AICPA Clarifies Attestation Standards

The American Institute of CPAs’ Auditing Standards Board has issued a third exposure draft resulting from its Attest Clarity Project, in an effort to address concerns about the clarity, length and complexity of the attestation standards for CPAs.

The Auditing Standards Board has completed clarifying its Statements on Auditing Standards and is currently clarifying its Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements.

Among other items, Proposed Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements, "Reporting on an Examination of Controls at a Service Organization Relevant to User Entities’ Internal Control Over Financial Reporting: Clarification and Recodification, revises the existing AT section 801, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization (AICPA, Professional Standards)," to make it conform with chapters 1 to 4 of an updated version of the Proposed SSAE, "Attestation Standards: Clarification and Recodification," that was presented at the ASB’s July meeting.

An explanatory memorandum summarizes the most significant changes to the existing standards.

The Auditing Standards Board is requesting comments on the exposure draft by December 18.