2021 Georgia Code
Title 43 - Professions and Businesses
Chapter 3 - Accountants
§ 43-3-17. Renewal of Firm License

1. In each renewal year, each firm licensed in this state pursuant to Code Section 43-3-16 which has issued an attest or compilation report within the 24 months preceding the date of expiration of the firm's license shall submit, with the application for renewal, evidence of satisfactory completion of a board approved peer review within the 36 months preceding the date of such firm's license expiration. Satisfactory completion shall mean that the firm has undergone the entire peer review process and that the report of the peer review indicates that the firm maintains acceptable standards of competence and integrity in the practice of public accountancy. Firms which have not issued an attest or compilation report within the 24 months preceding the date of the firm's license expiration shall submit written confirmation of such fact with the application for the firm's license renewal. The board may waive or modify the requirements of this subsection in cases of hardship or other such circumstances which the board deems appropriate. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the practice of an enrolled agent before the federal Internal Revenue Service or the Department of Revenue if the enrolled agent is not otherwise engaged in the practice of public accountancy in this state.
2. No firm shall be licensed in this state which shall have failed to comply with the provisions of this Code section, applicable requirements of law, and rules or regulations promulgated by the board.
3. This Code section shall be construed to apply only to firms required to be licensed under this chapter.

(Code 1981, §43-3-23.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1616, § 3; Code 1981, §43-3-23, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1545, § 3; Code 1981, §43-3-17, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2014, p. 136, § 1-2/HB 291.)

The 2014 amendment, effective July 1, 2014, redesignated former Code Section 43-3-23 as present Code Section 43-3-17; in subsection (a), substituted "firm's license" for "firm's registration" throughout, in the first sentence, substituted "licensed in this state pursuant to Code Section 43-3-16 which has issued an attest" for "registered in the state pursuant to Code Section 43-3-21 which has issued an audit, review,", substituted "license shall" for "registration must", and deleted "program" following "peer review", in the third sentence, substituted "issued an attest" for "issued an audit, review," and substituted "shall submit" for "must submit", and, in the last sentence, substituted "public accountancy" for "public accounting"; in subsection (b), substituted "licensed in this state" for "registered in the state", and substituted "Code section, applicable requirements of law, and rules or regulations" for "Code section and all applicable requirements of laws and rules"; and, in subsection (c), substituted "licensed" for "registered", in the first sentence, and deleted the former second sentence, which read: "Nothing contained in this Code section shall prohibit any person from operating under the provisions of subsection (b) of Code Section 43-3-36."

- Former Code Section 43-3-23.1, relating to renewal of registration, was redesignated as Code Section 43-3-23 by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1545, § 3, effective July 1, 1998.

Former Code Section 43-3-23, based on Code 1933, § 84-209, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 1063, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 123, § 10, relating to registration of certified public accountant offices and resident managers, was repealed by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1545, § 2, effective July 1, 1998.

This Code section formerly pertained to temporary registered public accountant certificates. The former Code section was based on Code 1933, § 84-205, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 1063, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 559, § 10, and was repealed by Ga. L. 1989, p. 1098, § 6, effective July 1, 1989.