{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-15.1a","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-15.1A","heading":"Definitions","body":"As used in the Oklahoma Accountancy Act:\n\n1. “Accountancy” means the profession or practice of\n\naccounting;\n\n2. “AICPA” means the American Institute of Certified Public\n\nAccountants;\n\n3. “Applicant” means an individual or entity that has made\n\napplication to the Board for a certificate or permit and the\n\napplication has not been approved;\n\n4. “Assurance” means independent professional services that\n\nimprove the quality of information, or its context, for decision\n\nmakers;\n\n5. “Attest” means providing the following services:\n\na. any audit or other engagement to be performed in\n\naccordance with the Statements on Auditing Standards\n\n(SAS),\n\nb. any review of a financial statement to be performed in\n\naccordance with the Statements on Standards for\n\nAccounting and Review Services (SSARS),\n\nc. any examination of prospective financial information\n\nto be performed in accordance with the Statements on\n\nStandards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE),\n\nd. any engagement to be performed in accordance with the\n\nAuditing Standards of the Public Company Accounting\n\nOversight Board (PCAOB), and\n\ne. any engagements, review, or agreed upon procedures\n\nengagement to be performed in accordance with the\n\nSSAE, other than the exceptions described in\n\nsubparagraph c of paragraph 34 of this section.\n\nThe statements on standards specified in this definition shall\n\nbe adopted by reference by the Board pursuant to rulemaking and\n\nshall be those developed for general application by recognized\n\nnational accountancy organizations, such as the AICPA, IFAC and the\n\nPCAOB;\n\n6. “Audit” can only be performed by an individual or entity who\n\nis registered with the Board and holding a valid permit issued\n\npursuant to the Oklahoma Accountancy Act, or an entity that is\n\nexempt from registration under paragraph 3 of subsection A of\n\nSection 15.15 of this title or an individual granted practice\n\nprivileges under Section 15.12A of this title, and means a\n\nsystematic investigation or appraisal of information, procedures, or\n\noperations performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing\n\nstandards in the United States, for the purpose of determining\n\nconformity with established criteria and communicating the results\n\nto interested parties;\n\n7. “Board” means the Oklahoma Accountancy Board;\n\n8. “Candidate” means an individual who has been qualified and\n\napproved by the Board to take the examination for a certificate;\n\n9. “Certificate” means the Oklahoma document issued by the\n\nBoard to a candidate upon successful completion of the certified\n\npublic accountant examination designating the holder as a certified\n\npublic accountant pursuant to the laws of Oklahoma. Certificate\n\nshall also mean the Oklahoma document issued by reciprocity to an\n\nindividual who has previously been certified in another\n\njurisdiction;\n\n10. “Certified public accountant” means any person who has\n\nreceived a certificate from the Board or other jurisdictions;\n\n11. “Client” means the individual or entity which retains a\n\nregistrant, an individual granted practice privileges under Section\n\n15.12A of this title, or a firm exempt from the permit and\n\nregistration requirements under Section 15.15C of this title, which\n\nalso is exempt from the registration requirement of paragraph 3 of\n\nsubsection A of Section 15.15 of this title, to perform professional\n\nservices;\n\n12. “Compilation” when used with reference to financial\n\nstatements, means presenting information in the form of financial\n\nstatements which is the representation of management or owners\n\nwithout undertaking to express any assurance on the statements;\n\n13. “CPA” or “C.P.A.” means certified public accountant;\n\n14. “Designated manager” means the Oklahoma certified public\n\naccountant or public accountant appointed by the firm partners or\n\nshareholders to be responsible for the administration of the office;\n\n15. “Designee” means the National Association of State Boards\nement or owners\n\nwithout undertaking to express any assurance on the statements;\n\n13. “CPA” or “C.P.A.” means certified public accountant;\n\n14. “Designated manager” means the Oklahoma certified public\n\naccountant or public accountant appointed by the firm partners or\n\nshareholders to be responsible for the administration of the office;\n\n15. “Designee” means the National Association of State Boards\n\nof Accountancy (NASBA) or other entities so designated by the Board;\n\n16. “Entity” means an organization whether for profit or not,\n\nrecognized by this state to conduct business;\n\n17. “Examination” means all or any part of the Uniform\n\nCertified Public Accountant Examination developed and scored by the\n\nAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants as approved or\n\ndesignated by the Board;\n\n18. “Executive director” means the chief administrative officer\n\nof the Board;\n\n19. “Financial statements” means statements and footnotes\n\nrelated thereto that undertake to present an actual or anticipated\n\nfinancial position as of a point in time, or results of operations,\n\ncash flow, or changes in financial position for a period of time, in\n\nconformity with generally accepted accounting principles or another\n\ncomprehensive basis of accounting. The term does not include\n\nincidental financial data included in management advisory service\n\nreports to support recommendations to a client; nor does it include\n\ntax returns and supporting schedules;\n\n20. “Firm” means an entity that is either a sole\n\nproprietorship, partnership, professional limited liability company,\n\nprofessional limited liability partnership, limited liability\n\npartnership or professional corporation, or any other professional\n\nform of organization organized under the laws of this state or the\n\nlaws of another jurisdiction and issued a permit in accordance with\n\nSection 15.15A of this title or exempt from the permit requirement\n\nunder Section 15.15C of this title, which also is exempt from the\n\nregistration requirement of paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section\n\n15.15 of this title, including individual partners or shareholders,\n\nthat is engaged in accountancy;\n\n21. “Holding out” means any representation by an individual\n\nthat he or she holds a certificate or license and a valid permit, or\n\nby an entity that it holds a valid permit. Any such representation\n\nis presumed to invite the public to rely upon the professional\n\nskills implied by the certificate or license and valid permit in\n\nconnection with the services or products offered;\n\n22. “Home office” means the location specified by the client as\n\nthe address to which a service described in Section 15.12A of this\n\ntitle is directed;\n\n23. “IFAC” means the International Federation of Accountants;\n\n24. “Individual” means a human being;\n\n25. “Jurisdiction” means any state or territory of the United\n\nStates and the District of Columbia;\n\n26. “License” means the Oklahoma document issued by the Board\n\nto a candidate upon successful completion of the public accountant\n\nexamination designating the holder as a public accountant pursuant\n\nto the laws of this state. License shall also mean the Oklahoma\n\ndocument issued by the Board by reciprocity to a public accountant\n\nwho has previously been licensed by examination in another\n\njurisdiction;\n\n27. “Management advisory services”, also known as “management\n\nconsulting services”, “management services”, “business advisory\n\nservices” or other similar designation, hereinafter collectively\n\nreferred to as “MAS”, means the function of providing advice and/or\n\ntechnical assistance, performed in accordance with standards for MAS\n\nengagements and MAS consultations such as those issued by the\n\nAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where the\n\nprimary purpose is to help the client improve the use of its\ntively\n\nreferred to as “MAS”, means the function of providing advice and/or\n\ntechnical assistance, performed in accordance with standards for MAS\n\nengagements and MAS consultations such as those issued by the\n\nAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where the\n\nprimary purpose is to help the client improve the use of its\n\ncapabilities and resources to achieve its objectives including but\n\nnot limited to:\n\na. counseling management in analysis, planning,\n\norganizing, operating, risk management and controlling\n\nfunctions,\n\nb. conducting special studies, preparing recommendations,\n\nproposing plans and programs, and providing advice and\n\ntechnical assistance in their implementation,\n\nc. reviewing and suggesting improvement of policies,\n\nprocedures, systems, methods, and organization\n\nrelationships, and\n\nd. introducing new ideas, concepts, and methods to\n\nmanagement.\n\nMAS shall not include recommendations and comments prepared as a\n\ndirect result of observations made while performing an audit,\n\nreview, or compilation of financial statements or while providing\n\ntax services including tax consultations;\n\n28. “NASBA” means the National Association of State Boards of\n\nAccountancy;\n\n29. “PA” or “P.A.” means public accountant;\n\n30. “Partnership” means a contractual relationship based upon a\n\nwritten, oral, or implied agreement between two or more individuals\n\nwho combine their resources and activities in a joint enterprise and\n\nshare in varying degrees and by specific agreement in the management\n\nand in the profits or losses. A partnership may be general or\n\nlimited as the laws of this state define those terms;\n\n31. “PCAOB” means the Public Company Accounting Oversight\n\nBoard;\n\n32. “Peer review” means a review performed pursuant to a set of\n\npeer review rules established by the Board. The term peer review\n\nalso encompasses the term “quality review”;\n\n33. “Permit” means the written authority granted annually by\n\nthe Board to individuals or firms to practice public accounting in\n\nthis state, which is issued pursuant to the Oklahoma Accountancy\n\nAct;\n\n34. a. “Practice of public accounting”, also known as\n\n“practice public accounting”, “practice” and “practice\n\naccounting”, refers to the activities of a registrant,\n\nan individual granted practice privileges under\n\nSection 15.12A of this title, or a firm exempt from\n\nthe permit and registration requirements under Section\n\n15.15C of this title in reference to accountancy. An\n\nindividual or firm shall be deemed to be engaged in\n\nthe practice of public accounting if the individual or\n\nfirm holds itself out to the public in any manner as\n\none skilled in the knowledge, science, and practice of\n\naccounting and auditing, taxation and management\n\nadvisory services and is qualified to render such\n\nprofessional services as a certified public accountant\n\nor public accountant, and performs the following:\n\n(1) maintains an office for the transaction of\n\nbusiness as a certified public accountant or\n\npublic accountant,\n\n(2) offers to prospective clients to perform or who\n\ndoes perform on behalf of clients professional\n\nservices that involve or require an audit,\n\nverification, investigation, certification,\n\npresentation, or review of financial transactions\n\nand accounting records or an attestation\n\nconcerning any other written assertion,\n\n(3) prepares or certifies for clients reports on\n\naudits or investigations of books or records of\n\naccount, balance sheets, and other financial,\n\naccounting and related schedules, exhibits,\n\nstatements, or reports which are to be used for\n\npublication or for the purpose of obtaining\n\ncredit, or for filing with a court of law or with\n\nany governmental agency, or for any other\n\npurpose,\nassertion,\n\n(3) prepares or certifies for clients reports on\n\naudits or investigations of books or records of\n\naccount, balance sheets, and other financial,\n\naccounting and related schedules, exhibits,\n\nstatements, or reports which are to be used for\n\npublication or for the purpose of obtaining\n\ncredit, or for filing with a court of law or with\n\nany governmental agency, or for any other\n\npurpose,\n\n(4) generally or incidentally to the work described\n\nherein, renders professional services to clients\n\nin any or all matters relating to accounting\n\nprocedure and to the recording, presentation, or\n\ncertification of financial information or data,\n\n(5) keeps books, or prepares trial balances,\n\nfinancial statements, or reports, all as a part\n\nof bookkeeping services for clients,\n\n(6) prepares or signs as the tax preparer, tax\n\nreturns for clients, consults with clients on tax\n\nmatters, conducts studies for clients on tax\n\nmatters and prepares reports for clients on tax\n\nmatters, unless the services are uncompensated\n\nand are limited solely to the registrant’s, or\n\nthe registrant’s spouse’s lineal and collateral\n\nheirs,\n\n(7) prepares personal financial or investment plans\n\nor provides to clients products or services of\n\nothers in implementation of personal financial or\n\ninvestment plans, or\n\n(8) provides management advisory services to clients.\n\nb. Except for an individual granted practice privileges\n\nunder Section 15.12A of this title or a firm exempt\n\nfrom the permit and registration requirements under\n\nSection 15.15C of this title, an individual or firm\n\nnot holding a certificate, license or permit shall not\n\nbe deemed to be engaged in the practice of public\n\naccounting if the individual or firm does not hold\n\nitself out, solicit, or advertise for clients using\n\nthe certified public accountant or public accountant\n\ndesignation and engages only in the following\n\nservices:\n\n(1) keeps books, or prepares trial balances,\n\nfinancial statements, or reports, provided such\n\ninstruments do not use the terms “audit”,\n\n“audited”, “exam”, “examined”, “review” or\n\n“reviewed” or are not exhibited as having been\n\nprepared by a certified public accountant or\n\npublic accountant. Except for an individual\n\ngranted practice privileges under Section 15.12A\n\nof this title or a firm exempt from the permit\n\nand registration requirements under Section\n\n15.15C of this title, nonregistrants may use the\n\nfollowing disclaimer language in connection with\n\nfinancial statements and be in compliance with\n\nthe Oklahoma Accountancy Act: “I (we) have not\n\naudited, examined or reviewed the accompanying\n\nfinancial statements and accordingly do not\n\nexpress an opinion or any other form of assurance\n\non them.”,\n\n(2) prepares or signs as the tax preparer, tax\n\nreturns for clients, consults with clients on tax\n\nmatters, conducts studies for clients on tax\n\nmatters and prepares reports for clients on tax\n\nmatters,\n\n(3) prepares personal financial or investment plans\n\nor provides to clients products or services of\n\nothers in implementation of personal financial or\n\ninvestment plans, or\nassurance\n\non them.”,\n\n(2) prepares or signs as the tax preparer, tax\n\nreturns for clients, consults with clients on tax\n\nmatters, conducts studies for clients on tax\n\nmatters and prepares reports for clients on tax\n\nmatters,\n\n(3) prepares personal financial or investment plans\n\nor provides to clients products or services of\n\nothers in implementation of personal financial or\n\ninvestment plans, or\n\n(4) provides management advisory services to clients.\n\nc. Only permit holders, individuals granted practice\n\nprivileges under Section 15.12A of this title, or\n\nfirms exempt from the permit and registration\n\nrequirements under Section 15.15C of this title, who\n\nalso meet the requirements of paragraph 3 of\n\nsubsection A of Section 15.15 of this title, may\n\nrender or offer to render any attest service, as\n\ndefined herein, or issue a report on financial\n\nstatements which purport to be in compliance with the\n\nStatements on Standards for Accounting and Review\n\nServices (SSARS). This restriction shall not prohibit\n\nany act of a public official or public employee in the\n\nperformance of that person’s duties. This restriction\n\nshall not be construed to prohibit the performance by\n\nany unlicensed individual of other services as set out\n\nin subparagraph b of this paragraph.\n\nd. A person is not deemed to be practicing public\n\naccounting within the meaning of this section solely\n\nby displaying an Oklahoma CPA certificate or a PA\n\nlicense in an office, identifying himself or herself\n\nas a CPA or PA on letterhead or business cards, or\n\nidentifying himself or herself as a CPA or PA.\n\nHowever, the designation of CPA or PA on such\n\nletterheads, business cards, public signs,\n\nadvertisements, publications directed to clients or\n\npotential clients, financial or tax documents of a\n\nclient, performance of any attest service or issuance\n\nof a report constitutes the practice of public\n\naccounting and requires a permit, practice privileges\n\nunder Section 15.12A of this title, or an exemption\n\nfrom the permit and registration requirements under\n\nSection 15.15C of this title;\n\n35. “Preissuance review” means a review preformed pursuant to a\n\nset of procedures that include review of engagement document,\n\nreport, and clients’ financial statements in order to permit the\n\nreviewer to assess compliance with all applicable professional\n\nstandards;\n\n36. “Principal place of business” means the office location\n\ndesignated by the licensee for the purposes of substantial\n\nequivalency and reciprocity;\n\n37. “Professional corporation” means a corporation organized\n\npursuant to the laws of this state;\n\n38. “Professional” means arising out of or related to the\n\nspecialized knowledge or skills associated with CPAs or PAs;\n\n39. “Public accountant” means any individual who has received a\n\nlicense from the Board;\n\n40. “Public interest” means the collective well-being of the\n\ncommunity of people and institutions the profession serves;\n\n41. “Qualification applicant” means an individual who has made\n\napplication to the Board to qualify to become a candidate for\n\nexamination;\n\n42. “Registrant” means a CPA, PA, or firm composed of certified\n\npublic accountants or public accountants or combination of both\n\ncurrently registered with the Board pursuant to the authority of the\n\nOklahoma Accountancy Act;\n\n43. “Report”, when used with reference to any attest or\n\ncompilation service, means an opinion, report or other form of\n\nlanguage that states or implies assurance as to the reliability of\n\nthe attested information or complied financial statements, and that\n\nalso includes or is accompanied by any statement or implication that\n\nthe person or firm issuing it has special knowledge or competence in\n\naccounting or auditing. Such a statement or implication of special\n\nknowledge or competence may arise from use by the issuer of the\nthat states or implies assurance as to the reliability of\n\nthe attested information or complied financial statements, and that\n\nalso includes or is accompanied by any statement or implication that\n\nthe person or firm issuing it has special knowledge or competence in\n\naccounting or auditing. Such a statement or implication of special\n\nknowledge or competence may arise from use by the issuer of the\n\nreport of names or titles indicating that the person or firm is an\n\naccountant or auditor, or from the language of the report itself.\n\nThe term report includes any form of language which disclaims an\n\nopinion when such form of language is conventionally understood to\n\nimply any positive assurance as to the reliability of the attested\n\ninformation or compiled financial statements referred to and/or\n\nspecial competence on the part of the person or firm issuing such\n\nlanguage; and it includes any other form of language that is\n\nconventionally understood to imply such assurance and/or such\n\nspecial knowledge or competence. This definition is not intended to\n\ninclude a report prepared by a person not holding a certificate or\n\nlicense or not granted practice privileges under Section 15.12A of\n\nthis title. However, such report shall not refer to “audit”,\n\n“audited”, “exam”, “examined”, “review” or “reviewed”, nor use the\n\nlanguage “in accordance with standards established by the American\n\nInstitute of Certified Public Accountants” or successor of this\n\nentity, or governmental agency approved by the Board, except for the\n\nInternal Revenue Service. Except for an individual granted practice\n\nprivileges under Section 15.12A of this title or a firm exempt from\n\nthe permit and registration requirements under Section 15.15C of\n\nthis title, nonregistrants may use the following disclaimer language\n\nin connection with financial statements not to be in violation of\n\nthe Oklahoma Accountancy Act: “I (we) have not audited, examined,\n\nor reviewed the accompanying financial statements and accordingly do\n\nnot express an opinion or any other form of assurance on them.”;\n\n44. “Representation” means any oral or written communication\n\nincluding but not limited to the use of title or legends on\n\nletterheads, business cards, office doors, advertisements, and\n\nlistings conveying the fact that an individual or entity holds a\n\ncertificate, license or permit;\n\n45. “Review”, when used with reference to financial statements,\n\nmeans a registrant or an individual granted practice privileges\n\nunder Section 15.12A of this title, which also meets the\n\nrequirements of paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section 15.15 of this\n\ntitle, or a firm exempt from the permit and registration\n\nrequirements under Section 15.15C of this title performing inquiry\n\nand analytical procedures that provide the registrant with a\n\nreasonable basis for expressing limited assurance that there are no\n\nmaterial modifications that should be made to the statements in\n\norder for them to be in conformity with generally accepted\n\naccounting principles or, if applicable, with another comprehensive\n\nbasis of accounting; and\n\n46. “Substantial equivalency” is a determination by the\n\nOklahoma Accountancy Board or its designee that:\n\na. the education, examination and experience requirements\n\ncontained in the statutes and administrative rules of\n\nanother jurisdiction are comparable to, or exceed, the\n\neducation, examination and experience requirements\n\ncontained in the AICPA/NASBA Uniform Accountancy Act,\n\nor\n\nb. that an individual certified public accountant’s or\n\npublic accountant’s education, examination and\n\nexperience qualifications are comparable to or exceed\n\nthe education, examination and experience requirements\n\ncontained in the Oklahoma Accountancy Act and rules of\n\nthe Board.\n\nIn ascertaining substantial equivalency as used in the Oklahoma\n\nAccountancy Act, the Board or its designee shall take into account\nividual certified public accountant’s or\n\npublic accountant’s education, examination and\n\nexperience qualifications are comparable to or exceed\n\nthe education, examination and experience requirements\n\ncontained in the Oklahoma Accountancy Act and rules of\n\nthe Board.\n\nIn ascertaining substantial equivalency as used in the Oklahoma\n\nAccountancy Act, the Board or its designee shall take into account\n\nthe qualifications without regard to the sequence in which\n\nexperience, education, or examination requirements were attained.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"ab53c5f6dd77cef2caba4ac45a27783d41150315d41164b3c54810f07cd5201c","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-15.18","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-15.2"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}