PEEC adopts revised definition of ‘attest engagement team’

The AICPA’s Professional Ethics Executive Committee has revised the definition of “attest engagement team,” which clarifies for practitioners who is and is not part of such a team when applying independence requirements from the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct.

The revised definition explicitly excludes from the attest engagement team internal auditors, auditor’s external specialists, practitioner’s external specialists, referred-to auditors and referred-to practitioners.

Because membership on an attest engagement team can affect the application of independence and other ethics requirements, the clearer exclusions aim to help practitioners identify relevant team members and apply the code consistently across engagements. Read more.