The Registered Professional Accountant (RPA) is a Canadian accounting designation granted by the Society of Professional Accountants of Canada (SPAC), a federally chartered non profit organization. The designation requires completion of university or college courses set by SPAC and passing four Mandatory Professional Exams (MPE): Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Taxation, and Data Analytics and Technology. The Registered Professional Accountant has five pathways to designation, making it an accessible choice for accounting students.
The Registered Professional Accountant designation is different from the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in that RPA’s are small to medium sized business focused in their scope, and perform CSRS 4200 Compilation year-end financial reporting, income tax, and related bookkeeping services for their corporate clients, whereas the Chartered Professional Accountants perform similar services for larger entities along with assurance reports (Audit and Review engagements).
A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) may apply for an RPA designation. A CPA in good standing will not have to write the MPE exams. In addition, a CPA with a practice certificate can transfer their practice certificate to be an RPA practitioner.
An RPA member must complete the Professional Practice Certification (PPC) program offered by the Society and apply for the Certified Accounting Practitioner (CAP) certification to start their professional accounting practice.
An RPA with a CAP Certification is trained and qualified to issue compilation engagement reports following the new Canadian Standards for Related Services (CSRS 4200) issued by the Auditing & Assurance Standards Board (AASB), and to provide related services such as: filing personal and corporate tax returns, performing bookkeeping and accounting services, business consulting, technology, and data analytics.
RPA members without a Certified Accounting Practitioner (CAP) certification serve employers in small, medium, and large corporations, or the public service, in management accounting and related services, or working as an entrepreneur in different leadership roles in a variety of businesses.
In addition to performing Compilation Engagement Reports under Canadian Standards for Related Services 4200, the RPA qualifies to act as a Canadian Passport Guarantor.
In terms of global outreach and work in conjunction with international accounting bodies, Registered Professional Accountants (RPA) are recognized for admission as an associate member to the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (CMA) Australia, the Certified General Accountants of Pakistan (CGA), and the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants through mutual recognition agreements in place with RPA Canada. RPA's are also eligible to write the Forensic Certified Public Accountant exam offered by the Forensic CPA Society in the state of Washington, USA.
The RPA designation is recognized by the Ontario Government, Civil Service; Ontario Ministry of Education and Training; and Management Board of Ontario for employment purposes.
In addition, RPA's in Ontario along with CPA's (Chartered Professional Accountants), Lawyers, and Paralegals are exclusively recognized and designated by the province as Official Intermediary Professional Organizations permitted to transact as intermediary organizations on behalf of business clients for the various corporate filings available on the Ontario Business Registry using the provincial portal.
An RPA with the Certified Accounting Practitioner certification can also apply as a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits with The Office of the Attorney General of Ontario.
Pathways to RPA Designation:
College Pathway, Students with a College Diploma in Accounting and two years experience working in the accounting field will need the RPA Prerequisite Courses and to take the MPE Review Sessions, once these are complete students may apply to write the Mandatory Professional Exams (MPE) in Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Taxation, and Data Analytics to earn the RPA Designation.
University Pathway
Students with a University Degree in Accounting and two years experience working in the accounting field may take the MPE Review Sessions and apply to write the Mandatory Professional Exams (MPE) in Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Taxation, and Data Analytics to earn the RPA Designation.