Guidance 

Staff Audit Practice Alerts

Staff Audit Practice Alerts highlight new, emerging, or otherwise noteworthy circumstances that may affect how auditors conduct audits under the existing requirements of PCAOB standards and relevant laws. The statements contained in Staff Audit Practice Alerts are not rules of the Board and do not reflect any Board determination or judgment about the conduct of any particular firm, auditor, or any other person.

• Alert No. 10: Maintaining and Applying Professional Skepticism in Audits (Dec. 4, 2012) 
• Alert No. 9: Assessing and Responding to Risk in the Current Economic Environment (Dec. 6, 2011) 
• Alert No. 8: Audit Risks in Certain Emerging Markets (Oct. 3, 2011) 
• Alert No. 7: Auditor Considerations of Litigation and Other Contingencies Arising from Mortgage and Other Loan Activities (Dec. 20, 2010) 
• Alert No. 6: Auditor Considerations Regarding Using the Work of Other Auditors and Engaging Assistants from Outside the Firm (July 12, 2010) 
• Alert No. 5: Auditor Considerations Regarding Significant Unusual Transactions (April 7, 2010) 
• Alert No. 4: Auditor Considerations Regarding Fair Value Measurements, Disclosures, and Other-Than-Temporary Impairments (April 21, 2009) 
• Alert No. 3: Audit Considerations in the Current Economic Environment (Dec. 5, 2008) 
• Alert No. 2: Matters Related to Auditing Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments and the Use of Specialists (Dec. 10, 2007) 
• Alert No. 1: Matters Related to Timing and Accounting for Option Grants (July 28, 2006) 

Staff Questions and Answers

Staff questions and answers set forth the staff's opinions on issues related to the implementation of the standards of the PCAOB. The PCAOB publishes questions and answers to help auditors implement, and the Board's staff administer, the Board's standards. The statements contained in the staff questions and answers are not rules of the Board, nor have they been approved by the Board.

• Auditing Standard No. 7, Engagement Quality Review (Feb. 19, 2010) 
• References to Authoritative Accounting Guidance in PCAOB Standards (Sept. 2, 2009) 
• Ethics and Independence Rules Concerning Independence, Tax Services, and Contingent Fees (April 3, 2007) 
• Auditing the Fair Value of Share Options Granted to Employees (Oct.17, 2006) 
• Adjustments to Prior-Period Financial Statements Audited by a Predecessor Auditor (June 9, 2006) 
• Attest Engagements Regarding XBRL Financial Information Furnished Under the XBRL Voluntary Financial Reporting Program on the EDGAR System (May 25, 2005) 
• Audits of Financial Statements of Non-Issuers Performed Pursuant to the Standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (June 30, 2004) 

Other Staff Guidance

Staff guidance sets forth the staff's views on issues related to the implementation of the standards of the PCAOB.  The statements contained in staff guidance are not rules of the Board, nor have they been approved by the Board.

• Staff Views –  An Audit of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting That Is Integrated with An Audit of Financial Statements: Guidance for Auditors of Smaller Public Companies (Jan. 23, 2009) 
  • Preliminary Staff Views – An Audit of Internal Control That Is Integrated with An Audit of Financial Statements: Guidance for Auditors of Smaller Public Companies (Oct. 17, 2007) 
  • Preliminary Staff Views – Comment letters

Other Board Releases

Board releases regarding implementation of standards of the PCAOB are issued periodically.

• Policy Statement Regarding Implementation of Auditing Standard No. 2:  An Audit of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Performed in Conjunction With an Audit of Financial Statements (May 16, 2005)