Sacramento roundup: News to note as you embark on 2002.

• Author: Allen, Bruce C.

CBA Client Notification Regulation Changes

The regulation requiring client notification that CPAs are licensed by the California Board of Accountancy is being revised to specify that posting a notice or certificate in the CPAs office may only be used for those clients known to appear personally at the licensee's office. This change is specifically addressing those instances in which the CPA has an office, but clients do not normally come to that office.

Current CBA regulation, Sec. 50 requires that CPAs engaged in the practice of public accountancy provide notice to clients that they are licensed by the CBA. This requirement applies to firms and individuals and there are several options for providing the notice including:

1) Displaying the certificate of licensure in the office or public area where licensed services are provided;

2) Providing a statement to each client to be signed, dated and retained by the CPA;

3) Including a statement on letterhead or on contracts for services;

4) Posting a notice in a public area of the premises where services are provided in 48-point type that states the named licensee is licensed by the CBA; or

5) Any other method of written notice, including a written notice that is electronically transmitted or posted on a Web site.

The change restricts use of options one and four to those clients who come personally to the licensee's office.

Moving or Changing Firms?

Make sure that you notify the CBA of your new address. Every year CPAs lose their licenses because they moved and failed to notify the CBA. After being delinquent for five years, licenses are automatically terminated.

To check your address of record with the CBA go to www.calcpa.org and click on License Lookup in the For Consumers section. That will take you to the CBA Web site. To ensure the privacy of your home address, you may choose to use a post office box as your address of record.

Is Your Birth Information Online?

On Dec. 6, 2001, Gov. Gray Davis issued an executive order that prevents the Department of Health Services from releasing birth and death indices to the public for 45 days.

The executive order followed a public outcry after it was discovered that the Department of Health Services had sold 24.5 million California birth records and 9 million death records to RootsWeb, www.rootsweb.com, for $900. These records included personal information such as birthdates, county of birth and mother's maiden name.

This information, which RootsWeb has...