Professional American accounting and auditing services .

The organization of the American accounting  and auditing services and profession is based on the affiliation of professionals to a supervisory body, the AICPA (“American Institute of Certified Public Accountants”). In addition to its functions in terms of accounting standardization outlined above, this body defines the professional standards applicable to all CPAs and has disciplinary power over its members. Given the lack of distinction between chartered accountants and statutory auditors, it therefore represents both the equivalent of the Order of Chartered Accountants and the National Company of Statutory Auditors. In addition, since CPA affiliation is at state level, professionals are attached to the AICPA branches present in these jurisdictions, as are their European counterparts to regional companies and councils.

The intervention of the AICPA in terms of professional regulation is essentially at two levels, since it develops not only standards of behavior, but also work standards defining the diligence to be implemented for the performance of standardized missions. These missions will be discussed in more detail in the next section. With regard to standards of conduct, these are grouped together in a professional charter (“Code of Professional Conduct”) that AICPA members are required to respect under pain of disciplinary sanctions. In particular, they impose requirements in terms of independence and professional competence, and they consider the relationships of professionals with their clients or their colleagues. Compliance with these standards is therefore an essential condition to ensure the quality and consistency of the services provided throughout the territory.

However, membership in the AICPA is voluntary and its sanctions apply only to its members, the disciplinary power of this organization is limited. In addition, it does not have the authority to terminate the functions of a professional whose practices do not comply with its code of conduct, since professional licenses are granted and managed at the level of each state by administrative entities. autonomous (“State Boards of Accountancy”), which alone have this prerogative.