As many of you are already aware, any sort of criminal record can negatively impact your career options if you’re considering public accounting. For one Going Concern reader, his sketchy past could mean the difference between becoming a CPA and spending his life as a payroll clerk.
Here’s the question:
Suppose I am an educated, convicted felon (possession of marijuana w/ intent to distribute when I was 19, currently 22) who is taking the CPA exam in the fall after graduation from college. I expect to pass (I’ve studied long and hard) and I have a few questions for you. Do you think accounting firms would be open to hiring a convicted felon, despite qualifications and a non-fiduciary felony? Also, would a state board (NH specifically) certify me as a CPA, provided I was able to get a job and fulfill the experience requirements? Do you have any precedents or similar situations you could inform me of?
Well, let’s start with the New Hampshire application for licensure, which contains the following simple question:
Have you ever been convicted of a felony that has not been annulled or committed any dishonest act?
If yes, please attach a separate sheet, which contains a complete description of the circumstances.
What this says to me is that you should start working on what you’re going to put on that separate sheet. You won’t get points for oversharing but you may get credit for honesty and clarity.
As you pointed out, it’s worth noting a few things. First, you were 19. We all do stupid things when we are 19. Granted, your stupid things got you a felony when it gets most 19 year olds regretful tattoos or embarrassing stories but still, you were a kid. That said, you’re still a kid to some employers/authority figures, so don’t get your hopes up expecting people to automatically assume you’ve reformed yourself in 3 years.
Second, it’s not like you robbed a gas station, stole credit card numbers or ripped off your Boy Scout troop – the fact that you were once in possession of a large quantity of marijuana isn’t much of a reflection on your character as it pertains to your ability to stick to the professional code. But (and this is the part that sucks), marijuana is still illegal and therefore the Board of Accountancy will consider that fact independent of what you were actually charged for. To some, the fact that you committed any crime at all means you are not of the ethical fortitude required to be a CPA. Let’s ignore the fact that many of the people who feel this way break the law all the time; talking on their cell phones behind the wheel, speeding, and driving while mildly intoxicated after happy hour.
The general rule here is that you should be fine as long as your conviction isn’t a fiduciary one but it’s up to the state to decide. Whatever you do, don’t try to hide it, as the important thing here is proving you are trustworthy. And you may want to talk to a lawyer about having your conviction expunged or knocked down to a misdemeanor. It probably doesn’t change much for you as far as jobs go (hope you aren’t planning on going Big 4, they won’t touch you with a conviction like that) but hey, you’ll be able to carry a gun (you know, for those dangerous engagements).
Good luck!
Interesting there must be a shortage of people they can promote from manager to senior manager because so many don’t have their CPAs (or at least the people they would prefer to promote).
I remember being told by multiple people that I should focus on working instead of getting my CPA within my first 2 years of employment at the firm BECAUSE it didn’t matter.
Thankfully I disregarded that advice and got my CPA in 1.5 years…that was absolutely brutal and looking back it only made sense to help land my next opportunity. The personal/professional sacrifices to pass all 4 sections of the CPA didn’t seem worth it at the time.
Nearly 10 years into my career, I am in a comfortable place in my career, thanks to that sacrifice, and those that told me to not get my CPA are stuck as managers…hopefully they can pass soon otherwise I’m sure these firms will have no issue “trimming the fat”.
You need your CPA to be promoted to Manager at any top 100 firm.
For tax, you just need to be an EA. Maybe it’s different for other groups, but I know for a fact you can be promoted to tax manager with just at EA and no CPA. Promotion to Senior Manager requires a CPA.
not always. They are desperate for experienced professionals who can supervise.
“…our evolving talent strategy that prioritizes investing in the next generation of CPAs from day one,” said the firm on its 360 Careers page.”
Wow, this is some real bullshit. The firms aren’t investing in the next generation of CPAs. They’re investing in AI so that they can fire all their CPAs, so that the current partners can pocket even more cash. This $10k bonus is just the latest example of the firms throwing a (very small) bone to the help in order to distract from what they’re actively doing to destroy the accounting professional in the name of short-term profits.