The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board^® (IAASB^®) today released an Exposure Draft proposing changes to International Standard on Auditing^TM (ISA^TM) 810, Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements. ISA 810 deals with the auditor’s responsibilities relating to an engagement to report on summary financial statements derived from financial statements audited in accordance with ISAs by that same auditor. The IAASB is proposing limited conforming amendments to ISA 810 as a result of the issuance of its new and revised Auditor Reporting standards, which address auditor reporting on general purpose financial statements.

“In light of its overall efforts to enhance auditor reporting, the IAASB believes it is also in the public interest to provide users of summary financial statements with greater transparency in circumstances when additional information, such as key audit matters, are communicated in the related auditor’s report on the audited financial statements,” explained Prof. Arnold Schilder, IAASB Chairman. “The proposed changes to ISA 810 represent a balanced approach considering the objective of an engagement to report on summary financial statements and the report that is required to be issued.”

“The board’s approach also recognizes that the manner in which summary financial statements are prepared and presented may vary on a national basis depending on the criteria used, and therefore national auditing standard setters may further tailor ISA 810 in their jurisdictions,” noted Kathleen Healy, IAASB Technical Director. “The board is therefore particularly interested in hearing from stakeholders in those jurisdictions where ISA 810 reports are frequently issued to understand whether its proposed changes will be capable of being implemented and would be expected to benefit users of these reports.”  

The IAASB has issued its proposals with a 90-day comment period in order to finalize them on a timely basis and align the effective date of ISA 810 (Revised) with the effective date of the new and Revised Auditor Reporting Standards (i.e., for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after December 15, 2016).

How to Comment
The IAASB invites all stakeholders to respond to this Exposure Draft, which includes specific questions for respondents on key aspects of the proposals and highlights areas of focus for various stakeholders in responding to the Exposure Draft. To access the Exposure Draft and submit a comment, visit the IAASB’s website at www.iaasb.org. Comments on the Exposure Draft are requested by November 2, 2015.

About the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board(IAASB)
The IAASB 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 the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

About IFAC^®
IFAC 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 more than 175 members and associates in 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.8 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board^® (IPSASB^®) today released for comment Exposure Draft (ED) 56, The Applicability of IPSASs.

ED 56 proposes to:

• Revise the Preface to International Public Sector Accounting Standards to provide the characteristics of public sector entities for which IPSASs are intended;
• Delete the definition of Government Business Enterprises (GBEs) in IPSAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements; and
• Amend the scope section of each International Public Sector Accounting Standard™ (IPSAS™) and Recommended Practice Guideline (RPG) by removing the paragraph that states that these pronouncements do not apply to GBEs.

ED 56’s proposed changes address constituents’ concerns about the application of IPSASs to public sector entities. Currently, each IPSAS includes a statement that it does not apply to GBEs, which are expected to be commercially-oriented public sector entities. The term “Government Business Enterprise” is defined in IPSAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements.

The IPSASB received feedback that a wide range of entities are described as GBEs, but some of these entities clearly do not meet the IPSASB definition of a GBE. In other cases, there are different interpretations of the GBE definition.

“The proposals in this Exposure Draft provide a more transparent way to communicate the types of public sector entities that the IPSASB considers when developing IPSASs and RPGs,” said IPSASB Chair Andreas Bergmann. “They use a high-level, principles-based approach that draws on The Conceptual Framework for General Purpose Financial Reporting by Public Sector Entities.”

“These proposals acknowledge the role of regulators in determining the accounting standards to be applied by different entities in their jurisdictions, and address constituents’ concerns about differing interpretations of the GBE definition,” Prof. Bergmann added. “We look forward to hearing whether constituents support the changes to IPSASs and RPGs proposed in this Exposure Draft or present alternative views.”

Publication of ED 56 follows the IPSASB’s consideration of responses to a Consultation Paper (CP), The Applicability of IPSASs to Government Business Enterprises and Other Public Sector Entities. The CP proposed two main approaches to communicate the IPSASB’s view of the entities for which it develops IPSASs. The first approach involved describing the characteristics of public sector entities for which IPSASs are intended. The second approach would have retained the definition of a GBE in modified form, potentially narrowing it to profit-seeking public sector entities.

A large majority of respondents to the CP supported the first approach of providing the characteristics of public sector entities for which IPSASs are intended using IPSASB’s current literature, rather than retaining and improving the definition of a GBE. The proposals in ED 56 give effect to that approach.

How to Comment
To access the ED and the At-a-Glance summary of the ED, or to submit a comment, please visit the IPSASB website at www.ipsasb.org. Comments on the Exposure Draft are requested by November 30, 2015. The IPSASB encourages IFAC^® members, associates, and regional accountancy bodies to promote the availability of this Exposure Draft to their members and employees.

About the IPSASB
The IPSASB develops accounting standards and guidance for use by public sector entities. It receives support (both direct financial and in-kind) from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, the South African Accounting Standards Board, and the governments of Canada, New Zealand, and Switzerland. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IPSASB are facilitated by IFAC.

About IFAC
IFAC 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. IFAC is comprised of over 175 members and associates in 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.8 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

To support accountants in developing a greater awareness of how they can help their organizations address issues of sustainability and more fully incorporate these issues into business decisions, the International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®) today released Accounting for Sustainability. From Sustainability to Business Resilience.

The briefing highlights the important role accountants can, and must, play in embracing sustainability challenges and ensuring that the organizations they serve are resilient by linking these challenges to a broader business agenda and strategy.

“Businesses are resilient when they are able to create and continue to deliver value to stakeholders, which involves considering both the risks and opportunities presented by sustainability issues, including environmental and social aspects, that ultimately affect financial performance and value creation,” according to IFAC President Olivia Kirtley. “Accountants working in the public and private sectors have a significant role to play in supporting and making the decisions that guide an organization’s ability to be resilient.”

The briefing examines the link between sustainability and business resilience, how integrating sustainability leads to better performance, and the key elements of developing a sustainable strategy and business model.

It clarifies how professional accountants can make a difference and includes references to some of the many resources and tools available to help develop knowledge and skillsets.

The briefing was previewed earlier this week during the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka’s Global Management Accounting Summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by Ms. Kirtley. The conference, themed Business Resilience through Integrated Reporting, addressed many different issues related to integrated reporting, including sustainability.

About IFAC
IFAC 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 more than 175 members and associates in 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.8 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.