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S 209

Establishes a Hire-Now tax credit

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Patrick Gallivan and 4 co-sponsors

MA S.209 broadens CPA licensure with three education/experience routes, lets the Board set exam eligibility, and relaxes interstate practice rules for licensed CPAs.

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Bill Summary · S 209

Summary — S.209 (2025): “An Act relative to modernizing the pathway to becoming a certified public accountant”

Note on source material
- The version text supplied is a Massachusetts state bill that revises Chapter 112 (accountancy) and focuses on CPA education, experience, exam eligibility, and reciprocity. Some metadata provided (title “Hire‑Now tax credit”, sponsor list including federal members, and duplicate procedural entries) appear inconsistent with the bill text. This summary follows the bill text as the authoritative source.

Purpose
- Modernize and clarify the education, experience, exam-eligibility, and interstate practice provisions for becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Massachusetts.

Key provisions
1. Revised education + experience pathways for CPA certification (Chapter 112, Section 87A1/2(e))
- Three alternative combinations to qualify for a certificate:
- (i) Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a board‑approved institution + 2 years full‑time experience (or board‑approved equivalent); OR
- (ii) Bachelor’s degree + 30 semester hours of additional education from a board‑approved institution + 1 year full‑time experience (or equivalent); OR
- (iii) Master’s degree (or equivalent) from a board‑approved institution + 1 year full‑time experience (or equivalent).

  1. Board authority to set exam educational requirements (new subsection (f))

    • The Board of Public Accountancy will set, by regulation, the educational requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination.

  2. Technical renumbering

    • Existing subsections (f), (g), (h) are renumbered to (g), (h), (j) respectively.

  3. Certification requirement language (Section 87B)

    • Replaces prior multi‑part clause with streamlined language requiring that an applicant “is certified or licensed and is in good standing; has passed the Uniform CPA Examination; and has completed the education requirements listed in subsection (e) of Section 87A1/2.”

  4. Interstate licensure / practice privilege changes (Section 87B(h)(2) amended)

    • Allows individuals licensed in any other state to practice in Massachusetts if they have met the education and experience requirements in 87A1/2(e) and have passed the Uniform CPA Examination (or if the other state’s licensure exceeds MA requirements or is board‑approved).
    • Removes prior NASBA verification language and adds explicit statements that:
      • No notice is required for an out‑of‑state individual to offer services in MA under this section.
      • Such individuals consent to the Board’s personal and subject‑matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority and agree to cease practice if their out‑of‑state license becomes invalid.

Effective dates
- Sections 1–6: take effect January 1, 2026 and apply on or after that date.
- Section 7 (interstate practice/reciprocity language): takes effect immediately upon approval.

Who is affected
- Aspiring CPAs and accounting students (changes to pathways and potential timing of licensure).
- Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy (gains regulatory authority to set exam eligibility).
- Massachusetts colleges and graduate programs (may affect demand for 150‑hour master’s programs).
- Out‑of‑state licensees and firms providing services to MA clients (modified reciprocity/practice‑privilege terms).
- Employers and public sector entities hiring accountants (potentially larger pool of licensable accountants sooner).

Potential impacts and considerations
- May shorten or diversify routes to licensure (alternatives to a strict 150‑hour/master’s pathway), potentially increasing the number of eligible candidates and altering graduate program enrollment.
- Grants the Board discretion to define exam eligibility by regulation — outcomes will depend on subsequent rulemaking.
- Changes to reciprocity and practice‑privilege language could increase cross‑border practice but also clarifies disciplinary jurisdiction for out‑of‑state practitioners.
- Exact fiscal and workforce impacts depend on Board regulations and market responses.

Legislative status (as provided)
- Introduced Jan 23, 2025; read twice and referred to committee(s). Hearing(s) scheduled (e.g., 06/02/2025). Sections have staged effective dates if enacted.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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