Singapore legislation
Section 56
Section 56
Holding out as public accountant, accounting corporation, accounting firm or accounting LLP
(1)
A person who is not registered as a public accountant under this Act must not —
practise as a public accountant;
hold himself or herself out to be a public accountant; or
use in connection with his or her name or otherwise assume, use, or advertise any title or description tending to convey the impression that he or she is a public accountant registered under this Act, or that he or she is otherwise authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
(2)
Subject to subsection (4), a body corporate which is not approved as an accounting corporation under this Act must not —
provide public accountancy services in Singapore;
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way to be an accounting corporation or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
use in connection with its name, or with the name under which it carries on business, the words “Public Accounting Corporation”, or any abbreviation or derivative thereof, or use at the end of such name the acronym “PAC”, or any combination of such acronym, words, abbreviation or derivative.
(3)
A partnership or any other unincorporated body which is not approved as an accounting firm under this Act must not —
provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way to be an accounting firm or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
(4)
A limited liability partnership which is not approved as an accounting LLP under this Act must not —
provide public accountancy services in Singapore; or
advertise or hold itself out or describe itself in any way to be an accounting LLP or to be authorised to provide public accountancy services in Singapore.
(5)
The Authority may exempt any person from all or any of the provisions of subsection (1), (2), (3) or (4).
(6)
Any person who contravenes subsection (1), (2), (3) or (4) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.