Major changes to Review and Compilation Reports from SSARS 19

Remember that SSARS 19 makes a lot of changes to the review and compilation procedures.  In terms of the reports, the entire report is changing – the wording is completely different.

Update – SSARS 19 had been replaced by SSARS 21. All the reports have been revised. You can check out these posts at my other blog, Attestation Update:

 

A report title is required (Accountant’s Compilation Report / Independent Accountant’s Review Report).  Also, will be required to list an addressee.

One more complication to keep in mind for work in 2011.  For a season of time, we could be in the position of preparing some reports with the new wording (since they are for 12-31-10 or later report dates) and other reports have to be drafted with the old wording (since they are for report dates earlier in the year).

Most people may consider the biggest change is allowing the accountant to explain the reason for a lack of independence on a compilation.

Lots of other changes to keep in mind as well.  If you haven’t taken a look at SSARS 19 yet, it might be good to start browsing it.  The AICPA has a summary of the document.

Update: Samples of new reports, tailored for non-profit organizations:

reviews here

compilations here

Update:  I have written a 3-hour online CPE course called Compilation and Review: Practice Issues (Third Edition) available at the CCH Learning Center website. From the course description:

This course was prepared to enable participants who are experienced accountants to improve their knowledge of the issues affecting their compilation and review practices.

Course discussed in more detail at this post.  If you like the writing you see on this website, check out the Practice Issue course.

In the pipeline are three more courses, each of which will be a 2 hour class:

  • Compilation and Review: Introduction (this is a prerequisite to the following two courses)
  • Compilation and Review: Compilations
  • Compilation and Review: Reviews

Will let you know as those courses are brought online.

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