Use of Designation

Update: Use of the CPA Designation in Saskatchewan
Changes to Legacy Designation Tagging

Effective November 10, 2024, CPA Saskatchewan members may choose to use only their CPA designation or both their CPA and legacy designation(s) after their name.

Use of Designation – Bylaws and Rules

21.1 A member or firm may use the title “professional accountant” or the designation “Chartered Professional Accountant” or “Comptable Professionnel Agréé” or the initials “CPA”.

21.2 A member who is designated under Bylaw 20.1 may use the designation “Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant” or “Collegues comptable professionnel agréé” or the initials “FCPA”.

21.3 A member shall apply to the Registrar for use of the “Certified Public Accountant” designation and provide evidence of his Certified Public Accountant certificate.

21.4 Further to Section 22 of the Act, no member shall use the title “Accredited Public Accountant” or “Registered Industrial Accountant” or the initials “AAPA”, “ACA”, “APA”, “FAPA” or “RIA”.

21.5 A member approved by the Registrar under Bylaw 21.3 shall disclose the name of the applicable Certified Public Accountant jurisdiction in the United States of America in the following manner: “Chartered Professional Accountant, legacy designation, Certified Public Accountant (State)”, or “CPA, legacy initials, CPA (State)”, as applicable.

21.6 Subject to Section 59 of the Act, a member may use the legacy designation “Chartered Accountant”, “Certified Management Accountant” or “Certified General Accountant” or the initials "CA", "CMA”, or "CGA" only when the legacy designation is used in conjunction with the use of the designation “Chartered Professional Accountant” or the initials “CPA”.

321.1 A registrant who maintains other credentials from professional accounting bodies established outside of Canada may disclose the other credential in a manner which is not misleading.

Frequently Asked Questions

What has prompted this change?
This change was prescribed by The Accounting Profession Act established on November 10, 2014.

Do I have to continue to tag myself as a CPA?
Members who earned their CPA post-unification (after November 10, 2014) must continue to use at least their CPA designation as follows:

Member Name, CPA or Member Name, FCPA

Members who earned their legacy designations (CMA, CGA or CA as well as FCMA, FCGA and FCA) pre-unification (before November 10, 2014) may choose to use only their CPA designation or both their CPA and legacy designation(s) after their name as follows:

Member Name, CPA or Member Name, CPA, CA  (Member Name, FCPA or Member Name, FCPA, FCA)
Member Name, CPA or Member Name, CPA, CGA (Member Name, FCPA or Member Name, FCPA, FCGA)
Member Name, CPA or Member Name, CPA, CMA (Member Name, FCPA or Member Name, FCPA, FCMA)

Can I still use my legacy designation if I choose to?
Yes, you may continue to use your legacy designation.

If I choose to keep my legacy designation, how should I use it?
If you choose to continue using your legacy designation in addition to “CPA,” the CPA designation must appear first. For example:

Member Name, CPA, CA or Member Name, FCPA, FCA
Member Name, CPA, CGA or Member Name, FCPA, FCGA
Member Name, CPA, CMA or Member Name, FCPA, FCMA

Will I ever be forced to drop my legacy designation?
No, you will never be forced to drop your legacy designation.

What do I need to change or update?
When tagging your professional designation, you should remain consistent. If you are choosing to remove your legacy designation, it is advisable to update all your individual professional branding, marketing, and communications materials, including personal social media sites/profiles, and business cards.

This is because the purpose of the change is to reduce public confusion, and a member using a legacy designation in one context and not another adds to public confusion.

Go to the member portal and follow the prompts to have CPA Saskatchewan remove the use of your legacy designation in our online registry, “Find a CPA” and in any correspondence.

What about any degrees or other designations?
While not required, it is convention that your CPA, and any legacy designation you choose to use, would come immediately after your name, except in the case of a PhD. For example:

Member Name, CPA, MBA
Member Name, CPA, LLB
Member Name, PhD, CPA

What areas does tagging apply to?
Tagging rules apply to all representations of your professional credentials. Here are examples of instances that do not comply with the tagging rules:

A charitable website which identifies a Board member with the following language: “Alex is a chartered accountant in Regina”;
Signage outside a business which states the firm name, followed by “Certified General Accountants” or any other legacy designation;
Language suggesting you still hold a legacy designation. For example, a former CGA named Julie MacDonald can tag as “Julie MacDonald, CPA, CGA,” but cannot describe herself as “a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Certified General Accountant.”

No professional accountant in Saskatchewan is currently a Certified General Accountant, Chartered Accountant or Certified Management Accountant, and has not been since 2014.
The same principle applies to how you identify yourself descriptively. For instance, your website might say: “Kevin has been a CMA for over twenty years, holding increasingly senior roles.” This is not accurate and would need to be changed, as you are not currently a CMA.

A better description might be, “Kevin is a CPA who has held increasingly senior roles, having earned his CMA designation over twenty years ago,” or “Kevin is a former CMA, now a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) who has held increasingly senior roles throughout the twenty years of his career.”

Is this rule for Saskatchewan alone?
Each provincial CPA body has its own rules regarding tagging. In Quebec, for instance, legacy designations are no longer permitted. Other provinces either provide the option to tag or still require legacy tagging.

How can I request a change to my tagging?
If you wish to update your tagging, please go to the member portal and follow the prompts to have CPA Saskatchewan remove the use of your legacy designation in our online registry, “Find a CPA” and in any correspondence.

Questions?
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns surrounding the use of your CPA designation, please contact our Registration team at registrar@cpask.ca or call (306) 359-0272 for assistance.

Use of Foreign Designations

The completion of a foreign accounting body’s certification program does not ensure that the individual is subject to regulations that are consistent with Saskatchewan’s regulatory standards. Therefore, there is risk of public confusion if a CPASK member fails to use their foreign accounting designation appropriately or if a foreign accounting designation is used by someone who is not a member of CPASK.

CPASK members – A foreign accounting designation may be used by a CPASK member in good standing, provided that the foreign designation is displayed together with, and after, the Canadian CPA designation. If the member chooses to display a foreign designation, they must also show the jurisdiction where the authority to use the non-Canadian accounting designation was granted.

For example:
Acceptable – Jane Smith, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois)
Not acceptable – Jane Smith, CPA, CA, CPA (US) – US state boards grant the US CPA designation; therefore, the applicable state is the correct jurisdiction to display.
Acceptable – Mary Jones, CPA, CGA, ACCA (UK)
Not acceptable – Mary Jones, ACCA (UK)

Non-CPASK members – An individual holding a foreign accounting designation who is not a member of CPASK is not permitted to display that foreign designation after their name to signify membership with a professional accounting organization while working in SK, regardless of whether the jurisdiction is displayed.

For example:
Not acceptable – Robert Smith, CA (New Zealand)
Not acceptable – Robert Smith, CA
Not acceptable – Tracy Lee, CPA (Illinois)
Not acceptable – David Jones, CPA (Alberta)
Not acceptable – Lisa Chan, ACCA (UK)
Not acceptable – Lisa Chan, ACCA

However, the individual may refer to their foreign accounting credentials in the body of their resumé or in their biography on a firm or company website, provided that any such reference is factually correct.

We are aware that some organizations are listing the names and foreign designations of foreign-designated staff in their firm or company directories. Please note it is only appropriate to list foreign designations for staff members who are also members of CPASK, and the disclosure of these designations must comply with the requirements noted above.

Use of Non-CPA Accounting Designations

Any individual who is not a CPA member (i.e., non-member) holding themselves out to be a professional accountant and/or to have an accounting designation from a regulated profession is not permitted to display that designation after their name to imply membership as a CPA in Saskatchewan.

For example:
Not acceptable – Robert Smith, CGPA
Not acceptable – Tracy Lee, PBA
Not acceptable – David Jones, RPAC

However, the individual may refer to their accounting credentials in the body of their resumé or in their biography on a firm or company website, provided that any such reference is factually correct.

We are aware that some organizations are listing the names and accounting designations of non-CPA designated staff in their firm or company directories. Please note it is only appropriate to list professional accounting designations for staff members who are also members of CPASK, and the disclosure of these designations must comply with the requirements noted above.

A final note: Our legislation provides for the protection of the CPA designation, and we rely on members and firms to be vigilant with regard to its use. The Find a CPA Member feature available on our website may be used to confirm an individual's membership with CPA Saskatchewan. If you come across a non-member using the CPA designation in Saskatchewan, or using an accounting designation that may imply they are a CPASK member, please email CPA Saskatchewan at registrar@cpask.ca so that appropriate action can be taken.