Training Requirements of Entry Level Accountants: CA (India) vs. CPA (US)

In the accounting arena, tax returns are increasingly being outsourced to India. Tax returns that are outsourced to India are usually prepared by entry level accountants. Questions are often raised about the quality of education and training of entry level accountants in India. This article compares the training requirements and costs to become an entry level Chartered Accountant (CA) in India with the training requirements and costs to become an entry level Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the US. This topic is important because of the controversy that surrounds the quality of the training received by accountants in India who prepare tax returns for US clients. Section 7216 of the Internal Revenue Code requires written taxpayer consent before a tax return is outsourced to an overseas tax preparer. The article provides relevant information that may be shared with clients.