CPA Audit Quality: A Status Report on the Accounting Profession's Enforcement Efforts

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the accounting profession's enforcement efforts regarding certified public accountants (CPA) who performed poor quality government audits to: (1) determine the result of GAO audit referrals to state boards of accountancy and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); (2) determine the results of the recent inspectors general (IG) referrals to the state boards and to AICPA; (3) determine the reasonableness of any disciplinary actions; and (4) identify ongoing efforts to improve the enforcement process.