Tunisia

Several pieces of legislation define the corporate financial reporting framework in Tunisia.

The financial reporting framework is primarily established under Law No. 96-112 relating to the Enterprise Accounting System, which introduced the national accounting framework and established the Conseil National de la Comptabilité (CNC) as the accounting standard-setting body operating under the Ministry of Finance.

Financial statements in Tunisia are generally prepared in accordance with Tunisian Accounting Standards (TAS). In 2018, the CNC approved a phased roadmap for the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS Accounting Standards) for public interest entities, including listed companies, banks, insurance and reinsurance companies, and public offering financial institutions. Although implementation was initially expected to begin in 2021 and later deferred to 2023, full adoption of IFRS Accounting Standards has not yet been completed as of the time of the assessment. Other entities continue to apply TAS, which are not fully aligned with IFRS Accounting Standards. Tunisia has not adopted the IFRS for Small and Medium-sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs).

The statutory audit framework is established through several laws and regulations, including Decree No. 2006-1546 and the Law on Commercial Companies. Statutory audits are required for joint stock companies and limited liability companies meeting prescribed thresholds related to assets, turnover, and number of employees. Statutory audits are also required for certain non-governmental organizations and state-owned enterprises.

The Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT), subject to approval by the Ministry of Finance, is responsible for adopting auditing standards in the jurisdiction. Audits are required to be conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) as adopted by OECT and approved by ministerial decree.

OECT adopts ISA issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) based on French translations prepared by recognized Francophone professional accountancy organizations. As of the time of the assessment, the French translation of the 2023-2024 IAASB Handbook is applicable in the jurisdiction.

The accountancy profession in Tunisia is regulated through a shared model involving the Ministry of Finance and the professional accountancy organizations recognized by law. The Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) is governed by Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession and Decree No. 89-541 on the organization and functioning of the OECT. The Compagnie des Comptables de Tunisie (CCT) was established under Law No. 2002-16 on the Accounting Profession. Membership in one of the professional bodies is required to provide regulated accounting or auditing services in Tunisia.

The OECT regulates Chartered Accountants. Entry into the profession is established through the national accountancy education framework, including the national diploma pathway, a professional internship, and related training requirements. The practical experience period forms part of the qualification process and is administered with the involvement of OECT. Trainees are required to complete a three-year professional internship and 40 hours of training annually, at least 20 hours of which must be completed through the Institut de Formation de la Profession Comptable.

The OECT’s mandate includes organizing and representing the profession, maintaining the register of Chartered Accountants, setting professional and ethical requirements for its members, supporting the adoption and implementation of auditing standards, overseeing the practical training component of the qualification process, supporting quality assurance arrangements, and investigating and disciplining its members. OECT requirements are subject to oversight and approval by the Ministry of Finance.

The CCT regulates Professional Accountants. Its responsibilities include licensing its members, establishing continuing professional development requirements, issuing professional rules, investigating and disciplining members, and representing and supporting the development of the profession. Requirements established by the CCT are subject to approval and oversight by the Ministry of Finance.

Statutory auditors of regulated entities are also subject to sector-specific reporting obligations. Auditors of listed entities are required to report relevant matters to the Conseil du Marché Financier (CMF) under the financial market framework established by Law No. 94-117. Auditors of credit institutions are subject to requirements under the banking framework established by Law No. 2016-48 and related Central Bank of Tunisia requirements. Auditors of insurance companies are subject to reporting obligations under the insurance regulatory framework.

Tunisia does not have an independent audit oversight authority that is operational and listed as a member of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators. Audit oversight is exercised through the professional regulatory framework established under Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession and Law No. 2002-16 on the Accounting Profession, under the oversight of the Ministry of Finance.

The Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) regulates Chartered Accountants, who are authorized to conduct statutory audits of public interest entities and companies exceeding prescribed thresholds. The Compagnie des Comptables de Tunisie (CCT) regulates Professional Accountants, who may conduct audits of non-public interest entities and companies below prescribed thresholds.

The OECT’s Control Committee is responsible for reviewing the professional activities of statutory auditors under Law No. 88-108. While formally established under the legal framework, the quality assurance system remains linked to the profession, including through administrative support and participation by members of the profession.

Sector regulators also have audit-related oversight responsibilities for regulated entities. The Conseil du Marché Financier may request work from OECT-registered Chartered Accountants in relation to listed and public offering entities, while the Central Bank of Tunisia and insurance supervisory authorities impose reporting obligations on statutory auditors of regulated financial institutions and insurance companies.

Compagnie des Comptables de Tunisie

The Compagnie des Comptables de Tunisie (CCT) was established under Law No. 2002-16 on the Accounting Profession and is subject to oversight by the Ministry of Finance. CCT membership is primarily composed of Professional Accountants, who may provide regulated accounting services and conduct statutory audits for non-public interest entities and companies under specified size thresholds.

CCT’s responsibilities include licensing its members, establishing continuing professional development requirements, issuing professional rules, investigating and disciplining members, ensuring compliance with professional obligations, and representing and supporting the development of the accountancy profession in Tunisia. CCT is not a member of IFAC.

Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie

The Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) was established under Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession and operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Finance. OECT membership consists of Chartered Accountants, who are authorized to conduct statutory audits of public interest entities and companies exceeding prescribed size thresholds.

OECT’s mandate includes organizing and representing the profession, maintaining the register of Chartered Accountants, setting professional and ethical requirements for its members, supporting the adoption and implementation of auditing standards, overseeing the practical training component of the qualification process, supporting quality assurance arrangements, and investigating and disciplining its members.

OECT is a member of IFAC and several regional and international organizations, including the International Federation of Francophone Accountants, the Arab Federation of Accountants and Auditors, the Pan African Federation of Accountants, and the Federation of Mediterranean Accountants.

Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession establishes the Control Committee, which is responsible for monitoring statutory auditors’ compliance with professional and independence requirements. The quality assurance (QA) review system is operational for statutory auditors in the jurisdiction and is supported by the Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT).

The QA system remains linked to the profession, as the Control Committee operates within the professional regulatory framework and includes participation from members of the profession. OECT continues to support reforms aimed at strengthening alignment with SMO 1, including proposals to establish a more independent public oversight structure.

OECT reports that International Standards on Quality Management 1 and 2 are integrated into the QA review system operating in the jurisdiction.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Initial and continuing professional development requirements for professional accountants in Tunisia are established through the legal and professional regulatory framework. The Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) regulates Chartered Accountants, while the Compagnie des Comptables de Tunisie (CCT) regulates Professional Accountants. Membership in one of the professional bodies is required to provide regulated accounting or auditing services in the jurisdiction.

For Chartered Accountants, candidates complete the national accountancy education pathway, pass the professional examination, complete a three-year practical experience requirement, and defend a professional dissertation. During the practical experience period, trainees must complete 40 hours of professional training annually, including at least 20 hours through the Institut de Formation de la Profession Comptable. OECT also requires members to complete continuing professional development, including 40 hours annually.

For Professional Accountants, candidates are required to hold a bachelor’s degree and complete at least one year of practical experience before registration with CCT. While the Chartered Accountant pathway appears broadly aligned with the 2019 International Education Standards, further clarification is needed on the extent of alignment for all professional accountants, including CCT members.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

In Tunisia, statutory audits are required to be conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) adopted by the Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) and approved by the Ministry of Finance pursuant to the Ministerial Decree of September 19, 2003 relating to auditing standards applicable in Tunisia.

OECT’s website states that the Council adopted ISA as approved as of December 15, 2008 and translated into French by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after December 31, 2010.

Based on the IFAC Translations Database, the French translation of the 2023-2024 IAASB Handbook was completed in March 2025 by Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. OECT reports that the French translation of the 2023-2024 IAASB Handbook is applicable in the jurisdiction. Accordingly, as the jurisdiction applies an earlier version of ISA in its entirety rather than the latest ISA in effect as of the time of the assessment, ISA are assessed as Partially Adopted under the 2026 adoption definitions.

The International Standard on Auditing for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities has also been translated into French and may support future implementation initiatives in the jurisdiction.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

The Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) is responsible for setting ethical requirements for its members, who are Chartered Accountants, in accordance with Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession. Ethical requirements established by OECT are subject to approval by the Ministry of Finance.

OECT’s ethical framework includes the national Code of Professional Duties, which establishes requirements related to integrity, independence, professional conduct, confidentiality, and auditor-client relationships. The framework also includes statutory provisions applicable to auditors, including independence and reporting obligations under the commercial and sector-specific legal frameworks.

OECT reports that it adopts the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, including International Independence Standards, as issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants and translated into French. Based on the IFAC Translations Database, the 2022 French translation of the Code was completed in January 2024. As the 2022 Code is applied in the jurisdiction, rather than the latest Code in effect as of the time of the assessment, the IESBA Code of Ethics is assessed as Partially Adopted under the 2026 adoption definitions.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Public sector accounting standard setting in Tunisia is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. The Public Accounting Code framework was amended to establish the Conseil National des Normes des Comptes Publics (CNNCP), which is responsible for developing public sector accounting standards for state entities, local authorities, and other public sector entities.

Tunisia is implementing reforms to transition from cash-basis accounting toward accrual-based public sector accounting standards aligned with international best practices. The CNNCP has developed a conceptual framework and several public sector accounting standards for the state and local authorities that are broadly based on International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). However, IPSAS have not been fully adopted for application by all public sector entities in the jurisdiction.

Accordingly, IPSAS are assessed as Partially Adopted under the 2026 adoption definitions.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Investigation and discipline (I&D) procedures in Tunisia are established under the professional regulatory framework and operate under the oversight of the Ministry of Finance. Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession establishes a disciplinary chamber for the Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT), which is responsible for sanctioning breaches of professional regulations, the internal rules of the profession, and other professional obligations. Available sanctions include warning, written reprimand, suspension, and removal from the register. Decisions may be appealed before the Court of Appeal and, in cassation matters, before the Administrative Tribunal.

The OECT framework also provides for a Control Committee, which may refer matters to the disciplinary chamber. Complaints may be submitted by the OECT Council, the Ministry of Finance, the government commissioner, the Control Committee, or other interested third parties.

The Compagnie des Comptables de Tunisie (CCT), established under Law No. 2002-16 on the Accounting Profession, is also required to ensure that its members comply with applicable professional rules and obligations. However, available public information does not clearly demonstrate that the CCT I&D system is fully aligned with Statement of Membership Obligations 6.

Accordingly, while operational I&D arrangements exist for the profession, further clarification is needed regarding full alignment with SMO 6 across all professional accountants. The I&D system is therefore assessed as Partially Adopted under the 2026 adoption definitions.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Accounting standards in Tunisia are established under Law No. 96-112 relating to the Enterprise Accounting System. The Conseil National de la Comptabilité (CNC), operating under the Ministry of Finance, is responsible for developing accounting standards and advising on accounting matters.

In 2018, the CNC approved a phased roadmap to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS Accounting Standards) for public interest entities, including listed companies, banks, insurance and reinsurance companies, and public offering financial institutions. Publicly available information indicates that implementation was expected for financial years beginning on or after January 1, 2023 for consolidated financial statements of public interest entities.

Until full adoption is completed, entities continue to apply Tunisian Accounting Standards, which are not fully aligned with IFRS Accounting Standards. As IFRS Accounting Standards have been adopted or planned for selected public interest entities but not for all domestic publicly accountable entities at the jurisdiction level, IFRS Accounting Standards are assessed as Partially Adopted under the 2026 adoption definitions.

IFRS for Small and Medium-sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs) has not been adopted in Tunisia.

Current Status: Partially Adopted

Relevant Organizations

Académie Internationale des Métiers du Contrôle et de la Finance (AIMCF)

Conseil National de la Comptabilité (CNC)

Conseil National des Normes des Comptes Publics (CNNCP)

Conseil du Marché Financier (CMF)

Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT)

Relevant Legislation

Law No. 88-108 on the Chartered Accountancy Profession

Law No. 2002-16 on the Accounting Profession

Law No. 94-117 relating to the Reorganization of the Financial Market

Law No. 96-112 relating to the Enterprise Accounting System

Ministerial Decree dated February 28, 2003 relating to auditing standards applicable in Tunisia

Relevant Publications

OECT Code of Professional Duties