Hiring guide
How to verify a CPA license
Check a CPA license with the state board of accountancy or NASBA CPAverify, and use the IRS preparer directory for credentials the IRS lists. A directory profile is not that lookup.
This is educational information about how to hire, not tax advice. It does not tell you what to file, what you owe, or how to answer the IRS. Reading it does not create a client relationship with CPA Seek or with any CPA in the directory.
A listing is not a license lookup
A CPA Seek profile can show a license state and number when the listing has them. Some rows come from public IRS preparer records and have no state license number until the person claims the profile and submits one. Read the line, then confirm it with the office that issued the credential. About CPA Seek explains what a verified badge does and does not mean.
The state board of accountancy
A CPA license is issued by a state board of accountancy, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory. The IRS describes that path on Understanding tax return preparer credentials and qualifications. Ask which state issued the license, then use that board's own lookup. A license in one state is not automatically a license in the client's state. The letters CPA, with no state and no number, are not a record you can check. A firm name that includes CPA is not the same fact as a person who holds the license.
NASBA CPAverify
NASBA publishes CPAverify so a person can look up CPA license status across participating boards. Use it yourself. CPA Seek does not query CPAverify or copy its records. Its terms prohibit robots, scrapers, and aggregating the content. A CPAverify result is a check you run. It is not a badge this directory can turn on.
The IRS preparer directory and a PTIN
The IRS maintains a Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications. Choosing a tax professional describes it. The directory includes people with credentials the IRS recognizes, and Annual Filing Season Program participants. The IRS says unlisted preparers may still prepare a return, so absence is not, by itself, a finding. A preparer tax identification number, described on PTIN requirements, lets someone prepare a federal return for pay. It is not a CPA license and not an enrolled-agent credential.
The longer check, with the same IRS source, is how to check a CPA or preparer before hiring.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I verify a CPA license?
Use the board of accountancy in the state that issued the license, or NASBA CPAverify for participating boards. Ask for the state and the license number first. A directory profile is not that lookup.
Does CPA Seek pull CPAverify records?
No. CPAverify is a lookup you use yourself. CPA Seek does not scrape it or aggregate its content. A license-verified badge on a profile, when present, is a check against a state source on the date shown, not a CPAverify import.
Does the IRS directory prove someone is a CPA?
No. The IRS directory lists several credentials, including CPAs, enrolled agents, and attorneys, plus Annual Filing Season Program records. Being listed is a credential you can try to match to a state board. Not being listed is not, by itself, a finding. A PTIN is not a CPA license.
What if the profile has no license number?
Treat that as missing information, not as proof either way. Unclaimed rows from IRS preparer records omit the state license number until the person claims the listing and submits one. Confirm the credential with the issuing board before you rely on the title.