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Get to know the mission behind the Minnesota Board of Accountancy

BOA Business

Anne Janotta Erickson, MNCPA membership marketing team leader | February/March 2022 Footnote

Editor's note: Updated January 27, 2022

Stop for a second and think about the things in your life that protect you behind the scenes: insurance, home security systems, smoke detectors, antilock brakes.

How about adding the Minnesota Board of Accountancy (BOA) to that list?

Aside from renewing and reporting annually, chances are good that you rarely have occasion to reach out to the BOA. But that doesn’t mean the BOA isn’t working hard behind the scenes on behalf of the accounting profession. They most certainly are.

The BOA’s mission is to protect the public by regulating the CPA profession. We reached out Charles Selcer, MNCPA member and the BOA’s new chair, to learn more about the important work being done by the BOA.

We all recognize the BOA’s role in CPA certificate renewal and CPE reporting. But what else does the Board of Accountancy do?
Our essential mission is to represent and protect the public. Licensing is an important tool in this role. While the MNCPA and AICPA are membership organizations, the BOA licenses; and without a license, you can’t practice as a CPA. Therefore, we can protect the public from unethical or incompetent licensees.

How does the BOA work with NASBA?
NASBA is the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. It advocates for all of the country’s state boards and plays an important role in the administration of the CPA exam and legislative processes. Our state board is active in NASBA activities. NASBA publishes statistics on the CPA exam results by state.

What’s an appointed CPA’s role on the BOA?
As a CPA, I am just one of nine members of the Board of Accountancy. Statutorily, two members must be citizen members — non-CPAs who ostensibly represent consumers of the services CPAs render.

Why is a CPA’s perspective on the BOA important?
A CPA’s perspective is needed as we review matters involving professional services such as audits, reviews and tax return preparation where the auditing, accounting and tax standards are arcane and understood by CPAs.

In your opinion, what would help MNCPA members better understand the BOA?
Go to our website (www.boa.state.mn.us). It is easy to navigate. There it is easy to access the laws that apply to CPAs in Minnesota (326A) and the rules that also apply (1105).

Our staff works very hard to generate some very good reports on our industry that you can access at the website.

Here for you!
Both the Minnesota BOA and MNCPA are here to help.

Contact the BOA with questions specific to your CPA certification. They can be reached at 651-296-7938 or www.boa.state.mn.us.

The MNCPA is here to support you. Reach out anytime at 952-831-2707 or customerservice@mncpa.org.

Check out the BOA’s latest newsletter
Did you know that the Minnesota Board of Accountancy has a newsletter? The latest issue, released in late 2021, features news impacting the accounting profession as well as recent enforcement actions taken by the Board. Access this content-rich publication on the BOA’s website, www.boa.state.mn.us.