The American Institute of CPAs has begun selling digital versions of more than 30 of its most popular books on accounting, auditing and practice management.

Erik Asgeirsson

The e-books are available for download from the AICPA’s CPA2Biz arm at www.cpa2biz.com/ebooks. The text can be searched for key terms and annotated, and CPAs can assemble an entire reference library on a single, portable device. The AICPA’s e-books can be viewed on numerous e-reader devices, including the Apple iPad and iPhone, Google Android Tablets, the Barnes & Noble Nook, and Sony Reader, along with PC and Mac laptops. However, the Amazon Kindle is not currently supported.

“If you want an efficient way to stay on top of professional guidelines and practice strategies, eBooks are the answer,” said AICPA vice president of publications Linda Cohen in a statement. “This is just another great example of technology helping CPAs to become better informed, more productive and—most importantly--better prepared to serve their clients.”  

E-reader use has doubled in the United States since 2010, according to a Harris Interactive survey last fall. One in six Americans now use one of the devices, and an equal amount say they plan to buy one soon. The holiday season also brought a surge in e-reader sales, including the introduction of several new models, such as the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet.

To read the AICPA’s new line of e-books, users first must download Adobe Digital Editions, a free digital rights management program, to their computer. They can then authorize up to six devices on which to view their purchases.

“Accessing critical information on the fly, building a stronger online presence, using technology to help clients make smarter decisions—these are all part of CPA2Biz’s mission to help smaller firms transform their businesses,” said CPA2Biz president and CEO Erik Asgeirsson. “E-books are the newest item in our toolkit.”

A FAQ page is available with additional information. The CPA2Biz site also includes a list of available e-book titles. More digital versions will be added throughout the year.