The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has launched a public consultation survey as part of its post-implementation review of International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 540 (Revised), Auditing Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures.

ISA 540 (Revised) established more robust requirements and appropriately detailed guidance to foster audit quality by driving auditors to perform appropriate procedures in relation to accounting estimates and related disclosures. The standard was effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2019.

This survey seeks input from a broad range of stakeholders and includes questions tailored to differing perspectives and experiences of various stakeholder groups. Survey feedback will help the IAASB assess whether:

• ISA 540 (Revised) has achieved its intended objective, including improvements or benefits arising from its application, as well as any practical challenges or questions encountered; and
• Any further actions by the IAASB are needed to address matters identified.

The survey focuses on three principal areas:

• Overall views on ISA 540 (Revised), including related to non-authoritative guidance and tools that were issued to support implementation of the standard;
• Perceived benefits resulting from implementation of the revised standard; and
• Potential issues, challenges, or impacts experienced or observed relating to ISA 540 (Revised).

Stakeholders may respond to all questions or only those most relevant to their perspectives. All responses will form part of the public record. The survey is open until June 15, 2026, and can be accessed online here.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today published a summary of feedback from its global Technology Quality Management roundtables, which explored how emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence—are affecting audit and assurance engagements and the application of the IAASB’s quality management standards.

The roundtables, held in the second half of 2025, brought together more than 240 stakeholders from six continents, including auditors, regulators, standard setters, firms, and technology specialists. Discussions focused on current and emerging uses of technology in audit and assurance, related governance and risk management challenges, and stakeholder expectations for maintaining trust and consistency in the use of emerging technological tools, including AI-enabled tools in engagements. This starts with robust quality management of such tools.

“At a time when the use of AI in audit and assurance is expanding rapidly, stakeholders told us clearly that global consistency and practical clarity matter,” said Tom Seidenstein, IAASB Chair. “The roundtable feedback confirms that our quality management standards remain robust and principles-based, while highlighting areas where additional non-authoritative guidance could support consistent application as technologies continue to evolve.”

Participants broadly agreed that the IAASB’s quality management standards—particularly International Standard on Quality Management (ISQM) 1 and International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 220 (Revised)—provide a strong foundation for managing technology-related risks. At the same time, stakeholders noted that the IAASB could assist by developing additional practical guidance to help address challenges associated with emerging technologies.

The IAASB will use the roundtable feedback, along with other stakeholder feedback, to inform its future work on Technology Quality Management. In December 2025, the IAASB approved the development of non-authoritative material. At its March meeting, the IAASB will discuss a proposed action plan that includes the objective and scope of the initiative, identification of possible themes or topics to be addressed, the proposed development process and coordination with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) and other organizations.

The summary report, Technology Quality Management Roundtables: Outcomes and Next Steps, is available on the IAASB website.

More information about the Technology Quality Management initiative, including ongoing updates, is available on the IAASB’s project web page.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

This feedback summary shares the results of the IAASB’s global Technology Quality Management roundtables, which explored how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are affecting audit and assurance engagements and the application of the IAASB’s quality management standards.

Expected publication Date: 2026-02-02

• Launches the strategic planning process for both boards’ next strategies and work plans
• Reflects deepened IESBA-IAASB coordination through a single, streamlined consultation that reduces stakeholder burden
• Announces a coordinated 2026 consultation calendar to support effective and meaningful engagement

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) and the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today launched a joint global stakeholder survey, marking the beginning of work toward their respective Strategies and Work Plans (SWPs) for 2028–2031—a period of expected significant change in the global audit, assurance and ethics landscape.

The joint survey represents the first step in the boards’ strategic planning process and will help inform the development of their respective Consultation Papers, targeted for approval at the end of 2026. By launching a single, coordinated survey, IESBA and IAASB are reinforcing their close collaboration while streamlining engagement and reducing duplication for stakeholders, who are invited to contribute to one  rather than parallel surveys.

The survey seeks input from a broad and diverse range of stakeholders, reflecting the global reach and public interest role of both boards. Responses will help the boards better understand how the environment for audit, assurance, ethics, and independence is evolving, and how the public interest can best be served in a rapidly changing global reporting ecosystem.

“As the global audit, assurance, and ethics landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that our strategies are informed by diverse stakeholder perspectives,” said Gabriela Figueiredo Dias and Tom Seidenstein, Chairs of the IESBA and IAASB, respectively. “This joint survey reflects our shared commitment to listening carefully, coordinating closely, and ensuring our work continues to serve the public interest in a rapidly changing environment.”

The survey focuses on three principal areas:

• Strategic positioning for 2028–2031, including how the boards should assess success by the end of the next strategy period;
• Key environmental trends shaping the future of audit, assurance, ethics, and independence, such as digital transformation, geopolitical and regulatory developments, sustainability expectations, and evolving business models of accounting firms; and
• Opportunities for joint or parallel action, where closer coordination between IESBA and IAASB could enhance impact and effectiveness.

Stakeholders may respond to all questions or only those most relevant to their perspectives. All responses will form part of the public record and will be published on the boards’ websites in accordance with their due process.

The survey is open until May 15 and can be accessed online here.

Reducing Consultation Fatigue through Coordination

The joint survey also reflects a deliberate effort by IESBA and IAASB to coordinate their consultation activities, particularly during 2026, a year expected to include a significant volume of consultations.

While the boards often consult similar stakeholder groups, they recognize that individuals within those groups may respond to either ethics-focused consultations or audit and assurance-focused consultations, notwithstanding that some issues or topics may be of common relevance to both boards. Through careful planning, including staggering consultation timelines, the boards aim to avoid multiple consultations closing at the same time, supporting more effective participation and higher-quality feedback.

Anticipated 2026 IESBA and IAASB Public Consultations

Joint

• Joint SWP Stakeholder Survey, January 21–May 15

IESBA

• Role of CFOs Survey, February 2–April 24
• Post-Implementation Review of the Restructured Code Survey, April 1–July 3
• Post-Implementation Review of the Provisions on Responding to Non-Compliance with Laws and Regulations (NOCLAR) Survey, April 1–July 30

IAASB

• Post-Implementation Review of ISA 540 (Revised) Survey, February 17–June 15
• Exposure Draft for Proposed ISRE 2410 (Revised), Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity, May 6–September 3
• Exposure Draft for the Maintenance of the ISA for Less Complex Entities, July 16–October 29
• Exposure Draft for Proposed Revisions to ISA 330, The Auditor’s Responses to Assessed Risks, ISA 500, Audit Evidence, and ISA 520, Analytical Procedures, July 28–December 15

About IAASB and IESBA
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board^© and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants^© are part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA) ^©, a nonprofit organization that supports high-quality, international ethics, audit, and assurance standards in the public interest. The IAASB and IESBA develop and issue their standards independently and in accordance with an approved due process and the Public Interest Framework, overseen by the Public Interest Oversight Board.

The IAASB develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements.

The IESBA is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high-quality, international ethics (including independence) standards as a cornerstone to ethical behavior in business and organizations, and to public trust in financial and non-financial information that is fundamental to the proper functioning and sustainability of organizations, financial markets and economies worldwide.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) is pleased to welcome James Ferris following his appointment by the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) in November 2025.

Mr. Ferris is Director of Audit Policy at the UK Financial Reporting Council and served as the Chair of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR) Standards Coordination Working Group until December 2025. He has been appointed for a three-year term.

“I am honored to join the IAASB at a time of significant change for the global audit and assurance profession,” said Mr. Ferris. “I look forward to contributing to the IAASB’s work in strengthening high-quality international standards and supporting trust and confidence in audit and assurance in the public interest.”

The IAASB also congratulates current member Greg Schollum on his re-appointment for a three-year term. Greg is the former Deputy Controller and Auditor-General of New Zealand. His career includes serving as a member of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board, the New Zealand Accounting Standards Board, and the Financial Reporting Standards Board of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (now Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand).

In addition to welcoming Mr. Ferris and congratulating Mr. Schollum, the IAASB also welcomes the appointment of Edo Kienhuis as its new Vice-Chair for a one-year term. Mr. Kienhuis is a Partner in the PwC Audit and Assurance practice in Amsterdam and a member of the Dutch firm’s National Office. He has been a member of the IAASB since January 2021.

The PIOB’s invitation for application for terms of service beginning in January 2027 is expected to open in March 2026. The IAASB encourages qualified candidates to apply.

About the IAAS
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

In this eNews you will find:

• Highlights from our September meeting
• Release of the 2025 handbook
• Plans for Q4 2025
• Coordination with IESBA
• Key dates for this quarter

Highlights from Our September Meeting

During our September 2025 meeting, we approved narrow-scope amendments to our standards arising from the IESBA’s Using the Work of an External Expert Project.
Other topics we discussed during our meeting include:

• ISRE 2410 (Revised), Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity (Project Stage: Exposure Draft Development) – We discussed selected sections of the standard, including proposed drafting and initial direction on the nature and extent of the auditor’s work effort relating to going concern and considerations relating to group interim review engagements.
• Audit Evidence and Risk Response (Project Stage: Exposure Draft Development) – We discussed key insights from outreach activities undertaken by the project team. We also discussed several specific topics, including technology-related matters and the auditor’s work on internal controls.
• ISA 540 (Revised), Auditing Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures Post Implementation Review – We discussed the project team’s plan for a post-implementation review of our standard on accounting estimates and key findings from the team’s initial information gathering.
• Technology – We discussed updates to the Catalog of Issues and Possible Actions and progress on the Technology Quality Management initiative, including information gathering through a series of eight international roundtables (see Looking Ahead section below).

Recordings of the September 2025 meeting are available on our YouTube channel and more information on our projects can be found on the Latest on Our Projects web page.

2025 Handbook

On September 17, we released our 2025 Edition of the Handbook of International Quality Management, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance, and Related Services Pronouncements. It is available as a PDF download; print copies can be ordered via our website.

Looking Ahead: Our Plans for Q4 2025

Technology Quality Management 
As part of our Technology Quality Management initiative, we have begun a series of eight roundtables around the world to gather stakeholder insights on:

• How emerging technologies, including AI, are being integrated into practice.
• How our quality management standards are being applied in a rapidly evolving environment.
• How firms are approaching governance and oversight of emerging technologies used in engagements.

The first roundtable was held in Brussels on September 30 with others to follow in October and November.

ISSA 5000 on Sustainability Assurance
In Q4, we will continue to support the adoption and implementation of ISSA 5000, our sustainability assurance standard. This includes:

• Webinar series: We are hosting a three-part global webinar series designed to assist our stakeholders as they adopt and implement ISSA 5000. The webinars will be held in October and will cover:
  • Foundational Principles and Concepts (October 1 and 2);
  • Engagement Planning, Risk Assessment & Response (October 7 and 8); and
  • Concluding and Reporting on Sustainability Assurance Engagements (October 14 and 15).

Register here or watch the recordings here at our ISSA 5000 web page;

• FAQ on materiality; and
• Updating information on jurisdictional adoption.

Access published resources on the dedicated ISSA 5000 web page.

Coordination with IESBA

Although IAASB and IESBA are independent boards under IFEA, with their own remits and unique needs, our standard-setting actions have a collective impact on the external reporting ecosystem. Given this collective impact, we continuously maintain and enhance our coordination with IESBA—in the traditional areas of audits and reviews of financial statements, as well as the area of sustainability. This includes coordination at the board and staff levels.

Currently, we are closely coordinating with IESBA on the following projects:

• Strategy and Work Plan: We will launch a joint stakeholder survey in early 2026 as a first step in an aligned strategic planning process for developing the Boards’ strategies and work plans for 2028–2031.
• IESBA’s Firm Culture and Governance project: We are working closely to make sure this project is aligned with our standard on quality management at the firm level (ISQM 1). For example, during our June and September meetings, IESBA staff joined us to share updates on progress and receive feedback from IAASB members.

Key Dates for this Quarter

• On October 21 and 22 the Stakeholder Advisory Council (SAC) will meet in New York. You can find more information on the SAC meetings web page. This meeting will also livestream in our YouTube channel. 
• On November 4, we will hold a joint Jurisdictional Standard Setters Meeting with IESBA.

In this eNews you will find:

• Highlights from our December meeting
• Our focus on technology
• Our plans for Q1 2026
• Key dates for this quarter

Highlights from Our December Meeting

During our December 2025 meeting, the IAASB and IESBA approved a joint stakeholder survey to inform the development of the IAASB and IESBA’s respective Strategies and Work Plans for 2028–2031. In addition, we approved (i) the IAASB Approach Statement for maintaining the ISA for LCE, (ii) the first maintenance project proposal for the ISA for LCE and (iii) the ISA 540 (Revised) post-implementation review survey.

Other topics we discussed during our meeting included:

• Audit Evidence and Risk Response (Project Stage: Exposure Draft Development) – We discussed several specific topics to inform the drafting of proposed ISA 330 (Revised), ISA 500 (Revised) and ISA 520 (Revised). At our March 2026 meeting we will discuss a first full draft of these standards.
• ISRE 2410 (Revised), Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity (Project Stage: Exposure Draft Development) – We discussed a full draft of proposed ISRE 2410 (Revised) and we anticipate voting to approve the exposure draft at our March 2026 meeting.
• ISA 500 Series (Project Stage: Project Proposal) – We discussed key insights from outreach and the draft project proposal, including the in-scope standards for this project.
• Technology Quality Management – We discussed key insights from a six-month information-gathering phase, including finding from eight roundtables held around the world, which informed the decision to develop non-authoritative materials as the way forward for this project. At our March 2026 meeting, we will consider a proposed action plan, including the initiative’s objective, scope, themes/topics to be addressed, and the nature, scope, and timing of anticipated deliverables.

Recordings of the December 2025 meeting are available on our YouTube channel and more information on our projects can be found on the Latest on Our Projects web page.

Our Focus on Technology

In light of the changing environment and the increased use of emerging technologies by firms and entities, we developed our Technology Position in 2024. The Technology Position details how we consider the impact of technology in standard setting and other related activities, and recognizes the transformative potential of technology in enhancing audit and assurance quality. It also clarifies our commitment to actively facilitate and, where appropriate, encourage the appropriate use of technology in engagements and systems of quality management. As part of this initiative, we developed a gap analysis to identify our potential actions, including possible standard setting opportunities. The findings of this analysis are captured in the Catalog of Issues and Possible Actions, which will continue to be reviewed and updated as needed.

Currently, we have three projects focused on technology:

• Technology Quality Management – This project aims to support consistent and effective application of the quality management standards to emerging technologies.
• Audit Evidence and Risk Response – Among other matters, this project aims to facilitate, and where appropriate, encourage auditors' use of technology in obtaining audit evidence and evaluating its sufficiency and appropriateness.
• ISA 500 Series – This project aims to modernize our standards related to inventory and external confirmations to reflect the current business and audit environment, including the impact of technology use by entities, auditors and the organizations they interact with.

Looking Ahead: Our Plans for Q1 2026

Consultations

In Q1 2026 we plan to publish the following consultations:

• The joint IAASB-IESBA stakeholder strategy survey will be published mid-January with a 114-day comment period.
• A survey for the post-implementation review of ISA 540 (Revised), our standard on auditing accounting estimates, will be issued in mid-February for a 118-day comment period. The survey will gather feedback on the impact of ISA 540 (Revised).

ISSA 5000 on Sustainability Assurance

We will continue to support the adoption and implementation of ISSA 5000, our sustainability assurance standard. This includes an FAQ on materiality and updating information on jurisdictional adoption. Access published resources on the dedicated ISSA 5000 web page.

Key Dates for this Quarter

From March 16 to 19, the IAASB will meet in New York. The meeting agenda and meeting papers will be available on the IAASB website in the Meetings section in February. This meeting will also livestream on our YouTube channel.