Certification for any profession gives you an edge over people who don’t have it. The same applies to a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a normal accountant. The value of certification in the industry is quite high. It gives you a professional standing that helps at different stages of the career.
A lot of people might argue about the special treatment that a CPA gets. But the truth is that becoming a CPA itself commands respect. This is so because to become a CPA one has to first meet the minimum educational requirements. Then, the person has to pass a four-part examination which is quite rigorous. Finally, a person has to agree to a code of ethics to practice.
According to the Robert Half report of 2013, a CPA is one of the most sought after yet versatile credentials when it comes to accounting. Key services offered by a CPA firm include Tax services, Audit/Assurance related services and management services.
A lot of big firms are even bent on hiring CPAs for their managerial positions. This includes higher level positions and key decision makers of the company. In the companies, CPAs may or may not work in areas of tax, assurance, management accounting and even internal audits.
CPAs are trained in preparing and filing the local, state or federal tax returns effectively. The work with individuals and organizations in minimizing their taxes incurred. CPA can even represent a client in an IRS audit or in general questioning by state or federal govt in tax related matters.
