Are you an auditor trying to stay up to date on what’s going on at the AICPA, GAO and OMB? Follow the GLS blog for auditing to learn more about the changes happening at the auditing standards board as well as governmental auditing.
On June 23rd, OMB issued Memo M-25-30: Ensuring Accountability: How We Oversee, Audit, and Improve. It reinforces the importance of federal audits in providing transparency and accountability while preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. The memo also ties to the July 14th update of OMB Circular A-136, which revises federal financial reporting requirements, including moving to a single-year presentation.
After much delay, the draft of the 2025 Compliance Supplement has been released. Key proposed changes include updates to program compliance requirements, the removal of COVID-19 funding programs from higher risk designations, and two Part 3 sections for compliance testing, one under the prior Uniform Guidance and one under the 2024 Uniform Guidance.
To help firms prepare for the December 15 deadline, the AICPA has updated its quality management resources. The revised Quality Management Practice Aid expands on SQMS No. 1 objectives, clarifies ultimate responsibility for the QM system, and addresses sole practitioner considerations. It provides deeper coverage of the eight QM components, highlighting new requirements, small-firm implementation differences, and practical tools like risk libraries and documentation templates. The aid also clarifies evaluation requirements and expands guidance on documentation. In addition, the AICPA released The Monitoring and Remediation Process for a Firm’s System of Quality Management, which offers requirements, application guidance, and tips for continuous improvement.
Government entities rely on strong accounting, auditing, and finance functions to ensure transparency and accountability. But attracting and retaining CPAs in the public sector, and securing quality audit services, remains a challenge. The joint AICPA & NASACT report outlines critical findings and solutions in valuing CPAs, shifting from commodity-based to value-based engagements, strengthening the pipeline, and more! The bottom line is, to sustain accountability in the public sector, we must prioritize CPAs as essential partners in public service, and create an environment where they can thrive.
On July 2, 2025 the ASB issued a Proposed SAS on fraud in an audit of financial statements. The Exposure Draft, Proposed SAS The Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements, proposes to supersede AU-C section 240, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, in AICPA Professional Standards, and amend various other AU-C sections.
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Money Matters for Nonprofits demystifies financial statements and basic accounting, empowering nonprofit board members to better advise their organizations and make an even greater difference in the world.
Melisa F. Galasso is the founder and CEO of Galasso Learning Solutions LLC. A CPA with nearly 20 years of experience in the accounting profession, Melisa designs and facilitates courses in advanced technical accounting and auditing topics, including not-for-profit and governmental accounting.
Her passion is providing high-quality CPE that is meaningful, creates efficiencies and improves quality, and positively impacts ROI. She also supports essential professional development, audit level training, and train the trainer efforts.
Melisa is a Certified Speaking Professional, a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD), and has earned the Association for Talent Development Master Trainer™ designation. Her passion for instructional design and adult learning techniques is one of the differentiators that set her apart from other CPE providers.
She also serves on the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC), AICPA Council, and the AICPA’s Women’s Initiative Executive Committee (WIEC). She also serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Center for Plain English Accounting. She previously served on the AICPA’s Technical Issues Committee (TIC), the VSCPA’s Board of Directors, and is a past Chair of the NCACPA’s A&A committee. In addition, Melisa is the author of Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can Harness the Power of Financial Statements by Understanding Basic Accounting which is available on Amazon or anywhere you purchase books online.
Melisa received a Top 50 Women in Accounting Award in 2021 by Ignition, is a 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award recipient, and was honored as a “40 under 40” by CPA Practice Advisor in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She was also named the 2019 Rising Star by her regional NAWBO chapter, received the Don Farmer award for achievement in technical content instruction, and earned several other awards for public speaking and technical training.
