Alga CPA - James M. Alga, Certified Public Accountant: CPA

Credentials

CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant, which is a statutory title that can only be used by certain qualified persons. Thus, it is illegal and unethical to hold oneself out as a CPA without these credentials.

To be a certified Public Accountant (CPA), one must have met the educational requirements college requirements based on the state that licenses him. In Virginia, this is 150 hours.

He must pass the Uniform CPA Examination, a four part test developed and graded by the AICPA

To be a certified Public Accountant (CPA), one must have met the required on-th-job experience.

In Virginia, to maintain a CPA license, one must earn 120 continuing educational hour in subjects related to his practice areas.

CPA vs Accountant

All CPAs are accountants, but not all accountants are CPAs.

Even though the terms "accountant" and "CPA" are used interchangeably, there is a big difference. The CPA credential carries enormous weight in the business and financial world. CPAs are considered some of the business world's most trusted advisors, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Institute of CPAs.

The CPA exam was developed in the early 1900s to ensure the competence of CPAs entering the profession, much as the bar exam evaluates attorneys, the medical boards tests doctors and pharmacists, and the professional engineering exam evaluates engineers. This grueling exam tests knowledge in tax, accounting, auditing, attestation, business environment concepts, financial accounting and reporting, regulations, ethics, and other accounting topics.

James M. Alga, CPA wrote questions for the CPA exam over 15 years. In the years before the exam went from paper and pencil to computer, he worked with major testing companies under AICPA contracts to build the question data base to make the computer format successful.

The trust people place in CPAs is not surprising considering the strict requirements to enter and stay in the profession. Achieving CPA status takes intelligence, ethics, integrity, and lifelong commitment to excellence.

Professional involvement

James M. Alga, CPA served over the years in the following capacities:

Served as an AICPA peer reviewer for 21 year

Served on The West Virginia Society of CPAs Government and Non-for-profit committee

Served on the West VIrginia Society of CPAs IT committee

Served on the CPE committee of the Virginia Society of CPAs

Served on the Not-for-profit committee of the Maryland Association of CPAs

Member of the PCPS (Private Company's Practice Section)

American Accounting Association

National Association of Tax Practitioners

Work Experience

Worked as a staff accountant for two CPA firms (five years total)

Worked as controller of a computer controlled manufacturing plant, controller of a hospital audit agency, controller of a large janitorial services company, audit liason of a large state agency

Audit experience

Town of Montross
Town of Warsaw
Town of Kilmarnock
Northern Neck Court Appointed Child Advocate, Inc.
Grace Episcopal Church
Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church
Kilmarnock Baptist Church
Kilmarnock United Methodist Church
Northern Neck Bay Tones
KIDS Foundation
Sharon Baptist Church
Interfaith
Lancaster Ministerial Association

Industries Serviced

Manufacturing
Car dealerships
Restaurants
Retail stores
Earth moving
Barber shops and salons
Office supply stores
Grocery stores
Wholesale distributors
Travel agencies
Nurseries and florists
Janitorial businesses
Construction, masonry, drywall, carpentry
Phone stores
Oil and gas distributors
Convenience stores
Video stores and rack jobbers
Service stations and car repair
Painters
Laundry and dry cleaners
Trusts
Estates
Not for profit
Domestic employers and home health providers
Bills paying services