Pathway to CPA Australia membership for CIPFA members
The following steps demonstrate the pathway for Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) members to become a CPA Australia member under the conditions of the mutual recognition agreement (MRA) in the status of Certified Practising Accountant and use the designatory letters CPA.
Step 1: determine eligibility
A full member of CIPFA holding the following criteria:
is a member of good standing and not under any investigation for professional conduct infringements
holds a university degree that is comparable to a three year Australian bachelor degree (see below to search for an accredited degree)
has completed the CIPFA final test of professional competence and practical experience requirements
not a member of CIPFA by virtue of any other MRA
Step 2: complete application
Complete the application for admission as a CPA under a MRA (see below to download application form). Include the following with your application:
100 points of identification (see application form)
admission and membership fee (see application form)
certified true copies of university academic awards and transcripts
payment details (see application form)
Step 3: forward application
Forward your application to:
Member advisory and information services CPA Australia GPO Box 2820 Melbourne, Victoria 3001 Australia
Step 4: processing of application
Your application will take approximately two weeks to process.
If there are any queries regarding the details of your application a CPA Australia staff member will contact you.
If your application is successful, an initial e-mail will be sent to you informing you of your success. A welcome pack including a member certificate will follow by mail.
If your application is unsuccessful, a letter will be sent to you outlining the reasons why your application was not successful. Advice will be provided as to how you can meet CPA Australia's membership requirements.
Once you become a CPA Australia member your obligations are to undertake CPA Australia's requirements in the following areas:
CPD
professional conduct
professional assurance
professional standards
CPA Australia advise that employers may prefer or require taxation law and / or company law knowledge specific to the country of your employment and you may wish to take this into consideration when planning your studies.
Please note, the MRA does not include rights for CIPFA members to conduct public accounting services, signed audited financial statements or act as a tax agent. A separate application for the practicing certificate issued by CPA Australia is required.
