Policies and Procedures

The South Dakota CPA Society Board of Directors has approved the programs, fees, and the following policies and procedures. All courses are designed to meet the requirements of the South Dakota Board of Accountancy. There are no continuing education requirements for membership in the South Dakota CPA Society. However, there are CPE requirements for licensees in the state as well as for members of the AICPA.

SDCPAS is in compliance with the CPE rules required by the SD Board of Accountancy.

Registration

Registrations are accepted at any time. All courses require prepayment and there is a $50 late fee for registrations postmarked after the date published with each course. Deadlines are approximately three weeks prior to the course presentation dates. Online, mail, fax, and phone registrations are accepted.

Payment Methods

CPE may be paid by cash, check or credit card. The Society accepts VISA, MasterCard and Discover Card. Checks should be made payable to “SDCPAS” or “South Dakota CPA Society”. CPE 40 Certificates and CPE 24 Bundles must be purchased via check.

Computation of Credits

All course hours are based on a 50-minute classroom hour.  A minimum of one CPE credit must be earned initially, but after the first CPE credit has been earned, credits may be earned in a one-fifth or one-half increments.

Attendance and Documentation

After the completion of the course we will send proof of attendance via email for your records. You will need to retain documentation for 4 years. All participants are asked to register their attendance at the course site on signature sheets for in-person events. Participants attending online will be given guidance on how their attendance will be tracked throughout the course. Copies of the participant's attendance are forwarded to the South Dakota Board of Accountancy for their records. The same information will be kept on file at the South Dakota CPA Society office for a period of five calendar years following the calendar year of the course.

The South Dakota CPA Society is an approved CPE sponsor. All documentation of attendance will be sent to the South Dakota Board of Accountancy. There-fore you are not required to submit documentation on courses that you attend through the CPA Society in the event of an audit.

Confirmation and Materials

Approximately three weeks prior to the course date a determination will be made as to whether or not the course will be held. If the program will be held, confirmations will be sent via email to all participants approximately seven days in advance of the course, reminding them of the date, time, course title, and location. If the program will be canceled (most likely due to insufficient number of registrants) an attempt will be made to reach each participant to notify him or her of the cancellation. 

Materials will be offered in an online format only. A link to the materials will be sent out via e-mail to all registrants prior to the program. All materials provided for the events are copyrighted and permission to access/print is granted to the paid participant of the event exclusively. Materials will not be provided to you at the event. Once the materials are sent, no cancellation/transfer/refund is available.  If you do not receive the confirmation and link to the materials five days prior to the course, please contact the Society office. 

In-Person CPE

Registration begins 30 minutes before the program. Eight-hour programs begin at 8:00 am. Breaks are scheduled at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM and are subject to change according to the discussion leader’s preference. 

If special meal arrangements or diet needs are required, please notify the Society office in advance and we will try to accommodate you.

Materials will be offered in PDF format only. No materials will be available to you at the event. SDCPAS will provide you the PDF files of course materials no more than seven days in advance for each scheduled seminar. Should you choose to bring your laptop to the event, a charging station/outlets will be available to use in the conference room. Internet access will be provided in the meeting rooms.

Once the materials are sent, refunds, transfers, and cancellations are not accepted. Electronic materials for events are copyrighted and permission to print is granted to the paid participant of the event exclusively.

As a courtesy to all, cell phones are not allowed in the classroom unless ringers are turned on vibrate or Off.

Cancellation and Substitutions

In Person Programs:

Cancellations made more than seven days prior to the course may be eligible for a full refund.

No refunds on cancellations received seven (7) days or less prior to the course. Registration fees for cancellations received seven days or less prior to the course are nonrefundable.

Transfers received within seven days of the event may be subject to a $50 fee.

You may substitute another individual for your registration. The substitute is subject to the member/nonmember registration fee policy. Please notify SDCPAS of substitutions.

Once electronic course materials (eMaterials) have been sent out cancellations/refunds/transfers are not accepted.

Online Programs:

Online programs (virtual, simulcast and webinars) follow the same cancellation policy as live seminars, once electronic course materials (eMaterials) have been sent out cancellations/refunds/transfers are not accepted. 

Registation links to access the course are intended for the registrant only and should not be shared with others. 

You may substitute another individual for your registration. The substitute is subject to the member/nonmember registration fee policy. Please notify SDCPAS of substitutions.

A registrant who fails to join the scheduled webinar without notifying SDCPAS prior to the start of the webinar will be considered a “no show” and will not be eligible for a refund or transfer.

CPE-40 Certificates:

The CPE 40 certificate allows members or their firm/company to save money by purchasing a block of qualifying 40 CPE hours from the South Dakota CPA Society. CPE 40 Certificates qualify for South Dakota CPA Society sponsored courses – in-person, simulcast, or online. There is a $50 change fee if the course selected is not attended. Substitutions on attendees are allowed at no additional cost.

Once electronic course materials (eMaterials) have been sent out cancellations/refunds/transfers are not accepted.

CPE-24 Bundles:

The CPE 24 bundles allow members or their firm/company to save money by purchasing a block of qualifying 24 CPE hours from the South Dakota CPA Society. CPE 24 bundles qualify for South Dakota CPA Society sponsored courses – in-person, simulcast, or online. There is a $50 change fee if the course selected is not attended. Substitutions on attendees are allowed at no additional cost.

Non-sponsored South Dakota CPA Society courses, webcasts, self-study and on demand do not qualify for the CPE 24 bundle.

Once electronic course materials (eMaterials) have been sent out cancellations/refunds/transfers are not accepted.

Non-Sponsored CPE Courses

Proper documentation is required on all CPE. If you attend non-sponsored courses, you are required to maintain documentation including course title, sponsor, date, credited hours and verification of attendance. A Non-Sponsor CPE Verification Form can be found at sdcpa.org or on the SD Board of Accountancy website. 

Audits

The South Dakota CPA Society is an approved CPE sponsor. All documentation of attendance has been sent to the South Dakota Board of Accountancy. Therefore, you are not required to submit documentation on courses that you attend through the CPA Society in the event of an audit.

Lodging Arrangements

Blocks of sleeping rooms have been reserved for participants on a first-come first-reserved basis and will be released three weeks prior to the course dates by the motels. Please make your sleeping room reservations directly with the motel and tell the reservation staff that you are attending a South Dakota CPA Society presentation in order to receive the quoted rate. If you have difficulty making your motel accommodations, please contact the Society office at 605-334-3848 for assistance.