Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In case of death or withdrawal of all partners, the surviving partner may continue to practice under
the partnership name for a period of not more than 2 years after becoming a sole proprietor.
Prohibition on Use of Name: CPAs shall practice only under a name allowed by law and:
Shall NOT include any fictitious name
Shall NOT indicate specialization (such as tax specialist or expert)
Shall NOT misleading as to the type of organization
They shall not commence public practice until a valid Certificate of Registration to practice public
accountancy has been issued to such CPA(s). The Certificate of Accreditation attests that the
applicant is duly accredited to practice public accountancy in the Philippines.
The BOA created Quality Review Committee (QRC) to conduct quality review on
applicants for registration to practice accountancy and render a report which shall be attached
to the application for registration.
Validity of registration for accreditation is for a period of 3 years (renewable after 3 years on or
before September 30 on the year of expiry). The registration of applicants approved during any
month of the year shall expire on December 31 on the third year following its approval.
Example: If the application for registration of a CPA firm is approved on July 31, 2004, the
Foreign CPAs:
The practice of accountancy in the Philippines is limited to Filipino CPAs.
A foreign CPA is not allowed to be as owner, sole proprietor, partner or any staff thereof, unless
he/she is qualified to practice accountancy in the Philippines (unless the foreign CPA qualifies to
practice under Sections 34 and 35 of RA 9298.)
Under no circumstances shall the correspondent relationship, membership, or business dealings with
foreign CPAs be a scheme for the foreign CPAs to engage in the practice of public accountancy in the
Philippines which under the present laws is limited to Filipino CPAs
Professional Fees:
1. Amount of fees to be charged to clients: Fees charged should be a fair reflection of the value of the
professional services, taking into account the following:
A fee lower than previous fee is acceptable if calculated using the above factors.
Other factors to be considered are those influenced by legal, social and economic conditions in
the Philippines.
No standard amount of fee: A CPA in public practice may determine or quote whatever fee
deemed appropriate. He may quote a fee lower than another but not too low (or significantly lower)
nor excessive. If fees that are too low:
It is considered unethical
There would be a risk of a perception that the quality of work could be impaired
2. Methods of billing clients (billing arrangements): The methods of determining professional fees
are:
a. Per diem basis – the charges are based on the actual time spent at a rate depending on the
experience and expertise of the members of the engagement team
Also known as actual time charges basis
It is computed as actual time spent x rate per hour as agreed upon
b. Fixed fee or Flat fee basis – lump-sum fee for the entire engagement. The charges for out-of-
pocket expenses are separate from the audit fee and are to be billed separately
c. Maximum fee basis – a combination of fixed fee and per diem basis. The billing is similar to per
diem basis subject to a maximum limit as agreed between the practitioner and the client
d. Retainer fee basis – the client pays a uniform/fixed monthly charge, plus additional fee annually,
payable upon submission of the audit report
3. Prohibition against contingent fee: An assurance engagement should not be performed for a fee
that is contingent on the result of the assurance work or on items that are the subject matter of the
assurance engagement.
Contingent fee – a fee calculated on a predetermined basis relating to the outcome or result of a
transaction or the result of the work performed
Contingent fee is unacceptable billing arrangement because it impairs independence and
objectivity.
Some reasons why the above are not considered contingent fees:
Fees fixed by courts and other public authority, although may be uncertain in nature
at that moment, are not known and cannot be influenced by the auditor and the
client.
Fees based on determination by taxing authorities are a matter of judicial proceedings
which do not involve third parties.
If the professional accountant in public practice is in doubt whether a proposed form of advertising or
marketing is appropriate, the professional accountant in public practice should consult with the
relevant professional body.
Sources of Clients:
a. Referrals from businessmen, clients (present or previous), financial and government institutions,
other CPAs, and legal and other professional firms
b. Walk-in clients