Exemptions & Reductions
Under Board Rules 466.2 and 469.1, exemptions and reductions from CPD and fees may be available for CPAs who are ceasing practice, winding down or temporarily leaving practice. All exemptions are processed during April 1 and June 30. The declaration for an exemption must be made at the same time as your annual member renewal process. CPAs must apply for the exemption online in the CPA SK Portal by April 15 in order to qualify for an exemption and avoid late fees. The exemption request is made for the upcoming year (i.e., not retroactively*). For example, a CPA who will be on a leave from March 2021 to April 2022, may apply for a non-practice exemption for 2021 CPD and 2021/22 Fees in their April 2021 member renewal.
*Manual forms will continue to be received by email for a 2020 CPD exemption as a transitional provision.
CPAs must ensure their contact information is kept current in our records including email, telephone and mailing address to ensure important correspondence is received. Updates can be made online through the CPA SK Portal or by email to the Registrar.
Note: An exemption is only valid for a one (1) year term. Exemption requests can not be submitted after June 30, you must request for the exemption next year during member renewal. Members may not use the same leave period as a basis for a fee or CPD exemption for two consecutive years. If the leave period spans for two years (for instance: August 2020 to October 2021), members must select one reporting period to be exempt.
Non-Practice Exemption
To qualify for the non-practice exemption, a CPA cannot be engaged in the practice of the profession, hold them self out to be a CPA or have reliance on the technical competencies as a CPA.
There are two types of non-practice: Temporary or Permanent.
Temporary non-practice means that for a 12 month period you are not engaged in practicing the profession, no one is relying on your credential as a CPA and you intend to return to practice after the 12 month period. Permanent non-practice is when the CPA has no intention of returning to practice. Members who are over the age of 70 and who have qualified for non-practice within the prior fiscal year are not required to apply for a permanent non-practice exemption annually for fees and CPD.
A member does not retire from the profession, instead a member can apply for:
- resignation, or
- non-practice, or
- special circumstance (i.e. limited income, other considerations)
If a member’s non-practice situation changes after the exemption request is approved, they must notify CPA Saskatchewan to determine what the requirements will be.
In that you get approved for a non-practice status exemption, you will need to ensure that you meet the requirement of Board Rule 313.9 which states:
“During the period of non-practice, the member shall take reasonable steps to ensure that any reference to the member’s title ‘professional accountant’ or designation is accompanied by a notation of “non-practicing”.
Income Threshold
If a CPA does not meet the criteria for a non-practice exemption above and earns less than $10,000 in gross professional income from services which do not require registration as a firm or a licence, the CPA is also exempt from fees and CPD.
If a CPA earns professional income in the range between $10,000 and $30,000, a fee reduction is available but CPD is still required. If a CPA makes more than $30,000 in gross professional income, the CPA is not eligible for an exemption or reduction to fees or CPD.
Professional income is based on earnings from professional services during a calendar year.
A CPA qualifying under this provision may be requested to provide supporting information at the time of application or subsequently upon review by CPA Saskatchewan.
Special Circumstances
A CPA may consider applying for special circumstances when they cannot obtain a non-practice exemption or they earn professional income above the threshold. Special circumstances requests are manually processed. The CPA should email monitoring for more information. CPA Saskatchewan offers CPD courses at a reduced cost for CPAs approved for exemption under special circumstances.
Resignation
When a CPA decides to voluntarily discontinue their membership, there is a required resignation application to complete and return to CPA Saskatchewan. When a member intends to resign without satisfying all their member requirements (ie. renewal fees and CPD), the Registration Committee is authorized to review and approve their resignation. This includes a publication in the newsletter and website. Please email the Registrar to request the resignation application.