(a) A person or a firm which does not hold a valid license and permit issued under section 20-281b or 20-281d and section 20-281e shall not issue a report on financial statements of any other person, firm, organization or governmental unit or offer or render any attest or compilation service. This prohibition does not apply to an officer, partner or employee of any firm or organization affixing his signature to any statement or report in reference to the financial affairs of such firm or organization with any wording designating the position, title or office that he holds therein; nor prohibit any act of a public official or employee in the performance of his duties as such; nor prohibit the performance by any persons of other services involving the use of accounting skills, including the preparation of tax returns, management advisory services and the preparation of financial statements without the issuance of reports thereon.
(b) The prohibition contained in subsection (a) of this section is applicable to the issuance, by a person or a firm not holding a valid license and permit, of a report using any language conventionally used in the profession by licensees in reports on financial statements or any attest service.
(c) The prohibition contained in subsection (a) of this section is applicable to the issuance by a person or a firm not holding a valid license and permit of a report using any language conventionally used in the profession by licensees with respect to a compilation of financial statements.
(d) A person who does not hold a valid registration or license and who does not qualify for practice privilege under section 20-281n shall not use or assume the title or designation “certified public accountant”, or the abbreviation “CPA” or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviations, sign card or device tending to indicate that such person is a certified public accountant, provided that a holder of a certificate who does not also hold a license may use the title pertaining to such certification only in the manner permitted by regulations adopted by the board under subdivision (6) of subsection (g) of section 20-280.
(e) No firm shall assume or use the title or designation “Certified Public Accountant”, or the abbreviation “CPA”, or any other similar title, designation, words, letters, abbreviation, sign, card or device tending to indicate that such firm is composed of certified public accountants, unless (1) the firm holds a valid permit issued under section 20-281e, (2) all proprietors, partners and shareholders practicing public accountancy in this state and whose principal place of business is in this state hold valid certificates and licenses issued under section 20-281d, and (3) all proprietors, partners, members and shareholders of the firm hold licenses. The prohibitions contained in this section shall apply to a firm that is owned by one or more proprietors, partners, members or shareholders who do not hold a valid license to practice public accountancy issued by the licensing authority of a state or territory of the United States that has obtained a permit to practice under subsection (c) of section 20-281e, but shall not be construed to apply to a firm that meets the requirements of subsection (h) of section 20-281e.
(f) No person shall assume or use the title or designation “public accountant”, or the abbreviation “PA”, or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviation, sign, card or device which tends to indicate that such person is a public accountant unless he holds a valid license issued under section 20-281b.
(g) A firm which does not hold a valid permit issued under section 20-281e shall not assume or use the title or designation “public accountant”, the abbreviation “PA”, or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviation, sign, card or device which tends to indicate that such firm is composed of public accountants.
(h) A person or firm which does not hold a valid license and permit issued under sections 20-281d and 20-281e shall not assume or use the title or designation “certified accountant”, “certified professional accountant”, “chartered accountant”, “enrolled accountant”, “licensed accountant”, “registered accountant”, “accredited accountant”, or any other title or designation likely to be confused with the titles “certified public accountant” or “public accountant” or use any of the abbreviations “CA”, “EA”, “LA”, “RA”, “AA” or similar abbreviation likely to be confused with the abbreviations “CPA” or “PA”, provided that a holder of a certificate who does not also hold a license may use the titles pertaining to such certificate only in the manner permitted by regulations adopted by the board under subdivision (6) of subsection (g) of section 20-280. This subsection shall not prevent persons designated as “enrolled agents” of the Internal Revenue Service from using such title or the abbreviation “EA”.
(i) A person or firm which does not hold a valid license and permit issued under section 20-281b or 20-281d and section 20-281e shall not assume or use any title or designation that includes the words “accountant”, “auditor” or “accounting” in connection with any other language, including the language of a report, that implies that such person or firm holds such a permit or has special competence as an accountant or auditor, provided this subsection shall not prohibit any officer, partner or employee of any firm or organization from affixing his signature to any statement in reference to the financial affairs of such firm or organization with any wording designating the position, title or office that he holds therein, nor prohibit any act of a public official or employee in the performance of his duties as such.
(j) A person who holds a certificate shall not engage in the practice of public accountancy unless he also holds a valid license issued under section 20-281d and a permit issued under section 20-281e or unless such person is qualified for the practice privilege pursuant to section 20-281n.
(k) A firm which holds a permit under sections 20-279b to 20-281m, inclusive, shall not engage in the practice of public accountancy using a professional or firm name or designation that is misleading about the legal form of the firm, or about the persons who are partners, officers or shareholders of the firm, or about any other matter, provided names of one or more former partners or shareholders may be included in the name of a firm or its successor.
(l) None of the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to any firm holding a certification, designation, degree or license granted in a foreign country entitling the holder thereof to engage in the practice of public accountancy or its equivalent in such country, whose activities in this state are limited to the provision of professional services to persons or firms who are residents of, governments of, or business entities of the country in which he holds such entitlement, who issues no reports with respect to the financial statements of any other persons, firms or governmental units in this state, and who does not use in this state any title or designation other than the one under which he practices in such country, followed by a translation of such title or designation into the English language, if it is in a different language, and by the name of such country.
(m) The prohibitions contained in subsections (a), (b), (c), (h) and (i) of this section shall not be construed to apply to any person or firm that qualifies for a practice privilege under section 20-281n or who are exempt from the firm permit requirement contained in section 20-281e.
(n) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, a firm that does not hold a valid permit under section 20-281e and that does not have an office in this state may provide its professional services and practice public accountancy in this state, provided such firm complies with any applicable requirements of subsection (a) of section 20-281e.
(P.A. 92-212, S. 12; P.A. 01-195, S. 80, 181; P.A. 08-52, S. 6; P.A. 12-194, S. 2; P.A. 15-181, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 01-195 made technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 08-52 amended Subsec. (d) to add provision re practice privilege, amended Subsec. (e) to add exemption from prohibitions of section, amended Subsec. (j) to add exemption for practice privilege, added Subsec. (m) re exemption from prohibitions in Subsecs. (a) to (c), (h) and (i) for practice privilege and added Subsec. (n) re exemption for out-of-state firms, effective May 12, 2008; P.A. 12-194 amended Subsec. (e) to add reference to “similar” title, add reference in Subdiv. (2) to principal place of business in this state, add provision re application of prohibitions to firm owned by proprietors, partners, members or shareholders who do not hold a public accountancy license, add reference to Sec. 20-281e(h) and make technical changes, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 15-181 amended Subsec. (a) to add “or offer or render any attest or compilation service” and amended Subsec. (b) to replace reference to review of financial statements with reference to reports on financial statements or any attest service.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 389 - Public Accountants
Section 20-279 and 20-279a. - Board of Accountancy. Definitions.
Section 20-279b. - Definitions.
Section 20-280a. - Comptroller to perform fiscal duties of and provide clerical assistance to board.
Section 20-280b. - Hearing. Order to discontinue violation. Civil penalty.
Section 20-280c. - Investigation of complaints.
Section 20-281. - Permit to practice. Quality review.
Section 20-281h. - Violations. Fine or imprisonment.
Section 20-281j. - Confidentiality of client information.