Utah Admin. Code R156-26a-303b - Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
The continuing professional education (CPE) requirements in Section 58-26a-304 are defined, clarified, or established as follows:
(1) A CPA
shall complete at least 80 CPE hours in each two-year licensure cycle ending on
December 31 of each even-numbered year, except that no CPE hours are required
at a first renewal after initial licensure.
(2) CPE hours shall include at least:
(a) one hour of CPE that covers Title 58,
Chapter 26a, the Certified Public Accountant Licensing Act, and Rule R156-26a,
the Certified Public Accountant Licensing Act Rule; and
(b) three hours of ethics education that
cover one or more of the following areas:
(i)
the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct;
(ii) case-based instruction focusing on
real-life situational learning;
(iii) ethical dilemmas faced by accounting
professionals; or
(iv) business
ethics.
(3) A
CPA shall maintain current knowledge, skills, and abilities in each area in
which the CPA provides services to provide services in a competent manner. To
maintain or to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities to competently
provide services, a CPA may be required to obtain CPE above and beyond the 80
minimum CPE credits specified in Section
58-26a-304.
(4) The Division incorporates by reference
the AICPA and NASBA Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional
Education (CPE) Programs, revised January 2024. These standards have been
broadly stated in recognition of the diversity of practice and experience among
CPAs. They establish a framework for the development, presentation,
measurement, and reporting of CPE programs and thereby help to ensure that CPAs
maintain the required knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to competently
provide services and to enable the CPA to provide evidence of meeting the
minimum CPE requirements.
(5)
Reporting Requirements.
(a) The license
renewal deadline and the CPE reporting period deadline shall have the same date
of December 31 of even-numbered years.
(b) Except as otherwise authorized by the
Division, CPE shall be entered in CPE Audit Service for online reporting and
auditing of CPE compliance.
(c) A
licensee applying for license renewal shall report by December 31 of each
even-numbered year, demonstrating completion of at least the minimum number of
CPE hours required under Section 58-26a-304 and this section.
(d) Each person applying for license
reinstatement shall report to the Division at the time of application,
demonstrating completion of the CPE required under Section
R156-26a-307.
(e) If a licensee reports required CPE and
renews their license before December 31 of an even-numbered year, any
additional CPE completed by that licensee through the remainder of the
even-numbered year may be reported and carried forward toward the next
succeeding CPE reporting period.
(6) Carry Forward Provision.
(a) A licensee who completes more than the
required hours of CPE during the reporting period may carry forward up to 40
hours to the next succeeding reporting period.
(b) CPE taken in the current reporting period
and CPE hours carried forward from the previous reporting period shall qualify
as general CPE hours only for the current reporting period.
(7) Failure to comply with CPE
requirements.
(a) A licensee who fails to
complete the required minimum CPE by the reporting deadline may not renew their
license until the required CPE hours have been completed and
reported.
(b) Pursuant to
Subsection
58-26a-304(4), a
licensee may request the Board to waive the requirements or grant an extension
for CPE on the basis that the licensee was not able to complete the continuing
professional education due to medical or related conditions confirmed by a
qualified health care provider.
(i) Such
medical confirmation shall include the beginning and ending dates during which
the medical condition would have prevented the licensee from completing the
CPE, the extent of the medical condition and the effect that the medical
condition had upon the ability of the licensee to continue to engage in the
practice of accountancy.
(ii) The
Board in determining whether the waiver is appropriate shall consider whether
or not the licensee continued to be engaged in the practice of accountancy
practice on a full or part time basis during the period specified by the
medical confirmation.
(iii)
Granting a waiver of meeting the minimum CPE hours is not a waiver of a CPA
being required to provide services in a competent manner with current
knowledge, skill, and ability. When medical or other conditions prevent the CPA
from providing services in a competent manner, the CPA shall refrain from
providing such services.
Notes
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