Haiti

The financial reporting framework in Haiti is governed by Tax Decree 29 of 2005.

Tax Decree 29 mandates that all companies and sole proprietorships with annual sales or total assets of US $35,000 or more prepare financial statements in accordance with the accounting system, the Plan Comptable National (PCN), which, according to the World Bank, is exclusively tax-oriented and significantly outdated. Small enterprises, defined as having annual sales or assets below US $35,000, are only required to maintain a record of their cash inflows and outflows.

In accordance with Tax Decree 29, companies and sole proprietorships with annual sales or total assets of US $35,000 or more must have their financial statements audited by an independent, authorized professional accountant or authorized audit firm, and the auditor must be a member of the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH). However, no auditing standards are stipulated in the decree. OCPAH reports that it recommends that its members apply International Standards on Auditing (ISA); however, it remains unclear whether this is applied consistently in practice and no version of the ISA Handbook is prescribed in law.

The Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH), the central bank, regulates banks in accordance with Article 57 of Decree 14 of 1980. The BRH requires banks to prepare annual financial statements and have them audited in accordance with general accounting and auditing principles but does not define specific standards. Audits of banks must be conducted by an audit firm approved by the BRH, which also retains the authority to dismiss external auditors of banks.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Accounting Standards and the 2025 IFRS Accounting Standards Handbook have not been adopted in Haiti. Financial reporting continues to be based on the PCN framework.

The accountancy profession in Haiti is regulated by the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH), established under Decree 16 of 1981. All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) must be registered with OCPAH, and only registered members are authorized to conduct audits and offer accounting services, except for bookkeeping.

OCPAH is responsible for implementing the entry requirements for CPAs established in law and for establishing continuing professional development requirements for its members. In addition, the institute is responsible for setting ethical requirements, establishing an investigative and disciplinary system, and safeguarding the public interest.

The requirements to obtain the CPA qualification are stipulated in a Presidential Decree of November 1983, which establishes OCPAH’s organizational structure. To obtain the CPA title, candidates are required to be Haitian citizens, hold a degree in accounting from a Haitian university or from a foreign university recognized by the Ministry of Education, complete five years of work experience, including at least one year in Haiti, complete an eight-week course conducted by OCPAH, and pass its final examinations. Individuals who meet these requirements are then eligible for membership in OCPAH.

The Ministry of Education is responsible for determining the content of university accounting programs and maintaining the registry of recognized training institutions.

In addition, auditors providing services to banks are subject to prior authorization and subsequent regulation by the Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH). According to the World Bank’s 2007 Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC), a new banking law had been presented to the Haitian Parliament to strengthen external auditors’ accountability. The proposed law was expected to require that at least two partners in a licensed audit firm have a minimum of five years of experience as senior staff or audit partner, establish stricter provisions to safeguard auditor independence, enable the BRH to dismiss the audit firm for cause, and allow the BRH to notify the appropriate disciplinary authority in cases of violations of law by an external auditor. However, based on the information available at the time of the assessment, it remains unclear whether this bill has been enacted.

There is no independent audit oversight body in Haiti.

Auditors are regulated by the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH), established under Decree 16 of 1981. All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are required to be registered with OCPAH, and only registered members are authorized to conduct audits.

Within the scope of its legal mandate, OCPAH is responsible for implementing entry requirements for the auditing profession, as set out in the Presidential Decree of November 1983, establishing continuing professional development requirements, setting ethical requirements for its members, operating an investigative and disciplinary system, and safeguarding the public interest.

There is no independent public audit oversight authority and no quality assurance review system currently established in the jurisdiction.

Ordre des Comptables Professionels Agrees d'Haiti (OCPAH)

The Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH), established under Decree 16 of 1981, represents the accounting and auditing profession in Haiti. All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are required to be registered with OCPAH, and only registered members are authorized to conduct audits and offer accounting services, aside from bookkeeping.

Within the scope of its legal mandate, OCPAH is responsible for implementing entry requirements for CPAs established in law, establishing continuing professional development requirements for its members, setting ethical requirements, operating an investigative and disciplinary system, and safeguarding the public interest.

In addition to being a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), OCPAH is a member of the Inter-American Accounting Association (AIC) and the International Federation of Francophone Accountants (FIDEF).

There is no legal requirement to implement a quality assurance (QA) review system for audits of financial statements in Haiti.

While the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH) has indicated plans to develop a QA review system and has historically adopted International Standard on Quality Control 1 (ISQC 1) and International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 220 as self-regulatory requirements, there is no evidence that a formal QA review system incorporating the requirements of SMO 1 has been established or is operational.

In addition, based on available public sources, there is no evidence that the International Standards on Quality Management (ISQM 1 and ISQM 2) have been adopted in the jurisdiction or by OCPAH as updated quality management standards.

The Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH) occasionally reviews audits of firms conducting bank audits. However, no formal QA review system has been established in the jurisdiction.

Current Status: Not Adopted

In Haiti, the initial professional development (IPD) requirements for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are stipulated in a Presidential Decree of November 1983.

To obtain the CPA title, candidates are required to be Haitian citizens, hold a degree in accounting from a Haitian university or from a foreign university recognized by the Ministry of Education, complete five years of work experience, including at least one year in Haiti, complete an eight-week course conducted by the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH), and pass its final examinations. Individuals who meet these requirements are then eligible for membership in OCPAH. The Ministry of Education is responsible for determining the content of university accounting programs and maintaining the registry of recognized training institutions.

OCPAH has also established mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) requirements for its members. Members are required to complete 20 hours of CPD per year.

According to the World Bank’s 2007 Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC), the content of university accounting programs was not aligned with the International Education Standards (IES). In addition, it remains unclear whether the IPD and CPD requirements established by OCPAH are fully aligned with the latest IES in effect as of the time of the assessment.

OCPAH has previously indicated plans to bring its examinations and CPD requirements in line with IES 6 and IES 7. However, based on the information currently available, full alignment with all applicable IES requirements has not been demonstrated for all aspiring and professional accountants.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Tax Decree 29 of 2005 stipulates that all companies and sole proprietorships with annual sales or total assets of US $35,000 or more must have their financial statements audited by an independent, authorized professional accountant or authorized audit firm. However, no auditing standards are specified in the decree.

In the absence of legally prescribed auditing standards, the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH) has indicated that its members are expected to apply International Standards on Auditing (ISA). However, no legislation, regulation, or publicly available institutional source specifies which version of the ISA Handbook is applicable, and there is no evidence that the ISA Handbook in effect as of the time of the assessment, including the 2025 Handbook, has been formally adopted.

In addition, the Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH) issued Circular 61-1 of 1998 stating that, pending the establishment of national auditing standards, auditors of banks must apply international auditing standards. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether ISA are being consistently applied in practice for bank audits.

Current Status: Not Adopted

In accordance with Decree 16 of 1981, the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH) is responsible for establishing ethical requirements for its members. OCPAH also reports that its members are required to comply with additional ethical requirements established by law in the course of their professional activities.

OCPAH’s Code of Ethics, commonly referred to as the “Golden Book,” was adopted in 1988 and is not based on, or converged with, the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). Based on publicly available information, no version of the IESBA Code Handbook, including the version in effect as of the time of the assessment, has been formally adopted in the jurisdiction.

OCPAH has previously reported plans to adopt the IESBA Code through a proposed new accountancy law intended to modernize the legal and regulatory framework for the profession. The proposed reform law was expected to include direct references to the IESBA Code; however, based on the information currently available, no timeline for enactment has been established and there is no evidence that the law has been passed.

Current Status: Not Adopted

The Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP), under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, is responsible for establishing public sector accounting standards in Haiti.

Public sector entities prepare financial information in accordance with the national public accounting framework, which remains based on the Plan Comptable National and related national public finance regulations. In practice, the Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH) has previously indicated that institutions may utilize differing reporting formats.

Based on publicly available information, International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), including the 2025 Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting Pronouncements, have not been adopted for application by public sector entities in Haiti. While recent public financial management reforms and updates to the state chart of accounts indicate progress in strengthening the national framework, these reforms do not constitute adoption of IPSAS.

OCPAH has indicated that it continues to promote the adoption of IPSAS to the DGTCP; however, no formal timeline for adoption has been identified.

Current Status: Not Adopted

The Ordre des Comptables Professionnels Agréés d’Haïti (OCPAH) is empowered under Decree 16 of 1981 to regulate and discipline its members for misconduct and breaches of professional requirements and to establish an investigative and disciplinary (I&D) system for these purposes.

The I&D procedures are operational. OCPAH has previously reported disciplinary actions taken against members, including the public censure of one member in 2015, demonstrating that the system is functioning in practice.

However, based on the information available, the existing framework does not incorporate all the requirements of SMO 6. In particular, it remains unclear whether the system includes fully separate investigation, disciplinary, and appeals processes, both complaints-based and information-based approaches, formal linkages with quality assurance findings, and comprehensive administrative processes for case monitoring and recordkeeping.

OCPAH has previously reported plans to strengthen its I&D mechanisms through a proposed new accountancy law intended to modernize the legal and regulatory framework for the profession. According to OCPAH, the proposed law would address independence and conflicts of interest and establish separate investigative, disciplinary, and appeals procedures, as well as administrative processes for monitoring and recording cases. However, no timeline for enactment has been established.

Accordingly, the investigative and disciplinary system is partially aligned with the requirements of SMO 6, but full alignment has not yet been demonstrated.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Tax Decree 29 of 2005 mandates that all companies and sole proprietorships with annual sales or total assets of US $35,000 or more prepare financial statements in accordance with the accounting system, the Plan Comptable National (PCN), which, according to the World Bank, is exclusively tax-oriented and significantly outdated. Small enterprises, defined as having annual sales or assets below US $35,000, are only required to maintain a record of their cash inflows and outflows.

The Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH) regulates banks in accordance with Article 57 of Decree 14 of 1980 and requires banks to prepare annual financial statements in accordance with general accounting principles. However, no specific accounting standards are prescribed, and there is no reference to IFRS Accounting Standards.

Based on the information currently available, IFRS Accounting Standards, including the 2025 IFRS Accounting Standards Handbook, have not been adopted for application by domestic publicly accountable entities in Haiti.

Current Status: Not Adopted

Relevant Organizations

• Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP)
• Ordre des Comptables Professionels Agrees d'Haiti (OCPAH)

Relevant Publications

• Deloitte IAS Plus, “Financial Reporting Framework in Haiti”, n.d.
• Nuthall, Keith, “Haitian recovery needs accountants” in Accountancy Age, June 2, 2010.
• OCPAH, SMO Action Plan, November 2017.
• World Bank, Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes?Accounting and Auditing: Haiti, November 2007.
• World Bank Group, “Haiti Improves Transparency and Accountability,” October 10, 2013.