The PCAOB published staff questions and answers about references to authoritative accounting guidance in PCAOB standards. The series of Q&As serves as a reminder that auditors should look to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and SEC rules for authoritative U.S. GAAP guidance for SEC registrants, even though PCAOB standards may
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TOPICS / AUDIT & ASSURANCE
Audit
SEC Crafts Strategic Goals for 2010–2015
The SEC on Thursday released its draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2010–2015, which includes, among other goals, a continued commitment “to promote the establishment of high-quality accounting standards by independent standard setters” and support for “a single set of high-quality global accounting standards.” The draft Strategic Plan is a
PCAOB Revises Effective Date of Rules Requiring Reporting by Registered Firms
The PCAOB postponed the effective date for registered public accounting firms required to report under its new rules to Dec. 31, 2009, from the previous date of Oct. 12, in order to resolve technical issues related to deploying the board’s new Web-based system for processing and publishing filings on the
Auditing
The PCAOB on July 28 passed an auditing standard, Engagement Quality Review (EQR), requiring an independent reviewer to perform EQRs and superseding the existing concurring partner review requirement. If approved by the SEC, the standard will take effect for EQRs of audits and interim reviews for fiscal years that
PCAOB Publishes Q&A on References to Authoritative Accounting Guidance
The PCAOB on Wednesday published staff questions and answers about references to authoritative accounting guidance in PCAOB standards. The series of Q&As serves as a reminder that auditors should look to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and SEC rules for authoritative U.S. GAAP guidance for SEC registrants, even though PCAOB
Assessing the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Calculating estimates of the collectibility of accounts receivable and auditing those estimates is difficult. This article describes three techniques for assessing allowance for doubtful accounts estimates and complying with Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) no. 57 and AU section 342, Auditing Accounting Estimates, which suggest auditors compare prior accounting estimates
Auditing
The PCAOB voted to adopt an amendment to a rule on the timing of certain inspections of registered non-U.S. public accounting firms. The amendment to PCAOB Rule 4003(g) gives the board the ability to postpone, for up to three years, the first inspection of any foreign registered public accounting
Auditing
The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board issued Statement of Position (SOP) 09-1, Performing Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements That Address the Completeness, Accuracy, or Consistency of XBRL-Tagged Data. This interpretative SOP, drafted with the assistance of the XBRL Assurance Task Force of the AICPA Assurance Services Executive Committee, provides guidance regarding the
PCAOB Passes EQR Standard, Solicits Comments on Engagement Partner Signatures on Audit Reports
The PCAOB on Tuesday passed an auditing standard, Engagement Quality Review, requiring an independent reviewer to perform EQRs and superseding the existing concurring partner review requirement. If approved by the SEC, the standard will take effect for the EQR of audits and interim reviews for fiscal years that begin on
PCAOB to Vote on Engagement Quality Review Auditing Standard
The PCAOB on Tuesday will vote on adopting an auditing standard, Engagement Quality Review, which would require EQRs to be performed by an independent reviewer and would supersede the existing concurring partner review requirement. The new standard would require an EQR for audits and reviews of interim financial information (“interim
ASB Seeks Comments on Exposure Drafts
The AICPA Auditing Standards Board issued two exposure drafts resulting from its clarity project: Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS), Quality Control for an Audit of Financial Statements. The proposed SAS specifies quality control procedures at the engagement level that assist the auditor in achieving the objectives of the quality
Auditing
The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board issued Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards, Subsequent Events and Subsequently Discovered Facts. The proposal would supersede AU sections 530, Dating of the Independent Auditor’s Report, 560, Subsequent Events, 561, Subsequent Discovery of Facts Existing at the Date of the Auditor’s Report, and paragraphs .71–.73 of
ARSC Issues Proposals in Response to Reliability Task Force Recommendations
The AICPA’s Accounting and Review Services Committee (ARSC) issued an exposure draft that would revise the standards for compilation and review engagements. The changes would affect the interplay between the standards and independence rules, permitting an accountant to issue a review report on financial statements when the accountant’s independence is
Auditing
The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board released a proposal redrafting Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) no. 39, Audit Sampling (AICPA, Professional Standards, vol. 1, AU sec. 350), according to the board’s clarity drafting conventions and to converge with International Standard on Auditing (ISA) no. 530 (Redrafted), Audit Sampling. While the proposal
ASB Issues Proposed Standard on Subsequent Events
The Auditing Standards Board has issued Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards, Subsequent Events and Subsequently Discovered Facts. The proposal would supersede AU sections 530, Dating of the Independent Auditor’s Report, 560, Subsequent Events, 561, Subsequent Discovery of Facts Existing at the Date of the Auditor’s Report, and paragraphs .71–.73 of
GASB, CAQ Offer Research Grants
GASB and the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) are each reaching out to the academic community with grant proposals. GASB is offering a $5,000 research grant to encourage academic support for its standard-setting activities, while the CAQ separately plans to give out a combined $200,000 in grants for multiple research
Auditing
To help auditors, management and others involved with gauging the effects of the economic crisis on an entity’s viability and whether these effects should be described in the financial statements, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) released the practice alert Audit Considerations in Respect of Going Concern
Effort to Simplify International Audit Standards Completed
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has completed its clarity project, an initiative to update and reposition auditing standards in a form that is easier to understand, implement and translate. The clarified standards are effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after Dec. 15,
Clarified Risk Standard Proposals Available
The AICPA released for exposure certain risk assessment standards rewritten as part of its clarity project. The proposed risk assessment standards have been redrafted into a format that clearly identifies objectives, relevant definitions, requirements, and application and other explanatory material. Comments on the exposure drafts are due April 30.
Auditing
The Center for Audit Quality issued a practice aid on testing journal entries. The nonauthoritative document is designed to be a reference for auditors of public companies when applying certain sections of AU section 316, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, of the PCAOB’s interim auditing standards. It
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