Aren’t CPAs and accountants the same thing? 　　All CPAs are accountants but not all accountants are CPAs. In many states, anyone can call himself/herself an “accountant.” In order to become a CPA almost all states require that an individual meet educational, experience and ethical requirements and pass the Uniform CPA Examination. Only then are individuals granted licenses to practice by state boards of accountancy. Also, only CPAs can perform the mandatory audits of all publicly traded U.S. companies.