May 22, 2014 letter commenting on the ASB Exposure Draft "Subject-Matter Specific Attestation Standards: Clarification and Recodification"

This letter provides the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) comments on the Auditing Standards Board's (ASB) proposed Subject-Matter Specific Attestation Standards: Clarification and Recodification. GAO supports the ASB's efforts to apply clarity drafting conventions and to converge its standards with those of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, which GAO believes will help ensure consistency of practice for those performing attestation engagements. GAO also supports the ASB's efforts to revise the structure of the attestation standards to minimize the repetition of material that is either common to all attestation engagements or all examination, review, or agreed-upon procedures engagements.