TALAGA bang lamang tayong mga CPA? Talaga bang mas matalino tayo sa iba? (Do CPAs really have an edge over other professions? Are we smarter than others?)
After more than 10 years in the profession, I often find myself asking such questions.
From the outside, people see the title “CPA” as a symbol of success, intelligence and financial stability. Some believe that once you pass the board exam, life becomes easier. Opportunities come knocking. The salary becomes higher. Respect follows.
But behind the title is a different reality.
I have lived through endless audits, tax deadlines, reconciliations, financial reports and compliance requirements. The situations change, but the pressure remains the same. The work never truly stops. Even after leaving the office, the mind continues working.
An accountant’s burden is not just numerical. Every figure has a story behind it.
There are audit findings that may affect employees who have spent years earning the trust of their employers. There are assessments that taxpayers often receive with frustration, as if the accountant personally benefits from the taxes.
There are struggling businesses whose owners bring not only financial records, but also personal worries, hoping that somehow an accountant can solve problems beyond accounting.
The emotional toll is rarely discussed.
Yes, many CPAs earn well. But does a higher salary automatically mean a better life? Not necessarily.
As income grows, so do responsibilities. Expectations become heavier. The stakes become higher. Decisions become more difficult.
There are days when a poorly prepared report lands on your desk. You know it will take hours to fix. You have to analyze, review and reconstruct the information. Yet you remain patient because you understand that the person who prepared it may have been overworked, undertrained, or underpaid.
Responsibility
In the end, you do the work yourself. Not because you want to, but because the responsibility rests on your shoulders.
Many executives and business owners proudly say they have a CPA handling their accounts. But how many truly listen to the recommendations being made? How many audit findings from last year remain unresolved today? How many warnings were ignored until they became problems?
A CPA can identify risks but cannot force management to act. Sometimes, I wonder what life would have been like, had I chosen a different profession.
Perhaps I would be one of those people who leave work at 5 p.m. and stop worrying. Perhaps I would sleep through the night without suddenly waking up, wondering whether an important audit procedure had been completed. Perhaps holidays would simply be holidays.
Yet many CPAs bring their laptops on vacations, “just in case.” They check emails while attending family gatherings. They feel guilty for resting, for taking a leave, for not working.
At some point, the profession becomes so deeply embedded in your identity that you forget you are more than your designation. You are not merely a CPA. You are also a son or daughter. A spouse. A parent. A friend. A human being.
Perhaps the lesson many professionals need to learn is to stop measuring their worth solely by productivity.
Rest is not laziness. Vacations are not signs of weakness. Boundaries are not evidence of a lack of commitment. No profession, no matter how prestigious, should consume an entire life.
To my fellow CPAs who feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or uncertain, know that you are not alone. It is acceptable to disconnect, to say no, to make mistakes.
Most importantly, it is acceptable to remember that, before you became a CPA, you were a person deserving of dignity, peace and happiness.
The title is important. The profession is honorable. The work matters. But at the end of the day, we are not defined solely by our license, our reports, or our clients. We are defined by the lives we build beyond our work.
So, is it worth it to be a CPA? The answer is yes, but only if we remember that our profession is meant to support our lives, not replace them.
There is a simple truth that every CPA must never forget: We are only human.
Camilla De Guzman is a certified public accountant with extensive experience in taxation, auditing and business advisory services. She also provides consulting services on internal controls and business process improvements for companies across different industries. She served as the 2024 president of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Picpa) Cavite chapter.