On June 1, 2017, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) adopted a new standard for auditor's reports that requires a description of "critical audit matters," for purposes of providing investors with information regarding the most challenging, subjective or complex aspects of the audit. Under the new standard, critical audit matters are defined as any matter arising from the current period's audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved especially challenging, subjective or complex auditor judgment. If no critical audit matters arose from the audit, the auditor's report must state that there were no critical audit matters. The communication of each critical audit matter in the auditor's report must include: (a) the identification of the critical audit matter; (b) a description of the principal considerations that led the auditor to determine that the matter was a critical audit matter; (c) a description of how the critical audit matter was addressed in the audit; and (d) a reference to the relevant financial statement accounts or disclosures. Additional changes to the auditor's report under the new standard include items that are intended to clarify the auditor's role and responsibilities, provide additional information about the auditor and make the auditor's report easier to read for investors. Under the new standard, the auditor's report will still retain the pass/fail opinion of the existing auditor's report.

The new standard will apply to audits conducted under PCAOB standards, but communication of critical audit matters will not be required for audits of: (1) broker-dealers reporting under Exchange Act Rule 17a-5; (2) investment companies other than business development companies (BDCs); (3) employee stock purchase, savings and similar plans; and (4) emerging growth companies (EGCs) as defined under Exchange Act Section 3(a)(80). The new standard is still subject to approval by the SEC. If approved, all provisions other than those related to critical audit matters will take effect for audits for fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2017. The provisions related to critical audit matters will take effect for audits for fiscal years ending on or after June 30, 2019 for large accelerated filers and for fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2020 for all other companies subject to such provisions.

A copy of the PCAOB's fact sheet on the new standard is available at: https://pcaobus.org/News/Releases/Pages/fact-sheet-auditors-report-standard-adoption-6-1-17.aspx.

A copy of the PCAOB's release on the new standard is available at: https://pcaobus.org/Rulemaking/Docket034/2017-001-auditors-report-final-rule.pdf.

Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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