(New York, December 10, 2013) – The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global organization for the accountancy profession, today released the Guide to Review Engagements. The guide, developed in conjunction with CPA Canada, aims to help professional accountants in practice, especially those operating in small- and medium-sized practices (SMPs), in conducting review engagements in compliance with International Standard on Review Engagements (ISRE) 2400 (Revised), effective for periods ending on or after December 31.

 

“Many small- and medium-sized entities (SMEs) around the world are not required, or do not elect, to have an audit. They may, however, wish to enhance the credibility of, and confidence in, their unaudited financial statements by having some degree of independent assurance on them,” said SMP Committee Chair Giancarlo Attolini. “A review engagement, which offers limited assurance, may be the ideal solution. The guide can help practitioners prepare themselves to meet the potentially increasing demand in this area.”

 

To help practitioners develop a deeper understanding of ISRE 2400 (Revised), the guide includes illustrative examples alongside relevant extracts from the standard. It also includes practical points for practitioners’ consideration and tips on how to efficiently implement the standard. Checklists and forms that can be adapted to meet the particular requirements and circumstances of individual review engagements and jurisdictions are also included. 

 

To assist IFAC member organizations, the SMP Committee has also updated its Companion Manual, a supplementary user guide to help organizations understand the various ways they can use, translate, and adapt the committee’s implementation guides.

 

To download the guide, visit SMP Publications & Resources. See also the article “Review Engagements for SMEs: Limited Assurance, Numerous Benefits,” which was developed to help IFAC members communicate the value of a review engagement and the availability of the guide to their members (see page for details). For access to additional resources from IFAC and other organizations from around the world, see Implementation Links (open links in the SMP Committee’s Delicious page to filter resources by review engagements and other services).