(1) No individual may assume or use the designation “certified public accountant-inactive” or “CPA-inactive” or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviation, sign, card, or device tending to indicate that the individual is a certified public accountant-inactive or CPA-inactive unless the individual holds a license in an inactive status. Individuals holding only an inactive license may not practice public accounting.

Washington Code 18.04.025

Board: means the board of accountancy created by RCW 18. See Washington Code 18.04.025

Compilation: means providing a service to be performed in accordance with statements on standards for accounting and review services that is presenting in the form of financial statements, information that is the representation of management (owners) without undertaking to express any assurance on the statements. See Washington Code 18.04.025

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: means a person holding a certified public accountant license or certificate. See Washington Code 18.04.025

Firm: means a sole proprietorship, a corporation, or a partnership. See Washington Code 18.04.025

Inactive: means the status of a license that is prohibited from practicing public accounting. See Washington Code 18.04.025

Individual: means a living, human being. See Washington Code 18.04.025

License: means a license to practice public accountancy issued to an individual under this chapter, or a license issued to a firm under this chapter. See Washington Code 18.04.025

Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.

Report: includes any form of language which disclaims an opinion when such form of language is conventionally understood to imply any positive assurance as to the reliability of the attested information or compiled financial statements referred to and/or special competence on the part of the person or firm issuing such language; and it includes any other form of language that is conventionally understood to imply such assurance and/or such special knowledge or competence. See Washington Code 18.04.025

State: includes the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands at such time as the board determines that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is issuing licenses under the substantially equivalent standards in RCW 18. See Washington Code 18.04.025

substantially equivalent: means a determination by the board or its designee that the education, examination, and experience requirements contained in the statutes and administrative rules of another jurisdiction are comparable to or exceed the education, examination, and experience requirements contained in this chapter or that an individual CPA's education, examination, and experience qualifications are comparable to or exceed the education, examination, and experience requirements contained in this chapter. See Washington Code 18.04.025

(2) No individual may hold himself or herself out to the public or assume or use the designation “certified public accountant” or “CPA” or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviation, sign, card, or device tending to indicate that the individual is a certified public accountant or CPA unless the individual qualifies for the privileges authorized by RCW 18.04.350(2) or holds a license under RCW 18.04.105 and 18.04.215.

(3) No firm with an office in this state may perform or offer to perform attest services as defined in RCW 18.04.025(1) or compilation services as defined in RCW 18.04.025(5) unless the firm is licensed under RCW 18.04.195 and all offices of the firm in this state are maintained and registered under RCW 18.04.205. This subsection does not limit the services permitted under RCW 18.04.350(10) by persons not required to be licensed under this chapter.

(4) No firm may perform the services defined in RCW 18.04.025(1) in this state unless the firm is licensed under RCW 18.04.195, renews the firm license as required under RCW 18.04.215, and all offices of the firm in this state are maintained and registered under RCW 18.04.205.

(5) No individual, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation offering public accounting services to the public may hold himself, herself, or itself out to the public, or assume or use along, or in connection with his, hers, or its name, or any other name the title or designation “certified accountant,” “chartered accountant,” “licensed accountant,” “licensed public accountant,” “public accountant,” or any other title or designation likely to be confused with “certified public accountant” or any of the abbreviations “CA,” “LA,” “LPA,” or “PA,” or similar abbreviations likely to be confused with “CPA.”

(6) No licensed firm may operate under an alias, a firm name, title, or “DBA” that differs from the firm name that is registered with the board.

(7) No individual with an office in this state may sign, affix, or associate his or her name or any trade or assumed name used by the individual in his or her business to any report prescribed by professional standards unless the individual holds a license to practice under RCW 18.04.105 and 18.04.215, a firm holds a license under RCW 18.04.195, and all of the individual’s offices in this state are registered under RCW 18.04.205.

(8) No individual licensed in another state may sign, affix, or associate a firm name to any report prescribed by professional standards, or associate a firm name in conjunction with the title certified public accountant, unless the individual:

(a) Qualifies for the practice privileges authorized by RCW 18.04.350(2); or

(b) Is licensed under RCW 18.04.105 and 18.04.215, and all of the individual’s offices in this state are maintained and registered under RCW 18.04.205.

(9) No individual, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation not holding a license to practice under RCW 18.04.105 and 18.04.215, or firm not licensed under RCW 18.04.195 or firm not registering all of the firm’s offices in this state under RCW 18.04.205, or not qualified for the practice privileges authorized by RCW 18.04.350(2), may hold himself, herself, or itself out to the public as an “auditor” with or without any other description or designation by use of such word on any sign, card, letterhead, or in any advertisement or directory.

(10) For purposes of this section, because individuals practicing using practice privileges under RCW 18.04.350(2) are deemed substantially equivalent to licensees under RCW 18.04.105 and 18.04.215, every word, term, or reference that includes the latter shall be deemed to include the former, provided the conditions of such practice privilege, as set forth in RCW 18.04.350 (4) and (5) are maintained.

(11) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, it is not a violation of this section for a firm that does not hold a valid license under RCW 18.04.195 and that does not have an office in this state to use the title “CPA” or “certified public accountant” as part of the firm’s name and to provide its professional services in this state, and licensees and individuals with practice privileges may provide services on behalf of such firms so long as it complies with the requirements of RCW 18.04.195(1). An individual or firm authorized under this subsection to use practice privileges in this state must comply with the requirements otherwise applicable to licensees in this section.

Effective date—2022 c 85 §§ 8, 10, 15, and 17: See note following RCW 18.04.195.

Expiration date—2022 c 85 §§ 7, 9, 14, and 16: See note following RCW 18.04.195.

Effective date—2019 c 71 §§ 3 and 6: See note following RCW 18.04.195.

Expiration date—2019 c 71 §§ 2 and 5: See note following RCW 18.04.195.

Expiration date—Finding—Intent—2018 c 224: See notes following RCW 18.04.350.

Finding—Intent—2008 c 16: See note following RCW 18.04.025.

Effective date—2001 c 294: See note following RCW 18.04.015.