Section 43-3-24. Issuance of permits to practice accountancy; substantial equivalency practice privilege for nonresidents

   (a) A permit to engage in the practice of public accountancy in this state shall be issued by the division director, at the direction of the board, to each person who is certificated as a certified public accountant under Code Sections 43-3-6 through 43-3-12 or registered as a foreign accountant under Code Section 43-3-20 who shall have furnished evidence, satisfactory to the board, of compliance with the requirements of Code Section 43-3-25, and to individuals and firms registered under Code Section 43-3-21, provided that such entities are maintained and registered as required under Code Sections 43-3-21 and 43-3-23. There shall be a biennial permit fee in an amount to be determined by the board.

(b) Individuals may practice based on a substantial equivalency practice privilege as follows:

   (1) An individual whose principal place of business is outside this state shall be presumed to have qualifications substantially equivalent to this state's requirements, shall have all the privileges of live permit holders of this state, and may practice public accountancy in this state without the requirement to obtain a live permit, certificate, or registration under this chapter or to otherwise notify or register with the board or pay any fee if the individual:

      (A) Holds a valid license as a certified public accountant from any state which requires, as a condition of licensure, that an individual:

         (i) Has at least 150 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university;

         (ii) Achieves a passing grade on the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination; and

         (iii) Possesses at least one year of experience, including providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills, which may be obtained through government, industry, academic, or public practice all of which was verified by a licensee; or

      (B) Holds a valid license as a certified public accountant from any state which does not meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph but such individual's certified public accountant qualifications are substantially equivalent to those requirements. Any individual who passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and holds a valid license issued by any other state prior to January 1, 2012, may be exempt from the education requirement in division (1)(A)(i) of this subsection for purposes of this subparagraph;

   (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who offers or renders professional services, whether in person or by mail, telephone, or electronic means, under this Code section shall be granted practice privileges in this state and no notice, fee, or other submission shall be provided by any such individual. Such an individual shall be subject to the requirements of paragraph (3) of this subsection;

   (3) An individual licensee of another state exercising the privilege afforded under this subsection, and the firm that employs that individual, shall simultaneously consent, as a condition of exercising this privilege:

      (A) To the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board;

      (B) To comply with the provisions of this chapter and the board's rules and regulations;

      (C) That in the event the license from the state of the individual's principal place of business is no longer valid, the individual shall cease offering or rendering professional services in this state individually and on behalf of a firm; and

      (D) To the appointment of the state board that issued the individual's license as the individual's agent upon whom process may be served in any action or proceeding by this state's board against the individual;

   (4) An individual who qualifies for the practice privilege under this Code section who, for any entity with its home office in this state, performs any service under subparagraph (A), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1) of Code Section 43-3-2 may do so only through a firm that has registered with the board under Code Section 43-3-21; and

   (5) An individual qualifying for the practice privilege under paragraph (1) of this subsection may provide expert witness services in this state and shall be deemed to be in compliance with Code Section 24-7-702 for purposes of such services.

(c) Subsection (b) of this Code section shall not be applied or construed to permit an individual to engage in the practice of public accountancy in this state based on a substantial equivalency privilege unless such individual holds a valid license as a certified public accountant in a state which grants similar reciprocity to license holders in this state.

Code 1933, § 84-210, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 1063, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 559, § 12; Ga. L. 1993, p. 123, § 11; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 43; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1545, § 5; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1706, § 19; Ga. L. 2005, p. 1030, § 8/SB 55; Ga. L. 2008, p. 1112, § 5/HB 1055; Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 64/HB 24.