The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released for public exposure proposed International Standard on Related Services (ISRS) 4410, Compilation Engagements.

The proposed standard is the first step in the IAASB’S work to create robust standards for services that can be used by entities that are either not required or do not elect to be audited to meet their business reporting needs. Through a compilation engagement, practitioners can provide significant benefit by applying their expertise in accounting and financial reporting. This expertise is applied to assist the management of an entity in preparing and presenting historical financial information for use by the entity’s internal or external stakeholders.

“Regulations affecting financial reporting by small- and medium-sized entities (SMEs) continue to evolve, highlighting the critical need for standards that support quality services to meet the needs of those entities and their stakeholders,” said Prof. Arnold Schilder, IAASB Chairman. “Through the proposed ISRS 4410, as well as additional planned standards, the IAASB aims to address the growing international need for standards that support a range of services other than audit.”

“The proposed ISRS 4410 will help practitioners around the world converge on the use of a globally accepted benchmark for performance of compilation engagements,” noted IAASB Technical Director James Gunn. “Further, the ISRS will help promote development of practice in jurisdictions that currently do not have national standards in this area, and also provide clarity for users about what is delivered in a compilation engagement.”

How to Comment

The IAASB invites all stakeholders to comment on its proposals. To access the exposure draft or submit a comment, visit the IAASB’s website at www.iaasb.org/ExposureDrafts.php. Comments on the exposure draft are requested by March 31, 2011.

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released for public exposure a new proposed pronouncement—International Auditing Practice Statement (IAPS) 1000, Special Considerations in Auditing Complex Financial Instruments—that highlights practical considerations for auditors when dealing with complex financial instruments. The pronouncement gives particular emphasis to auditing considerations relating to valuation and disclosure issues for financial statement items measured at fair value.

“The global financial crisis highlighted the need for further guidance on this important and challenging area of financial reporting,” explained Prof. Arnold Schilder, chairman of the IAASB. “Through the proposed IAPS 1000, the IAASB seeks to raise awareness of issues being encountered in practice, in particular for fair value estimates and the valuation of assets in illiquid markets. IAPS 1000 provides useful guidance to auditors of entities of all sizes on a topic that will likely continue to prove challenging for both preparers of financial statements and auditors.”

Along with the proposed IAPS 1000, the IAASB is also exposing for comment proposed changes to the current Preface to the International Standards on Quality Control, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance and Related Services (the proposed amended Preface), which explains the authority of this and future IAPSs. James Gunn, IAASB technical director, explains, “The proposed amended Preface makes clear that the IAASB’s Practice Statements are issued to promote good practice and provide practical assistance to auditors in implementing the ISAs. As such, when a Practice Statement is relevant in the circumstances of the audit, auditors should understand the guidance in that Statement. From a practical point of view, the proposals seek to achieve a common understanding of how Practice Statements are to be used.”

The IAASB plans to finalize proposed IAPS 1000 and the statement of authority in 2011. Auditors, however, may wish to consider the material in the proposed IAPS 1000 as they plan and perform their upcoming audit engagements.

How to Comment
The IAASB invites all stakeholders to comment on its proposals. To access the exposure draft or submit a comment, visit the IAASB’s website at www.iaasb.org/ExposureDrafts.php. Comments on the exposure draft are requested by February 11, 2011.

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

Prof. Linda de Beer has been appointed chairman of the Consultative Advisory Group (CAG) to the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB). The IAASB CAG^** is an independent body and provides the forum in which the representatives of its various member organizations—including regulators, preparers, and others with an interest in international auditing and assurance—provide advice on technical and public interest matters relating to the drafts of IAASB standards and strategy. The IAASB is an independent standard-setting board that establishes in the public interest International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) and other pronouncements for use by professional accountants around the world.

As a representative of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Prof. de Beer currently represents the World Federation of Exchanges on the CAG. She was elected by the CAG membership to succeed the current CAG chairman, David Damant, who since June 2004 has served as the first independent IAASB CAG chairman. Prof. de Beer’s appointment—a three-year term effective October 1, 2010—has been approved by the International Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB).^*

The chairman of the IAASB CAG provides leadership direction to the CAG, overseeing the achievement of the CAG's objectives and liaising with the PIOB and the IAASB. The PIOB oversees the activities of the IAASB and of the CAG.

“Linda brings a wealth of expertise to her current role as a member of the IAASB CAG,” said IFAC Chief Executive Officer Ian Ball. “I’m extremely pleased that she has been appointed as independent chairman, and I know that under her leadership the IAASB CAG will continue to make a highly effective contribution to audit standard setting. I would like also to acknowledge the vision, experience, and commitment David Damant brought to the role over the past six years.”

Commenting on the appointment, Prof. Arnold Schilder, chairman of the IAASB, said: “Linda’s experience as a professional advisor will serve her well as she works to enhance the CAG’s public interest input to the development of our standards and guidance. I very much look forward to working with her as IAASB CAG chairman.”

Prof. de Beer is an independent financial reporting and corporate governance advisor, and visiting professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She serves as an independent non-executive director on the boards of Afgri Holding Ltd (listed on the JSE) and Royal Bafokeng Platinum Ltd. She is a member of the King Committee on Corporate Governance, the Issuers’ Services Advisory Committee of the JSE, and the Committee for Auditing Standards of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors in South Africa.

Prof. de Beer stated: “The IAASB CAG plays a vital role in ensuring that the recipients of assurance services—namely the preparers and users of financial information, regulators, and other participants in the financial reporting supply chain—have an influence on ISAs and the other standards of the IAASB, as well as on the strategic direction of the IAASB. It is critical for the credibility of financial reporting to have these constituents involved in the standard-setting process. I am honored and humbled by my colleagues’ decision to elect me to lead them in this role. I am very much looking forward to the challenge.”

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the PIOB, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB CAG, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

* The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB)
Established in 2005 as the oversight board for the global accountancy profession, the PIOB oversees IFAC's public interest activities with the objective of increasing the confidence of investors and others that such activities, including the setting of standards, are properly responsive to the public interest. The PIOB oversees the activities of the IAASB and of the CAG and, as one element of this oversight, establishes the criteria for their due processes and working procedures. PIOB members are nominated by international institutions and regulatory bodies.

** IAASB CAG Members (As at September 1, 2010)

• Asian Financial Executives Institutes
• Associação Brasileira de Instituições Financeiras de Desenvolvimento
• Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
• BUSINESSEUROPE
• CFA Institute
• Dean of the Graduate School of Financial Management, Moscow
• European Commission
• European Federation of Accountants and Auditors for SMEs
• European Financial Executives Institutes
• Fédération des Experts Comptables Européens
• Gulf States Regulatory Authorities
• Information Systems Audit and Control Association
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• International Accounting Standards Board
• International Actuarial Association
• International Association of Insurance Supervisors
• International Bar Association
• International Corporate Governance Network
• International Organization of Securities Commissions
• International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
• International Valuation Standards Council
• Islamic Financial Services Board
• Japan Securities Dealers Association
• National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
• North American Financial Executives Institutes
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
• Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board
• United Nations Conference on Trade & Development
• World Bank
• World Federation of Exchanges
  

IAASB CAG Observers (As at September 1, 2010)

• Financial Services Agency, Japan
• U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board

This IAASB Staff Q&A highlights considerations in the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) that are relevant to auditing transactions that are significant unusual or highly complex, judged in the light of the auditor's understanding of the entity and its environment and other information obtained during the audit. Because of their nature, these transactions may give rise to risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and, accordingly, may merit heightened attention by auditors.

CPA Australia's monthly magazine In the Black features a profile of IAASB Chairman Arnold Schilder. Read the full article here.

The Board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has reappointed Prof. Arnold Schilder to lead the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), an independent standard-setting board supported by IFAC, for the period 2012–2014.

As chairman, Prof. Schilder will continue to lead the IAASB as it works to set high-quality auditing and assurance standards and to facilitate the convergence to international standards. He will play a key role in guiding the IAASB as it strives to enhance the quality and uniformity of audit practice throughout the world by promoting the adoption and implementation of its International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). And, he will steer the board into the future as it works to build public confidence in financial reporting by developing new standards addressing assurance services such as on greenhouse gas statements and pro forma financial information.

“I am delighted to announce that Arnold Schilder will continue to serve as chairman, which will provide for stability and ongoing leadership of IAASB operations well into the future,” said IFAC Chief Executive Officer Ian Ball. "Arnold has been a superb chairman of the IAASB as it implements its first strategy and work program after the Clarity Project. His leadership has enabled the IAASB to make significant progress on standards for review and compilation engagements, which are particularly relevant to small- and medium-sized practices (SMPs).”

"It has been my great pleasure to chair the IAASB for the past 18 months, and I am honored to have been reappointed to lead the board through 2014,” said Prof. Schilder. “I look forward to continuing the Board’s work to achieve global adoption of the clarified ISAs and to helping practitioners around the world successfully implement these high-quality international auditing standards.”

Prof. Schilder's appointment to a second three-year term as IAASB Chairman begins on January 1, 2012. The appointment was approved by the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB)*—an independent body that oversees IAASB activities—at its latest meeting in Madrid, Spain on June 28–29, 2010.

From 1998 to 2008, Prof. Schilder was a member of the Managing Board of the Dutch Central Bank, responsible in particular for banking regulation and supervision. He served as the chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's Accounting Task Force from 1999–2006, and from 2005–2008 as a member of the PIOB. During 1994 and 1995 he served also as President of Royal NIVRA. From 1972 to 1998 he worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving since 1985 as an international audit partner.

For more information about the work of the IAASB, visit its homepage at www.iaasb.org.

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the PIOB, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

* Note to Editors
The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) was formally established in February 2005 to oversee IFAC's auditing and assurance, ethics, and education standard-setting activities as well as the IFAC Member Body Compliance Program. The objective of the PIOB is to increase confidence of investors and others that such activities, including the setting of standards by the IAASB, are properly responsive to the public interest. PIOB members are nominated by international institutions and regulatory bodies.

Recognizing developments in the internal auditing environment and the evolving relationship between internal and external auditors, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released an exposure draft on a proposed revised standard that addresses the external auditor’s responsibilities relating to using internal auditors’ work during an audit.

The proposed International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 610 (Revised), Using the Work of Internal Auditors, aims to enhance the external auditor’s performance by providing a stronger framework for evaluating and using the work and assistance of an entity’s internal auditors. Related enhancements to the external auditor’s required considerations of the internal audit function are also proposed in ISA 315 (Revised), Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment.

“Internal auditing standards and practices continue to evolve, as does the relationship between external and internal auditors,” said Prof. Arnold Schilder, IAASB Chairman. “Ensuring that global audit practices take account of these changes benefits both auditors and preparers. Through our revision of ISA 610, we believe external auditors will be better equipped to evaluate opportunities for effective coordination with internal auditors.”

Analyzing Benefits and Impacts of the Proposals
In addition to setting out the main proposals of the IAASB, the explanatory memorandum to the exposure draft pilots an approach for analyzing the benefits and impacts of the IAASB’s proposals. The approach provides a structured and transparent means for communicating the effects of proposals to stakeholders.

“Understanding the potential benefits and impacts of proposed changes is an integral part of developing high-quality standards,” said James Gunn, IAASB Technical Director. “This pilot will help inform the IAASB and further integrate the analysis of benefits and impacts into the standards-setting process.”

Matters on which the IAASB would like stakeholders’ input are set out in the explanatory memorandum to the exposure draft.

How to Comment
The IAASB invites all stakeholders to comment on its proposals. To access the exposure draft or submit a comment, visit the IAASB's website at www.iaasb.org/ExposureDrafts.php. Comments on the exposure draft are requested by November 15, 2010.

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

Good afternoon and thank you for that kind introduction.

Before I begin, let me first express my deep appreciation to IOSCO for inviting me to speak here today and for sponsoring this very important conference. 

I'd also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank IOSCO's representatives for participating in the work of the IAASB in developing the International Standards on Auditing, or ISAs. 

As I'm sure many of you know, IFAC and IOSCO have a long-standing relationship. But I think our relationship has been especially meaningful over the past six to seven years. We were especially proud to receive IOSCO's letter last year in which it officially endorsed the IAASB's ISAs.

We have also been pleased to work with IOSCO as part of the Monitoring Group in its review of the IFAC reforms and look forward to responding to the consultation paper issued recently.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released a proposed new assurance standard that addresses the process of compiling pro forma financial information included in prospectuses. Recognizing the increasingly integrated nature of global capital markets and the importance of pro forma financial information in the public's investment decisions, the newly proposed standard is designed to enhance public confidence in how such financial information is produced.

The proposed standard, Assurance Reports on the Process to Compile Pro Forma Financial Information Included in a Prospectus, deals with information-necessary in many forms of domestic and cross-border securities offerings-that illustrates the impact of an event or transaction on an issuer's financial information. It provides comprehensive guidance on the nature and extent of a practitioner's work when reporting on whether the process of compiling pro forma financial information has been properly followed. It also covers related engagement acceptance and reporting considerations, and provides an illustrative report arising from such an engagement.

"Our research indicates that many jurisdictions around the world need a common, high-quality standard that can be consistently, globally applied. Our goal, therefore, is to guide and contribute to the quality of practice in an area of great importance to capital markets," said Arnold Schilder, Chairman of the IAASB.

While all stakeholders are invited to comment on the proposed ISAE 3420, the IAASB recognizes that pro forma financial information is of particular interest and relevance to issuers, investors, analysts, professionals working at securities exchanges, and regulators. Accordingly, the IAASB invites respondents from these constituencies in particular to comment on the proposal, including the content of the illustrative practitioner's report.

"Internationally, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders want and expect consistent, quality work by assurance practitioners, as well as clear and understandable reporting. Over the years, however, different countries have developed different practices in relation to reporting on the process of compiling this type of information, and this is a situation that is not sustainable in the public interest," noted James Gunn, IAASB Technical Director. "The proposed standard seeks to address this issue by helping to create a level playing field for practitioners for such engagements, thereby enabling them to better meet the expectations of investors, regulators, and others."

How to Comment
To access the exposure draft or submit a comment, visit the IAASB's website at www.iaasb.org/ExposureDrafts.php. Comments on the exposure draft are requested by September 30, 2010.

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession, dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released its 2009 annual report. The report highlights the completion of the landmark Clarity Project surrounding the IAASB's International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), the development of adoption and implementation resources for the ISAs, and the launch of innovative new projects to address emerging issues.The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released its 2009 annual report. The report highlights the completion of the landmark Clarity Project surrounding the IAASB's International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), the development of adoption and implementation resources for the ISAs, and the launch of innovative new projects to address emerging issues.

"During a period of great financial instability and uncertainty, auditors and assurance practitioners faced significant challenges. By seeking public input, responding to emerging needs, and supporting the implementation of global standards, the work of the IAASB continued to contribute to the restoration and maintenance of public confidence in information used for decision making," said IAASB Chairman Arnold Schilder. "This has required diligent adherence by the IAASB to its public interest mandate, which is now entrenched in how the IAASB operates."

This first year of the IAASB's 2009-2011 strategy and work program saw the IAASB produce a range of tools and resources to assist auditors in implementing the now-effective suite of Clarified ISAs. Recognizing the significant demand from auditors and preparers for additional guidance in light of the financial crisis, this work program included a project to develop guidance on auditing complex financial instruments. The year 2009 also marked an important transition to new projects to address a wide range of information needs, such as greenhouse gas emissions, pro forma financial information included in prospectuses, controls at service organizations, and XBRL. The board's standard-setting efforts to address the needs of small- and medium-sized entities, and those who provide services to them, were also progressed in 2009 with the initial steps to update and revise the IAASB's standards addressing review and compilation engagements.

Incorporating public input is essential to ensuring that the IAASB has insights to the different perspectives of international regulators and organizations, national auditing standard setters, practitioners, academia, and other stakeholders. Its commitment to active engagement with stakeholders is reflected in the various outreach activities described in the report that the IAASB participated in during 2009.

The annual report includes a report from the Chairman of the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group on the work of the group in providing input to the IAASB. The IAASB also continues to receive oversight from the Public Interest Oversight Board.

The report notes some of the issues the IAASB will address in the coming years, including those arising from today's global economic crisis. To further inform its work program, the IAASB has released an online questionnaire and invites comment on where the IAASB should focus its efforts during 2012-2014.

The 2009 IAASB annual report can be downloaded from www.ifac.org/IAASB/Resources.php#AnnualReports. Readers are also encouraged to visit the new Clarity Center on the IAASB website (web.ifac.org/clarity-center/index) for more information on the Clarity Project and the full suite of standards that came into effect for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2009.

About the IAASB
The IAASB (www.iaasb.org) develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC (www.ifac.org) is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. It is comprised of 159 members and associates in 124 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.