- David Goldstein -
Licensed Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) around the world can now apply on an individual basis for their preferred .cpa domain name, a new restricted new gTLD for the accounting profession. Prior to this release that commenced in mid-January, only licensed CPA firms and approved organisations, such as state CPA societies, were eligible.
A .cpa domain allows accounting practitioners to strengthen their brand identity in online communications and provides better security and resistance to internet fraud, such as phishing and spoofing. And because the domain is only available to licensed CPAs and licensed CPA firms, it promotes greater trust with clients and the general public.
“Today, there’s a lack of authentication and growing mistrust of online information,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, the AICPA’s business and technology arm. “This is why many leading companies and communities, such as Amazon, KPMG, and the banking industry are moving to restricted top-level domains.”
The .cpa new gTLD launched on 1 September, 2020, with thousands of firms registering their preferred choices. Currently there are over 6,000 CPAs that have taken advantage of a .cpa domain name with some firms being strategic and creative with their domains. One example is the Texas Society of CPAs (TXCPA) who moved to tx.cpa. The new domain is an extension of TXCPA’s 2019 rebrand and provides the organisation with stronger brand recognition while enabling it to build a high-trust online environment for its members.
