Hey, Bombata. Try Colorado. If you meet 150-hours, you'll be able to get CPA license (not certificate) without work experience. Make sure you have the required accounting courses. Having an MBA may not fulfill the requirement. You will need Financial Accounting, taxation and business law. MBA may fulfill general business course requirements. Anyway, if you meet 150-hour requirement, you'll get your license without any work experience.

As far as CPE requirement, CPE is reuqired to be in "Active" status. Active means, you can promote yourself as CPA. You may also elect inactive status; that will require disclosure of Inactive status.

Check www.nasba.org for details.

good luck

• Fourth, you must have one year of experience in public accounting, under the direct supervision of an actively licensed Certified Public Accountant, or experience that the Board deems to be equivalent. The experience must be gained 5 years before or after passing the Uniform CPA Examination.

As an alternative to the one-year experience, you may opt to qualify for a certificate by meeting a higher education requirement. (See Chapter 2.5 of the Rules of the Colorado State Board of Accountancy.)

(from http://www.dora.state.co.us/Accountants/requirements.htm),

But now I understand i donīt have to meet those, if i meet the higher education requirement, which i believe i will. Thanks.

The problem with Colorado is this:

C. Inactive Status The certificate holder is not required to comply with continuing education requirements to renew an inactive status certificate or has not reported sufficient continuing education on the renewal application. A certificate holder with a certificate in inactive status is prohibited by law from holding out as a C.P.A., as defined in Rule 1.1.M,

(http://www.dora.state.co.us/Accountants/Rules.pdf)

I believe that while living outside the US it will be hard to meet the CPE requirements, so I guess that throws out Colorado (if i am mistaken please let me know)...

I have now come up with Ohio as a fairly good choice, but I am not sure if I would have to be a Resident of Ohio to receive the certificate or if -as a foreigner - would be exempt. Again those American legal texts (not saying that German ones are any better) are just unbearable to the layman.

Further suggestions would be highly appreciated...

Thanks,

Jason