AICPA allies with Small Business Administration

The American Institute of CPAs is teaming up with the U.S. Small Business Administration to help CPAs and their small business clients get relief from regulatory burdens.

Under the collaboration, the AICPA can direct CPAs whose clients are facing federal regulatory compliance or enforcement challenges to designated contacts at the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman for help in fixing the problems. The office helps small businesses when they experience excessive or unfair regulatory enforcement actions, such as repetitive audits or investigations, excessive fines, penalties, threats, retaliation or other unfair enforcement action by a federal agency.

The agreement also offers opportunities for AICPA and SBA representatives to speak at each other’s events, while the SBA will encourage the AICPA to attend National Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Hearings and Regional Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Roundtables hosted by ONO. The SBA will also make ONO publications available to AICPA members.

“CPAs play a key role in the small business community as trusted business advisors,” said AICPA vice president of small firm interests Carl Peterson in a statement. “This strategic alliance between the SBA and AICPA will provide our members with the latest tools and resources when they or their small business clients have concerns regarding regulatory enforcement.”

The agreement between the AICPA and the SBA renews a previous partnership between the two organizations that started in 2008 to help small businesses and their accountants.

“Our partnership with the AICPA will enable the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman to further expand our reach to, and impact upon, an even greater number of CPAs who could benefit from our assistance,” said SBA Deputy National Ombudsman Mina Wales in a statement.

For more information, visit the AICPA’s U.S. Small Business Administration Resource Center and www.sba.gov/ombudsman or call 888-734-3247 (REG-FAIR).

AICPA building in Durham, N.C.

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Small business Financial regulations Accounting regulations AICPA SBA
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