Frequently Asked Questions

PICPA Firm-Sponsored Membership FAQs

• What is Firm-Sponsored Membership?

  PICPA’s Firm-Sponsored Membership gives firms who subsidize the cost of PICPA membership for their staff members an easy and efficient way to renew all memberships annually via one firm invoice. Participating firms and companies receive exclusive benefits as well.

• What are the benefits?

  • Recognition and Prestige. All participating firms will be recognized on the PICPA website, in the fall issue of Pennsylvania CPA Journal, and on various PICPA social media accounts.
  • Easy Annual Renewals. Firms will receive a single invoice for easy dues renewal – no more collecting individual dues notices or processing multiple expense reports!
  • Complimentary Membership for One. Each firm participating in Firm-Sponsored Membership will receive ONE complimentary membership for a Firm Administrator/Firm Liaison. This membership can change from year to year, but can only be adjusted annually.
  • Free Memberships for New Staff after Oct. 1. Firms enrolled in Firm-Sponsored Membership will be able to enroll new members for free after Oct. 1 for the remainder of the fiscal year (through April 30), and those members will automatically roll on to the firm invoice for renewal.
  • And Did You Know… All PICPA members receive up to 16 credits of Complimentary CPE per year!

• What is the annual billing period?

  PICPA’s membership year is May 1 – April 30.

  The Firm-Sponsored Membership renewal period is April 1 – May 31 (May 31 is the final deadline for firm payment submissions before members begin receiving individual dues notices).

• What is the criteria to enroll in the Firm-Sponsored Membership?

  If your firm has five or more PICPA members, the firm is eligible to participate in our Firm-Sponsored Membership program.

• How does annual billing work?

  In early April, participating firms will receive a temporary invoice that lists all PICPA members currently linked to their firms. This will allow firms to review and update the PICPA membership list to reflect the status of current employees. Firms will also receive an application link to easily enroll new employees. Firms will then submit changes to Sara Albert, PICPA firm services manager, who will make necessary adjustments in the PICPA database and process new membership applications. Sara will then send firms a final invoice, and payment is due by May 31.

• Who should be the designated firm contact to handle the invoice?

  The firm contact can be designated at the discretion of the firm, but edits to the firm roster are typically made by a human resources staff member, firm administrator, or office manager. The final payment is made by the accounts payable department.

• What forms of payment do you accept for payment of the firm invoice?

  • Check. Firms can submit a final copy of their invoice along with a firm check to the address on the invoice.

  • Credit Card. Firms can submit a copy of their invoice with the credit card information to the address on the invoice or submit the invoice and credit card information to salbert@picpa.org or call (412) 255-3761 with credit card information.

  • Online Dues Processing.  Firm Administrators (with administrator access) have the ability to process multiple dues payments on the PICPA website.

• Once a firm becomes a Firm-Sponsored Membership firm, is it automatically enrolled for future years?

  Yes. In April, when the first temporary invoice is submitted for revision, firms can opt out of the program if they wish.

• What are the membership dues categories and rates?

  Please visit the Membership Categories & Rates page of the PICPA website for a complete list.

• How can firms enroll new employees throughout the year?

  Nonmembers

  If a new staff member joins the firm following the May 31 deadline for firm invoice payments, the firm can use the Firm-Sponsored Membership application link to enroll the new member. If the employee is not a current PICPA member, he/she will be enrolled in membership, and the firm will be billed for any outstanding dues payments. After Oct. 1, any new members who enroll will receive the rest of the year for free and will automatically roll on to the invoice for renewal the following spring.

  Members

  If a new employee is already a PICPA member and has not paid his/her dues, we can link the staff member to your firm in the PICPA database and submit an invoice to the firm for payment. If the individual is a member and has paid his/her dues, we will simply link him/her to the firm.

• Will PICPA members receive individual dues notices?

  The employees who are linked to firms enrolled in Firm-Sponsored Membership are marked in our database and will not receive any individual dues correspondence until the May 31 firm payment deadline. Once the May 31 deadline has passed, we begin our individual dues outreach to any members with outstanding dues balances.

• How can PICPA members enrolled in the Firm-Sponsored Membership program make an investment in the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation?

  Formerly the PICPA Scholarship Fund, the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation goes beyond scholarship awards, offering support for student events, diversity programs, and other initiatives that fuel the growth of the accounting talent pipeline in Pennsylvania. PICPA members enrolled in the Firm-Sponsored Membership program can make an individual contribution.

• How can PICPA members enrolled in the Firm-Sponsored Membership program make voluntary contributions to the CPA-PAC?

  The CPA-PAC is a nonpartisan, member-managed organization representing the interests of Pennsylvania CPAs in Harrisburg. Members enrolled in the Firm-Sponsored Membership program can make an individual contribution.