• All of your CPE must contribute to your growth in professional knowledge and professional competence.
• Acceptable subjects include accounting, assurance/auditing, consulting services, specialized knowledge and applications, management, taxation and ethics. Personal development, not to exceed 24 hours, may qualify if the class maintains or improves professional competence.
• 60% of your CPE must come from Board approved sponsors. These include:
  • Members of the NASBA Registry
  • MNCPA, AICPA, MAPA
  • Colleges and universities whose academic programs qualify an applicant to sit for the CPA exam
  • CPA firms who have had a system-level peer review within the last three years, with an unmodified report received
  • Office of the State Auditor or Legislative Auditor, provided that a quality review has been completed within the past three years and an unmodified report received
• Up to 40% of your CPE can come from non-Board approved sponsors as long as the program contributes, as determined by the BOA, to your growth in professional knowledge and professional competence. Additional documentation is required from non-Board approved sponsors.

On and after June 30, 2007, the following hour limitations will apply during the three-year CPE reporting period:

• No more than 96 hours can be from self-study. All self-study must have QAS status.
• No more than 24 hours can be obtained from personal development programs. Personal development includes: communications, managing the group process, dealing effectively with others, interviewing, counseling, and career planning.
• No more than 60 hours can be obtained from instructor preparation or presentation.
• No more than 60 hours can be obtained from the writing of articles, books or CPE courses for publication.
• Up to 48 hours may come from sponsors not on the Board-approved list.

If you are having trouble with the transcript function of the Web site, please check the following information.

• Type in your username and password carefully. The form is case sensitive.
• If you’ve forgotten your username and password, you can request it be emailed to you.

If you are still having trouble, contact the MNCPA at registrations@mncpa.org or 952-831-2707.

According to the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office (MHESO), the designation of CU or CEU was a movement for standardization of continuing education back in the '80s that never really took off.

The term CU/CEU can be used by anyone in any means, as there is no regulation. The International Association for Continuing Education and Training is a voluntary accreditation organization that allows those passing its accreditation process to use its logo when advertising CEUs. It dictates that 10 hours equal 1 CEU. The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training also does voluntary accreditation. The Minnesota Society of CPAs follows the rules of the Minnesota Board of Accountancy or other appropriate boards when determining our suggested CPE credit hours.

Newly issued CPA certificates with an active status have no continuing education requirements for the year ending June 30 during which the initial certificate was granted. Example: If you are awarded your CPA certificate on January 1, 2010, you do not have any CPE requirements for the next 6 months, through June 30, 2010.

The 120-hour requirement is not effective for these new certificates until the June 30 following the third anniversary of the initial certificate issuance. At that time, at least 120 hours of CPE complying with the rules must be completed. Example: You are awarded your certificate on January 1, 2010. You will need to show 120 hours of CPE by June 30, 2013, including eight hours of ethics.

The 20-hour minimum requirement is effective for new certificates on June 30 following the first anniversary of the initial certificate issuance. Example: the first anniversary of your certificate is January 1, 2011. You need to meet the 20 CPE hour minimum requirement by June 30, 2011, and again on June 30, 2012. On June 30, 2013, you will need to have 120 hours of CPE and eight of those need to be in accounting or business ethics. Other limitations for CPE are also in effect during each of these three years – including but not limited to self-study and personal development limitations.

A firm administrator account allows you to manage your firm's CPE. This account gives you the ability to:

• View all MNCPA members and nonmembers of your organization
• Register and cancel CPE events for any employee of your organization
• Quickly review all upcoming registrations for employees
• Print CPE transcripts for any employee
• Update profile information of MNCPA members

If you attend a course from a sponsor on the Minnesota Board of Accountancy (BOA) approved list, you must retain the Certificate of Attendance. The BOA accepts the Minnesota Society of CPAs transcript as official documentation.

If you attend a course from a sponsor NOT on the BOA approved list, you must retain the following:

1. Certificate of attendance from the program sponsor containing the following:
• Name and contact information of the sponsor
• Title and description of the course content
• Date and location of the course
• Number of CPE hours earned
2. Copy of the detailed timed course agenda
3. Biography of the program developer and program presenter
4. Statement written by you describing how the program contributes to your professional knowledge and competence

Minnesota allows two types of certificates – active and inactive. You can change your certificate from inactive to active status anytime during the year. During non-renewal periods (roughly January - November), you must submit to the Board of Accountancy (BOA) a CPE reporting form listing the 120 hours of required CPE, a short letter explaining your intention to convert your certificate to active status and the necessary renewal fee. Requests are typically processed the same day. If it is during the BOA's renewal period, simply indicate that you will be going active when you renew your certificate.

To convert your active certificate to inactive, you must submit a written request to the Minnesota Board of Accountancy. When the Board of Accountancy has approved your request, your certificate will change to inactive status January 1 of the following year. For example, if you submit your request to become inactive in September 2010, your certificate would become inactive on January 1, 2011.

Steps to convert your CPA certificate from inactive to active

Differences between active and inactive status

The product will usually say "QAS" or have the QAS logo.

You can also check the list of QAS sponsors.

You may:

• Register online for a seminar or conference.
• Fax a registration form to 888-487-9931.
• Mail a registration form to MNCPA, 1650 West 82nd Street, Suite 600, Bloomington, MN 55431.
• Register by phone by calling 952-831-2707.
• Email registration information to registrations@mncpa.org. Please include event information, name, phone number, fax number and address.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Security note: Fax and email are not secure methods for sending payment information. If you would prefer to pay at the time of registration, please register online, by mail, or over the phone. Otherwise, choose the bill me option and pay at a later date.

Cancellations must be received at least four business days prior to an event to receive a full refund. No refunds will be issued if you cancel within three business days of the event and no CPE credit will be earned. Cancel online or by phone 952-831-2707.

Please see our cancellation policy for information on cancelling a registration.

Generally for full-day seminars, check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. Seminars begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Please check your confirmation to be sure. You can also verify times in the online CPE catalog. We will notify you prior to the seminar if there is any change in the time.

Conferences usually start at 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. Please see the conference brochure or online CPE catalog for details on conference times.

You can arrive late or leave a seminar early. We appreciate your courtesy in letting us know in advance, if possible. If you arrive late or leave early, the number of CPE credits you receive will be adjusted.

Lunch is provided at each whole-day seminar and conference. If you have a special dietary need or vegetarian preference, please let us know at the time of registration. We plan a one-hour lunch at our seminars, but often the seminar instructor and participants will decide to take a shorter lunch and leave earlier at the end of the day. You are always free to bring your own lunch or go out to eat.

If you are attending two half day events, lunch will be provided between the events. If you are attending a single half day event, lunch will not be provided.

These requirements are effective June 30, 2005, as outlined in the GAO’s Guidance on GAGAS Requirements for Continuing Professional Education.

Auditors performing work under GAGAS should complete every two years:

• At least 80 hours of CPE that directly enhances the auditors’ professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements, with a minimum of 20 hours in any one year of the two-year period
• At least 24 of the 80 hours of CPE should be in subjects directly related to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entity operates

EXCEPTION: Auditors performing work under GAGAS who are only involved in performing field work but are not involved in planning, directing, or reporting on the audit or attestation engagement, and who charge less than 20 percent of their time annually to GAGAS audits and attestation engagements, should complete every two years:

• At least 24 hours of CPE in subjects and topics directly related to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entity operates, but are exempt from the remainder of the 80-hour CPE requirement
Please note: Auditors must use professional judgement when determining and documenting if the seminar qualifies for Yellow Book in accordance with the Government Accountability Office, Government Auditing Standards, July 2007 Revision and Guidance on GAGAS Requirements for Continuing Professional Education, GAO-05-058.

View MNCPA CPE seminars and conferences offering Yellow Book credits

Effective January 1, 2004, the GAO has deleted taxation from the list of subjects that always satisfy the 80-hours every two years requirement.

Instruction in topics that may meet CPE requirements of licensing bodies or professional organizations no longer automatically satisfy the 80-hour CPE requirement. Any CPE for GAGAS must be in subjects that "directly enhance the auditor's professional proficiency to perform audits and/or attestation engagements."

Most tax services are not related to the subject matter of audits performed under GAGAS and therefore do not qualify for satisfying GAGAS requirements. There are some exceptions if taxation relates to an objective of an audit conducted under GAGAS. You must clearly document the rationale for including such taxation training as part of your GAGAS CPE requirement.

Complete text regarding this GAO notice