“Attest” means providing the following services: any audit or other engagement to be performed in accordance with the Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS); any review of a financial statement to be performed in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS); any examination, review, or agreed upon procedures of engagement to be performed in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE); any engagement to be performed in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). The statements on standards specified herein shall be adopted by regulation by the board and shall be in accordance with standards developed for general application by recognized national accountancy organizations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the PCAOB.

“Board” means the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy.

“Compilation” means providing a service, to be performed in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS), by presenting, in the form of financial statements, information that is the representation of management or owners without undertaking to express any assurance on the statements.

“CPA firm” or “firm” means a sole proprietorship, a professional corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, a limited liability partnership, or any other lawful form of business organization.

“Financial statements” means statements and related footnotes that purport to present an actual or a prospective financial position at a particular time, or results of operations, cash flow, or changes in financial position for a period of time, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles or another comprehensive basis of accounting. The term includes specific elements, accounts or items of such statements, but does not include: incidental financial data included in management advisory service reports to support recommendations to a client; or tax returns and supporting schedules.

“License” means a license or registration issued to an individual or firm permitting the individual or firm to practice public accountancy.

“Licensee” means the holder of a license issued pursuant to P.L.1997, c.259 (C. 45:2B-42 et seq.).

“Manager” means a manager of a limited liability company.

“Member” means a member of a limited liability company.

“Nonlicensee” means a person not licensed as a certified public accountant or a public accountant of any state or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia.

“Owner of a firm” means any person with an equity or equivalent interest in a firm, such as a shareholder with respect to a corporation or a partner with respect to a partnership, or an individual with respect to a sole proprietorship.

“Peer review” means a study, appraisal, or review of one or more aspects of the professional work of a licensee or CPA firm that issues attest or compilation reports, by a person or persons holding licenses and not affiliated with the licensee or CPA firm being reviewed.

“Practice of public accountancy” means the performance or the offering to perform attest services for a client or potential client, by a licensee, registered firm or individual qualifying for practice privileges under section 6 of P.L.2008, c.45 (C. 45:2B-50.1). The “practice of public accountancy” also means the performance or the offering to perform by a licensee or individual qualifying for practice privileges under section 6 of P.L.2008, c.45 (C. 45:2B-50.1) of one or more of the following: a compilation of a financial statement to be performed in accordance with SSARS, management advisory, financial advisory or consulting services, or the preparation of tax returns or the furnishing of advice on tax matters.

“Practice unit” means any office of a firm registered with the board to engage in the practice of public accountancy in the State of New Jersey.

“Principal place of business” means the office location designated by a licensee for purposes of substantial equivalency and reciprocity.

“Professional” means arising out of or related to the specialized knowledge or skills associated with certified public accountants.

“Report” when used with reference to any attest or compilation service, means an opinion, report, or other form of language 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 any statement or implication that the person or firm issuing it has special knowledge or competence in accounting or auditing. Such a statement or implication of special knowledge or competence may arise from use by the issuer of the report of names or titles indicating that the person or firm is an accountant or auditor, or from the language of the report itself. The term “report” includes any form of language which disclaims an opinion when that form of language is conventionally understood to imply any 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 that language, or both; and it includes any other form of language that is conventionally understood to imply that assurance, or that special knowledge or competence, or both.

L.1997, c.259, s.3; amended 1999, c.215, s.1; 2001, c.149, s.1; 2008, c.45, s.1; 2019, c.10, s.1.