A New Way Forward For The Profession

Yes. As the provincially legislated regulator of the profession in the province of Ontario, your membership with CPA Ontario grants your CPA designation and allows you to practice in Ontario, while enabling your mobility across the country and internationally.

Under the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario Act, 2017, Sec. 29, in Ontario you are required to be a CPA Ontario member in good standing to use the designation, imply you are a CPA, represent yourself as a CPA, or practice as a CPA.

The CPA designation is a mark of the highest professional ethics and standards. Requiring CPAs to be a member of CPA Ontario — with its regulatory oversight of CPAs and accounting firms — protects the public and maintains the integrity and reputation of the profession.

No. Subscribing to CPA Canada is strictly voluntary and is not a requirement to be a CPA. Your mandatory membership with CPA Ontario grants you your designation and your ability to practice as a CPA, enables your mobility across Canada and internationally, and allows you to represent yourself as a member of the profession.

No. Currently, to be a member of CPA Canada, a CPA must be a member in good standing with their provincial, territorial or Bermudian body, and this new subscription from CPA Canada has no impact on this requirement.

When it comes to your CPA Ontario Annual Membership Due, you may continue to avail yourself of the retirement or life member exemption so long as you meet the criteria laid out in the regulations.

We were surprised and disappointed to learn that CPA Canada is not honouring the retirement and life member criteria that has been available to CPA Ontario members given the years of service that you, and many others like you, have given to the profession.

This decision was made by CPA Canada without consultation with CPA Ontario. CPA Canada has never received any retiree or life member dues from CPA Ontario previously.

Yes. The mobility of CPAs is the legislative responsibility of the provinces and so your membership with CPA Ontario enables your interprovincial and international mobility.

CPA Ontario is your regulator, and the grantor of your designation with the mandate of protecting the public by overseeing CPAs and accounting firms in Ontario and advancing the profession so that CPAs remain at the forefront of emerging topics and a changing economy. We provide everything you need to practice as a Canadian CPA.

Here are some of our roles and responsibilities:

• Protect the public by overseeing CPAs and accounting firms in Ontario through compliance, enforcement and discipline processes;
• Award the CPA designation and the licence to practice public accounting;
• Manage students’ education journeys and administer the CPA certification program, including the CFE;
• Recruit and attract students through post-secondary institutions, high school, workforce and internationally educated professional programs and outreach;
• Enable CPA mobility across Canada and internationally;
• Provide continuing professional development;
• Support, fund and participate in standard setting; and
• Work collaboratively with our counterparts across the country on matters important to protecting the public, advancing the profession and enabling CPAs to drive business and society forward.

CPA Canada is a federally incorporated not-for-profit. It provides certain services on behalf of CPA Ontario and the other CPA bodies as well as providing a subscription service to CPA Ontario members. It is not a regulator and has no legislated mandate.