AICPA launches CPA Trust campaign to boost profession’s public image

The AICPA has launched a multiyear CPA Trust campaign, putting national cable, digital media and social platforms behind a simple argument: the profession needs the public to see CPAs as more than tax preparers. The effort comes as Big Four firms keep pressing on the same fault line, trying to recruit enough young accountants while explaining why the CPA license still matters in audit, tax and advisory work.

The campaign went live June 9 in Las Vegas with the slogan “CPA: Where Trust Meets Expertise.” A flagship commercial is set to run in June during Squawk Box, Fox & Friends and Morning Joe, backed by a digital media partnership and targeted paid social. The AICPA says the push is designed to close a gap in understanding, since many Americans still associate CPAs mainly with filing taxes even though the credential reaches across audit, financial reporting, financial planning, risk management, valuation and business strategy.

Sue Coffey, the AICPA’s CEO of Public Accounting, framed the campaign as an effort to deepen recognition of the profession’s full range and value, and to show that CPAs help businesses and individuals make smarter and safer decisions. Mark Koziel, the group’s president and CEO, said the campaign will tell the story of the profession and why the CPA is the most trusted business adviser. The AICPA says trust is not a branding exercise alone. It is built into licensing, ethics, oversight and expertise, and the campaign was developed with state CPA societies to build demand among business leaders, families and individuals.

For KPMG, that message lands directly in the middle of day-to-day staffing and client work. The firm has said clients expect people on audits to be CPAs and that earning the license drives audit quality. It has also warned how hard the pipeline has become, calling the CPA exam notoriously difficult and noting that about half of candidates pass each section. To help, KPMG has promoted a refreshed CPA Center, mentoring and a $3 million CPA Kickstart program for new hires.

The pressure on licensure is not new. KPMG became the first Big Four firm to publicly advocate for alternative pathways to CPA licensure on October 9, 2024, arguing that reducing the 150-hour burden could widen the pipeline without weakening trust. It said at least 13 states were considering legislative changes in 2025. That broader backdrop is why the AICPA’s campaign reads as more than public relations: it is an attempt to shore up recruiting, retention and confidence in a profession that still depends on a shrinking supply of new entrants.

The AICPA’s Trends report, published since 1971 and every two years since 2009, has tracked enrollments, graduations and CPA Exam candidates for years. The trust campaign is the latest sign that the profession sees its image problem and its talent problem as the same problem.