CPE Requirements

misrepresentation to licensing authorities as an “act discreditable to the profession,” which could result in revocation of CPA certificate and license.

Members are encouraged to use the WICPA’s CPE Tracker to record both formal and informal CPE activities since this will simplify the process of recording. Additionally, formal learning activities held by the WICPA will be automatically added, and certain qualifying informal (e.g., committee attendance and board service) activities will automatically be added.

A maximum of 40 CPE credits that exceed the minimum number of credits required to satisfy the requirement in the earlier compliance period may be carried forward from one compliance period to the next consecutive compliance period. The carry-forward credits can consist of any combination of formal or informal credits.

Up to 3 ethics credits that exceeded the earlier compliance period ethics requirement may be carried forward to satisfy the compliance period to which they are carried over.

Credits earned during the first 12 months of a compliance period can be carried back to the immediately preceding compliance period to the extent necessary to satisfy the CPE requirements for such preceding period, provided the carry-back credits are not used to satisfy CPE for more than one compliance period.

Can CPE credits carried forward to the next consecutive compliance period, or CPE credits earned during the first 12 months of a compliance period carried back to the immediately preceding compliance period, be used to satisfy the CPE requirements for either 12-month period of that compliance period?

Yes. CPE credits that are carried forward or carried back may be used to satisfy the CPE requirement for either 12-month period of the compliance period to which the carry-back or carry-forward occurs, provided the same credits are not used to satisfy the requirements of both 12-month periods.

Can I request a waiver for my CPE requirements?

Non-CPA and nonlicensed CPA members may request a waiver from the WICPA if they have been prohibited from fulfilling the CPE requirements. Requests must be submitted in writing to the CEO of the WICPA and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The WICPA CEO may waive all or a portion of the CPE credits required if exceptional circumstances have prevented meeting the requirements. All licensed CPA members must request a waiver from DSPS and provide documentation of the waiver determination to the WICPA in order for the WICPA to also waive CPE credits.

What are acceptable reasons to request a waiver?

The request should include the country of residence, the name of the employer, the member’s principal duties and responsibilities and the reasons foreign residency prohibited fulfilling the CPE requirement.

The request should include the nature of the illness or disability and the reason the illness or disability prohibited fulfilling the CPE requirement.

The request should include the principal duties performed, where the member was stationed and the reason military service prohibited fulfilling the CPE requirement.

The request should include the nature of the hardship and the reason it prohibited fulfilling the CPE requirement.

How does this compare to the CPE requirements of the AICPA and other licensing jurisdictions?

The updated WICPA membership CPE requirements described above are not the same as AICPA membership CPE requirements, Yellow Book CPE requirements, Peer Review CPE requirements, or the CPE requirements of CPA licensing jurisdictions outside Wisconsin that continue to apply the 1970s learning models that generally require 50-minute CPE time increments as well as lecture-based formal learning activities.

In addition, each of the 55 U.S. CPA licensing jurisdictions has its own unique CPE requirements. The only similarity among the jurisdictions is that they all reference the general CPE requirement of 40 CPE credits per year (although reporting periods vary from one to three years) and 1 CPE credit earned for 50 minutes for timebased learning activities. In addition, CPAs performing attest services or government audits may be subject to separate Peer Review or Yellow Book CPE requirements.

Is the WICPA a registered sponsor with the IRS to receive credit related to PTIN (enrolled agent)?

No, the WICPA is not an approved sponsor for CPE for enrolled agents.

The CPE Tracker is an easyto-use tool created to keep track of all your CPE in one convenient location.

• Automatically tracks WICPA formal learning activities

• Add any non-WICPA CPE courses

• Print reports for any reporting period

To get started, visit wicpa.org/CPEtracker