Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 18.04 · 27 active provisions
It is the policy of this state and the purpose of this chapter:(1) To promote the dependability of information which is used for guidance in financial transactions or for accounting for or assessing the status or performance of commercial and noncommercial enterprises, whether public, private or governmental; and(2) To…
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Attest" means providing the following services:(a) Any audit or other engagement to be performed in accordance with the statements on auditing standards;(b) Any review of a financial statement to be provide…
(1) There is created a board of accountancy for the state of Washington to be known as the Washington state board of accountancy. Effective June 30, 2001, the board shall consist of nine members appointed by the governor. Members of the board shall include six persons who have been licensed in this state continuously f…
(1) The board shall annually elect a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary from its members.(2) A majority of the board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.(3) The board shall have a seal which shall be judicially noticed.(4) The board shall keep records of its proceedings, and of any proceeding in cour…
The board may adopt and amend rules under chapter 34.05 RCW for the orderly conduct of its affairs. The board shall prescribe rules consistent with this chapter as necessary to implement this chapter. Included may be:(1) Rules of procedure to govern the conduct of matters before the board;(2) Rules of professional cond…
The board shall set its fees at a level adequate to pay the costs of administering this chapter. All fees for licenses, registrations of nonlicensee partners, shareholders, and managers of licensed firms, renewals of licenses, renewals of registrations of nonlicensee partners, shareholders, and managers of licensed fir…
Each member of the board shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.240 and shall be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in the discharge of such duties in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(1) A license to practice public accounting shall be granted by the board to any person:(a) Who is of good character. Good character, for purposes of this section, means lack of a history of dishonest or felonious acts. The board may refuse to grant a license on the ground of failure to satisfy this requirement only if…
(1) The board shall issue a license to a holder of a valid certificate or license issued by another state that entitles the holder to practice public accountancy, provided that:(a) Such state makes similar provision to grant reciprocity to a holder of a valid certificate or license in this state;(b) The applicant meets…
The board shall grant a license as a certified public accountant to a holder of a permit, license, or certificate issued by a foreign country's board, agency, or institute, provided that:(1) The foreign country where the foreign permit, license, or certificate was issued is a party to an agreement on trade with the Uni…
Application for a license to practice public accounting in this state by a certified public accountant or CPA firm who holds a license or permit to practice issued by another state constitutes the appointment of the secretary of state as an agent for service of process in any action or proceeding against the applicant…
(1) The board shall grant or renew licenses to practice as a CPA firm to applicants that demonstrate their qualifications therefore in accordance with this section.(a) The following must hold a license issued under this section:(i) Any firm with an office in this state performing or offering to perform attest services…
(1) Each office established or maintained in this state for the purpose of offering to issue or issuing reports in this state shall register with the board under this chapter every three years.(2) The practice of public accounting in each office of a CPA firm established or maintained in this state shall take place und…
(1) Three-year licenses shall be issued by the board:(a) To persons meeting the requirements of RCW 18.04.105(1), 18.04.180, or 18.04.183.(b) To firms under RCW 18.04.195, meeting the requirements of RCW 18.04.205.(2) The board shall, by rule, provide for a system of license renewal and reinstatement. Applicants for re…
The board shall have the power to: Revoke, suspend, or refuse to issue, renew, or reinstate a license; impose a fine in an amount not to exceed thirty thousand dollars plus the board's investigative and legal costs in bringing charges against a certified public accountant, a licensee, a licensed firm, an applicant, a n…
The board may revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew the license issued to a firm if at any time the firm does not meet the requirements of this chapter for licensing, or for any of the causes enumerated in RCW 18.04.295, or for any of the following additional causes:(1) The revocation or suspension of the sole-practition…
In the case of the refusal, revocation, or suspension of a license by the board under the provisions of this chapter, such proceedings and any appeal therefrom shall be taken in accordance with the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
(1) Upon application in writing and after hearing pursuant to notice, the board may:(a) Modify the suspension of, or reissue a license to, an individual whose license has been revoked or suspended; or(b) Modify the suspension of, or reissue a license to a firm whose license has been revoked, suspended, or which the boa…
(1)(a) 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 hol…
(1) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state shall be presumed to have qualifications having substantial equivalency to this state's requirements and shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license under RCW 18.04.105 if the individual:(a) Holds…
If, in the judgment of the board any person has engaged, or is about to engage, in any acts or practices which constitute, or will constitute, a violation of this chapter, the board may make application to the appropriate court for an order enjoining such acts or practices and upon a showing by the board that such pers…
(1) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a crime, as follows:(a) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not more than thirty thousand dollars, or to imprisonment for not more than si…
(1) The display or presentation by a person of a card, sign, advertisement, or other printed, engraved, or written instrument or device, bearing a person's name in conjunction with the words "certified public accountant" or any abbreviation thereof shall be prima facie evidence in any action brought under this chapter…
(1) In the absence of an express agreement between the licensee or licensed firm and the client to the contrary, all statements, records, schedules, working papers, and memoranda made by a licensee or licensed firm incident to or in the course of professional service to clients, except reports submitted by a licensee o…
(1) A licensee or licensed firm, or any of their employees shall not disclose any confidential information obtained in the course of a professional transaction except with the consent of the client or former client or as disclosure may be required by law, legal process, the standards of the profession, or as disclosure…