SEC Approves a New PCAOB Quality Control Standard

The Securities and Exchange Commission today approved the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) new quality control (QC) standard and related amendments to its standards, rules, and forms. QC 1000, A Firm’s System of Quality Control, establishes an integrated, risk-based quality control standard that will require all registered public accounting firms to identify specific risks to their practice and design a quality control system that includes appropriate responses to guard against those risks. Registered firms that perform engagements under PCAOB standards will be required to implement and operate the QC system. The new quality control standard focuses on an audit firm’s accountability and continuous improvement of its audit practice and will require an annual evaluation of the firm’s QC system and related reporting to the PCAOB, certified by key firm personnel.