Singapore legislation

Regulation 2

of Accountants (Public Accountants) Rules

Regulation 2

Definitions

Amended byS 200/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —“accounting entity” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Act;“audit engagement” means a reasonable assurance engagement in which a public accountant expresses an opinion whether financial statements are prepared, in all material respects (or give a true and fair view or are presented fairly, in all material respects), in accordance with an applicable financial reporting framework;“audit management role” means managing an audit engagement, and includes performing any key audit function;“audit principal” has the meaning assigned by rule 6A(1);“audit quality review role” means any of the following roles: (a)assessing or reviewing the quality of an audit engagement performed for an accounting entity, the Authority or a professional accountancy body or organisation in Singapore; (b)carrying out an audit inspection under —

(i)

a practice monitoring programme for the Authority; or

(ii)

another similar programme for a professional accountancy body or organisation in Singapore;

(c)

carrying out a quality control standards review for the Authority, or a similar review for a professional accountancy body or organisation in Singapore;“audit technical role” means the role of performing technical audit or accounting consultation by a person in an accounting entity who —

(a)

holds at least a managerial position in the accounting entity; and

(b)

reports directly to a partner of an accounting firm or an equivalent person in any other accounting entity;[Deleted by S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023]“engagement partner”, “engagement quality review”, “engagement quality reviewer” and “engagement team” have the meanings given by the Glossary in the Fourth Schedule to the Accountants (Prescribed Standards and Code of Professional Ethics) Order 2023 (G.N. No. S 327/2023);“foreign audit entity” means a body that —

(a)

is incorporated, formed or established in a country or territory outside Singapore; and

(b)

is licensed or registered in a country or territory outside Singapore to audit financial statements;“foreign auditor” means an individual who is licensed or registered to audit financial statements in a country or territory outside Singapore by or on behalf of the regulator of the audit profession in that country or territory;“hot review order” means an order imposed by the Oversight Committee on a public accountant (A) under section 38(1)(b) or (2)(b)(iii) or 52(2)(f) or (g) of the Act, requiring A to seek the services of another public accountant, who is approved by the Authority (B), for B to review one or more audit engagements undertaken by A before A may issue an audit opinion for these audit engagements as the engagement partner;“key audit function” means any of the following functions performed in relation to an audit engagement: (a)planning functions, namely —

(i)

reviewing and forming conclusions on the acceptance and continuation of any client relationship concerning the audit engagement, and whether the audit engagement complies with independence requirements, including those set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Accountants (Prescribed Standards and Code of Professional Ethics) Order 2023;

(ii)

developing the scope and objective of the audit engagement;

(iii)

evaluating the client’s profile and risk, and the implications of these for the audit engagement;

(iv)

reviewing and approving the planned audit approach before the start of audit fieldwork; and

(v)

ensuring that staffing and resources are adequate, taking into account the required competencies and capabilities;

(b)

leading functions, namely —

(i)

directing and monitoring the progress of the audit engagement, to ensure its compliance with applicable professional standards and regulatory and legal requirements, and against its timelines and budget;

(ii)

supervising and mentoring other professional staff involved in the audit engagement;

(iii)

communicating and consulting with the engagement partner and members of the engagement team about issues arising from the audit engagement which need to be resolved, and resolving such issues; and

(iv)

communicating with the client with respect to any matter relating to or arising from the audit engagement; (c)reporting functions, namely —

(i)

reviewing any document relating to the audit engagement, and reviewing the work done for the audit engagement, to ensure that the procedures performed are adequate and in compliance with the applicable auditing standards;

(ii)

forming opinions based on sufficient audit evidence and in accordance with the applicable auditing standards;

(iii)

communicating the audit findings to, and discussing such audit findings with, the client; and

(iv)

preparing, or supervising the preparation of, audit reports and other documents relating to the audit engagement to be delivered to the client under the audit engagement;“practice monitoring programme” has the meaning given by section 32 of the Act;“public practice” means practice as a public accountant in the capacity of a sole proprietor, a partner in an accounting firm or a corporate practitioner in an accounting corporation or an accounting LLP;“pupil” means a person who is to acquire qualifying audit experience under —

(a)

the direct supervision of one or more audit principals; or

(b)

where paragraph 3(4) of the Second Schedule applies, the overall oversight of an audit principal,for the purpose of being registered as a public accountant under the Act;“qualifying audit experience” means practical experience acquired in —

(a)

carrying out an audit management role; (b)carrying out an audit quality review role; or

(c)

carrying out an audit technical role;“quality control standards” and “quality control standards review” have the meanings given by section 38B of the Act;“Register” means the Register of Public Accountants;“restriction order” means an order imposed by the Oversight Committee on a public accountant under section 38(2)(b)(i) or 52(2)(c) of the Act;“Singapore Standard on Quality Control 1” means the standard by that name issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) that deals with an accounting entity’s responsibilities for its system of quality control for audits and reviews of financial statements, and other assurance and related services engagements;“Singapore Standard on Quality Management 1” means the standard by that name issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants that deals with an accounting entity’s responsibilities to design, implement and operate a system of quality management for audits or reviews of financial statements, or other assurance or related services engagements;“Singapore Standard on Quality Management 2” means the standard by that name issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants that deals with the appointment and eligibility of an engagement quality reviewer and the engagement quality reviewer’s responsibilities relating to the performance and documentation of an engagement quality review;“suspension order” means an order imposed by the Oversight Committee on a public accountant under section 38(2)(a)(ii), (5)(b) or (6)(b), 38A(1), 38J(1)(a)(ii), (3)(b) or (6)(b) or 52(2)(b) of the Act.

Definition

“accounting entity” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Act;

Amended byS 200/2026 wef 06/05/2026

Definition

“audit engagement” means a reasonable assurance engagement in which a public accountant expresses an opinion whether financial statements are prepared, in all material respects (or give a true and fair view or are presented fairly, in all material respects), in accordance with an applicable financial reporting framework;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“audit management role” means managing an audit engagement, and includes performing any key audit function;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“audit principal” has the meaning assigned by rule 6A(1);

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“audit quality review role” means any of the following roles: (a)assessing or reviewing the quality of an audit engagement performed for an accounting entity, the Authority or a professional accountancy body or organisation in Singapore; (b)carrying out an audit inspection under —

(i)

a practice monitoring programme for the Authority; or

(ii)

another similar programme for a professional accountancy body or organisation in Singapore;

(c)

carrying out a quality control standards review for the Authority, or a similar review for a professional accountancy body or organisation in Singapore;

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“audit technical role” means the role of performing technical audit or accounting consultation by a person in an accounting entity who —

(a)

holds at least a managerial position in the accounting entity; and

(b)

reports directly to a partner of an accounting firm or an equivalent person in any other accounting entity;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“engagement partner”, “engagement quality review”, “engagement quality reviewer” and “engagement team” have the meanings given by the Glossary in the Fourth Schedule to the Accountants (Prescribed Standards and Code of Professional Ethics) Order 2023 (G.N. No. S 327/2023);

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“foreign audit entity” means a body that —

(a)

is incorporated, formed or established in a country or territory outside Singapore; and

(b)

is licensed or registered in a country or territory outside Singapore to audit financial statements;

Amended byS 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020

Definition

“foreign auditor” means an individual who is licensed or registered to audit financial statements in a country or territory outside Singapore by or on behalf of the regulator of the audit profession in that country or territory;

Amended byS 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020

Definition

“hot review order” means an order imposed by the Oversight Committee on a public accountant (A) under section 38(1)(b) or (2)(b)(iii) or 52(2)(f) or (g) of the Act, requiring A to seek the services of another public accountant, who is approved by the Authority (B), for B to review one or more audit engagements undertaken by A before A may issue an audit opinion for these audit engagements as the engagement partner;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“key audit function” means any of the following functions performed in relation to an audit engagement: (a)planning functions, namely —

(i)

reviewing and forming conclusions on the acceptance and continuation of any client relationship concerning the audit engagement, and whether the audit engagement complies with independence requirements, including those set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Accountants (Prescribed Standards and Code of Professional Ethics) Order 2023;

(ii)

developing the scope and objective of the audit engagement;

(iii)

evaluating the client’s profile and risk, and the implications of these for the audit engagement;

(iv)

reviewing and approving the planned audit approach before the start of audit fieldwork; and

(v)

ensuring that staffing and resources are adequate, taking into account the required competencies and capabilities;

(b)

leading functions, namely —

(i)

directing and monitoring the progress of the audit engagement, to ensure its compliance with applicable professional standards and regulatory and legal requirements, and against its timelines and budget;

(ii)

supervising and mentoring other professional staff involved in the audit engagement;

(iii)

communicating and consulting with the engagement partner and members of the engagement team about issues arising from the audit engagement which need to be resolved, and resolving such issues; and

(iv)

communicating with the client with respect to any matter relating to or arising from the audit engagement; (c)reporting functions, namely —

(i)

reviewing any document relating to the audit engagement, and reviewing the work done for the audit engagement, to ensure that the procedures performed are adequate and in compliance with the applicable auditing standards;

(ii)

forming opinions based on sufficient audit evidence and in accordance with the applicable auditing standards;

(iii)

communicating the audit findings to, and discussing such audit findings with, the client; and

(iv)

preparing, or supervising the preparation of, audit reports and other documents relating to the audit engagement to be delivered to the client under the audit engagement;

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023S 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“practice monitoring programme” has the meaning given by section 32 of the Act;

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“public practice” means practice as a public accountant in the capacity of a sole proprietor, a partner in an accounting firm or a corporate practitioner in an accounting corporation or an accounting LLP;

Definition

“pupil” means a person who is to acquire qualifying audit experience under —

(a)

the direct supervision of one or more audit principals; or

(b)

where paragraph 3(4) of the Second Schedule applies, the overall oversight of an audit principal,for the purpose of being registered as a public accountant under the Act;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“qualifying audit experience” means practical experience acquired in —

(a)

carrying out an audit management role; (b)carrying out an audit quality review role; or

(c)

carrying out an audit technical role;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“quality control standards” and “quality control standards review” have the meanings given by section 38B of the Act;

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“Register” means the Register of Public Accountants;

Definition

“restriction order” means an order imposed by the Oversight Committee on a public accountant under section 38(2)(b)(i) or 52(2)(c) of the Act;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015S 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“Singapore Standard on Quality Control 1” means the standard by that name issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) that deals with an accounting entity’s responsibilities for its system of quality control for audits and reviews of financial statements, and other assurance and related services engagements;

Amended byS 51/2015 wef 01/02/2015

Definition

“Singapore Standard on Quality Management 1” means the standard by that name issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants that deals with an accounting entity’s responsibilities to design, implement and operate a system of quality management for audits or reviews of financial statements, or other assurance or related services engagements;

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“Singapore Standard on Quality Management 2” means the standard by that name issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants that deals with the appointment and eligibility of an engagement quality reviewer and the engagement quality reviewer’s responsibilities relating to the performance and documentation of an engagement quality review;

Amended byS 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023

Definition

“suspension order” means an order imposed by the Oversight Committee on a public accountant under section 38(2)(a)(ii), (5)(b) or (6)(b), 38A(1), 38J(1)(a)(ii), (3)(b) or (6)(b) or 52(2)(b) of the Act.

Amended byS 696/2020 wef 21/08/2020S 329/2023 wef 01/07/2023