Accounting & Valuation Guides

AICPA Guides summarize new standards, guidance, and practices and deliver "how-to" advice for handling accounting, auditing, attestation, compilation, review, and valuation issues.

AICPA Guides are authoritative with respect to:

Audit Guidance in accordance with AU-C section 200, Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance With Generally Accepted Auditing Standards
Compilation and Review Guidance in accordance with AR section 60, Framework for Performing and Reporting on Compilation and Review Engagements
Attestation Guidance in accordance with AT section 50, SSAE Hierarchy

Guides include relevant guidance contained in official standards and other technical sources, and offer practical guidance on recent developments. All content is reviewed by subject matter and industry experts and approved by the appropriate AICPA senior committee(s).

Select a specific guide, or AICPA guide family, for more information.

Audit Guides

Audit & Accounting Guides

Compilation & Review Guides

Other Guides

Assets Acquired to Be Used in Research and Development Activities

Testing Goodwill for Impairment (under development)

Valuation of Privately Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation (under development)

Analytical Procedures

Assessing and Responding to Audit Risk in a Financial Statement Audit

Audit Sampling

Auditing Revenue in Certain Industries

Government Auditing Standards and Circular A-133 Audits

Special Considerations in Auditing Financial Instruments

Airlines

Brokers and Dealers in Securities

Construction Contractors

Depository and Lending Institutions: Banks and Savings Institutions, Credit Unions, Finance Companies, and Mortgage Companies

Employee Benefit Plans

Entities With Oil and Gas Producing Activities

Gaming (formerly, Casinos)

Health Care Entities

Investment Companies

Life and Health Insurance Entities

Not-for-Profit Entities

Property and Liability Insurance Entities

State and Local Governments

Compilation and Review Engagements

Prospective Financial Information

Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization Relevant to Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, or Privacy (SOC 2)

Service Organizations: Applying SSAE No. 16, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization (SOC 1)

Accounting & Valuation Guides
Assets Acquired to Be Used in Research and Development Activities	In this practice aid you will find best practices for valuing, disclosing and auditing assets acquired to be used in research and development activities, including specific in-process research and development projects. While the practice aid focuses on the software, electronic device, and pharmaceutical industries, its underlying best practices apply to all industries. The practice aid is also useful for all industries dealing with other types of intangible assets acquired in a business combination and subject to FASB Statements 141 and 142. In addition, you’ll find chapters on: Concept of fair value Valuation approaches to estimating fair value of assets acquired - general discussion Definition of assets acquired that are to be used in research and development activities Accounting and disclosure of assets acquired that are to be used in R&D activities Valuation of assets acquired Auditing acquired IPR&D estimates Plus, get an overview of each topic, step-by-step details, sample valuations, and a sample audit program.	Online Product# 006609PDF
Testing Goodwill for Impairment (under development)	The AICPA’s Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) has issued a working draft of a new chapter of the AICPA Accounting and Valuation Guide Testing Goodwill for Impairment (the Guide). The new chapter- chapter 2, Qualitative Assessment - discusses and illustrates how to perform the optional qualitative assessment to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step was developed in response to feedback received on the working draft the Guide which was released in November of 2011.	Coming Soon
Valuation of Privately Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation (under development)	This Practice Aid contains extensive guidance relating to a key area of stock-based compensation. It identifies for you best practices for the valuation of and disclosures related to privately-held-company equity securities issued as compensation. In over 200 pages, the Practice Aid informs you and gives you an understanding of: Fair value determination under GAAP Factors to consider in determining fair value Approaches and methods for determining fair value The benefits of an independent contemporaneous valuation Methods for allocating enterprise value between common and preferred stock Effect of the IPO process on valuation Contemporaneous vs. retrospective valuation Elements and attributes of a valuation report Accounting for and disclosures related to stock-based compensation In addition, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation gives you useful criteria for selecting a valuation specialist. It lays out the responsibilities of the valuation specialist versus those of management, and also offers you a list of published references that may be helpful in performing certain other valuations.	Online Product# 006617PDF