The short answer: retired status may change the analysis, but it does not settle it
A retired CPA may be able to receive a referral reward, but retirement alone does not answer the question. The AICPA's referral-fee rule is written around a member in public practice and a client for whom the member or firm performs certain services, and state boards license individuals and firms under their own rules. Whether your status is retired, inactive or active, and whether you still hold a license, AICPA membership or any link to a firm, decides which rules reach you. Ask your state board in writing before accepting anything.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your own state board of accountancy, counsel or professional body before acting.
What the AICPA Code says about referral fees
The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct contains a Commissions and Referral Fees rule (ET 1.520) and a Contingent Fees rule (ET 1.510). In broad terms, a member in public practice may not accept a commission for recommending a product or service to a client when the member or firm also performs an audit, review, certain compilations or an examination of prospective financial information for that client. Where a referral fee is permitted, it must be disclosed to the client. Read the current text on the AICPA site rather than relying on a summary.
Three points matter for retirees:
- The rule keys on public practice. A retired member who no longer practices may fall outside the language, but the Code and its interpretations should be read for how they treat former firm affiliations.
- Clients are tied to the firm. If your former firm still audits or reviews the company you would introduce, ask whether the rule reaches you through that relationship.
- Disclosure is the safe habit. Even when a fee is allowed, the owner should hear about it before the introduction.
Why the state board may matter more than the Code
State rules can be stricter than the AICPA Code. The New Jersey CPA society's guidance is one example of a state treating commissions and contingent fees differently, and Florida regulates referral fees by statute, as the Florida statute on contingent fees, commissions and referral fees shows; that page is the 2017 version, so check the current text. Some states adopt the AICPA rule by reference, others write their own.
How status changes the questions
| Your status | What to check | Likely direction to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Active license, still in a firm | Firm policy, attest clients, state rule | Strictest case; the firm's ethics partner decides |
| Retired from a firm, license still active | State board rule for active licensees, any ties to the firm's clients | Active licensees stay bound by board rules |
| Inactive or retired license status | Whether the board's rules still reach you, any use of the CPA title | Often fewer restrictions, confirm in writing |
| Lapsed license, no longer using CPA title | Representations you make to owners | Do not imply credentials you no longer hold |
| AICPA membership kept | Code interpretations for members not in public practice | Member obligations may persist |
| Consulting or advisory role for a firm | Firm engagement terms | Contract and firm policy may bar side fees |
Each row is a question to take to the board, not an answer.
The retiree checklist
- Write down your license status in every state where you hold one, and your AICPA membership status.
- List the companies you would consider introducing and mark any for which your former firm still performs attest work.
- Check whether your retirement agreement, partnership agreement or non-compete restricts outside compensation or client contact.
- Ask your state board in writing whether the rules on commissions and referral fees apply to your status.
- Decide how you will disclose the arrangement to the owner before you make any introduction.
- Keep a copy of the board's reply with your partner records.
Where retirees are well placed
Retired partners still carry trust with owners, and many sit on advisory boards or run small consulting practices. The best candidates are former clients that are now larger operating businesses: 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), years of documented history and a CFO or owner who can act as sponsor. The accountants page covers the active-practice version of this, and the list of who earns shows other partner types.
You should not use confidential client files, tax returns or workpapers to choose targets or to describe a company. Partners give basic fit information only and never export, upload or describe confidential records.
What to say to a former client
Other questions that look similar
Retirees sometimes hold other roles that raise different questions: a former MSP relationship is covered in the page on returning admin credentials, a tax debt in the federal tax lien page, and visa status in the work visa question.
How rewards work
Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company. The partner reward is a share of SourceX's fee and is never deducted from what the company receives. Rewards become payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee, and no reward is guaranteed.
When not to bother
Skip it if your board says no, if your retirement agreement bars it, or if you cannot reach a decision maker at any company that fits the baseline.
Next step
Register as a partner once you have your board's reply, then use the company fit checker. The who qualifies page covers the company baseline.