HAR §16-71-24. Permit to practice

(a) Individual permit to practice. For a permit to practice public accountancy, a certified public accountant licensed under section 466-5, HRS, or public accountant licensed under section 466-6, HRS, shall file an application and include an attestation that the §16-71-24 71-21 applicant has fulfilled the continuing professional education requirements specified in subchapter 5. (b) Firm permit to practice. (1) For a permit to practice public accountancy, a firm engaged in public accounting in this State shall file an application listing the principals of the firm (i.e., sole proprietor, partners in a partnership, shareholders of a professional accounting corporation, or members of a limited liability company). (A) As of the date of the application, a foreign or multi-state firm shall list only those principals who are residents of Hawaii or who are engaged in public accounting practice in this State. (B) If the firm has no permanent office in this State, and no principals who are residents of this State or principals who are engaged in public accounting practice in this State, the firm shall list a principal with a current Hawaii individual permit to practice. (C) The Hawaii business operations of a foreign or multi-state firm shall constitute a "firm" for purposes of the firm permit to practice under section 466-7, HRS. (2) For a permit to practice public accountancy, a firm shall also provide its Hawaii general excise tax license number pursuant to section 237-9, HRS, on its application. Failure to provide a Hawaii general excise tax license number shall result in a denial of the firm permit to practice unless the firm attests that it does not and shall not have any gross income for engaging in the practice of public accounting in this State. (3) All principals of a firm physically located in the State or that has a permanent office in the State shall be licensed as certified public accountants or public accountants §16-71-24 71-22 with individual permits to practice under section 466-7, HRS. (4) All foreign or multi-state firms engaged in public accounting practice in this State shall have at least one licensed certified public accountant or public accountant principal (i.e., sole proprietor, partner in a partnership, shareholder of a professional accounting corporation, or member of a limited liability company) with a permit to practice under section 466-7, HRS. (5) The firm permit to practice shall be automatically terminated upon the death or loss of the permit to practice of all principals of a firm. The permit to practice for the firm may be reinstated upon the transfer of shares or membership interests to an individual who holds a permit to practice under section 466-7, HRS, or upon the reinstatement of the permit to practice of the sole proprietor, sole shareholder, or sole member of a limited liability company, as the case may be. [Eff 1/1/74; am and ren §16-71-24, 6/25/81; am and comp 6/8/84; am and comp 10/23/87; comp 2/22/94; comp 6/3/95; comp 1/22/01; am and comp 1/30/10; comp 2/13/12; am and comp 11/27/21] (Auth: HRS §466-4) (Imp: HRS §466-7)