Texans can file complaints with your regulator about your practice for a myriad of reasons, from genuine but misplaced concern to a desire for retaliation. How should you react, though, if you get a notice from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy? Refusing to acknowledge a notice can expose you to additional consequences and cause you to waive your right to defend your business.
If you’re contending with a new notice, don’t let the relevant deadlines pass you by. Get in touch with the Texas professional license defense lawyers at Bertolino LLP and stay on top of the accusations threatening your license as an accounting professional. Bertolino LLP keeps experienced attorneys on staff to help professionals like you protect your livelihood and reputation.
Contact us today to secure the professional representation you need to protect your license.
Why Might the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy Send You a Notice?
The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy can take action against the accounting professionals under its jurisdiction if those individuals are accused of engaging in:
- Violations of the standard of care or other misconduct
- Fraud
- Bad faith conduct
- Gross negligence
- Breaches of client confidentiality
All parties under the watchful eye of this Board can also, according to Public Accountancy Act §901.502, face professional consequences if convicted of felony crimes or accused of conduct indicating lack of fitness to be an accounting professional.
How to Respond to a Notice
You will receive written notification of an investigation into your business’s conduct if the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy has the grounds to believe that you violated its rules or the Public Accountancy Act. If you receive a notification, don’t disregard it.
The notification you receive gives you the chance to defend yourself against the accusations brought against you. Your response to those allegations dictates how the Board addresses your case moving forward. It’s in your best interest to work with an experienced license defense lawyer when composing your response to address any legal arguments, raise important evidentiary points, and keep the response professional, courteous, straightforward and well-written.
Upon receiving your response, the Board will submit your case to one of its enforcement committees, at which point the committee will evaluate the complaint brought against you. You can expect a committee to recommend what course of action to take based on the validity of the complaint and the nature of your response to that initial notification.
You can often expect a committee to try to arrange an agreed consent order to resolve your complaint if the committee determines there are violations of the law stemming from the complaint allegations. You can work with an attorney to discuss negotiating such an agreement or rejecting the proposal and move your case forward for consideration by the State Office of Administrative Hearings. Regardless of how you decide to proceed it is important to have a knowledgeable license defense attorney to advise and counsel you on your options, arguments, and strategy so you can make the right decision for your situation.
When to Respond to a Notice
You usually only have 30 days to respond to a notice from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. This is your only opportunity to defend yourself. If you do not respond to a notice, the Board may move forward with disciplinary action without taking your side of the story into account.
When to Contact a CPA or Tax License Defense Lawyer
It’s in your best interest to contact a CPA license defense lawyer as soon as you receive a notice from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. The board has a complicated web of rules and laws, which you need to work within if you want to protect your license.
Bertolino LLP understands how these rules and laws work. We can maneuver within them to defend you against claims of misconduct, first by helping you craft a notice response and then by representing you as the Board’s assigned committee considers your circumstances and beyond that into the courtroom if necessary.
We offer a FREE initial case cosultation to professionals facing scrutiny from boards like the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. You can reach out to our team today to secure a meeting with our team.
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What to Expect from the Upcoming Proceedings
You may be able to resolve a question of professional misconduct with an agreed consent order if you so choose. You can alternatively request that your attorney help you take your case before the State Office of Administrative Hearing so an administrative law judge can hear your arguments, evidence and testimony about why the complaint lacks merit and should be dismissed. You have the right to representation throughout this entire process.
Our representatives can help you fight to retain your license at every step in the process. You can count on our team to continually advocate for the best possible outcome for your case, no matter what your circumstances look like.
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Bertolino LLP Can Defend Your Right to Practice in Texas
You worked hard to get the license you need to practice in Texas. Don’t let an unchallenged complaint take that right away. You can work with our license defense attorneys to fight back against Board allegations so your license, livelihood and professional reputation are protected. We have decades of experience helping professionals like you protect their right to do their jobs.
You can reach out to Bertolino LLP today to book a FREE consultation with one of our representatives. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Let us protect your career!
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
