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In today’s advancing accounting field, a mere academic accounting degree may not suffice to fulfil the desired career goal. To make it larger one must acquire optimum knowledge and accounting skill in a professional manner. Here comes the importance of internationally recognized professional accounting credentials to get better job prospects vis-à-vis a decent salary. In this regard, two such popular courses come in to play a bigger role namely Certified Management Accountant (CMA US) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA US) courses. While the former certification is offered by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the later is provided by the American Institute of Chartered Public Accountants (AICPA). Although both the courses vary in their scope and target destinations, it is often coming to mind that which one to select for better career growth with reference to salary and job opportunities. Let us try to put some light to clear any possible dilemma in finding better options.

The Inclination

CMA USA to select if you have inclination for management accounting and wants to be a part of strategic management planning and decision-making processes of the organization. This certification orients you to focus on financial planning and control in relation to the performance.

On the other hand, if you are more inclined to auditing, taxation etc. in the public accounting domain, CPA US should be your cup of tea. Additionally, CPA US has a licensing procedure for independent practice.

Duration

CMA US exam has two papers to write while CPA US exam requires to clear a four-part exam which obviously indicate that the former certification demand shorter time to complete than the later course.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for CMA US are a graduation degree preferably with accounting major. On the contrary, CPA US require 120 credit points to write the exam and 150 credit points to be eligible for licensure. Very often a graduation degree from Indian universities may not suffice for the same and additional qualifications or post-graduation is required for the same.

Job Opportunities

The positions available for CMA US mostly in MNCs including Big 4s are Management Accountants, Relationship manager, Finance Manager Cost Accountants, Financial Analyst, Financial Controller, Chief Financial Officer etc. from entry level to seasoned accountants.

CPA US holders have wide span of lucrative positions from public to private sectors in various positions such as Internal/External Auditor, Budget Analyst, Tax Examiner, Business Systems Analyst, Finance Controller, Forensic Accountant, Financial Advisor etc. In addition, a CPA US license holder can pursue independent public accounting services as self-employed consultant.

Salary

In India, salary of both CMA US and CPA US vary depending on the working experience of the candidate as well as the status and pay structure of the employer. However, at entry level, the average salary of CMA US holder ranges from 5-7 lakhs per annum while for a CPA it is slightly on the higher side ranging in between 7- 10 lakhs/annum. Both CMA and CPA, with experience, gets a salary of 12 to 60 lakhs per annum within India and higher than that in the international platform.

Summary

Both the CMA US and CPA US courses are high end professional courses recognized across the globe. Both the courses have their own scope and perspectives but having greater job potentials. CPA US has an additional licensing procedure not applicable for CMA US. Based on the duration, eligibility, and inclination, one can go for the right course as per the suitability of his job profile and inclination.

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The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in the United States and the Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in India are both prestigious accounting certifications, but they have several key differences:

Professional Organizations

CPA: Issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in the United States.
CA (India): Issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

Educational Requirements

CPA: Requires a bachelor’s degree with a specified number of accounting and business courses, typically 150 credit hours of education.
CA (India): Requires passing the CA Foundation, Intermediate, and Final exams, which can be pursued after 10+2 education.

Examination Structure

CPA: Consists of a four-part exam covering auditing and attestation(AUD), business environment and concepts (BEC), financial accounting and reporting (FAR), and regulation (REG). 2024 onwards BEC will be replaced by 3 optional disciplinary subjects:
Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR) Information Systems and Controls (ISC) Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)
CA (India): Involves multiple levels of exams, including theoretical, practical, inter and final exams, covering subjects like accounting, taxation, law, and auditing.

• CA Foundation course examination (4 papers)
• CA Intermediate examination (8 papers)
• CA Final examination (8 papers)

Duration

CPA: The time required to become a CPA can vary, but it typically takes 1-2 years to complete the educational and exam requirements.
CA (India): Becoming a CA in India can take 4-5 years or more due to the multi-stage exam process.

Curriculum

CPA: Focuses on U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and U.S. tax laws.
CA (India): Covers Indian accounting standards, taxation laws, and business regulations.

Global Recognition

CPA: While primarily a U.S. qualification, it is recognized internationally, and CPAs can practice in various countries with some additional requirements.
CA (India): Primarily recognized in India, although Indian CAs can also work in other countries but may need to meet additional requirements.

Specializations

CPA: Allows for various specializations, including forensic accounting, taxation, audit, information systems, compliance and planning, business analysis & reporting.
CA (India): Offers specialized courses within the CA framework, such as Information Systems Audit (ISA) and Insurance and Risk Management (IRM).

Regulatory Environment

CPA: Regulated by state boards of accountancy in the U.S., leading to variations in licensing requirements across states. The CPA exam is conducted by the AICPA.
CA (India): Regulated by the ICAI, providing uniform standards across India.

Both certifications have their merits and are highly respected within their respective regions. The choice between CPA and CA often depends on one’s career goals, location, and area of interest within the field of accounting.To know more about CPA US check: www.upliftprofessionals.in/us-cpa-course.

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Although the competition in the finance job market is quite steep, certain globally reputed qualification like that of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) provides several advantages in the career of a finance and accounting professional.

Global Recognition: ACCA is recognized and respected worldwide, making it a valuable qualification for those looking to work internationally.

Versatility: ACCA equips you with a wide range of skills, not just in accounting but also in finance, audit, and business management, making you a versatile professional.

Career Opportunities: It opens up diverse career opportunities in finance, accounting, and related fields, including roles like financial analyst, auditor, tax consultant, and more.

High Demand: ACCA professionals are in high demand, especially in businesses where financial expertise is essential.

Professional Ethics: ACCA emphasizes ethical and professional behavior, instilling integrity and responsibility in its members.

Flexibility: You can study ACCA at your own pace, making it accessible to those with busy schedules.

Exemptions: If you have prior relevant qualifications, you may be eligible for exemptions from certain ACCA exams, reducing the time it takes to complete the qualification.

Networking: ACCA membership provides access to a vast network of professionals, which can be invaluable for career growth.

Continuous Learning: ACCA requires its members to engage in ongoing professional development, ensuring that you stay updated in your field.

Competitive Salary: ACCA-qualified professionals often command higher salaries than their non-qualified peers.

These advantages make ACCA a well-regarded qualification for those pursuing a career in accounting and finance.

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The accounting and finance domain is currently experiencing a fast-track mode where crucial role is played by the ongoing technological advancements. This is acting as a pivot to professional accountants for management and processing of high throughput financial data. Blockchain technology originally developed for cryptocurrencies such as bitcoins, emerged as a trending system and gaining popularity in various industrial sectors and becoming a changing force in the metamorphosis of accounting arena per se. In this article, we will explore the impact of blockchain technology on accounting practices, its benefits, challenges, and the future it holds for the field. Cryptocurrency like bitcoins emerged as a new intangible transaction mode using digital currencies which is currently lacking a method to be accounted for under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). Let us discuss the pros and cons of blockchain technology and its future impact in professional accounting domain.

Increased Lucidity and Confidence in Accounting

Blockchain technology offers an unchangeable and scattering form of ledger system to make the transactions more transparent and secured. An accountant can record every financial transaction on the blockchain, creating a transparent and auditable trail of data. It provides real-time access to the same data by all concerned persons in a trustworthy manner without any intermediate stage.

Sleek Auditing and Compliance

Blockchain technology brings cost effectiveness and efficiency in traditional auditing practice which is a time-consuming process otherwise. Blockchain technology, thus streamlining the auditing by making it error free and eliminating the need of manual verification steps. This has major impact on increased compliance with various regulatory criteria.

Automation in Accounting

Blockchain technology, through its smart contract mode can automate the repetitive daily jobs like preparation of invoices, settlement of payments etc. in an error free manner. This helps the qualified and skilled accountants to focus on more high value chore like strategic decision making rather than routine accounting procedures.

Automation in Accounting

Blockchain technology, through its smart contract mode can automate the repetitive daily jobs like preparation of invoices, settlement of payments etc. in an error free manner. This helps the qualified and skilled accountants to focus on more high value chore like strategic decision making rather than routine accounting procedures.

Data Security

Since Blockchain technology is based on decentralization and cryptography, every transaction is encrypted and linked with the previous one chain wise which makes it difficult to tamper thus facilitates enhanced protection preventing data fraud in the system.

Cost effective

Blockchain technology bypasses the various manual intermediary steps in accounting thus providing efficiency and huge reduction in the accounting cost by automating the routine accounting jobs as well.

Challenges to Overcome

It must be kept in mind that the Blockchain technology is quite new and is still evolving. So, obviously certain obstacles are likely to be there that need consideration to overcome. Since a struggle is there with processing speed of high through put transaction data, scalability of Blockchain is currently a challenge. Moreover, effective amalgamation of blockchain technology with the traditional accounting system is also a point of concern regarding compatibility and compliance with the regulatory systems. The induction of cryptocurrency in accounting is also an issue to be resolved.

It is evident that induction of Blockchain technology with its enormous benefits can be a threat to disrupt the conventional accounting practice. Since Blockchain provides enhanced transparency, streamlined auditing, automation, data protection and storage, elimination of fraud in a cost-effective manner, the entry of Blockchain in professional accounting field is only a matter of time. Despite certain challenges, the potential of Blockchain technology in accounting cannot be ignored. We must keep it in mind that the Blockchain technology is still evolving in a great pace. To cope with this, accountants and financial professionals must upgrade themselves to adapt and accept the metamorphic might of blockchain to stay afloat above others in the ever-changing sea of accounting and finance.

Nowadays all international professional bodies like the IMA US or AICPA are providing courses on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency once you be their registered member and pursue courses like the CMA US or CPA US .

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In recent years, rapid development and invasion of technology is being visible in every professional knowledge sector and accounting domain is not an exception to this. The accounting profession is thus going to face so many challenges in near future and needs upskilling. Certified Public Accountant (CPA US) being a highly recognized global professional accounting credential, is also facing the threat of below at par with its existing syllabus and courseware. From here, a new initiative has been started currently known as the “CPA Evolution.” This initiative has been taken by The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) to combat the above-mentioned challenges which involve the revamping and restructuring the CPA Exam into a new CPA core-plus-discipline licensure model from 2024 onwards.

CPA Syllabus 2024

It has been proposed that from 2024, the entire CPA syllabus will be presented in a Core -Discipline model format. Among the all 4 previous sections, the BEC part will be replaced by 3 Discipline module from which the candidate can choose any one along with the three Core subjects, thus the exam remains in a 4-part format as before.

The Core Subjects in CPA 2024 Syllabus

1.AUD
2.FAR
3.REG

The Disciplines Subjects in CPA 2024 Syllabus

1.Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)
2.Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)
3.Information System and Controls (ISC).

Hence, it is obvious that as par the new 2024 CPA syllabus, the CPA exam will include three core exams (AUD, FAR and REG) and one discipline exam of choice (either BAR, ISC or TCP). It is to be noted that while the names of the core exams remain the same, the content of each is changing. Moreover, technology and data analytics are now become a core component spanning over all 6 subjects in the proposed core-discipline model of the CPA evolution.

Which Discipline of CPA 2024 Syllabus One should Select?

To start with, you should keep it in mind that all 3 disciplines have equal importance in your CPA career nothing more nothing less. First identify your interest and inclination to the topic. As for example, if you have interest in advisory services, financial statement analysis and reporting, technical accounting, and operation management etc., it is better to select BAR as your discipline subject.

Similarly, if you want to build your career in taxation and compliances, TCP should be your cup of tea.

On the other hand, if you have affinity towards computers, data management, information technology etc., it would be better to opt for ISC as your discipline subject for CPA exam 2024.

The CPA evolution has redesigned the CPA syllabus 2024 to develop future ready professional accountants who can take up the technological challenges with ease. It is expected that this revamping will make the CPA exam a little bit harder than its existing format. At the same time, it is also expected that CPA 2024 syllabus with its core-discipline model will equip you with advanced knowledge and skill in your CPA credential. No matter what discipline you opt, each one has importance of its own in the trending and changing accounting arena.

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