The American Institute of CPAs and its technology arm, CPA.com, have extended the .cpa web domain across the border into Canada, allowing CPAs and CPA firms in Canada to apply for .cpa web addresses to strengthen their brand.
The restricted web domain was officially launched in Canada on Tuesday morning. To be eligible, Canadian CPAs and CPA firms must be licensed. The AICPA said preferred site names would be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
The .cpa domain is part of a new set of specialized top-level domains. The AICPA was granted ownership and oversight of .cpa in 2019 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that oversees the Internet’s naming system. CPA.com is responsible for managing the service globally.
The AICPA originally launched the .cpa domain in the United States last September, and thousands of US CPAs and businesses have registered .cpa domains to date.
“Restricted domains are more secure, promote greater trust and credibility with customers and the general public, and provide stronger branding opportunities,” said CPA.com President and CEO Erik Asgeirsson, in a press release. “We’ve seen great interest from the profession in this service offering and we’re excited to bring this important capability to CPAs in Canada now and in other countries in 2022.”
CPA Canada, Canada’s leading credential provider, does not appear to be involved in the rollout.
The specialty area gives CPAs and their firms a way to market their credentials and stand out in the marketplace. “We’ve all worked hard to get our CPA licenses — it’s not a trophy that everyone gets,” Michigan-based King & King partner Ryan King said in a statement. “The .cpa domain directly communicates this distinction, which is one of the reasons we were so excited to make it available to our firm.”
For more information about .cpa or to request the new service, visit domains.cpa/canada. A French version is also available at domains.cpa/canada/en.