AICPA wary of new PCAOB firm metrics standard
November 22, 2024
The American Institute of CPAs is still concerned about the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's new firm and engagement metrics standard, despite some modifications from the original proposal.
During a board meeting Thursday, the PCAOB approved two new standards, on firm and engagement metrics, and firm reporting. Both would have significant implications for firms.
Under the new rules, PCAOB-registered public accounting firms that audit one or more issuers that qualify as an accelerated filer or large accelerated filer will be required to publicly report specified metrics relating to such audits and their audit practices. The metrics cover the following eight areas:
Partner and manager involvement;
Workload;
Training hours for audit personnel;
Experience of audit personnel;
Industry experience;
Retention of audit personnel (firm-level only);
Allocation of audit hours; and,
Restatement history (firm-level only).
The AICPA reacted cautiously to the announcement. "We're still studying the components of the final firm metrics requirements but, as we stated in our comment letter to the PCAOB this past summer, these rules will place a significant burden on small and midsized audit firms and could lead some to exit public company auditing altogether," said the AICPA in a statement emailed Friday to Accounting Today. "This is not just conjecture: a majority of respondents (51%) to a recent survey we did of Top 500 firms with audit practices said they would rethink engaging in public company audits if the requirements were approved."
The PCAOB it made some modifications to the original proposal in response to the comments had received since April:
Reduced the metric areas to eight (from 11);
Refined the metrics to simplify and clarify the calculations;
Increased the ability to provide optional narrative disclosure (from 500 to 1,000 characters); and,
Updated the effective date. (If approved by the SEC, the earliest effective date of the firm-level metrics will be Oct. 1, 2027, with the first reporting as of September 30, 2028, and engagement-level metrics for the audits of companies with fiscal years beginning on or after Oct. 1, 2027.)
The AICPA welcomed those changes but doesn't think they go far enough. "We're glad the PCAOB took some comments to heart by extending implementation dates, particularly for smaller firms, and lowering the number of required metrics," said the AICPA. "But the potential consequences of the remaining requirements — reduced competition and market diversity in the public audit space — are a significant risk. We hope the SEC will give these unintended outcomes the weight they deserve before giving final approval to the requirements."
The Securities and Exchange Commission would still need to give final approval to the standard, as well as the new firm reporting standard. Last week, the PCAOB decided to pause work on its controversial NOCLAR standard, on noncompliance with laws and regulations, until next year. On Thursday, SEC chairman Gary Gensler announced he would be stepping down in January, which may affect the timing of its approval or disapproval by the SEC. With the incoming Trump administration, the SEC is expected to take a far less aggressive stance on enforcement and regulation. On Friday, the SEC announced that it filed 583 total enforcement actions in fiscal year 2024 while obtaining orders for $8.2 billion in financial remedies, the highest amount in SEC history.
The Center for Audit Quality is also asking for the SEC to pause the PCAOB firm and engagement metrics standard, submitting a comment letter Friday.
"The Board adopted these rules despite concerns expressed by more than 70% and 85% of commenters," wrote CAQ CEO Julie Bell Lindsay. "Given these concerns, we respectfully request the Commission consider the options it has to afford sufficient time for stakeholders to review the rules and participate in a robust comment process."
[Accounting Today]
