Legacy AICPA statements and standards

Accounting Standards Codification

On 1 July 2009 the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) launched the Accounting Standards Codification as the single source of authoritative non-governmental US GAAP. The codification is effective for interim and annual periods ending after 15 September 2009.

The codification supersedes all existing non-SEC accounting standards (this includes FASB Statements, EITF abstracts and AICPA Statements of Position). Further information is available from our US Accounting Standards page.

The key resource within the Library and Information Service at the ICAEW for AICPA standards and Statements prior to the release of the Accounting Standards Codification was the four volume looseleaf Professional Standards service, which contained:

• Vol.1: US Auditing Standards - AICPA Statements on Auditing Standards and Auditing Interpretations.
• Vol.2: Accounting and review services, ethics, bylaws, international accounting and auditing management advisory services, quality control, tax practice - AICPA Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services, Management Advisory Services, Quality Control Standards and Responsibilities in Tax Practice; IASC Accounting Standards; IFAC Auditing Guidelines.
• Vols.3 and 4: Accounting - AICPA Accounting Research Bulletins, APB Opinions, APB Statements, Accounting Terminology Bulletins, Accounting Interpretations; FASB Interpretations, Technical Bulletins, Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts and Statements of Financial Accounting Standards.

We also have a range of other AICPA publications in the Library collection, including:

• individual standards or Statements
• Audit and Accounting Guides
• Audit and Accounting Manual
• Technical Practice Aids
• Financial Statement Preparation Manual.

Statements prior to the Accounting Standards Codification

Statements of Position (SOP)

Statements of Position are issued by the Accounting Standards Division or the Auditing Standards Division of AICPA. The Library and Information Service holds a copy of the looseleaf AICPA service ‘Technical Aids’ (Volume 2) which collects all current Statements of Position.

• View a listing of Statements of Position in the Library collection

From ‘Technical Practice Aids’, Volume 2:

Statements of Position of the Accounting Standards Division present the conclusions of the Accounting Standards Executive Committee, which is the senior technical body of the AICPA authorized to speak for the Institute in the areas of financial accounting and reporting.

Auditing and Attestation Statements of Position are issued to achieve one or more of several objectives: to revise, clarify, or supplement guidance in previously issued Audit and Accounting Guides; to describe and provide implementation guidance for specific types of audit and attestation engagements; or to provide guidance on specialized areas in audit and attestation engagements.

The AICPA website lists Audit and Attest Standards which include recently issued Attestation Statements of Position.

Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS)

Statements on Auditing Standards are issued by the Auditing Standards Board, the senior AICPA committee for auditing, attestation and quality control.

• View a listing of Statements on Auditing Standards in the Library collection

In the Professional Standards volume it is noted that Statements on Auditing Standards are recognized ‘as interpretations of generally accepted auditing standards’ and that members are required to justify any ‘departures from such Statements’.

The AICPA website lists Audit and Attest Standards which include:

• Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS).

Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS)

Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services are issued by the AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee, the senior technical committee designated to issue pronouncements in connection with the unaudited financial statements or other unaudited financial information of non-public entities.

• View a listing of Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services in the Library collection

The AICPA website lists Audit and Attest Standards which include:

• Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs).

In addition, the site also provides Technical Activities and Publications including some letters and appendices issued by the staff of the Accounting and Review Services Committee relating to certain Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS). AICPA Technical Publications including SSARS can be obtained from the AICPA store.

Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAEs)

Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAEs) are issued by senior technical bodies of the AICPA, designated to issue pronouncements on attestation matters.

The introduction to the attestation standards in the Professional Standards volume states that these ‘provide guidance and establish a broad framework for a variety of attest services increasingly demanded of the accounting profession’.

• View a listing of Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements in the Library collection

The AICPA website lists Audit and Attest Standards which include:

• Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE).

Other AICPA publications

We have a wide range of AICPA publications in the Library collection, including

• Assurance Services Alerts
• Audit and Accounting guides
• Auditing Practice Releases and Auditing Procedure Studies
• Audit Risk Alerts
• Checklist Supplement and Illustrative Financial Statements
• Consulting Services Practice Aids
• Industry Checklists and Illustrative Financial Statements
• Practice Aids.

AICPA Journals

Journal of Accountancy

The Journal of Accountancy is a monthly publication giving the latest news and developments related to the field of accounting relevant to CPAs and other accounting professionals.

The journal was first published in 1905 and the ICAEW Library and Information Service holds a run from 1905 to the present day as follows:

• November 1905 to December 1931
• January 1933 to June 1945
• January 1946 to date

The current year of the Journal and the previous three years are available within the Library to personal visitors or for immediate enquiries by remote users (email/telephone). Older copies of the journal are held in store and advance notice is required if members wish to consult them in person or we can answer queries from then for remote users once they are retrieved from store.

In the ICAEW Library the key articles from the Journal of Accountancy are abstracted for LibCat, the Library's online catalogue.

• Browse abstracts from the Journal of Accountancy (AICPA) from 1993 to date

The AICPA provides an online edition of the Journal of Accountancy which includes most of the articles in full text but omits some of the content from the printed version due to reasons of copyright/timeliness. The archive allows users to browse or search issues from 1997 to date.

The CPA Letter

The CPA Letter was first published in 1973 and the ICAEW Library holds a collection of issues from 1973 to 1998 with some gaps. It is now published online and the current issue can be accessed at the AICPA website along with an archive of all issues in full text back to July/August 1996. A separate archive is available for Disciplinary Actions dating back to November 2000.

The Tax Adviser

The Tax Adviser monthly magazine published by AICPA, subtitled as the magazine of planning, trends and techniques. The journal is available in full text online to AICPA members who belong to the AICPA Tax Division with an archive of issues back to July 1997. Non-members can access a monthly table of contents for each issue.

We hold issues of The Tax Adviser for one year plus the current year in the Library.

AICPA Newsletters

The AICPA offers newsletters on a wide range of topics and areas of interest to CPAs.

The Practicing CPA

Full text of The Practicing CPA has been published by AICPA's Private Companies Practice Section since September 1991. An online archive of issues back to January 1997 is available on the website.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post or email through our document supply service.