Q3 2023 in Review
This blog will review the accounting, auditing and ethics standards issued or proposed during the 3rd quarter of 2023. We’ll also review some resources that were issued by various standard setters that can be useful.
NOCLAR with ERTC
On July 21, the Office of Chief Counsel at the IRS issued a memorandum to address noncompliance with ERTCs. The memorandum provides responses to various scenarios that employers have been trying to make to qualify as “eligible employers”. Companies have been trying to take advantage of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic to receive tax credits, even though they might not be eligible to receive tax credits. This problem has been placing auditors in uncomfortable situations, as auditors now need to consider NOCLAR with ERTCs as well as revenue recognition issues.
Q2 2023 In Review
The second quarter of 2023 was a slower one for standard setters. We’ll look at the standards that were issued and proposed from April through June of 2023 at the FASB, GASB and AICPA.
Ethics Proposal: Public Interest Entities
The AICPA’s Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) has proposed a new definition of publicly traded company and has revised the definition of public interest entity as part of their IESBA convergence. The definition explains when AICPA independence standards would apply and when related ethics standards like PCAOB and NAIC standards would apply. Comments are due September 15.
Proposed Ethics Interpretation: Fees
On March 15, 2023, the AICPA’s Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) issued an exposure draft relating to fees. The exposure draft includes new interpretations for determining fees for an attest engagement and new fee dependency interpretations, as well as a revised conceptual framework for independence interpretation and revised client affiliates interpretation. Comments are due by June 15, 2023.
Proposed Ethics Interpretation: Cheating in CPE
The AICPA’s Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) has issued an exposure draft to make falsifying attendance records or sharing answers (when not permitted) in CPE an act discreditable to the profession. This expands the rules around sharing answers or requesting answers to the CPA Exam. Comments are due by May 15.