While you do not NEED to hire an accountant with a CPA, I would strongly recommended it. let me put it this way, you do not NEED to send your car to qualified mechanic to get fixed, you could get your friend to do it and they may or may not have the skill to do the job properly, it is hit and miss

CPA qualification is additional qualification beyond simply completing an accounting degree. Even once a candidate has gained CPA certification, they must complete ongoing development to maintain there certification. This will ensure your accountant is up to date with the last thinking, accounting policies etc. Further more from my experience CPA qualified accountants tend to be able to provide a more holistic view of your business and are able to look beyond you balance sheet. Personally i would not use, or employ an accountant without CPA qualifications

Hi there, It really depends on what you are looking for and how complex your structure of your business is setup.  I am making the presumption that you are looking to have an accountant wrap up your year end and tax on an annual basis.

I would always strongly suggest a CA/CPA qualified accountant if your business is setup in a "series of structures".  If you run a busiess which has one structure and your accounts are not that complicated, it may not be necessary.  Remember the IPA is an institute which focuses on small and medium businesses. 

Many accountants specialize in the tax and compliance world.  If you are looking for more support to grow your business, you need to look for an accountant that regularily works in this area - not just says it on their website. 

I agree with Neil's response, however, what he has failed to mention is that there are two major accounting designations in Australia - CPA and CA.  These days they are both similar in their capabilities and qualifications with both required to undertake post University training to get the designation and both require ongoing professional development.

What that means to you is that you will be dealing with an accountant who has up-to-date training and knowledge as well as the ethical and professional requirements of their relevant association. You should be able to rely on the quality of a CPA or CA, although like all industries there are the good ones and the not so good ones. 

I would say that it very much depends on the role that the client is looking to fill and the size and budget of the client's business.  What does "anonymous" want the accountant to do?  Is it a matter of a small business hiring someone to do bank reconciliations and run reports?  Or is it a large business requiring budgets and board reporting?  Or is it a matter of finding an external accountant to provide advice and tax reporting?

CPAs and CAs usually are expensive to hire, so you would want them to be filling a role that their qualifications justify.  You wouldn't want them in a role that a bookkeeper could perform.

Good Point Amanda,  Both CPA and CA qulifactions are woth considering.  I guess it depends what you are looking for. I am not an accountant myself, but i do deal with them on a daily basis, and have some work with me. From my experience CA qualified accountants tend to be speciailised in a certain area of finance, wihile CPA qualified accounats tend to be more genralist and have a more holistic view of how a business runs.