225 ILCS 450/14.4

(225 ILCS 450/14.4)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2029)

Sec. 14.4. Qualifications for licensure as a CPA firm. The Department may license as licensed CPA firms individuals or entities meeting the following requirements:

(1) A majority of the ownership of the firm, in terms of financial interests and voting rights of all partners, officers, shareholders, or members, belongs to persons licensed or registered in some state. All partners, officers, shareholders, or members, whose principal place of business is in this State and who have overall responsibility for accountancy activities in this State, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 8.05 of this Act, must hold a valid license as a licensed CPA issued by this State. An individual exercising the practice privilege afforded under Section 5.2 who performs services for which a firm license is required under subsection (d) of Section 5.2 shall not be required to obtain an individual license under this Act.

(2) All owners of the CPA firm, whether licensed as a licensed CPA or not, shall be active participants in the CPA firm or its affiliated entities and shall comply with the rules adopted under this Act.

(3) It shall be lawful for a nonprofit cooperative association engaged in rendering an auditing and accounting service to its members only to continue to render that service provided that the rendering of an auditing and accounting service by the cooperative association shall at all times be under the control and supervision of licensed CPAs.

(4) An individual who supervises services for which a license is required under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 8.05 of this Act, who signs or authorizes another to sign any report for which a license is required under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 8.05 of this Act, or who supervises services for which a CPA firm license is required under subsection (d) of Section 5.2 of this Act shall hold a valid, active licensed CPA license from this State or another state considered to be substantially equivalent under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 5.2.

(5) The CPA firm shall designate to the Department in writing an individual licensed as a licensed CPA under this Act or, in the case of a firm that must have a CPA firm license pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 13 of this Act, a licensee of another state who meets the requirements set out in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of Section 5.2 of this Act, who shall be responsible for the proper licensure of the CPA firm.

(Source: P.A. 98-254, eff. 8-9-13; 98-730, eff. 1-1-15; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15.)