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High demand, low supply: How Georgia is addressing the nationwide accountant shortage

5/12/25

By: James G. Bozza

Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are increasingly rare despite their provision of essential professional services to businesses. The quantity of CPAs has largely stagnated over the last decade despite the substantial increase in national GDP and the number of students enrolled in accounting coursework at U.S. universities continues to decline. Demand for professional accounting services is present, so where are the CPAs? 

Many, including the Georgia Society of CPAs, attribute the shortage in part to the difficulty associated with becoming a CPA. At present, Georgia requires 150 total university credit hours with 30 hours in accounting above the introductory level and 24 credit hours in business related subjects. Other prerequisites include 1 year of continuous qualifying experience and passing all four parts of the Uniform CPA exam.    

Georgia legislators recognize the problem and are joining a handful of other states in attempting to address it. House Bill 148 passed the Georgia legislature unanimously on April 10, 2025 and currently awaits Governor Brian Kemp’s signature. HB 148 adds two pathways to become a CPA: (1) obtaining a master’s degree in accounting or taxation and one year of practical experience or (2) acquiring a bachelor’s degree in accounting and two years of accounting experience. It also simplifies the process for CPAs in other states to work in Georgia.  

Should Governor Kemp sign the Bill, Georgia will join Ohio, Utah and Virginia in adding alternative pathways to become a CPA. While the ways to become a CPA may change in the near future, professional liability laws remain the same.   

The accounting profession requires strict adherence to the applicable legal and ethical standards of care, and FMG’s professional liability team is here to help clients navigate their compliance and missteps should they occur. Contact FMG attorneys Scott Anderson or James Bozza for more information.   

Information conveyed herein should not be construed as legal advice or represent any specific or binding policy or procedure of any organization. Information provided is for educational purposes only. These materials are written in a general format and not intended to be advice applicable to any specific circumstance. Legal opinions may vary when based on subtle factual distinctions. All rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced, published or posted without the written permission of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP.