CPE Requirements and Information
All holders of an active permit to practice public accountancy are required to comply with the continuing education requirements.
~To renew your Active Permit to Practice, you must complete 80 hours of CPE (including 4 hours of ethics) within the two calendar years prior to renewal. CPE must be earned by December 31st of the year prior to renewal and must be reported by January 31st of your renewal year.
- Permits issued after July 1 of the year prior to expiration require 40 hours of CPE for renewal.
- The AICPA Professional Ethics Exam taken for certificate issuance CANNOT be used for permit renewal ethics CPE.
~The applicant for renewal of an active permit to practice shall, by January 31st of each year, provide a report of the continuing education in which he or she has participated in the preceding calendar year. If a permit holder has a valid reason they cannot report by January 31, they shall communicate the reason to the Board in writing before January 31.
~Sole responsibility for documenting the requirements rests with the permit holder and evidence to support fulfillment of those requirements must be retained for a period of six years after the completion of educational courses.
Evidence of course completion must include one of the following:
- Certificate of completion from the course sponsor
- Copy of the sign in sheet
- Grade report or a transcript from an educational institution
- A signed statement of hours of attendance from the instructor
- For instructors, you need to provide a copy of the agenda or syllabus
- For publishers, you need to provide a copy of the article, book, etc.
**Please note that Course Approval letters from the Nebraska State Board do NOT count as a certificate of completion or attendance. *
~Inactive Registrants and “Inactive-Retired” registrants are not required to report continuing education.
~Please be aware that there are NO CPE requirements to obtain an initial permit to practice. However, renewal of a permit to practice requires evidence of completion of 80 approved CPE hours within the two calendar years immediately preceding renewal. Before obtaining your permit to practice, you should determine how/if you will be able to meet the CPE requirements for renewal of the permit. AICPA Professional Ethics taken for the certificate requirement may not be used again to meet the four hours of ethics required for permit renewal.
If your Firm holds in-house training courses, please make sure there is a sign-in sheet present at the course or provide certificates of completion.
The sign-in sheet or certificate of completion requirements:
- Sign in sheet must be on firm letterhead
- Certificates of completion must have:
- title of the course
- date of course
- firm name and address
- start and end times
- recommended number of hours
When you provide in-house training, it is highly recommended that you go through the pre-approval process using the Program Qualification Form. The pre-approval process is completing the Program Qualification Form which is located on our website.
What is a CPE audit?
The CPE audit ensures that CPAs are complying with continuing professional education rules. This, in turn, protects both the profession and the public it serves.
How are CPAs chosen for the CPE audit?
A percentage of our active CPAs are selected at random. CPAs selected for a CPE audit receive a letter from the Board via regular mail. They have until June 1st to submit the required material.
What do I need to submit to the Board?
Certificates of completion for each CPE course taken during the audit period.
What are some common errors to avoid?
The most efficient wat to comply with a CPE audit is by providing the correct documentation in a timely manner. But, mistakes happen. Here are some common errors to watch for:
- Reporting undocumented learning activities
- Reporting CPE credits in the wrong year
- Failing to retain appropriate documentation
- Submitting documentation that does not meet our CPE requirements (i.e., certificates of completion, sign-in sheets, agendas)
What happened if I cannot provide appropriate documentation?
Failure to respond or provide appropriate CPE documentation will be dealt with by the enforcement committee.
Questions?
If you have questions regarding the CPE audit process or CPE reporting overall, please contact our CPE Coordinator, Heather Myers, at (402) 471-3595 or via email at heather.myers@nebraska.gov, or refer to the CPE Guidelines.
