National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) is a nonprofit group that seeks to enhance the effectiveness of the member boards responsible for overseeing the accountancy profession in the U.S. Public accountancy is regulated at the state level, with each state maintaining an independent board of accountancy that defines and upholds standards. NASBA assists the 55 state (and U.S. territory) boards of accountancy by providing a forum for greater interaction and collaboration across locations.

NASBA was founded in 1908 to bring together best practices of the profession for the protection of the public that relies on sound financial reporting. NASBA recognizes that a well-functioning economy is built on trust, and without accurate and understandable accounting, this trust is compromised. Among the many services, the association monitors and provides feedback for legislative and regulatory issues facing the accounting trade. It also runs training and education programs for accountants for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam (but contrary to popular conception, NASBA does not develop content nor administer the exam). However, an important function that the group carries out with regard to CPAs is licensing. Since the license to practice accountancy is granted at the state level, a CPA licensed in one state has to obtain a new license if he or she moves to a different state. NASBA has standardized state requirements for licensure so that CPAs will have their qualifications recognized in all states.

NASBA holds regional and national meetings each year, publishes comment letters and white papers, and disseminates its own annual report, which, one hopes, is prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles. Presently, there are six executive officers, eight regional directors and seven directors-at-large who run the association.