Join CPEA
The Center for Plain English Accounting (CPEA) is the AICPA’s national A&A resource center, sponsored by the Private Companies Practice Section. The CPEA’s team of experts assist members with accounting, auditing, attest, review, and compilation needs by sharing technical advice and guidance. The CPEA’s straight-forward and clear style of writing and speaking gives practitioners the opportunity to understand the applicability of the professional literature when preparing financial statements and when auditing, reviewing, and compiling those financial statements.
CPEA members have access to a first-class team of A&A experts. Through reports, alerts, webcasts, and conference sessions, the CPEA’s team of experts provide A&A support by describing “how to do” what you “need to do” in implementing the authoritative literature.
More than ever, practitioners are trying to understand the current standard setting environment, interpret complex accounting and auditing rules, assess the potential impact of proposed standards, and trying to figure out how to implement standards. And, very often, they do not have access to a national office and have nowhere to turn for help or guidance. The CPEA offers that help! Through CPEA membership, practitioners gain national office resources without a national office.
The CPEA operates under the auspices of the AICPA's Private Companies Practice Section [PCPS]. Accordingly, CPEA members are urged to join the PCPS, opening the broader benefits of that Section.
The CPEA offers the following memberships:
The CPEA offers full membership benefits to CPA firms of all sizes.
Full Membership Benefits
- E-mailed monthly technical reports covering a variety of A&A topics
- E-mailed alerts and special reports covering recently issued guidance and hot topics
- Written responses to written technical inquiries at no additional charge [unless inquiry is complex and time consuming)
- Access to superior in-depth A&A training sessions, qualifying for CPE credit, in the convenience of your office setting (additional fees apply)
- Access to webcasts on hot A&A issues qualifying for a total of 16 NASBA-certified CPE credits annually
- Only $35 per participant for each 2-hour webcast
- Only $75 per participant for 4-hour webcast offered in December
- Access to an annual 8-hour (split between two days) video webcast offered in September, qualifying for 8 hours of NASBA-certified CPE credits [in addition to the 16 credits noted above], fee of $150 per participant
- Online access to a valuable reference library of past reports
Full Membership Fee
- $1,700 per member firm [with access for as many folks as you like], including all benefits listed above
Note: To join and access the CPEA, you will need an AICPA username and password. If you are not an AICPA member, you can create a username and password for free by registering on the AICPA website (www.aicpa.org). Click on “Sign In” at the top right of the AICPA homepage. At the bottom of the Login page, click on “Register” to create your username and password.
The CPEA recognizes the cost constraints that smaller CPA firms often operate under, and yet their need for practical A&A advice and guidance remains strong. In response, the CPEA offers smaller-CPA firms [with five or fewer professionals] the following membership option.
Smaller-Firm Membership Benefits
- E-mailed monthly technical reports covering a variety of A&A topics
- E-mailed alerts and special reports covering recently issued guidance and hot topics
- Written responses to written technical inquiries for a fee of $300 per inquiry
- Access to superior in-depth A&A training sessions, qualifying for CPE credit, in the convenience of your office setting (additional fees apply)
- Access to webcasts on hot A&A issues qualifying for a total of 16 NASBA-certified CPE credits annually
- Only $35 per participant for each 2-hour webcast
- Only $75 per participant for 4-hour webcast offered in December
- Access to an annual 8-hour (split between two days) video webcast offered in September qualifying for 8 hours of NASBA-certified CPE credits [in addition to the 16 credits noted above], fee of $150 per participant
- Online access to a valuable reference library of past reports
Smaller-Firm Membership Fee
- $795 per member firm, with five or fewer professionals, including all benefits listed above
Note: To join and access the CPEA, you will need an AICPA username and password. If you are not an AICPA member, you can create a username and password for free by registering on the AICPA website (www.aicpa.org). Click on “Sign In” at the top right of the AICPA homepage. At the bottom of the Login page, click on “Register” to create your username and password.
The CPEA recognizes the cost constraints that sole practitioners often operate under and, yet, their need for practical A&A advice. So, the CPEA offers sole practitioners access to the CPEA as follows.
Sole Practitioner Membership Benefits
- E-mailed monthly technical reports covering a variety of A&A topics
- E-mailed alerts and special reports covering recently issued guidance and hot topics
- Written responses to written technical inquiries for a fee of $300 per inquiry
- Access to webcasts on hot A&A issues qualifying for a total of 16 NASBA-certified CPE credits annually
- Only $35 per participant for each 2-hour webcast
- Only $75 per participant for 4-hour webcast offered in December
- Access to an annual 8-hour (split between two days) video webcast offered in September qualifying for 8 hours of NASBA-certified CPE credits [in addition to the 16 credits noted above], fee of $150 per participant
- Online access to a valuable reference library of past reports
Sole Practitioner Membership Fee
- $450, including all benefits listed above
Note: To join and access the CPEA, you will need an AICPA username and password. If you are not an AICPA member, you can create a username and password for free by registering on the AICPA website (www.aicpa.org). Click on “Sign In” at the top right of the AICPA homepage. At the bottom of the Login page, click on “Register” to create your username and password.
The CPEA recognizes that CPAs in industry need access to practical A&A guidance. In response, the CPEA offers CPAs in industry access to the CPEA as follows.
Management Accounting Membership Benefits
- E-mailed monthly technical reports covering a variety of A&A topics
- E-mailed alerts and special reports covering recently issued guidance and hot topics
- Access to superior in-depth A&A training sessions, qualifying for CPE credit, in the convenience of your office setting (additional fees apply)
- Access to webcasts on hot A&A issues qualifying for a total of 16 NASBA-certified CPE credits annually
- Only $35 per participant for each 2-hour webcast
- Only $75 per participant for 4-hour webcast offered in December
- Access to an annual 8-hour (split between two days) video webcast offered in September qualifying for 8 hours of NASBA-certified CPE credits [in addition to the 16 credits noted above], fee of $150 per participant
- Online access to a valuable reference library of past reports
Management Accounting Membership Fee
- $795 (for access up to 5 individuals), including all benefits listed above
Note: To join and access the CPEA, you will need an AICPA username and password. If you are not an AICPA member, you can create a username and password for free by registering on the AICPA website (www.aicpa.org). Click on “Sign In” at the top right of the AICPA homepage. At the bottom of the Login page, click on “Register” to create your username and password.
The CPEA recognizes that college accounting professors may need access to practical A&A guidance to provide their students with the superior instruction they deserve. In response, the CPEA offers the following membership option.
Academia Membership Benefits
- E-mailed monthly technical reports covering a variety of A&A topics
- E-mailed alerts and special reports covering recently issued guidance and hot topics
- Access to webcasts on hot A&A issues qualifying for a total of 16 NASBA-certified CPE credits annually
- Only $35 per participant for each 2-hour webcast
- Only $75 per participant for 4-hour webcast offered in December
- Access to an annual 8-hour (split between two days) video webcast offered in September qualifying for 8 hours of NASBA-certified CPE credits [in addition to the 16 credits noted above], fee of $150 per participant
- Online access to a valuable reference library of past reports
Academia Membership Fee
- $795 (for access up to 5 individuals), including all benefits listed above
Note: To join and access the CPEA, you will need an AICPA username and password. If you are not an AICPA member, you can create a username and password for free by registering on the AICPA website (www.aicpa.org). Click on “Sign In” at the top right of the AICPA homepage. At the bottom of the Login page, click on “Register” to create your username and password.
