We asked, you answered: Your Member Engagement Survey results are here

CPA Canada has heard loud and clear:  you want us to lead, to communicate and to engage on the future planning. We take that to heart – after all, serving your needs is our raison d’etre. 

The survey results were encouraging, showing that members want CPA Canada to lead, communicate and continue to engage with them on the future.

We know that Canadian CPAs deeply value and appreciate the value of a national accounting organization. You told us so in an independent poll conducted in January.    

A resounding 89 per cent of members said they believe in the importance of a strong national accounting body. And 91 per cent said they want to be consulted about the future of CPA Canada and the profession. 

OUR PATH FORWARD

These strong results gave us a mandate for further research – to help determine members’ wants and needs from a national organization. In March, an independent survey received more than 12,000 responses, with more than 6,000 CPAs offering to be part of focus groups. 

We learned that most CPAs benefit from membership dues being sponsored by employers. And a significant majority of those with employer-funded memberships believe this support should persist. 

We also heard that a significant majority of members (78 per cent) work in roles that prefer or require a CPA designation, confirming the importance of the role CPA Canada plays in maintaining the integrity of your credentials. 

YOUR VOICE, YOUR PROFESSION

While it was clear that CPAs from coast to coast to coast believe in a strong national body, we wanted to know why: what is it we do that members consider most essential?

You spoke. We listened.

We were heartened to see that the roles for a national body that CPAs consider most important are those that CPA Canada already focuses on providing for members.

Maintaining the CPA brand's integrity (82%)  

There is a clear distinction between our role as the national body and that of the provincial regulators. Our role is to strengthen the profession and support members’ success in their journeys as CPAs. The regulators have a mandate to protect the public.

We work for you.  We advocate on behalf of you. We are accountable to you. As the national body, we are uniquely positioned to do this work in two central ways: 

1. We actively hear from members and lead with impact and influence at the national and international tables.
2. We share the most robust, current and in-depth knowledge from those tables with members through our exclusive guidance research and thought leadership.

National consistency and rigour across standards and education (76%)

Accounting standards are the foundation of the Canadian and international business landscape.

CPA Canada supports the independent standard-setting process across the country by providing the staffing and technical expertise for Canada’s standard-setting boards and oversight councils—as outlined in the recommendations of the Independent Review Committee on Standards Setting.

Keeping CPAs accountable in their work has always been a focus for us. We have a central role in developing a national, uniform precertification process, consistent educational standards and the rigorous Common Final Exam. In addition, we continue to own and steward the intellectual property of the CPA Canada Handbook.  

Our post-certification offerings – from our In-Depth Tax Program to The ONE National Conference – centre on areas where members can truly benefit from our national and international experience. Uniquely, they also offer the opportunity to network with peers and fellow professionals, right across the country.

Membership recognition (64%)  

Becoming a CPA isn’t just a career choice, it’s a membership to a well-respected, borderless and increasingly limitless accounting profession. 

Members told us the value and what it means to be recognized globally as a Canadian CPA and the professional mobility it affords. 

At the global level, professional accountancy organizations collaborate on a nation-to-nation basis – and we take our role in that dialogue very seriously.

CPA Canada is also the national representative for international reciprocity agreements and represents the voice of Canadian CPAs in influential bodies, including the Global Accounting Alliance and the International Federation of Accountants.

Advocacy with national officials (58%)

Tax is just one area where we use our voice at the federal level.

We have been very vocal on the need for tax reform and, given the number of recent tax changes, have successfully lobbied for changes to bare trusts and the underused housing tax. Our advocacy for a comprehensive review of the tax system overall is ongoing, as evidenced in our pre-budget submission.

Through our unique position with federal agencies, including the CRA and Department of Finance, we communicate our recommendations based on member feedback to our multiple committees and input from our provincial territorial and Bermudian partners.

CPA Canada is routinely sought out to represent the profession and members on areas including financial and sustainability reporting, anti-money laundering, audit and assurance, and now, AI governance. We have also appeared before commissions, House of Commons committees and the Supreme Court.

Access to accounting resources (54%) 

CPA Canada champions our members and ensures they always have the information and resources needed to thrive.

Our award-winning thought leadership, research and guidance – including on emerging areas from sustainability to artificial intelligence (AI) – benefits from our national and international perspective and partnerships.

The national standards guidance we provide to members is the exclusive work of a national body. Through our close work with national and international standard-setting boards, we develop and deliver a full range of tools and resources.  

As the accounting profession evolves, we are dedicated to helping trailblaze a diverse, future-proofed path forward for the next generation of accountants. 

BUILDING TOMORROW, TOGETHER

Your feedback is instrumental in our next steps to refine our service offering and increase member value, enhancing flexibility and choice for all Canadian CPAs.

The withdrawal of two of the regulators has presented challenges, but it’s also provided an opportunity to consult with members about how we can best adapt to their ever-evolving needs and our changing global environment.

We are proud of the mandate members have given us and are excited to continue doing this important work on behalf of Canadian CPAs.

Our focus will continue to ensure that we enable and empower Canadian CPAs to be ready to meet the needs of the future and thrive.

We believe that we must build tomorrow… together.