Terms Used In Arizona Laws > Title 32 > Chapter 6 > Article 3 - Regulation of Certified Public Accountants

• Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Attest services: means the following services to be performed by the holder of a certificate issued by the board:

  (a) Audits or other engagements to be performed in accordance with the statements on auditing standards adopted by the American institute of certified public accountants. See Arizona Laws 32-701

• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Board: means the Arizona state board of accountancy established by section 32-702. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Certified public accountant: means an individual who has been issued a certificate of authority by the board to practice as a certified public accountant or who meets the limited reciprocity privilege requirements pursuant to section 32-725. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Client: means a person or entity, other than one's employer, for whom accounting services are provided. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conviction: means a judgment of conviction by any state or federal court of competent jurisdiction in a criminal cause, regardless of whether an appeal is pending or could be taken, and includes any judgment or order based on a plea of no contest. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• CPA designation: means the title "certified public accountant" or any abbreviation or grammatical derivative of the term "certified public accountant". See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Disciplinary action: means any other regulatory sanctions imposed by the board in combination with, or as an alternative to, relinquishment, revocation or suspension of a certificate or registration, including the imposition of:

  (a) An administrative penalty in an amount not to exceed $2,000 for each violation of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. See Arizona Laws 32-701

• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Employer: means a person or entity that hires an individual to perform a service and that directs and controls the manner in which the service is performed. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Federal securities laws: means the securities act of 1933, the securities exchange act of 1934, the public utility holding company act of 1935 and the investment company act of 1940, as amended. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Firm: means a business organization, a sole proprietorship or an individual who is registered pursuant to section 32-731. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Jurisdiction: means , for the purposes of examination, certification, firm registration or limited reciprocity privilege, the fifty states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Letter of concern: means an advisory letter to notify a registrant that, while the evidence does not warrant disciplinary action, the board believes that the registrant should modify or eliminate certain practices and that continuation of the activities that led to the evidence being submitted to the board may result in board action against the registrant. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Limited reciprocity privilege: means the permission to practice as a certified public accountant in this state pursuant to section 32-725 for an individual whose principal place of business is outside of this state. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Practice of accounting: means providing accounting services for a client or an employer. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Property: includes both real and personal property. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Registrant: means any certified public accountant or firm that is registered with the board. See Arizona Laws 32-701
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Writing: includes printing. See Arizona Laws 1-215