an accountant who has passed certain examinations and met all other statutory and licensing requirements of a United States state to be certified by that state
"in addition to accounting and auditing, CPAs also prepare tax returns for individuals and corporations"
Initialism of certified public accountant.
"The new cpa will be joining our firm next month to handle the audit."
In plain English: A CPA is an accountant who has passed a special exam and met strict rules to get licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.
"The company hired a cpa to handle their annual tax filing."