Our services are available through remote delivery. We are available to assist customers through our online public portal at EBIZ.MT.GOV/POL (Professional and Occupational Licenses) and EBIZ.MT.GOV (for Permits). For other services, please contact us via email at DLIBSDWEBHELP@MT.GOV or by phone (406) 841-2300.
The Montana Board of Public Accountants, in cooperation with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) is offering the CPE Audit Service platform for all Montana CPAs. The CPE Audit Service is available for your use to track and store all of your CPE records in one location, review your ongoing compliance with the CPE requirements of the Board as you complete CPE, and submit CPE records and documentation in response to a CPE Audit by the Board.
Once you have accessed the account for the first time, please visit the “Help” menu for video tutorials that focus on commonly used functionality within the site.
All active permit holders are required to maintain 120 hours of CPE, including 50% technical subjects including two hours of ethics, to maintain an active license. The basic requirement must be completed between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. If you are selected for random audit you must report your CPE and attach acceptable documentation using the CPE tracking system.
Basic CPE requirements are 120 hours of CPE and must include a minimum of 50% (60 hours) of technical subjects as defined by board rule. The mandatory 2 hours of ethics are included in the technical subjects.
New licensees must meet the basic CPE requirement by December 31 of the third year following their initial year of licensing. As an example, if an individual receives their initial Montana CPA license in 2020, they must meet the basic CPE requirement between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2023.
All firms must enroll in a board-approved peer review program if they perform any of the following services:
The initial peer review is due 18 months from the date of enrollment, or the date the firm should have been enrolled (date began providing services).
A board-approved peer review program is a program the where the administering entity administers the AICPA peer review program. Currently the Nevada Society of CPAs administers the peer review program for Montana firms.
As a sole practitioner do you have a plan in place to ensure that your clients’ services and your employees’ salaries will continue if you becoming incapacitated or die? What about safeguarding your client records?
NASBA and AICPA have recently completed the document Practice Continuation Agreements: A Practice Survival Kit to help practitioners develop a succession plan. A practice continuation agreement is a contract that ensures your practice is transferred to another CPA firm or individual in the event of your disability to death.
While there is no requirement for such an agreement, the Board of Public Accountants recommends you consider addressing the issues surrounding the continuation of your practice or who will handle its closure.