Protecting the regulation of the accounting profession (HB 66)

The massive Ohio biennial budget proposal, HB 66, included a provision seeking to eliminate the autonomy of the Accountancy Board of Ohio (ABO) by removing its status as an independent licensing body and replacing it with one under which it would be consolidated with several others under the Ohio Department of Commerce. The change would increase bureaucracy, bog down its ability to protect the public, and limiting its ability to respond quickly to key industry needs and changes. Strongly opposed by The Ohio Society of CPAs and its members, legislators agreed with the facts as presented: the Ohio ABO is often held out as a nationally recognized regulatory leader of the profession, has one of the most aggressive disciplinary records among all states, and is fully self-supporting. The provision was removed from HB 66 in June 2005 before the legislation was signed into law.

More information:

• House Bill 66

Ongoing success

• Commercial Activity Tax: Keeping the base broad and rate low
• Interstate practice issues; state-to-state license mobility
• Sales tax on services

2007

• Modification to Ohio’s tax code (Sub. HB 157)
• Changes to title agency review rules (Sub. HB 157)
• Further uniformity to Ohio’s municipal income tax collection methods (Sub. HB 224)
• Improving the internal audit function of Ohio Executive Branch (Sub. HB 166)
• Ohio Government Audit Work Paper Public Record Issue

2006

• Title agency review rules
• Ohio government audit work paper public record issue
• Audit work paper confidentiality (HB 9)
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley privacy notification exemption (SB 2856)
• Ohio income tax residency requirements; increase in contact periods (HB 73)
• Statute of limitations for tax collection (HB 390)
• ORC and IRC uniformity regarding treatment of charitable pension distributions (HB 699)
• Ohio attorney general rules impacting charitable entities
• Data breach legislation (HB 104)

2005

• Tax reform (HB 66)
• Protecting the regulation of the accounting profession (HB 66)
• Improving Ohio’s legal environment (SB 80)

2004

• Agreed upon rules and procedures for nonprofit child caring agencies
• Elimination of licensed professionals from independent contractor classification (HB 200)

2003

• Municipal income tax reform (HB 95)
• Tort reform; limiting abusive lawsuits (SB 120)