shall not be offered or rendered for a fee contingent upon the findings or results of such service. This section does not apply to servi…

A certified public accountant or firm may not accept or pay a commission or referral fee in connection with the sale or referral of public accounting services as defined in s. 473.302(8)(a) and (c). Any certified public accountant or firm that is engaged in the practice of public…

(1) A certified public accountant, partnership, corporation, or limited liability company may not practice public accountancy in this state under any name that is misleading or deceptive as to the legal form; as to persons who are partners, officers, shareholders, or members of t…

(1) A person may not knowingly:(a) Practice public accounting unless the person is a certified public accountant or a public accountant;(b) Assume or use the titles or designations “certified public accountant” or “public accountant” or the abbreviation “C.P.A.” or any other titl…

(1) The following acts constitute grounds for which the disciplinary actions in subsection (3) may be taken:(a) Violation of any provision of s. 455.227(1) or any other provision of this chapter.(b) Attempting to procure a license to practice public accounting by bribery or fraud…