Public Notice: Chartered Practising Accountants of Canada (CGPA Canada): Second to None Nationwide

Guest Writer
Jun 1
5 min read

Updated: Jun 1

CGPA Canada proudly stands as a fully independent, federally recognized professional accountancy body—second to none nationwide.

We are not affiliated with, related to, or endorsed by CPA Canada or its provincial affiliates, including CPABC, CPAYT, and CPASK—nor do we require such affiliation. Recent actions and public statements by these bodies—which continue to operate under a significant nationwide deficit despite having over 210,000 members—only underscore the systemic challenges they face, including declining membership and the diminishing relevance of their outdated, fragmented structures.

In contrast, CGPA Canada offers a unified, internationally aligned pathway to public practice under federal law, with a single membership, global mobility, and compliance with international standards such as IFRS, IAASB, and IFAC IES 8.

CGPA Canada: Nationally Independent. Globally Aligned. Professionally Accountable.

The Chartered Practising Accountants of Canada (CGPA Canada) stands as Canada’s premier national body for chartered practising accountants—second to none nationwide, including in comparison to provincial CPA bodies such as CPABC, CPA Yukon (CPAYT), CPA Saskatchewan (CPASK), and others.

CGPA Canada offers a unified, federal, and globally recognized designation for public practice, taxation, audit, and financial reporting professionals. Unlike fragmented provincial systems, CGPA Canada empowers members to practise across Canada and internationally under a single membership, aligned with international standards (IFRS, IAS, IFAC IES 8) and governed by a transparent and modern regulatory framework.

CGPA Canada members are fully qualified accountants, trained and licensed to provide audit, review, compilation, taxation, and advisory services in accordance with internationally accepted assurance and ethical standards, with no need for redundant provincial registrations or duplicative fees.

With its streamlined national approach, international recognition, and commitment to public interest and practitioner mobility, CGPA Canada is the Diamond Standard for Chartered Practising Accountants across the country and beyond.

CGPA Canada: Nationally Independent. Internationally Aligned. Second to None.

The Chartered Global Practising Accountants of Canada (CGPA Canada) is a federally incorporated regulatory and professional body operating under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (NFP Act), and fully recognized and accredited by the Provincial Government of BC (PTAct).

CGPA Canada proudly serves as the national chartered body for Chartered Practising Accountants, offering globally recognized certification, regulatory oversight, public practice licensing, and continuing professional development for accountants and finance professionals across Canada and beyond.

Clarification on Regulatory Authority and Practice Rights

It is important to clarify the following facts:

CGPA Canada is not affiliated with, related to, or endorsed by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC), the Chartered Professional Accountants of Yukon (CPAYT), the Chartered Professional Accountants of Saskatchewan (CPASK), or CPA Canada — nor do we require any affiliation or endorsement from a CPA body currently operating under a significant nationwide deficit.
CGPA Canada members are fully authorized to practise as fully qualified accountants in British Columbia, Yukon, Saskatchewan or elsewhere in Canada under federal authority. They are not required to hold membership with CPABC, CPAYT or CPASK, etc. in order to lawfully offer professional accounting, tax, audit, review, or compilation services.

Misleading and False Statements by CPABC, CPAYT, CPASK, etc.

CGPA Canada is aware of multiple false, misleading, and legally questionable assertions made by CPABC, CPAYT and CPASK, etc. on their websites and in public materials. These include unfounded claims regarding CGPA Canada’s legal authority, status, and scope of practice.

To be unequivocally clear:

CGPA Canada is a chartered professional accountancy body under Canadian federal law, officially listed in the Government of Canada’s Certified Institution Registry, alongside CPA Canada and its provincial affiliates. This federal recognition affirms CGPA Canada’s legitimacy and equivalency within Canada’s accounting ecosystem.
We are fully authorized to provide accredited postgraduate education and to certify professionals in public practice.
CGPA Canada is fully recognized by the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training under the Private Training Act, confirming its exempt status as a professional body providing non-career training programs.
CGPA Canada regulates its own members, students, and public practitioners under a comprehensive professional framework rooted in international standards (IFRS, IAASB, IFAC IES 8).
CGPA Canada offers its own certifications, examinations, and public practice licences, authorizing qualified members to provide audit, review, compilation, and related assurance services within the bounds of applicable law.
CGPA Canada has played a pivotal role in reshaping modern Canadian accountancy standards, particularly in areas where legacy CPA structures have stagnated, including U.S. PCAOB-aligned audit regulations, global tax compliance, and digital financial reporting.

Legal Right to Practise Without CPABC, CPAYT, CPASK, etc. Affiliation

CGPA Canada members are lawfully entitled to use the designation "Chartered Practising Accountant" (CGPA), and to:

Offer audit engagements performed in accordance with CGPA Canada’s audit and assurance standards;
Perform review or compilation engagements, issue assurance or certification reports, or provide financial opinions based on CGPA’s financial reporting framework;
Describe themselves as fully qualified accountants or Chartered Practising Accountant, provided they do not falsely claim membership in CPABC, CPAYT or CPASK or use restricted titles such as “Chartered Professional Accountant” (CPA) without concurrent membership.

The CPA Act does not give CPABC, CPAYT or CPASK, etc. exclusive control over the accounting and audit profession in BC, Yukon or elsewhere. Federal legislation, such as the NFP Act and Private Training Act British Columbia (PTAct), provide a clear and independent legal basis for CGPA Canada to license and regulate its members.

CGPA Canada: Advancing a Modern, Independent Profession

CGPA Canada does not seek to "compete" with or "regulate" the CPA profession. We have no interest in intervening in the decline or internal issues of the CPA designation in BC, Yukon, Saskatchewan or nationally.

Instead, CGPA Canada is building a forward-looking, globally respected profession that emphasizes:

Transparent regulation;
Practical education;
Global mobility;
Public protection;
Professional diversity.

We respectfully invite CPABC, CPAYT, and CPASK to refrain from making misleading representations about CGPA Canada and its members. Their ongoing attempts to monopolize the accounting profession through misinformation only underscore the growing irrelevance of their outdated structures—which continue to operate under a significant nationwide deficit despite having over 210,000 members.

Final Note

The right to practise accounting in Canada is not the monopoly of any one organization. CGPA Canada remains firmly committed to:

Defending the rights of its members to practise freely and lawfully across Canada;
Upholding international standards of financial reporting, audit, and ethics;
Promoting access, innovation, and integrity in the Canadian accounting profession.