AICPA TO ISSUE GUIDANCE ON USING NEW FRAUD AUDITING STANDARD

At this writing, there is no name for it. But if you order it now you can save $15--if you wait until the March publication date it will cost $74 instead of the prepublication discount price of $59. The publication won't be an audit guide, a practice alert, or have any official standing. But what the AICPA does promise is it is "what you really need to know to comply with the upcoming SAS" on Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, which is expected to be SAS 80.

The publication, which for purposes of promotion has been given the name "Fraud: Practical Guidance for Considering Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit," is evidence of the AICPA's stated intention to provide user-friendly materials to help practitioners begin to apply new pronouncements. The guidance will have practice aids (no doubt checklists and the like) and give specific guidance for several industries.

If the guidance is all that it says it is, it could be of considerable help to practitioners, especially smaller firms. Of course, you would expect that other publishers will provide similar guidance--Practitioner's Publishing Company for one. The CPA Journal will review the guidance as soon as it is available to see how helpful it may be. *