IAASB Issues Narrow-Scope Amendments on Using the Work of Experts

Posted 12 January 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Financial and Accounting

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has issued narrow-scope amendments to its standards to align with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants’ (IESBA) revisions regarding the use of external experts.

In terms of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) framework, these amendments respond to the IESBA’s recently approved revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards). The updates introduce explicit ethical requirements for using the work of external experts in audit, assurance, and non-assurance engagements.

The IAASB’s updates reflect ongoing coordination between the IAASB and IESBA to maintain interoperability between their respective standards. The targeted amendments focus on the practitioner’s responsibilities when evaluating the objectivity and competence of an external expert. The standards affected by these narrow-scope amendments include:

  • ISA 220 (Revised), Quality Management for an Audit of Financial Statements;
  • ISA 500, Audit Evidence;
  • ISA 620, Using the Work of an Auditor’s Expert; and
  • ISQM 1, Quality Management for Firms that Perform Audits or Reviews of Financial Statements, or Other Assurance or Related Services Engagements.

Click here to download the 15-page Basis for Conclusions.

Click here to download the 19-page Amendments document.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: You must apply the revised ethical requirements when evaluating the objectivity of external experts to ensure compliance with the IESBA Code during assurance engagements.
  • For your business: Your firm must update its internal quality management policies under ISQM 1 to incorporate the specific ethical and independence checks now required when engaging external experts.
  • For your clients: Clients should be informed that external experts they provide may be subject to more rigorous independence and competence scrutiny by the auditor to satisfy the updated IAASB standards.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/iaasb-narrow-scope-amendments-related-to-iesba-s-using-the-work-of-experts

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