Iowa CPE Requirements
BOARD INFORMATION FOR REFERRALS:
Iowa Accountancy Examining Board
200 E Grand, Suite 350
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 725-9022
Fax: (515) 725-9032
Website: www.plb.iowa.gov/board/accountants
DO PES COURSES QUALIFY FOR CPE IN THE STATE OF IOWA? YES!
Iowa does not pre-approve continuing education programs or sponsors and they DO NOT have sponsorship agreements. They will accept courses from NASBA sponsors. Professional Education Services, LP (PES) is registered with NASBA (#103592) on the National Registry of CPE sponsors and has issued credits in the state of Iowa without any problems.
LICENSE RENEWAL INFORMATION:
- 120 hours of CPE every 3 years.
- Ethics Requirement: Minimum of four (4) hours of ethics during the three-year CPE period. No specific state board approval is required and general ethics can be used to fulfill this requirement. PES course 4210: Ethics and Professional Conduct for Iowa CPAs or any of our general ethics courses can be used to fulfill this requirement.
- Minimum of eight (8) hours of CPE devoted to financial statement presentation, such as courses covering the statements on standards for accounting and review services (SSARS) and accounting and auditing updates for every CPA who is responsible for supervising compilation services or who signs or authorizes someone to sign the accountant's compilation report on the financial statements on behalf of a firm. If required, this continuing education shall be completed within the three-year CPE period. Any question on specific courses should be referred to the Baord for recommenation on acceptability of course content based on description and table of contents.
- Maximum 50% in nontechnical areas of study (includes: communication, interpersonal management; leadership and personal development; client and public relations; practice development; marketing; motivational and behavioral; and speed reading and memory building).
LICENSE EXPIRATION INFORMATION:
- All registrants now renew annually, licenses expire 6/30 each year.
CPE COMPLETION DUE BY:
- Each year when the licensee renews they can self-define their CPE reporting period as either the three prior years ending 12/31 prior OR the three prior years ending 6/30 of their renewal. For example:
- Kathy renews on 6/30/2024 and claims her CPE period ended 12/31 - so they will look at the three year period between 01/01/2021 to 12/31/2023.
- HOWEVER, the next year Kathy renews on 6/30/2025 but this renewal year claims her CPE period ends on 6/30 - so they will look at the three year period between 7/01/2022 to 6/30/2025.
SELF STUDY CREDIT HOURS:
Credits granted for PES courses are based on the AICPA and NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) statement of standards which grant 1 CPE credit for every 50-minutes of study time. Iowa recognizes the same credit measurement.
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SELF STUDY CREDITS: 60 Hours (over the 3 year period)
ACCEPTABLE AREAS OF STUDY:
Accounting, Assurance / Auditing, Consulting Services, Specialized Knowledge and Application, Management, Taxation and Ethics. Other subjects, including nontechnical professional skills, may be approved by the Board if they maintain or improve CPAs competence.
NASBA FIELD OF STUDY SYNOPSIS: All NASBA fields of study fall within an acceptable area of study as listed by the Iowa Board of Accountancy. They do designate between technical and non-technical on their renewal form - all areas of study would be technical on the form EXCEPT Personal Development and Communications & Marketing which would be considered non-technical.
If you have any questions regarding your CPE requirements, please call PES at 1-800-990-2731 or your State board. PLEASE NOTE: Since state board regulations are constantly changing, the information contained here is deemed reliable however it is not guaranteed. We encourage you to contact your state board to answer any questions and confirm or clarify any requirements listed here. Information updated 3.29.2024