Current State Board Requirements

How much CPE do you need?

All active CPA certificate holders are required to obtain CPE. The Accountancy Act of 1998 exempts inactive certificate holders from CPE.
Active CPA certificate holders must have:

• 80 hours every two (2) years with a minimum of 20 hours in each year.
• At least 40 of the 80 hours must be in category A, T, M or E.
• If performing attest services (including compilations), 20 of those 40 hours must be in the “A” category.
• If providing expert witness testimony, 20 hours must be in the general area in which the court deems you an expert, such as tax, auditing, etc.
• A maximum of 16 hours of your 80-hour requirement may be obtained through the magazine reading program such as reading the Tennessee CPA Journal or AICPA/CPE Direct Credit courses and returning those questions for a score.
• The Ethics CPE Rule will be phased in as follows:
  • Licensees renewing upon 12-31-07 expiration date have a 2-hour ethics CPE requirement.
  • Licensees renewing upon 12-31-08 expiration date have a 4-hour ethics CPE requirement.
• Ethics CPE Rule Details
  • Four hours of ethics CPE within every two year renewal period, starting in 2008.
  • One hour of the four hour requirement must be from a board approved Tennessee-specific ethics course (the TSCPA sponsored Tennessee-specific ethics sessions are all Tennessee State Board of Accountancy approved to meet this requirement).
  • Note: for all CPAs renewing in 2007, there is not a Tennessee-specific requirement, however they can use any state specific credits to meet the 2-hour ethics CPE requirement for 2007, if so desired.
  • http://www.state.tn.us/sos/rules/0020/0020-05.pdf
  • For other questions, contact the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy at www.state.tn.us/commerce/boards/tnsba, 615/741-2550 or 1-888/453-6150, or send an e-mail to: accountancy.board@tn.gov.

Carry Over CPE: Excess CPE hours earned in one reporting period (i.e., any over the 80 hour requirement) can be carried forward into the next reporting period but not beyond. Ethics hours can be carried over; however, once they have been carried over they become "Other" and are no longer considered "Ethics." Carry over is limited to 24 hours of carry over CPE per reporting period. In addition, carry over hours do not contribute to the minimum 20 hour requirement nor the 40 technical hour requirement.

What kind of CPE do you need?

Active certificate holders need technical CPE in accounting, accounting ethics, auditing, taxation, computer science and management or financial advisory services (or consulting services) totaling 80 hours every two years.

Periodical reading and testing cannot exceed 20 percent of the total required CPE. The reading of any journal or periodical for continuing professional education credit is subject to the 20 percent limitation as “Other CPE.”

Self-study courses are allowed if the sponsor has complied with the CPE NASBA Quality Assurance Service Program. QAS-compliant sponsors are listed on the NASBA Web site at www.nasba.org/nasbaweb.nsf/cpe. Self-study can equate to 100 percent.

When in doubt, check with the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy at www.state.tn.us/commerce/boards/tnsba, 615/741-2550 or 1-888/453-6150, or send an e-mail to: accountancy.board@tn.gov.