{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-4400.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-4400.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-4400.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-4400.html"}],"law_id":77707,"edition_id":1,"section_id":77707,"structure_id":14599,"section_number":"54.1-4400","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"2001, c. 832; 2003, c. 291; 2004, c. 602; 2007, c. 804; 2014, cc. 40, 755; 2015, c. 287; 2017, c. 403; 2024, cc. 654, 677; 2025, cc. 523, 539.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Accredited institution” means a degree-granting institution of higher education accredited either by (i) one of the regional accrediting organizations, including the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Commission of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and WASC Senior College and University Commission, or their successors or (ii) an accrediting organization demonstrating to the Board periodically, as prescribed by the Board, that its accreditation process and standards are substantially equivalent to the accreditation process and standards of the regional accrediting organizations.\n\t\t“Assurance” means any form of expressed or implied opinion or conclusion about the conformity of a financial statement with any recognition, measurement, presentation, or disclosure principles for financial statements.\n\t\t“Attest services” means audit, review, or other engagements performed in accordance with the standards that have been established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, by the Auditing Standards Board or the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Board” means the Virginia Board of Accountancy.\n\t\t“Compilation services” means compiling financial statements in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Continuing professional education” means the education that a person obtains after passing the CPA examination and that relates to services provided to or on behalf of an employer in academia, government, or industry or to services provided to the public.\n\t\t“CPA” means certified public accountant.\n\t\t“CPA examination” means the national uniform CPA examination approved and administered by the board of accountancy of a state or by the board’s designee.\n\t\t“CPA wall certificate” means the symbolic document suitable for wall display that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state to a person meeting the requirements to use the CPA title in that state.\n\t\t“Executive Director” means the Executive Director of the Board.\n\t\t“Experience” means employment in academia, a firm, government, or an industry in any capacity involving the substantial use of accounting, financial, tax, or other skills that are relevant, as determined by the Board, to provide services to or on behalf of an employer or to the public. Such experience must be verified by an active, licensed CPA.\n\t\t“Facilitated State Board Access” or “FSBA” means the sponsoring organization’s process whereby it provides the Board access to peer review results via a secure website.\n\t\t“Financial statement” means a presentation of historical or prospective financial information about one or more persons or entities.\n\t\t“Financial statement preparation services” means engaging a licensee in public practice for financial statement preparation services executed in accordance with the standards established by the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Firm” means an entity formed by one or more licensees as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other type of entity permitted by law with the purpose of providing professional services to the public.\n\t\t“License of another state” means the license that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state other than Virginia that gives a person the privilege of using the CPA title in that state or that gives a firm the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and financial statement preparation services to persons and entities located in that state.\n\t\t“Licensed” means holding a Virginia license or the license of another state.\n\t\t“Licensee” means a person or firm holding a Virginia license or the license of another state.\n\t\t“Peer review” means a review of a firm’s attest services, compilation services, and financial statements preparation services that is conducted in accordance with the applicable monitoring program of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or its successor, or with another monitoring program approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of public accounting” means the performance of professional services for a client by a licensee or licensee’s firm.\n\t\t“Professional services” means all services requiring substantial use of accountancy or related skills that are performed by a licensee for a client or for an employer. Such services are subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3 or by any equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Providing services to or on behalf of an employer” means the performance of professional services while employed or engaged on a contractual basis by a licensee to or on behalf of an entity. “Providing services to or on behalf of an employer” does not include a person or firm engaged in the practice of public accounting.\n\t\t“Providing services to the public” means providing services that are subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3 or by an equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Sponsoring organization” means a Board-approved professional society or other organization responsible for the facilitation and administration of peer reviews through use of its peer review program and applicable peer review standards.\n\t\t“State” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any territory of the United States that is a recognized jurisdiction by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy or its successor.\n\t\t“Substantially equivalent” means a Board determination that the education requirements of another jurisdiction are comparable to those prescribed by the Board.\n\t\t“Using the CPA title in Virginia” means the use of “CPA,” “Certified Public Accountant,” or “public accountant” in any manner of communication by any person, firm, or entity to persons or entities located in Virginia portraying such person, firm, or entity as being licensed or legally permitted to provide professional services in Virginia. Holding a Virginia license or the license of another state constitutes using the CPA title in Virginia.\n\t\t“Virginia license” means a license that is issued by the Board giving a person or firm the privilege of using the CPA title in Virginia or a firm the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and financial statement preparation services to persons and entities located in Virginia.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":278727,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Accredited institution” means a degree-granting institution of higher education accredited either by (i) one of the regional accrediting organizations, including the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Commission of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and WASC Senior College and University Commission, or their successors or (ii) an accrediting organization demonstrating to the Board periodically, as prescribed by the Board, that its accreditation process and standards are substantially equivalent to the accreditation process and standards of the regional accrediting organizations.\n\t\t“Assurance” means any form of expressed or implied opinion or conclusion about the conformity of a financial statement with any recognition, measurement, presentation, or disclosure principles for financial statements.\n\t\t“Attest services” means audit, review, or other engagements performed in accordance with the standards that have been established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, by the Auditing Standards Board or the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Board” means the Virginia Board of Accountancy.\n\t\t“Compilation services” means compiling financial statements in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Continuing professional education” means the education that a person obtains after passing the CPA examination and that relates to services provided to or on behalf of an employer in academia, government, or industry or to services provided to the public.\n\t\t“CPA” means certified public accountant.\n\t\t“CPA examination” means the national uniform CPA examination approved and administered by the board of accountancy of a state or by the board’s designee.\n\t\t“CPA wall certificate” means the symbolic document suitable for wall display that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state to a person meeting the requirements to use the CPA title in that state.\n\t\t“Executive Director” means the Executive Director of the Board.\n\t\t“Experience” means employment in academia, a firm, government, or an industry in any capacity involving the substantial use of accounting, financial, tax, or other skills that are relevant, as determined by the Board, to provide services to or on behalf of an employer or to the public. Such experience must be verified by an active, licensed CPA.\n\t\t“Facilitated State Board Access” or “FSBA” means the sponsoring organization’s process whereby it provides the Board access to peer review results via a secure website.\n\t\t“Financial statement” means a presentation of historical or prospective financial information about one or more persons or entities.\n\t\t“Financial statement preparation services” means engaging a licensee in public practice for financial statement preparation services executed in accordance with the standards established by the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Firm” means an entity formed by one or more licensees as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other type of entity permitted by law with the purpose of providing professional services to the public.\n\t\t“License of another state” means the license that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state other than Virginia that gives a person the privilege of using the CPA title in that state or that gives a firm the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and financial statement preparation services to persons and entities located in that state.\n\t\t“Licensed” means holding a Virginia license or the license of another state.\n\t\t“Licensee” means a person or firm holding a Virginia license or the license of another state.\n\t\t“Peer review” means a review of a firm’s attest services, compilation services, and financial statements preparation services that is conducted in accordance with the applicable monitoring program of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or its successor, or with another monitoring program approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of public accounting” means the performance of professional services for a client by a licensee or licensee’s firm.\n\t\t“Professional services” means all services requiring substantial use of accountancy or related skills that are performed by a licensee for a client or for an employer. Such services are subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3 or by any equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Providing services to or on behalf of an employer” means the performance of professional services while employed or engaged on a contractual basis by a licensee to or on behalf of an entity. “Providing services to or on behalf of an employer” does not include a person or firm engaged in the practice of public accounting.\n\t\t“Providing services to the public” means providing services that are subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3 or by an equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Sponsoring organization” means a Board-approved professional society or other organization responsible for the facilitation and administration of peer reviews through use of its peer review program and applicable peer review standards.\n\t\t“State” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any territory of the United States that is a recognized jurisdiction by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy or its successor.\n\t\t“Substantially equivalent” means a Board determination that the education requirements of another jurisdiction are comparable to those prescribed by the Board.\n\t\t“Using the CPA title in Virginia” means the use of “CPA,” “Certified Public Accountant,” or “public accountant” in any manner of communication by any person, firm, or entity to persons or entities located in Virginia portraying such person, firm, or entity as being licensed or legally permitted to provide professional services in Virginia. Holding a Virginia license or the license of another state constitutes using the CPA title in Virginia.\n\t\t“Virginia license” means a license that is issued by the Board giving a person or firm the privilege of using the CPA title in Virginia or a firm the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and financial statement preparation services to persons and entities located in Virginia.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14599,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Accountants","identifier":"44","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14598,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:49","permalink":{"id":244631,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14599,"identifier":"44","token":"54.1\/VI\/44","url":"\/54.1\/VI\/44\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14598,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions Regulated by Other Entities","identifier":"VI","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:49","permalink":{"id":244629,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14598,"identifier":"VI","token":"54.1\/VI","url":"\/54.1\/VI\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":77707,"structure_id":14599,"section_number":"54.1-4400","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/54.1-4400\/","token":"54.1\/VI\/44\/54.1-4400","metadata":false},{"id":65495,"structure_id":14599,"section_number":"54.1-4401","catch_line":"Applicability of chapter","url":"\/54.1-4401\/","token":"54.1\/VI\/44\/54.1-4401","metadata":false},{"id":76023,"structure_id":14599,"section_number":"54.1-4402","catch_line":"Board; 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This law was first created in 2001. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 832<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 8 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2003, chapter 291<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 602<\/a>; in 2007, chapter 804<\/a>; in 2014, chapters 40<\/a> and 755<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 287<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 403<\/a>; in 2024, chapters 654<\/a> and 677<\/a>; in 2025, chapters 523<\/a> and 539<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":80980,"section_number":"13.1-1112","catch_line":"Special provision for limited liability company engaged in practice of accounting","order_by":null,"url":"\/13.1-1112\/"},{"id":66461,"section_number":"13.1-543","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/13.1-543\/"},{"id":55582,"section_number":"13.1-549.1","catch_line":"Special provision for corporation engaged in practice of accounting","order_by":null,"url":"\/13.1-549.1\/"},{"id":68663,"section_number":"9.1-140","catch_line":"Exceptions from article; training requirements for out-of-state central station dispatchers","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-140\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":81324,"section_number":"54.1-4413.3","catch_line":"Standards of conduct and practice","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-4413.3\/"}],"permalink":{"id":244633,"object_type":"law","relational_id":77707,"identifier":"54.1-4400","token":"54.1\/VI\/44\/54.1-4400","url":"\/54.1-4400\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-4400\/","token":"54.1\/VI\/44\/54.1-4400","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-4400","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Accredited institution<\/span>” means a degree-granting institution of higher education accredited either by (i) one of the regional accrediting organizations, including the Middle States<\/span> Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Commission of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and WASC Senior College and University Commission, or their successors or (ii) an accrediting organization demonstrating to the Board periodically, as prescribed by the Board, that its accreditation process and standards are substantially equivalent<\/span> to the accreditation process and standards of the regional accrediting organizations.\n\t\t“Assurance<\/span>” means any form of expressed or implied opinion<\/span> or conclusion about the conformity of a financial statement with any recognition, measurement, presentation, or disclosure principles for financial statements<\/span>.\n\t\t“Attest services<\/span>” means audit, review, or other engagements performed in accordance with the standards that have been established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, by the Auditing Standards Board or the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants<\/span>, or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Board” means the Virginia Board of Accountancy.\n\t\t“Compilation services<\/span>” means compiling financial statements<\/span> in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants<\/span> or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Continuing professional education<\/span>” means the education that a person obtains after passing the CPA examination<\/span> and that relates to services provided to or on behalf of an employer in academia, government, or industry or to services provided to the public.\n\t\t“CPA” means certified public accountant<\/span>.\n\t\t“CPA examination<\/span>” means the national uniform CPA examination<\/span> approved and administered by the board of accountancy of a state or by the board’s designee.\n\t\t“CPA wall certificate<\/span>” means the symbolic document suitable for wall display that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state to a person meeting the requirements to use the CPA title in that state.\n\t\t“Executive Director<\/span>” means the Executive Director<\/span> of the Board.\n\t\t“Experience<\/span>” means employment in academia, a firm<\/span>, government, or an industry in any capacity involving the substantial use of accounting, financial, tax, or other skills that are relevant, as determined by the Board, to provide services to or on behalf of an employer or to the public. Such experience<\/span> must be verified by an active, licensed<\/span> CPA.\n\t\t“Facilitated State Board Access<\/span>” or “FSBA<\/span>” means the sponsoring organization<\/span>’s process whereby it provides the Board access to peer review<\/span> results via a secure website.\n\t\t“Financial statement” means a presentation of historical or prospective financial information about one or more persons or entities.\n\t\t“Financial statement preparation services<\/span>” means engaging a licensee<\/span> in public practice for financial statement preparation services<\/span> executed in accordance with the standards established by the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants<\/span> or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Firm<\/span>” means an entity formed by one or more licensees<\/span> as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other type of entity permitted by law<\/span> with the purpose of providing professional services<\/span> to the public.\n\t\t“License of another state<\/span>” means the license that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state other than Virginia that gives a person the privilege<\/span> of using the CPA title in that state or that gives a firm<\/span> the privilege<\/span> of providing attest services<\/span>, compilation services<\/span>, and financial statement preparation services<\/span> to persons and entities located in that state.\n\t\t“Licensed<\/span>” means holding a Virginia license<\/span> or the license of another state<\/span>.\n\t\t“Licensee<\/span>” means a person or firm<\/span> holding a Virginia license<\/span> or the license of another state<\/span>.\n\t\t“Peer review<\/span>” means a review of a firm<\/span>’s attest services<\/span>, compilation services<\/span>, and financial statements<\/span> preparation services that is conducted in accordance with the applicable monitoring program of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants<\/span> or its successor, or with another monitoring program approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of public accounting<\/span>” means the performance of professional services<\/span> for a client by a licensee<\/span> or licensee<\/span>’s firm<\/span>.\n\t\t“Professional services<\/span>” means all services requiring substantial use of accountancy or related skills that are performed by a licensee<\/span> for a client or for an employer. Such services are subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3<\/a> or by any equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Providing services to or on behalf of an employer<\/span>” means the performance of professional services<\/span> while employed or engaged on a contractual basis by a licensee<\/span> to or on behalf of an entity. “Providing services to or on behalf of an employer<\/span>” does not include a person or firm<\/span> engaged in the practice of public accounting<\/span>.\n\t\t“Providing services to the public<\/span>” means providing services that are subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3<\/a> or by an equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Sponsoring organization<\/span>” means a Board-approved professional society or other organization responsible for the facilitation and administration of peer reviews<\/span> through use of its peer review<\/span> program and applicable peer review<\/span> standards.\n\t\t“State” means any state of the United States<\/span>, the District of Columbia, or any territory of the United States<\/span> that is a recognized jurisdiction<\/span> by the National Association of State Boards<\/span> of Accountancy or its successor.\n\t\t“Substantially equivalent<\/span>” means a Board determination that the education requirements of another jurisdiction<\/span> are comparable to those prescribed by the Board.\n\t\t“Using the CPA title in Virginia<\/span>” means the use of “CPA,” “Certified Public Accountant<\/span>,” or “public accountant<\/span>” in any manner of communication by any person, firm<\/span>, or entity to persons or entities located in Virginia portraying such person, firm<\/span>, or entity as being licensed<\/span> or legally permitted to provide professional services<\/span> in Virginia. Holding a Virginia license<\/span> or the license of another state<\/span> constitutes using the CPA title in Virginia<\/span>.\n\t\t“Virginia license<\/span>” means a license that is issued by the Board giving a person or firm<\/span> the privilege<\/span> of using the CPA title in Virginia<\/span> or a firm<\/span> the privilege<\/span> of providing attest services<\/span>, compilation services<\/span>, and financial statement preparation services<\/span> to persons and entities located in Virginia.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 54.1-4400)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Accredited institution” means a degree-granting institution of\nhigher education accredited either by (i) one of the regional accrediting\norganizations, including the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools,\nNew England Commission of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission,\nNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of\nColleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and WASC Senior College and\nUniversity Commission, or their successors or (ii) an accrediting organization\ndemonstrating to the Board periodically, as prescribed by the Board, that its\naccreditation process and standards are substantially equivalent to the\naccreditation process and standards of the regional accrediting organizations.\n\t\t“Assurance” means any form of expressed or implied opinion or\nconclusion about the conformity of a financial statement with any recognition,\nmeasurement, presentation, or disclosure principles for financial statements.\n\t\t“Attest services” means audit, review, or other engagements\nperformed in accordance with the standards that have been established by the\nPublic Company Accounting Oversight Board, by the Auditing Standards Board or\nthe Accounting and Review Services Committee of the American Institute of\nCertified Public Accountants, or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Board” means the Virginia Board of Accountancy.\n\t\t“Compilation services” means compiling financial statements in\naccordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified\nPublic Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Continuing professional education” means the education that a\nperson obtains after passing the CPA examination and that relates to services\nprovided to or on behalf of an employer in academia, government, or industry or\nto services provided to the public.\n\t\t“CPA” means certified public accountant.\n\t\t“CPA examination” means the national uniform CPA examination\napproved and administered by the board of accountancy of a state or by the\nboard’s designee.\n\t\t“CPA wall certificate” means the symbolic document suitable for\nwall display that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state to a person\nmeeting the requirements to use the CPA title in that state.\n\t\t“Executive Director” means the Executive Director of the Board.\n\t\t“Experience” means employment in academia, a firm, government, or\nan industry in any capacity involving the substantial use of accounting,\nfinancial, tax, or other skills that are relevant, as determined by the Board,\nto provide services to or on behalf of an employer or to the public. Such\nexperience must be verified by an active, licensed CPA.\n\t\t“Facilitated State Board Access” or “FSBA” means the\nsponsoring organization’s process whereby it provides the Board access to\npeer review results via a secure website.\n\t\t“Financial statement” means a presentation of historical or\nprospective financial information about one or more persons or entities.\n\t\t“Financial statement preparation services” means engaging a\nlicensee in public practice for financial statement preparation services\nexecuted in accordance with the standards established by the Statements on\nStandards for Accounting and Review Services of the American Institute of\nCertified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.\n\t\t“Firm” means an entity formed by one or more licensees as a sole\nproprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, or\nany other type of entity permitted by law with the purpose of providing\nprofessional services to the public.\n\t\t“License of another state” means the license that is issued by the\nboard of accountancy of a state other than Virginia that gives a person the\nprivilege of using the CPA title in that state or that gives a firm the\nprivilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and financial\nstatement preparation services to persons and entities located in that state.\n\t\t“Licensed” means holding a Virginia license or the license of\nanother state.\n\t\t“Licensee” means a person or firm holding a Virginia license or\nthe license of another state.\n\t\t“Peer review” means a review of a firm’s attest services,\ncompilation services, and financial statements preparation services that is\nconducted in accordance with the applicable monitoring program of the American\nInstitute of Certified Public Accountants or its successor, or with another\nmonitoring program approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of public accounting” means the performance of\nprofessional services for a client by a licensee or licensee’s firm.\n\t\t“Professional services” means all services requiring substantial\nuse of accountancy or related skills that are performed by a licensee for a\nclient or for an employer. Such services are subject to the guidance of the\nstandard-setting authorities listed in the standards of conduct and practice in\nsubdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3 or by any equivalent standard-setting\nauthority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Providing services to or on behalf of an employer” means the\nperformance of professional services while employed or engaged on a contractual\nbasis by a licensee to or on behalf of an entity. “Providing services to\nor on behalf of an employer” does not include a person or firm engaged in\nthe practice of public accounting.\n\t\t“Providing services to the public” means providing services that\nare subject to the guidance of the standard-setting authorities listed in the\nstandards of conduct and practice in subdivisions 5 and 6 of \u00a7 54.1-4413.3 or\nby an equivalent standard-setting authority as approved by the Board.\n\t\t“Sponsoring organization” means a Board-approved professional\nsociety or other organization responsible for the facilitation and\nadministration of peer reviews through use of its peer review program and\napplicable peer review standards.\n\t\t“State” means any state of the United States, the District of\nColumbia, or any territory of the United States that is a recognized\njurisdiction by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy or its\nsuccessor.\n\t\t“Substantially equivalent” means a Board determination that the\neducation requirements of another jurisdiction are comparable to those\nprescribed by the Board.\n\t\t“Using the CPA title in Virginia” means the use of\n“CPA,” “Certified Public Accountant,” or “public\naccountant” in any manner of communication by any person, firm, or entity\nto persons or entities located in Virginia portraying such person, firm, or\nentity as being licensed or legally permitted to provide professional services\nin Virginia. Holding a Virginia license or the license of another state\nconstitutes using the CPA title in Virginia.\n\t\t“Virginia license” means a license that is issued by the Board\ngiving a person or firm the privilege of using the CPA title in Virginia or a\nfirm the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and\nfinancial statement preparation services to persons and entities located in\nVirginia.\n\nHISTORY: 2001, c. 832; 2003, c. 291; 2004, c. 602; 2007, c. 804; 2014, cc. 40,\n755; 2015, c. 287; 2017, c. 403; 2024, cc. 654, 677; 2025, cc. 523, 539.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}