§ 73-33-17. Reciprocity with other states

MS Code § 73-33-17 (2019) (N/A)
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(1) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state and who holds a valid license as a certified public accountant from any state that requires, as a condition of licensure, that an individual:

(a) Has at least one hundred fifty (150) semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university;

(b) Achieves a passing grade on the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination; and

(c) Possesses at least one (1) year of experience verified by a licensee, including providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax or consulting skills, which may be obtained through government, industry, academic or public practice; shall be deemed to have qualifications substantially equivalent to this state’s requirements and shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license from the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who offers or renders professional services, whether in person, or by mail, telephone or electronic means, under this section shall be granted practice privileges in this state, and may use the title “CPA” or “Certified Public Accountant,” and no notice, fee or other submission shall be provided by any such individual. Such an individual shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (3) of this section. In the implementation and application of paragraphs (a) through (c) of this subsection (1), the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy shall, for uniformity purposes with other states, consider how the majority of other states with similar provisions implement those provisions and shall be reasonably consistent with those states.

(2) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state and who holds a valid license as a certified public accountant from any state that does not meet the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, but the individual’s certified public accounting qualifications are verified by the board’s designee as substantially equivalent to those requirements, shall be deemed to have qualifications substantially equivalent to this state’s requirements and shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license from the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. Any individual who passed the Uniform CPA Examination and holds a valid license issued by any other state prior to January 1, 2012, may be exempt from the education requirement in subsection (1) of this section for purposes of this subsection. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who offers or renders professional services, whether in person, or by mail, telephone or electronic means, under this section shall be granted practice privileges in this state, and may use the title “CPA” or “Certified Public Accountant,” and no notice, fee or other submission shall be provided by any such individual. Such an individual shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (3) of this section.

(3) Any individual licensee of another state exercising the privilege afforded under this section and the firm which employs that licensee hereby simultaneously consent, as a condition of the grant of the privilege:

(a) To the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board;

(b) To comply with this chapter and the board’s rules;

(c) That in the event the license from the state of the individual’s principal place of business is no longer valid, the individual will cease offering or rendering professional services in this state individually and on behalf of a firm; and

(d) To the appointment of the state board which issued their license as their agent upon whom process may be served in any action or proceeding by this board against the licensee.

(4) An individual who has been granted practice privileges under this section who, for any entity with its home office in this state, performs any of the following services:

(a) Any financial statement audit or other engagement to be performed in accordance with Statements on Auditing Standards;

(b) Any examination of prospective financial information to be performed in accordance with Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements; or

(c) Any engagement to be performed in accordance with PCAOB Auditing Standards;

may only do so through a firm which has obtained a permit issued under Section 73-33-1(3).

(5) A licensee of this state offering or rendering services or using their CPA title in another state shall be subject to disciplinary action in this state for an act committed in another state for which the licensee would be subject to discipline for an act committed in the other state. The board shall be required to investigate any complaint made by the State Board of Public Accountancy of another state.