Section 210.2-01 is designed to ensure that auditors are qualified and independent of their audit clients both in fact and in appearance. Accordingly, the rule sets forth restrictions on financial, employment, and business relationships between an accountant and an audit client and restrictions on an accountant providing certain non-audit services to an audit client. Section 210.2-01(b) sets forth the general standard of auditor independence. Paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(5) of this section reflect the application of the general standard to particular circumstances. The rule does not purport to, and the Commission could not, consider all circumstances that raise independence concerns, and these are subject to the general standard in §210.2-01(b). In considering this standard, the Commission looks in the first instance to whether a relationship or the provision of a service: Creates a mutual or conflicting interest between the accountant and the audit client; places the accountant in the position of auditing his or her own work; results in the accountant acting as management or an employee of the audit client; or places the accountant in a position of being an advocate for the audit client. These factors are general guidance only, and their application may depend on particular facts and circumstances. For that reason, §210.2-01(b) provides that, in determining whether an accountant is independent, the Commission will consider all relevant facts and circumstances. For the same reason, registrants and accountants are encouraged to consult with the Commission's Office of the Chief Accountant before entering into relationships, including relationships involving the provision of services that are not explicitly described in the rule.

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(c) *  *  *

(1) *  *  *

(ii) *  *  *

(A) *  *  *

(1) Any loan (including any margin loan) to or from an audit client, an audit client's officers or directors that have the ability to affect decision-making at the entity under audit, or beneficial owners (known through reasonable inquiry) of the audit client's equity securities where such beneficial owner has significant influence over the entity under audit. The following loans obtained from a financial institution under its normal lending procedures, terms, and requirements are excepted from this paragraph (c)(1)(ii)(A)(1):

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(iii) Loans fully collateralized by cash deposits at the same financial institution;

(iv) Mortgage loans collateralized by the borrower's primary residence provided the loans were not obtained while the covered person in the firm was a covered person; and

(v) Student loans provided the loans were not obtained while the covered person in the firm was a covered person.

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(E) Consumer loans. Any aggregate outstanding consumer loan balance owed to a lender that is an audit client that is not reduced to $10,000 or less on a current basis taking into consideration the payment due date and any available grace period.

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(2) *  *  *

(iii) *  *  *

(B) *  *  *

(2) *  *  *

(i) Persons, other than the lead partner and the Engagement Quality Reviewer, who provided 10 or fewer hours of audit, review, or attest services during the period covered by paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(B)(1) of this section;

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(C) *  *  *

(3) *  *  *

(i) Persons, other than the lead partner and the Engagement Quality Reviewer, who provided 10 or fewer hours of audit, review, or attest services during the period covered by paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(2) of this section;

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(3) Business relationships. An accountant is not independent if, at any point during the audit and professional engagement period, the accounting firm or any covered person in the firm has any direct or material indirect business relationship with an audit client, or with persons associated with the audit client in a decision-making capacity, such as an audit client's officers or directors that have the ability to affect decision-making at the entity under audit or beneficial owners (known through reasonable inquiry) of the audit client's equity securities where such beneficial owner has significant influence over the entity under audit. The relationships described in this paragraph (c)(3) do not include a relationship in which the accounting firm or covered person in the firm provides professional services to an audit client or is a consumer in the ordinary course of business.

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(6) *  *  *

(i) *  *  *

(A) *  *  *

(1) The services of a lead partner, as defined in paragraph (f)(7)(ii)(A) of this section, or Engagement Quality Reviewer, as defined in paragraph (f)(7)(ii)(B) of this section; for more than five consecutive years; or

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(B) *  *  *

(1) Within the five consecutive year period following the performance of services for the maximum period permitted under paragraph (c)(6)(i)(A)(1) of this section, performs for that audit client the services of a lead partner, as defined in paragraph (f)(7)(ii)(A) of this section, or Engagement Quality Reviewer, as defined in paragraph (f)(7)(ii)(B) of this section, or a combination of those services; or

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(e) Transition provisions for mergers and acquisitions involving audit clients. An accounting firm's independence will not be impaired because an audit client engages in a merger or acquisition that gives rise to a relationship or service that is inconsistent with this rule, provided that:

(1) The accounting firm is in compliance with the applicable independence standards related to such services or relationships when the services or relationships originated and throughout the period in which the applicable independence standards apply;

(2) The accounting firm has or will address such services or relationships promptly under relevant circumstances as a result of the occurrence of the merger or acquisition;

(3) The accounting firm has in place a quality control system as described in paragraph (d)(3) of this section that has the following features:

(i) Procedures and controls that monitor the audit client's merger and acquisition activity to provide timely notice of a merger or acquisition; and

(ii) Procedures and controls that allow for prompt identification of such services or relationships after initial notification of a potential merger or acquisition that may trigger independence violations, but before the effective date of the transaction.

(f) *  *  *

(4) Affiliate of the audit client means:

(i) An entity that has control over the entity under audit, or over which the entity under audit has control, including the entity under audit's parents and subsidiaries;

(ii) An entity that is under common control with the entity under audit, including the entity under audit's parents and subsidiaries, when the entity and the entity under audit are each material to the controlling entity;

(iii) An entity over which the audit client has significant influence, unless the entity is not material to the audit client;

(iv) An entity that has significant influence over the audit client, unless the audit client is not material to the entity; or

(v) Each entity in the investment company complex as determined in paragraph (f)(14) of this section when the entity under audit is an investment company or investment adviser or sponsor, as those terms are defined in paragraphs (f)(14)(ii), (iii), and (iv) of this section.

(5) *  *  *

(iii) The “audit and professional engagement period” does not include periods ended prior to the first day of the last fiscal year before the issuer first filed, or was required to file, a registration statement or report with the Commission, provided there has been full compliance with applicable independence standards in all prior periods covered by any registration statement or report filed with the Commission.

(6) Audit client means the entity whose financial statements or other information is being audited, reviewed, or attested to and any affiliates of the audit client, other than, for purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section, entities that are affiliates of the audit client only by virtue of paragraphs (f)(4)(iii), (f)(4)(iv), or (f)(14)(i)(E) of this section.

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(14) Investment company complex.

(i) “Investment company complex” includes:

(A) An entity under audit that is an:

(1) Investment company; or

(2) Investment adviser or sponsor;

(B) The investment adviser or sponsor of any investment company identified in paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A)(1) of this section;

(C) Any entity controlled by or controlling:

(1) An entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section, or

(2) An investment adviser or sponsor identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(B) of this section. When the entity is controlled by an investment adviser or sponsor identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(B), such entity is included within the investment company complex if:

(i) The entity and the entity under audit are each material to the investment adviser or sponsor identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(B) of this section; or

(ii) The entity is engaged in the business of providing administrative, custodial, underwriting, or transfer agent services to any entity identified by paragraphs (f)(14)(i)(A) or (B) of this section;

(D) Any entity under common control with an entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section, any investment adviser or sponsor identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(B) of this section, or any entity identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(C) of this section; if the entity:

(1) Is an investment company or an investment adviser or sponsor, when the entity and the entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section are each material to the controlling entity; or

(2) Is engaged in the business of providing administrative, custodian, underwriting, or transfer agent services to any entity identified by paragraphs (f)(14)(i)(A) and (f)(14)(i)(B) of this section;

(E) Any entity over which an entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section has significant influence, unless the entity is not material to the entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section, or any entity that has significant influence over an entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section, unless the entity under audit identified by paragraph (f)(14)(i)(A) of this section is not material to the entity that has significant influence over it; and

(F) Any investment company that has an investment adviser or sponsor included in this definition by paragraphs (f)(14)(i)(A) through (f)(14)(i)(D) of this section.

(ii) An investment company, for purposes of paragraph (f)(14) of this section, means any investment company or an entity that would be an investment company but for the exclusions provided by Section 3(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3(c)).

(iii) An investment adviser, for purposes of this definition, does not include a subadviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser.

(iv) Sponsor, for purposes of this definition, is an entity that establishes a unit investment trust.

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