Support the CPAPAC

CONTRIBUTIONS POWER REAL LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES

Some immediate and tangible examples of the value of such a political presence from past legislative sessions are:

• Even though faced with a huge budget deficit, legislators listened carefully to the WSCPA and other professional organizations and did not impose a sales tax on professional services, choosing instead a less onerous increase in the B&O over a limited time frame.
• The State Board of Accountancy will not be moved into the Department of Licensing, despite two unsuccessful attempts by Governor Gregoire to do so.  Legislators understand the importance of the SBOA's remaining an independent, self-governing agency.  (2009 and 2010)
• CPA Practice Mobility, a WSCPA sponsored bill that is part of a national effort to ease administrative burdens on CPAs that serve clients in states other than their own, passed quickly and unanimously in the 2008 legislative session.
• A WSCPA sponsored bill (SB 5343) changed a 2007 law related to the marketing of estate planning documents (“living trusts”). The  change now makes it clear that CPAs are not prohibited from gathering financial information for such documents, nor does such activity constitute the unauthorized practice of law. (2008)
• Many behind the scenes discussions with legislators proposing support for homeowners facing foreclosure (SB 6033) changed language requiring a pool of “volunteers,” among them “certified public accountants,” to “make third party declarations” to lenders on behalf of the homeowner. The final version of the bill reflects WSCPA requests to eliminate “certified public” (leaving the broader term, “accountants”) and any reference to “third party declarations.” (2009)

WSCPA members often deliver CPAPAC checks in person to candidates, increasing the profession’s visibility and enhancing legislators’ understanding of the critical role CPAs play in preserving the state’s business climate. If you want the profession’s voice to be heard in Olympia, contribute to the CPAPAC* today.