{"id":88323,"date":"2025-02-14T20:01:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T20:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/accounting\/34-professional-certifications-you-can-get-in-accounting-tax-audit-and-more-accountants-accelerator\/"},"modified":"2025-02-14T20:01:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T20:01:44","slug":"34-professional-certifications-you-can-get-in-accounting-tax-audit-and-more-accountants-accelerator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=88323","title":{"rendered":"34 Professional Certifications You Can Get in Accounting, Tax, Audit, and More \u2013 Accountants Accelerator"},"content":{"rendered":"


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While the Certified Public Accountant will always be the Holy Grail of certifications in our profession, there is no shortage of additional certifications you can reach for. This blog post is my attempt to list them all in one place so you can choose wisely about the best way to spend your study time.<\/p>\n

Certifications help to assure clients of a level of expertise achieved in a certain area. They build credibility, some more than others of course. They also provide accountants with a structure approach to building expertise in a particular area.<\/p>\n

There are many categories of certifications, and for this article, we\u2019ll focus on two major categories: certifications that demonstrate core technical accounting, audit, or tax expertise, and certifications that demonstrate specialized knowledge in accounting, tax, and finance.<\/p>\n

General certifications for technical accounting knowledge<\/h3>\n

1. Certified Public Accountant<\/strong>
We simply have to start with the CPA. The CPA is not only a certification with a grueling exam, college hours, experience, ethics, and a stringent application process, it\u2019s in effect a state license too. Each state in the US has rules on how a CPA can maintain their license to practice with the state\u2019s governing body.
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Each CPA firm also requires a firm license along with peer review requirements.<\/p>\n

California: http:\/\/www.dca.ca.gov\/cba\/applicants\/index.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

Illinois: https:\/\/www.ilboe.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

New York: http:\/\/www.op.nysed.gov\/prof\/cpa\/cpalic.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

Texas: https:\/\/www.tsbpa.texas.gov\/examindex.html<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m guessing there are about half a million CPAs in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Outside the U.S., there are equivalent designations. For example, in Canada, CPA stands for Chartered Professional Accountant, and in the UK and Australia, it\u2019s CA: Chartered Accountant.
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2. Certified Management Accountant<\/strong>
The CMA is a certification most often earned by professional working in industry or government. It\u2019s administered by the Institute of Management Accountants, who has more than 100,000 members worldwide.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.imanet.org\/cma-certification<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Chartered Global Management Accountant<\/strong>
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CGMA is a management accounting designation with more than 150,000 designees worldwide. It can be earned through the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) or the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.cgma.org\/becomeacgma.html<\/a>
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4. Certified Bookkeeper<\/strong>
CB<\/a> is offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers. \u00a0It\u2019s a really great way to distinguish yourself from other bookkeepers.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.aipb.org\/certification_program.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Certified Internal Auditor <\/strong>
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The Institute of Internal Auditors is well known for its Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification, but it also has several other certifications for auditors to earn: CGAP \u2013 6. Certified Government Auditing Professional<\/strong>, CFSA \u2013 7. Certified Financial Services Auditor<\/strong>, CCSA \u2013 8. Certification in Control Self-Assessment<\/strong>, CRMA \u2013 9. Certification in Risk Management Assurance<\/strong>, QIAL \u2013 10. Qualification in Internal Audit Leadership<\/strong>, and BEAC \u2013 11. Certifications for Environmental, Health, and Safety Auditors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/na.theiia.org\/certification\/CIA-Certification\/Pages\/CIA-Certification.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

12. Enrolled Agent<\/strong>
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The EA is a great designation for serious US tax professionals. It\u2019s administered by the IRS.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/tax-professionals\/enrolled-agents\/become-an-enrolled-agent<\/a><\/p>\n

Specialized professional certifications<\/h3>\n

13. Certified Financial Planner<\/strong>
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CFPs have knowledge in budgeting, planning for retirement, saving for education, managing taxes and insurance coverage, and investing.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.cfp.net\/get-certified<\/a><\/p>\n

14. Personal Financial Specialist<\/strong>
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The AICPA offers a personal financial planning credential which demonstrates your expertise and financial planning insight to prospective clients and employers.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.aicpa.org\/membership\/join\/credentials.html?tab-1=3#tab-2<\/a>
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15. Chartered Financial Analyst<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0CFA credential is held by over 150,000 professionals around the world. The charter gives a strong understanding of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. https:\/\/www.cfainstitute.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

16. Certified Fraud Examiner <\/strong>
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The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, with nearly 850,000 members, offers the CFE, a credential that demonstrates expertise in fraud prevention, detection and deterrence.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.acfe.com\/cfe-credential.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

17. Certified in Financial Forensics<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>
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The AICPA offers the CFF which measures forensic accounting skills in bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization; computer forensic analysis; economic damages calculations; fraud prevention; and valuations.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.aicpa.org\/membership\/join\/credentials.html?tab-1=2#tab-2<\/a>
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18. Accredited Senior Appraiser <\/strong><\/p>\n

The ASA credential demonstrates expertise in valuation and is offered by the American Society of Appraisers.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.appraisers.org\/credentials\/am-asa<\/a><\/p>\n

19. Accredited in Business Valuation<\/strong>
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The AICPA offers the ABV designation for business valuation professionals.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.aicpa.org\/membership\/join\/credentials.html<\/a><\/p>\n

20. Certified in Entity and Intangible Valuations\u2122<\/strong>
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The CEIV is offered by the AICPA for professionals involved in fair value measurements.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.aicpa.org\/membership\/join\/credentials.html?tab-1=5#tab-5<\/a><\/p>\n

21. Certified Valuation Analyst and Accredited Valuation Analyst <\/strong>
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The CVA and AVA credentials are offered by the National Association of Valuation Analysts.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nacva.com\/certifications<\/a><\/p>\n

22. Certified Information Technology Professional<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/p>\n

The CITP is offered by the AICPA to information technology consultants and experts.
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https:\/\/www.aicpa.org\/membership\/join\/credentials.html?tab-1=4#tab-4<\/a><\/p>\n

23. Certified Information Systems Auditor <\/strong>
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ISACA (which now only goes by the acronym that previously stood for Information Systems Audit and Control Association) offers the CISA as well as several other certifications:\u00a0 24. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control<\/strong> (CRISC)<\/a>, 25. Certified Information Security Manager<\/strong> (CISM)<\/a>, 26. Certified in the Governance of\u00a0Enterprise IT <\/strong>(CGEIT)<\/a>, and 27. Cybersecurity Nexus \u2013 CSX Certificate and CSXP Certification<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.isaca.org\/CERTIFICATION\/Pages\/default.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

28. Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis<\/strong>
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Once you\u2019re a CMA, you can reach for the specialty designation, CSCA, Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis.\u00a0 https:\/\/www.imanet.org\/csca-credential<\/a><\/p>\n

29. Registered Social Security Analyst<\/strong>
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The RSSA is offered by the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts for professionals who help clients optimize their social security benefits and retirement cash flow.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.narssa.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

30. Certified Business Profit Consultant<\/strong>
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The CBPC is offered by my company (Sandra L. Leyva, Inc.).\u00a0 It provides basic training and tools in four advisory areas: revenue growth, cash flow, profitability, and pricing, and it\u2019s designed for the small firm owner who wants to take the first step to adding a service line beyond compliance work to their business.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/acceleratesmallbiz.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

31. Certified Profit First Professional <\/strong>
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The Profit First Professionals organization offers the CPFC. It\u2019s training and a methodology that you license to use with your clients.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.profitfirstprofessionals.com\/is-profit-first-professionals-right-for-you\/<\/a><\/p>\n

32. Certified Tax Coach<\/strong>
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Certified Tax Coach, LLC, a non-profit organization, provides training and certification to become a CTC.\u00a0There is a a licensing requirement which includes active licensure as a CPA, EA, or attorney in good standing.<\/p>\n

Two more certifications you can get after CTC include Certified Tax Planner (3 years active practice as a planner and tax planning experience requirement) and Certified Tax Strategist (3 years active practice as a planner and tax planning experience requirement).<\/p>\n

https:\/\/certifiedtaxcoach.org\/get-certified\/<\/a><\/p>\n

33. Certified Tax Representation Consultant<\/strong>
\"\"<\/p>\n

Tax Rep, LLC offers this certification which focuses on the area of tax resolution expertise. It requires 20 hours of self-study, a CPA, EA, or attorney in good standing, and a re-certification every three years.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/taxrepllc.com\/become-a-certified-tax-representation-consultant\/<\/a><\/p>\n

34. Fundamental Payroll Certification<\/strong>
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The American Payroll Association offers the FPC for payroll beginners and service and support professionals in positions requiring payroll knowledge.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.americanpayroll.org\/education-certification\/certification\/overview<\/a><\/p>\n

35. Certified Payroll Professional <\/strong>
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The American Payroll Association also offers the CPP, which requires payroll experience, an exam, and a rigorous application process.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.americanpayroll.org\/education-certification\/certification\/certified-payroll-professional-(cpp)<\/a><\/p>\n

As you can see, it would be quite ambitious to earn all 34 designations.\u00a0 The hardest part is to choose the ones that you feel will give you the skills you need as well as a satisfying career.<\/p>\n

If you know of any certifications that should be added to the above list, please leave a comment below.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tOn May 29, 2018 \t<\/span> \u00a0 \/ \u00a0<\/span> Accounting Firm Productivity<\/a><\/span> \u00a0
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