I have come across some accounts for a small company filed with Companies House (full accounts with detailed P&L and even tax comps!). There is also an auditors report (with no Bannerman clause). The audit report is signed by a member of the Association of Certified Public Accountants (but not as a "registered auditor").
Are members of the ACPA entitled to be registered auditors?
If so, does the ACPA have a complaints procedure for registering complaints about the standard of their members' work (e.g. no comparatives, reference to FRRSE March 2000 for 310107 accounts, no interest shown in P&L (when there is in the detailed P&L), Net Current Assets including long term creditors, pennies in the accounts (yes really!), and, no accounting policy stated for lease charges (and there were some) - to name just a few of the mistakes).
Makes one wonder why we bother (and try very hard!) to keep up professional standards in the CCAB bodies!
Ian
Ian Dalzell
Replies (13)
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GG
My make up title is better than yours : AICPA - The Association of International Chartered Public Accountants in this world.
Membership is only open to CPAs and CAs in this world.
Designatory letters - AICPA for associate, FICPA - fellows
Seen this myself
I work near a firm which describe themselves as 'Incorporated Practising Accountants' and Auditors.
Closer inspection shows the designation IPA can be used by ACPA Fellows.
No indication if they are registered auditors through another body.
There are some great titles out there - I think I'll make up my own.
How about Certified Tax Accountant?
Read also this ......
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=183252
same goes for any aspects of accounting requiring competence ....
Companies House is a public website!
Isn't the point of Companies House to make accounts open to public inspection, warts & all?
Name & shame, I say!
Same here!
I've come across a very similar case to that which you describe, by an ACPA member - pennies in the accounts and woeful attempts at Companies Act and FRSSE disclosure.
I'm writing to Companies House to make a formal complaint about the standard of the financial statements in question.
I do not think it right to put the name of the firm on a public website.
Name & shame?
Just out of idle curiosity, what was the name of the company, Ian?
Or to save us looking up the accounts, how about the name of the ACPA registered firm?
Complain to Companies House
... that they have accepted accounts with an audit report signed by someone who is not eligible for appointment as an auditor under s.25 CA 1989 because he is not a member of a recognised supervisory body. Lob in the specific disclosure failures. That should cause some grief for the company and hence, for their "auditor", which should achieve your objective of cleaning up at least this one case.
The text of the ICAEW link mentioned below
Protecting the title
There are two issues which I hear a lot about when I meet with members. The problems with HMRC – a subject on which I’ve blogged a number of times – and the fact that anyone can call themselves an accountant without any qualifications, examinations or regulatory supervision.
Most people I speak to, members and non-members alike, can’t understand this. After all, solicitors are all protected so why not accountants. The people who have the power to protect the title aren’t in this camp. Government has argued in the past that to protect the term ‘accountant’ would be anti-competitive. They argue that it could force those ‘unqualified’ accountants who provide a competent and efficient service to their clients out of business and that it could restrict choice for businesses as to who they work with for accountancy services, particularly those in the SME sector.
However, there is a glimmer of light at the end of this particular tunnel. The challenge which the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulator Reform have set the accountancy bodies in the UK is demonstrate that the case for protecting the title is in the public, not the professions’ interest. If we can, it will listen.
So how can you help? In short, with evidence! The Consultative Committee of Accounting Bodies, the umbrella organisation for the six accountancy bodies that make up the UK profession, is undertaking a research project to get the views of individual members. If you’re one of those who are contacted by email, please take part and complete the online questionnaire.
I would also like to hear about examples of where you’ve been called in to solve a situation created as a result of a client first going to an unqualified accountant. Please email your experiences to me at [email protected].
Don't waste your bloody time Ian
I reported an ICAEW firm for using an "out of date" accountants' report and referring to FRSSE 2000 in 2007 accounts.
The ICAEW said the accountants report wording as "recommended" was only "best practice" and wasn't enforceable on members! The FRSSE mistake meant the firm was listed for a Practice assurance visit! (They've already had one in the last three years so I can only suppose that at that time the reference was to FRSSE 2005 and the firm has since reverted to FRSSE 20001 Yeah!!)
Our esteemed leader commented on the quality of unqualifieds in his blog http://www.icaew.com/index.cfm?route=144332. I wrote to him a couple of months ago, quoting the above example and a couple of other ICAEW firms, and suggested we should put our own house in order first. Guess what he hasn't replied!
Perhaps i should make an official complaint to the ICAEW because he has failed to reply to my letter. Oh sorry, that only penalises practising members.
If I could turn back time...
When the Companies Acts brought in recognition of professional qualifications for auditors (was it the 67 act?), anyone who was not a CCAB member but was an existing auditor could register to continue to do audits. These people are 'Registered Auditors'.
ACPA is a trade association, not a professional body (no exams or entrance requirements).
Registered Auditors
Also members of The Association of Authrised Public Accountants (AAPA) are entitled to practice as Registered Auditors in UK
I do not believe ACPA members can do this
From what I recall, only 5 of the CCAB bodies (ICAS, ICAEW, ICAI, ACCA, CIPFA) and AIA are recognised as auditors by the Companies Act