2015 Wisconsin Act 217

conducting peer reviews

217,89 Section 89. Accy 6.303 of the administrative code is created to read:

Accy 6.303 Extensions. The organization administering the peer-review program may grant extensions for completing peer reviews as long as the organization is notified by the firm within 14 days prior to the due date of the peer review. Extensions may be granted for any of the following reasons:

(1) An adverse health condition, including an illness or injury.

(2) Military service.

(3) Other good cause clearly outside of the control of the public accounting firm.

217,90 Section 90. Accy 6.304 of the administrative code is created to read:

Accy 6.304 Firm structure changes. In the event a firm is merged, otherwise combined, dissolved, or separated, the organization administering the peer review shall determine which firm, if any, is considered to be the succeeding firm. The succeeding firm shall retain its peer review status and the review due date.

217,91 Section 91. Chapter Accy 7 (title) of the administrative code is repealed.

217,92 Section 92. Accy 7.01 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,93 Section 93. Accy 7.02 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,94 Section 94. Accy 7.03 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,95 Section 95. Accy 7.035 (intro.) and (2) of the administrative code are consolidated, renumbered Accy 2.202 (intro.) and amended to read:

Accy 2.202 Education required to take the examination for certification. (intro.) A person may not take the examination leading to the candidate applying for a certificate to practice as a certified public accountant unless the person has, as part of must, in the course of having completed the 150 semester hours of education, met one of the following conditions: (2) Earned have earned a baccalaureate or graduate degree from a an accredited business school or college of business that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the board and completed at all of the following:

(1) At least 24 semester hours in accounting at the undergraduate level or 15 semester hours at the graduate level, or an equivalent combination, including courses covering the subjects of financial accounting, auditing, U.S. taxation, and management accounting. at least one course in each of the following subjects:

217,96 Section 96. Accy 7.035 (1), (3), (4) and (5) of the administrative code are repealed.

217,97 Section 97. Accy 7.04 (1) of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 2.308 and amended to read:

Accy 2.308 Transfer of credit applicant scores. Applicants who have passed all or part of the uniform certified public accountant examination in another jurisdiction but who have not yet received their certified public accountant certificate shall be able to transfer grades scores in subjects passed to Wisconsin provided that:

(1) Grades Scores transferred must be certified to the board by the other jurisdiction and must be passed in accordance with rules applicable to Wisconsin candidates.

(2) Transfer of grades scores must be accepted by board action and the applicant notified in a manner similar to the action on grades scores for Wisconsin applicants.

217,98 Section 98. Accy 7.04 (2) of the administrative code is repealed.

217,99 Section 99. Accy 7.05 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 3.101, and Accy 3.101 (1) (c), as renumbered, is amended to read:

Accy 3.101 (1) (c) The applicant has been approved under s. Accy 8.05 3.202.

217,100 Section 100. Accy 7.06 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,101 Section 101. Accy 7.07 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 2.102.

217,102 Section 102. Chapter Accy 8 (title) of the administrative code is repealed.

217,103 Section 103. Accy 8.01 (title) of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 3.001 (title).

217,104 Section 104. Accy 8.01 (1) of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 3.001.

217,105 Section 105. Accy 8.02 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 3.002.

217,106 Section 106. Accy 8.03 (title), (1), (3), (4), (5) and (6) of the administrative code are renumbered Accy 3.102 (title), (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5).

217,107 Section 107. Accy 8.04 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 3.201 and amended to read:

Accy 3.201 Foreign candidates. (1) Candidates holding certifications from foreign countries shall establish their qualifications for a certificate by endorsement as set forth in ss. Accy 8.02 and 8.03 3.002 and 3.102, or in s. Accy 8.05 3.202.

(2) Except as provided in s. Accy 8.05 3.202, education qualifications in foreign countries are not comparable to those in Wisconsin. As no foreign school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or its regional equivalent an accrediting agency that is recognized by the secretary of the federal department of education, evidence of acceptance without deficiency into a graduate program in a school accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or its regional equivalent an agency that is recognized by the secretary of the federal department of education will be accepted as evidence of equivalence for a bachelor's or higher degree. The education acquired must constitute the reasonable equivalence of a resident major s set forth in s. Accy 7.03.

(3) Except as provided in s. Accy 8.05 3.202, examinations in foreign countries have not been established as being comparable to those in the United States. Candidates must establish at least minimum qualifications in United States practice related to areas of business law, federal income taxes, generally accepted auditing standards, and generally accepted accounting principles. The writing taking of uniform certified public accountant examinations in these areas would be adequate evidence, although other evidence may be accepted if validated.

(4) Except as provided in s. Accy 8.05 3.202, experience must include practice using United States related techniques as noted in sub. (3). Experience will be considered on its merit without restriction as to where it was acquired, so long as it is relevant to United States practice.

217,108 Section 108. Accy 8.05 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 3.202, and Accy 3.202 (2) (d), as renumbered, is amended to read:

Accy 3.202 (2) (d) The applicant has successfully completed the professional ethics examination in s. Accy 3.10 2.306.

217,109 Section 109. Chapter Accy 9 (title) of the administrative code is renumbered Chapter Accy 6 (title).

217,110 Section 110. Accy 9.01 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,111 Section 111. Accy 9.02 (Note) of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 6.101 (Note) and amended to read:

Accy 6.101 Note: The following questions are intended to assist firms in determining whether a peer review is required for renewal. An affirmative response to any part of any question means that a peer review is required. Caution: This list is not exclusive. Refer to the standards if in doubt.

1. Does your firm audit SEC clients, including employer-sponsored plans required to file a form 11-K with the SEC?

2. Does your firm currently perform the following types of engagements?

• Engagements applying Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs) - Audits?

• Agreed-upon procedures?

• Engagements applying Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS)?

• Reviews of financial statements?

• Compilations of financial statements with disclosures?

• Compilations of financial statements where "Selected Information-Substantially All Disclosures Required Are Not Included?"

•   Compilations of financial statements that omit substantially all disclosures?

• Engagements applying Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE)?

• Engagements applying International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or International Auditing Standards (IAS)?

• Examinations of prospective financial statements under SAARS?

• Compilations of prospective financial statements under SAARS?

• Agreed-upon procedures of prospective financial statements?

• Examinations of written assertions?

• Reviews of written assertions?

• Agreed-upon procedures of written assertions?

• Engagements under Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book)?

• Engagements applying PCAOB Auditing Standards?

• Engagements applying PCAOB Attestation Standards?

• Work performed as subject to requirements of the AICPA peer-review program?

217,112 Section 112. Accy 9.02 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 6.101, and Accy 6.101 (1) and (2), as renumbered, are amended to read:

Accy 6.101 (1) After January 1, 2005, an An application for renewal by a certified public accounting firm that provides or offers to provide attest services shall include a description of at least one peer review of the firm undergone through a peer review program approved by the board, or approved by a board that regulates certified public accountants in another state, within 3 years preceding the application for renewal. The description shall identify the board-approved peer review program administrator, if administered by a peer-review program administrator approved by a board that regulates certified public accountants in any other CPA licensing jurisdiction, the outcome of the review, and the year under review.

(2) A firm is exempt from the peer review requirements in this section if it does not offer or perform attest services as defined in s. 442.001 (1), Stats.

217,113 Section 113. Accy 9.03 of the administrative code is renumbered Accy 6.201, and Accy 6.201 (intro.), as renumbered, is amended to read:

Accy 6.201 Reports Report from board-approved review programs peer-review program . (intro.) Each board-approved peer review The peer-review program described under s. Accy 6.002 (4) (a) 1. shall report the following to the board by December 1 of each even-numbered year:

217,114 Section 114. Accy 9.04 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,115 Section 115. Accy 9.05 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,116 Section 116. Accy 9.06 of the administrative code is repealed.

217,117 Section 117. Nonstatutory provisions.

(1) The accounting examining board shall research the feasibility of rules establishing continuing education requirements for renewal of a license under section 442.08 (1) of the statutes. The board shall prepare a report describing its findings and recommendations, including a description of any suggested changes to the statutes or the board's rules, and shall submit the report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in the manner provided under section 13.172 (3) of the statutes no later than December 31, 2016.

(2) The requirements under sections 227.21 (2) (a) and 442.01 (2) of the statutes to obtain the consent of the attorney general and to hold a public hearing do not apply with respect to the enactment of this act.

217,118 Section 118. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

(1) Notwithstanding section 227.265 of the statutes, the treatments of provisions of the administrative code take effect on the first day of the 3rd month following publication of this act in the Wisconsin Administrative Register.