Interested in becoming a member of CSATP?

Membership has many privileges and annual dues are quite reasonable. Read the information on this page, and if you qualify, click the link at the bottom to download a printable application form that you can mail or fax to us with your payment.

Requirements:

There are four basic categories of membership in CSATP.

Active Member. To be an active member you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be enrolled to practice before the IRS.
  
  
• Possess a valid license as a Public Accountant or Certified Public Accountant.
  
  
• Possess an associate or baccalaureate degree with a minimum of 24 semester hours in accounting.
  
  
• Be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Accountancy & Taxation.
  
  
• Be registered by the California Tax Education Council.
  
  
• Have a minimum of five years of bookkeeping experience in public practice.

If you do not qualify for membership as an active member, you could consider becoming an Associate Member. Associate Members must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be a partner/sole practitioner in an accounting/tax practice but do not meet any of the requirements for Active Membership.
  
  
• Be an employee of an accounting/tax practice firm
  
  
• Be employed in government, a financial institution, private sector business or nonprofit entity, with primary duties in the field of accountancy

Additionally, you can get an Educator Associate Membership if you are an instructor or teacher of accounting at an accredited university or community college, or a Student Membership if you are enrolled full-time in an accounting degree program at an accredited university or community college.

Dues:

Annual dues for Active Membership are $110.00; for Associate Membership, $70.00; for Educator Associate Membership $70.00; and for Retired/Non-practicing Membership $50.00. Dues are payable in full in advance.

Click here for an application.

Benefits:

There are many benefits available to the CSATP member. The ones that are usually cited as most valuable are our educational programs, our bimonthly newsletter, and the numerous networking opportunities.

CSATP offers many seminars that qualify for Continuing Professional Education credit, making them very useful to professionals (such as CPAs and EAs) who need CPE credits to maintain their certified status. These classes are offered at both the chapter level and statewide, and are given by highly-qualified instructors on pertinent and challenging topics. The high quality and low cost of our education is often enough in itself to make up the price of membership. Many of these classes are available at no extra charge; others are given at extremely competitive, discounted rates. (Note: all CSATP educational programs meet the requirements of the California State Board of Accountancy's Education Rule 88C, the Accreditation Council for Accountancy & Taxation, the California Tax Education Council and the IRS as programs which qualify for credit under continuing education.)

The Monitor is published bimonthly and distributed free of charge to all CSATP members. (Some chapters also publish their own newsletters on a monthly or quarterly basis.) Its purpose is to keep our members informed about relevant news, including modifications to the tax code, important court decisions, and the legislative battle being waged in this state over the Universal Accounting Act. Every issue also includes a Focus section, which provides useful information and statistics on a variety of topics, ranging from online investing to automotive depreciation. Go to the Accounting News section of this site to read some articles from past Monitors. Or, e-mail us and we'll send you a copy of the last issue - we think you'll be favorably impressed.

Networking is one of the keys to success for anyone, but especially for professionals. At chapter meetings and our annual conventions, you have the opportunity to meet and get to know hundreds of other tax and accounting professionals, a gold mine of chances to make and get referrals, share tips and experiences, and receive input on particularly problems you might have run across. Nor do the networking benefits stop within our field, since many of our members deal regularly with other professionals from all walks of life. You can easily find a recommendation of a doctor, lawyer, or financial consultant you can trust, or send some business to a professional acquaintance of your own, leading to some reciprocity down the road.

The benefits listed above already more than justify the relatively small investment in a CSATP Membership, but the good things don't stop there. Members also get a free classified ad in The Monitor, a listing on our web site's Member Directory, and most importantly, representation at the state legislative level to defend their right to practice in California. We plan in the near future to expand our benefit program to include discounts on software, publications, and insurance.

We at CSATP feel that our organization offers excellent value for your money, and believe we have a bright future before us. We will continue to strive to reach our goals as the only truly comprehensive accounting society in California, and we hope you will be with us as we sail on into a new century.

Click here to send e-mail a request for more information, a copy of The Monitor, or to present any questions or comments you might have.