ACAT Presentation to Oklahoma State Senate Business and Labor Committee Regarding ABA Credential

Vice President of Accountancy Lanny Nelms recently traveled to Oklahoma to represent ACAT at a meeting of the Oklahoma Senate Business and Labor Committee, which was conducting a study of the accounting profession and the Oklahoma Accountancy Act.

Nelms has been an ABA for eight years, and a member of the ACAT Board for five years. He is currently the program director of accounting at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and the President of TACTYC, an organization of teachers of accounting at two year colleges.

"Graduates of two-year accounting programs gain pride and confidence in their skills by completing the ACAT Capstone review course and passing ACATĦs ABA exam. The exam gives them "external validation of their accounting knowledge to distinguish them from others practicing in the same field," says Nelms.

Mr. NelmsĦ presentation included praise of ACATĦs ABA examination, and the steps which ACAT takes to ensure the validity and reliability of each exam. The process starts with a Job Practice Analysis which is used to determine the exam "blueprint" and the types of questions to be included in ACATĦs extensive database. The Job Practice Analysis provides assurance that the examination tests the knowledge that small business accountants will actually need to use in their daily work. Questions for the exam database are developed by a subject matter expert panel of educators and accountants. Finally, each examination is psychometrically analyzed to verify its validity and reliability.

Click here for full script of presentation.  If you know of similar opportunities in your state for ACAT to promote its credentials to legislators or state boards of accountantcy, please call director Cassandra Newby at 703-359-2228, ext. 1342.

Senate Bill S 832

Working with NSAĦs Right To Practice Committee and Director of Legislation, ACAT helped craft the NSA testimony urging the House Ways and Means Committee to amend Senate Bill S 832, dealing with the registration of federal tax preparers. NSAĦs Right-To-Practice Chairman Bob Cross requested a waiver of any further testing for holders of the ACAT credentials Accredited Business Accountant, Accredited Tax Advisor and/or Accredited Tax Preparer. Click here for:

Press Release

Full Testimony

ACAT Addendum

New York Senate Passes Bill Protecting Non-Licensed Accountant Practice Rights
The New York State Senate recently passed a bill protecting the non-licensed accountant's right to practice in New York. During the 2003 legislative session the Senate passed Bill S-302D which includes acceptable safe harbor language, allows Enrolled Agents the right to use the Enrolled Agent designation and the initials EA, and opens the way for ACAT to petition the New York State Board of Accountancy to recognize and allow the use of the ACAT credentials. The next step is for the New York State Assembly to act on this bill. We expect this to occur early in 2004.

NSA and ACAT continue to work to enable credential holders to use their earned designations and to permit the use of their professional credentials throughout the United States. If you would like a copy of the New York statute, please contact ACAT at 1-888-289-7763, extension 1343.