What is Included in a CPA USA Accounting Course Syllabus?

CPA USA is a globally recognized certification course. It is the highest standard of competence in accountancy. The examination for a CPA USA course is administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or AICPA, the world’s largest accounting body. So, if you are looking for accounting courses in the city of Kochi, then CPA USA could be one of your best options if you want a strong foundation for taking up careers in tax consulting, accounting assurance, valuations, and business consulting. 

CPAs or Certified Public Accountants are professionals in accounting who are acknowledged globally. CPA USA is one of the most sought-after qualifications that is globally recognized and well-reputed. These professionals have in-depth knowledge of accounting principles and tools required for the financial management of small to large corporations. They are responsible for providing financial advice, taxation, auditing, and other services related to financial matters. In this post, we will see what is included in CPA USA accounting courses in Kochi.

Auditing has become more important than ever before, and the auditing standards have significantly evolved. New principles are introduced to maintain consistency and uniformity in audit performances. The AICPA establishes the regulations and is usually referred to as GAAP., which is a set of rules and standards that advise CPAs on how to report and record financial information. They should also adhere to the GAAP principles when performing audits n of financial statements.

Auditing and Attestation

• Ethics, Professional Responsibilities and General Principles: This section may include nature and scope; communication with management, those involved with governance, component auditors; terms of engagement; ethics, professional conduct, and independence.
• Assessing risk and developing a planned response: This includes understanding the entity’s internal control; planning an engagement, debtor-creditor relationships; materiality; identifying and evaluating the risk of material misstatement; assessing risk due to fraud; specific areas of engagement risk; and planning for and using the work of others which includes the internal audit function, group audits, and the work of a specialist.
• Performing further procedures and obtaining evidence: This will include sampling techniques; acquisition and disposition of assets; written representation; performing specific functions to obtain evidence; matters that require special consideration; subsequent events and discovered facts; misstatements and internal control deficiencies.
• Forming conclusions and reporting: Reports on attestation engagements, auditing engagements and compliance, accounting and review service engagements, and other reporting considerations.

Business Environments and Concepts

• Corporate governance: Enterprise risk management frameworks, internal control frameworks, and other regulatory frameworks and provisions.
• Economic concepts and analysis: This section includes financial risk management, economic business cycles, and market influence on business.
• Financial management: this will involve working capital, capital structure, and financial valuation methods and decision models.
• Information technology: The role of information technology in business, information technology governance, processing integrity, information security, and systems development of maintenance.
• Operations management: This area includes financial and non-financial measures of performance management, such as process management, cost accounting, and planning techniques.

Finance Accounting and Reporting

• Standard setting and financial reporting: This area includes a conceptual framework and standard setting for non-business entities; public company reporting topics; general purpose financial statements for-profit business entities, non-governmental and not-for-profit business entities; financial statements of employee benefit plans and special purpose framework.
• Select financial statement accounts: Trade receivables; inventory; cash and cash equivalents; intangible assets; long-term debt; investments; revenue recognition; payables and accrued liabilities; property, plant and equipment; income taxes; and compensation benefits.
• Select transition: Business combinations; accounting changes and error corrections; leases; software costs; derivatives and hedge accounting; contingencies and commitments; foreign currency transaction and translation; nonreciprocal transfers; software costs; research and development costs; fair value measurements; subsequent events; and differences between IFRS and U.S GAAP.
• State and local governments: State and local government concepts; deriving government-wide financial statements; deriving reconciliation requirements; format and content of the financial section of CAFR; typical items and specific types of transactions and events like valuation, measurement, and calculation.

Regulation

• Ethics, federal tax structure, and professional responsibilities: This includes licensing and disciplinary systems, federal tax procedures, ethics and responsibilities in tax practice, and legal duties and responsibilities.
• Business law: Contracts, agency, government regulation, business debtor-creditor relationships, and business structure.
• Federal taxation of property transactions: This area includes the study of cost recovery, acquisition and disposition of assets, transfer subject to gift tax, determination of taxable estate, transfers subject to gift tax, estate and gift taxation, gift tax annual exclusion, and gift tax deductions. 
• Federal taxation of individuals: Reporting items from pass-through entities; gross income; loss limitations; passive activity losses; adjustment and deductions to arrive at adjusted taxable income and gross income; filing status; alternative minimum tax; and computation of tax and credits.
• Federal taxation of entities: Tax-exempt organizations; C and S corporations; differences between book and tax income; partnerships; trust and estates; limited liability companies; and tax treatment of formation and liquidation of business entities.

Bottom Line

CPA USA courses are globally recognized and affordable, give expanded career options, have a dynamic curriculum, and offer a competitive salary. Therefore, they are one of the most sought-after accounting courses among people who want a career in accounting.