A CPA, or Certified Public Accountant, is a licensed accountant who has been certified by the American Insitute of Certified Public Accountants. A CPA has a bachelor's degree in a field like accounting, finance, or business, two or more years experience in public accounting, has passed a certified accounting exam, and must complete continuing education every year.

While a CPA can perform tasks similarly to a non-CPA accountant, such as filing tax returns and preparing financial statements, they can also perform specialty tasks that a non-CPA-licenced accountant cannot. Specifically, a CPA can prepare financial