Mass. General Laws c.112 § 87A

Practice of public accountancy defined

This is an unofficial version of a Massachusetts General Law. For more information on this topic, please see Law about professional licensing.

Updates

Amended by St.2020, c.319, §§ 1-2, effective April 11, 2021.

Section 87A

As used in sections eighty–seven A½ to eighty–seven E, inclusive, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:—

“Board”, the board of public accountancy established under the provisions of section thirty–three of chapter thirteen.

“Certificate”, a certificate issued to a certified public accountant under the provisions of section eighty–seven A½ or a corresponding certificate as a certified public accountant issued after examination under the laws of any other state.

“Firm”, a business or professional corporation, general or registered limited liability company, or any other organizational form of entity legally permitted to engage in the practice of public accounting.

“Licensee”, the holder of a certificate issued under the provisions of section eighty–seven B or eighty–seven B½.

“Person”, a natural person, corporation, association, partnership or other legal entity.

“Practice of public accountancy”, the performance or the offering to perform by a person or firm holding itself out to the public as a licensee, for a client or potential client, of one or more kinds of services involving the use of accounting or auditing skills, including the issuance of reports, or of one or more kinds of management advisory or consulting services, or the preparation of tax returns or the furnishing of advice on tax matters.

“Quality review”, a study, appraisal, or review of one or more aspects of the professional work of a person or firm in the practice of public accountancy, by a person or persons who hold licenses and who are not affiliated with the person or firm being reviewed.

“Report”, an opinion, report or other form of language used with reference to any attest or compilation service that states or implies assurance as to the reliability of the attested information or compiled financial statements and that also includes, or is accompanied by, a statement or implication that the person or firm issuing it has special knowledge or competence in accounting or auditing. A statement or implication of special knowledge or competency may arise from use by the issuer of the report of names or titles indicating that the issuer is an accountant or auditor or from the language of the report itself; provided, however, that “report” shall include any form of language that disclaims an opinion when such form of language is conventionally understood to imply a positive assurance as to the reliability of the attested information or compiled financial statements referred to or special competence on the part of the person or firm issuing such language and any other form of language that is conventionally understood to imply such assurance and such special knowledge or competence.

“Reviewer”, a person, firm, professional society or association, or a member or committee thereof, carrying out, supervising, conducting, advertising, participating in, or overseeing quality review.

Last updated:	January 11, 2021