Small Business
AICPA and Small Business Administration Form Alliance
As part of this collaboration, the AICPA will be able to direct CPAs whose clients are confronting federal regulatory compliance or enforcement challenges to designated SBA Office of the National Ombudsman (ONO) contacts for assistance in resolving ...
Jun. 25, 2018
The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) has joined forces with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help CPAs advise and advocate for small businesses seeking relief from undue regulatory burdens.
As part of this collaboration, the AICPA will be able to direct CPAs whose clients are confronting federal regulatory compliance or enforcement challenges to designated SBA Office of the National Ombudsman (ONO) contacts for assistance in resolving the issues. ONO helps small businesses when they experience excessive or unfair regulatory enforcement actions, such as repetitive audits or investigations, excessive fines, penalties, threats, retaliation or other unfair enforcement action by a federal agency.
The agreement also provides opportunities for representatives of the AICPA and SBA to speak at each other’s events, while the SBA will encourage the AICPA to attend National Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Hearings and Regional Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Roundtables hosted by ONO. The SBA will also make ONO publications available to AICPA members.
“CPAs play a key role in the small business community as trusted business advisors,” said Carl Peterson, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA’s vice president of small firm interests. “This strategic alliance between the SBA and AICPA will provide our members with the latest tools and resources when they or their small business clients have concerns regarding regulatory enforcement.”
The agreement with the SBA renews a previous collaboration between the two organizations that began in 2008. The AICPA and SBA have a shared goal of fostering conditions to help small businesses grow and thrive.
“Our partnership with the AICPA will enable the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman to further expand our reach to, and impact upon, an even greater number of CPAs who could benefit from our assistance,” said Mina Wales, the SBA’s Deputy National Ombudsman.
For more information, visit the AICPA’s U.S. Small Business Administration Resource Center.