Specialized Interest Centers

The AICPA has developed a series of targeted firm-based voluntary membership Audit Quality Centers, as well as a series of AICPA Special Interest Centers to provide valuable resources for CPAs in specialized practice areas. Visit the Centers to see what the AICPA has to offer you.

Accounting Education Center
The Accounting Education Center supports the education community with resources to enhance the accounting and business curriculum and to prepare students to become valued and trusted members of the CPA profession. The Center provides education and curriculum development programs, student recruiting resources, information about scholarship and award programs and reports and studies. 

Audit Committee Effectiveness Center
The audit committee’s key role in corporate governance is highlighted in this Center. Achieving financial statement integrity and reliability requires balancing the pressures of multiple stakeholders, including management, regulators, investors and the public interest. This Center offers guidance and tools to help audit committees exercise effectively their responsibilities with each group of stakeholders. The Center provides three model toolkits that can be customized—one each for the corporate, not-for-profit and government sector. The toolkits include checklists, questions, reports and guidelines developed to help audit committees achieve best practices in managing their roles. An important element of the Center for the public is the audit committee matching system that provides a mechanism for searching for qualified CPAs to serve on boards of directors and audit committees. 

Business & Industry Resource Center
This Center houses tools and resources to help CPAs in business & industry move their organizations forward in today’s competitive marketplace. Included in the Center’s resources are the latest research and field developments, information on furthering executive education and professional development, and tools for planning and assessment in the workplace. The Center also provides information about today’s corporate environment for CPAs moving from public accounting to business and industry. 

Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center
To help CPAs meet the challenges of performing quality audits in this unique and complex area, the AICPA established the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center, a firm-based voluntary membership center for firms that audit employee benefit plans. Employee benefit plan audits include pension, health and welfare and 401K plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The Center serves as a comprehensive resource for member firms to support their employees in the performance of Employee Benefit Plan Audit practice.

Forensic and Valuation Services Center
This Center is designed to provide CPAs with a vast array of resources, tools and information on Business Valuation and Forensic and Litigation Services (BV/FLS). The mission of the FVS Center is to raise awareness about the importance and value of business valuation and forensic litigation and support services; serve as a comprehensive resource provider and support service for members; create a community of individuals interested and/or experienced in providing BV/FLS services; and to create a community of experts through the Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) credential.

Governmental Audit Quality Center
This firm-based voluntary membership Center is designed to help CPAs achieve the highest standards in performing quality audits and enhance the quality of governmental audits. Governmental audits include all audits and attestation engagements performed under Government Auditing Standards of federal, state or local governments; not-for-profit organizations; and certain for-profit organizations. Also included are single audits and Department of Housing and Urban Development audits. The Center’s primary purpose is to raise awareness about the importance of governmental audits; serve as a comprehensive resource provider to member firms; create a community of firms that demonstrate a commitment to governmental audit quality; and provide information about the Center’s activities and the importance of audit quality to other governmental audit stakeholders.

Information Management and Technology Assurance (IMTA) Center
The Information Management and Technology Assurance center (IT) is the web-based home for CPAs who hold the Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) credential, members of the AICPA Information Technology Section and CPAs who want to maximize information technology to increase efficiency and boost profits. The IT Center provides a venue for CPAs, their clients, employers and customers to research, monitor, assess, educate and communicate the impact of technology developments on business solutions. 

Personal Financial Planning Center
The AICPA Personal Financial Planning Center provides valuable resources for those CPAs offering financial planning services for individuals. The Center also educates consumers about personal financial planning and connects them with AICPA credentialed Personal Financial Specialists (PFS). The Personal Financial Planning Center serves CPA financial planners by providing services to consumers of all ages in personal financial planning, insurance and risk management, investment management and advisory services, tax retirement and estate planning; CPAs serving in a fiduciary capacity; CPAs interested in developing a concentrated practice in any area of financial planning; CPAs in business, industry and government who are looking for information, tools and resources in financial planning; consumers searching for personal finance information and/or a CPA/PFS to provide professional advice; and CPA firms looking to either hire or outsource to a CPA/PFS.

Private Company Practice Section (PCPS) Firm Center
The PCPS Firm Practice Center is the online home for all CPA firms. Designed to help all firms harness business opportunities and overcome firm challenges, the Center provides an array of valuable information, free resources and tools for firms of all sizes in the area of practice management. Although some of the content is restricted to PCPS members, this site contains a wealth of resources for all firms affiliated with the AICPA.  Included in this Center’s wealth of information from leading consultants are tools, articles, technical updates, PowerPoint presentations, charts and checklists offered to practices of all sizes. The Center also features the news, events and products that you and your firm need to succeed.

Tax Center
The Tax Center provides guidance, information and practice tools to the tax practitioner and supports the three major objectives of the Tax Section Strategic Plan: practice support, Washington representation and professional standards and ethics. The AICPA’s Tax Division creates practice guides and checklists, along with other information and tools organized by area of specialized tax knowledge. The Tax Division’s Tax Executive Committee is authorized to interpret general standards and promulgate technical tax standards that are enforceable under the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. In addition, the Tax Division works to improve the tax system for CPAs and the public, with an emphasis on tax simplification and represents AICPA members’ tax interests in Washington, DC.