AICPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Updates to Attestation Standards

Auditing | February 5, 2026

AICPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Updates to Attestation Standards

The proposed changes reflect the ongoing evolution in attestation services, in which practitioners are increasingly asked to provide services beyond audits of the financial statements, the AICPA said.

Jason Bramwell

The American Institute of CPAs’ Auditing Standards Board has voted to seek public comment on proposed changes to attestation standards, in part to address sustainability information and other emerging areas of assurance.

An exposure draft of the proposed changes is expected to be available online on Feb. 26, with a comment period to be determined later.

The comment period will end no less than 120 days after the document’s publication date, the AICPA said on Feb. 5.

The proposed changes reflect the ongoing evolution in attestation services, in which practitioners are increasingly asked to provide services beyond audits of the financial statements, such as in the areas of sustainability, digital assets, cybersecurity, governance, and related controls.

The exposure draft consists of two main parts:

  • Updates to the baseline attestation standards to address evolving practice, and
  • Two new AT-C sections related to engagements to report on sustainability information.

Adoption of the updates is expected to occur next year, pending revisions after the comment period and further deliberation by the Auditing Standards Board.

The exposure draft, once published, can be found on the AICPA’s resource page for comments on standards proposals.

Thanks for reading CPA Practice Advisor!

Subscribe for free to get personalized daily content, newsletters, continuing education, podcasts, whitepapers and more…
Retired EY Partner Tapped to Lead PCAOB

PCAOB February 2, 2026 

Retired EY Partner Tapped to Lead PCAOB

Demetrios "Jim" Logothetis, a 40-year veteran of Ernst & Young who retired as an audit partner from the Big Four firm in 2019, was picked as the new PCAOB chair by the SEC, which also appointed three new board members Jan. 30.

Jason Bramwell

Leave a Reply