To propose minor improvements to IPSAS in order to address issues raised by stakeholders and to align, where appropriate, with amendments made to International Financial Reporting Standards.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants^® (IESBA^®) today released two Exposure Drafts (EDs):

• Proposed Revisions to the Non-Assurance Services Provisions of the Code
• Proposed Revisions to the Fee-Related Provisions of the Code

The EDs are aimed at strengthening the non-assurance services (NAS) and the fee-related independence provisions of the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code). The EDs represent a key milestone in two major strategic commitments of the IESBA in its current strategy and workplan.

Among the key changes proposed to the NAS provisions are:

• A prohibition on providing NAS to an audit client that is a public interest entity (PIE) if a self-review threat to independence will be created;
• Further tightening of the circumstances in which materiality may be considered in determining the permissibility of a NAS;
• Strengthened provisions regarding auditor communication with those charged with governance (TCWG), including, for PIEs, a requirement for NAS pre-approval by TCWG; and
• Stricter requirements regarding the provision of some NAS, including certain tax and corporate finance advice.

The NAS ED also includes enhanced guidance to assist firms in evaluating the level of threats to independence when providing NAS to audit clients. 

Among the key proposed changes to the fee-related provisions are:

•  A prohibition on firms allowing the audit fee to be influenced by the provision of services other than audit to the audit client;
• In the case of PIEs, a requirement to cease to act as auditor if fee dependency on the audit client continues beyond a specified period; and
• Communication of fee-related information to TCWG and to the public to assist their judgments about auditor independence.

The Fees ED also includes enhanced guidance on identifying, evaluating and addressing threats to independence in relation to other fee-related matters, including the proportion of fees for services other than audit to the audit fee.

“Auditor independence, in fact and in appearance, is fundamental to public confidence in the financial statement audit, and in turn in the integrity of the entire financial system,” said IESBA Chairman Dr. Stavros Thomadakis. “Our proposals are a timely response to growing public perceptions about the need to reinforce auditor independence, as well as specific concerns from the regulatory community and the Public Interest Oversight Board, especially in relation to audits of PIEs. The more stringent provisions concerning the offer of NAS to PIE audit clients, as well as  the transparency and other substantive proposals concerning fees, further raise the bar on auditor independence in the public interest.”

The development of the proposals in the two EDs has benefited from cooperation with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) within the established coordination framework of the two Boards. The IESBA is strongly committed to continuing its engagement with the IAASB in finalizing the proposals.

The IESBA will host webinars during the comment period to provide an overview of the NAS and Fees EDs. Follow the IESBA on Twitter (@Ethics_Board) for updates on how to register for these events.

The IESBA welcomes feedback on the NAS and Fees EDs from all stakeholders, including investors and other users of financial statements, the corporate governance community, the regulatory and audit oversight community, preparers, firms, national standard setters, IFAC member bodies, academics and others.

How to Comment 

The IESBA invites all stakeholders to comment on the NAS and Fees EDs by visiting the IESBA’s website. Comments are requested by June 4, 2020 (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the original comment deadline of May 4 has been extended to June 4).

About the IESBA
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA serves the public interest by setting ethics standards, including auditor independence requirements, which seek to raise the bar for ethical conduct and practice for all professional accountants through a robust, globally operable International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards).

The IESBA believes a single set of high-quality ethics standards enhances the quality and consistency of services provided by professional accountants, thus contributing to public trust and confidence in the accountancy profession. The IESBA sets its standards in the public interest with advice from the IESBA Consultative Advisory Group (CAG) and under the oversight of the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB).

Paula Franco was born on September 29, 1969, in Lisbon. She is a certified accountant, tax consultant and trainer. She owns an accountancy and tax consultancy SME and has been the President of Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados (Portugal) since 2018.

She is the author of technical opinions and various articles published in various media. She has been an interlocutor in clarification sessions and seminars on taxation and accounting in Portugal and all over the world.

She is also a member of expert groups from international organizations such as EFAA, FCM and CILEA. In the latter organization, she holds one of the vice-presidencies and she imported the best practices and international contributions to the profession in Portugal. She is president of the Portuguese-speaking Union of Accountants and Auditors (UCALP), created in 2019.

Today, leading accounting bodies and other organisations have called for corporate and asset owner action and improved reporting on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in an attempt to hit goals set for 2030. The recommendations are detailed in the report, Sustainable Development Goals Disclosure (SDGD) Recommendations, authored by Carol Adams, Professor of Accounting, with Paul Druckman and Russell Picot, Honorary Professors at Durham University Business School.

The report has been published by global accountancy bodies -  International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and the World Benchmarking Alliance. It is also endorsed by the Director of SDG Impact from the United Nations Development Programme (UN-DP). 

The SDGD Recommendations offer a new approach for businesses and other organisations to address sustainable development issues aligned to the three most influential and popular reporting frameworks. They attempt to establish a best practice for corporate reporting on the SDGs and enable more effective and standardized reporting and transparency on climate change, social and other environmental impacts.

The SDGD Recommendations were developed through consultation with accounting and finance professionals, sustainability experts, academics, consultants, framework and standard setters, asset owners and managers and civil society participants. 

Responses to the consultation have been published in Sustainable Development Goals Disclosure (SDGD) Recommendations: Feedback on the consultation. They show strong support for alignment of SDGD Recommendations with other key reporting frameworks/standards (those of the Task force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, the Global Reporting Initiative and the International <IR> Framework).  Respondents agreed that accountability for value destruction and negative impacts are critical. 

The SDGD Recommendations call on organisations to consider sustainable development risks and opportunities relevant to their long term value creation strategy and communicate the actual or potential impacts on achievement of the SDGs. This will require relevant and material disclosures about the factors that influence long term value creation (or destruction) for the organisation and society or that have an impact (positive of negative) on the achievement of the SDGs in the annual report. 

Professor Carol Adams says: “There is increasing awareness in both business and investment communities that the health and wellbeing of the planet and its people impact on the longer term success of business.  The SDGs offer an opportunity to collaborate and address this. A change in what and how business is done is essential to the achievement of the SDGs.  Key to driving change is the requirement for a statement from the Board Chair that the Board accepts responsibility for the SDG Disclosures in the annual report.”

These Recommendations are built upon a suggested five-step approach for contributing to the SDGs aligned with long-term value creation, previously developed by Professor Adams and published by the IIRC and ICAS.

Elizabeth Boggs-Davidsen, Director at the UN DP said: “To achieve the SDGs companies and investors will need to move away from mapping existing activities to the goals to a more integrated practice of directing and disclosing on investment activities that create more impact and contribute to progress towards the SDGs.”

Gerbrand Haverkamp, Executive Director at the World Benchmarking Alliance said: “Without companies aligning their business models and operations with the SDGs - they simply won’t be achieved. We therefore need to work together in translating scientific and societal expectations into clear reporting guidance for companies. This will create the data the World Benchmarking Alliance and others can use to assess and rank corporate performance in a manner that is transparent and free for everyone to see.” 

Kevin Dancey, CEO at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), said: "Achieving the SDGs requires dedication from business, and the urgency continues to grow. We fully support global best practices that enable effective, transparent reporting on sustainability measures. It's imperative that we act together and that we act now to secure a sustainable future.”