Firm Management
.CPA Website Domain Names Now Available to Canadian Firms
The .cpa domain service was first launched by the AICPA in the United States in September last year and has received a high degree of interest from firms of all sizes. To date, thousands of .cpa domains have been registered by U.S. CPAs and firms, ...
Oct. 27, 2021
Licensed CPAs and CPA firms in Canada can soon apply for .cpa web domains to enhance their brand positioning in the digital world and promote greater trust and security with clients in online communications. The restricted web domain, which is administered by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and its business and technology arm, CPA.com, officially launches in Canada at 11 a.m. Eastern time on Nov. 2. To be eligible, Canadian CPAs and CPA firms must be licensed.
The .cpa domain service was first launched by the AICPA in the United States in September last year and has received a high degree of interest from firms of all sizes. To date, thousands of .cpa domains have been registered by U.S. CPAs and firms, ranging from sole practitioners to a majority of the top 500 U.S. accounting firms.
“Restricted domains are more secure, promote greater trust and credibility with clients and the general public, and enable stronger branding opportunities,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. “We’ve seen great interest and creativity in the types of domains that CPAs have sought since the service began last year. We look forward to bringing this important capability for the CPA profession to Canada as we end 2021 and we’ll be launching it in more countries in 2022.”
Many firms have been strategic in the names they’ve pursued, securing shorter, more relevant .cpa domains that best suits their brand, rather than settling for whatever remaining .com addresses are available.
“When our third-party vendors or clients are receiving our emails, they know it’s a legit email with .cpa,” said Tracee Buethner, CPA, a partner with Widmer Roel, a firm based in Fargo, N.D., that secured wr.cpa. “While firm leaders were most excited about the brand development opportunities, the trust and security that come with the adoption of a .CPA domain has been equally important in practice.”
The AICPA was awarded ownership and oversight of .cpa in 2019 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that oversees the Internet’s naming system. CPA.com is responsible for managing the service globally.
To learn more about .cpa or to apply for the new service, please visit domains.cpa/canada.