American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants

The American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the non-profit professional organization of certified public accountants in the United States. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants was founded in 1887, under the name American Association of Public Accountants, in order to ensure that accountancy gained respect as a profession and that it was practiced by ethical, competent professionals. The AICPA exists to provide more than 370,000 members with the resources, information, and leadership to provide CPA services in the highest professional manner.

Members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants represent professionals in business and industry, public practice, government and education. Offices are located in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Durham, N.C.; Ewing, N.J.; and Lewisville, Texas. The AICPA is integral to rule-making and standard-setting in the CPA profession, and serves as an advocate for legislative bodies and public interest groups.

Certified Public Accountant is a designation earned by accounting professionals who pass a series of accounting exams and satisfy other experience requirements. The accounting industry is largely self-regulated, such as other industries like financial planning. The AICPA sets standards for obtaining and maintaining the CPA designation and oversees CPA practitioners to make sure they are meeting competence and performance standards.