Several discussion threads on the BVR LinkedIn page take up the decision by the AICPA to open up the ABV credential to non-CPAs. One commenter says that in his 20 years of practice he has found that clients are not very astute about BV credentials and has rarely been asked what credential he has. For those clients who are clued in, they would be able to distinguish a CPA/ABV from an ABV, he feels. Other commenters have had different experiences with clients and their perception of credentials. Some of the points made by commenters:

• Adding non-CPAs to the ABV increases supply while demand stays the same, putting downward pressure on price;
• The BV profession is too fragmented and needs one professional organization to be the voice of the profession;
• It’s “naïve” to think that trade groups such as the AICPA don’t have a business model that may require them to take steps in the interest of survival that some existing members will disagree with; and
• CPAs may not be the best ones to provide BV services, says one commenter who reminded the group that CPAs as “trusted advisors” were behind big accounting frauds, bank collapses, and myriad other disasters (leading one responder to ask, “Why not blame CPAs for climate change and the collapse of Western civilization?”).

Extra: The Virginia State Society of CPAs has sent a letter to the AICPA suggesting an open dialogue on the issue for the next council meeting; other state societies have sent letters. The NYSSCPA’s August CPA Journal includes the article, “Is the ABV Credential For Sale?”