# Check auditor independence before accepting a new attest client

A structured independence and threats-and-safeguards review for a CPA firm before taking on an audit, review, or other attest engagement.

- Topic: Legal & Compliance
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Leadership, Finance, Legal, Analyze, Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/check-auditor-independence-before-accepting-a-new-attest-client

## Prompt

```text
Help me assess whether my firm is independent of a prospective attest client before we accept the engagement.

**Engagement type:** [audit / review / compilation / agreed-upon procedures / SOC report]
**Client type:** [private company / nonprofit / governmental / SEC issuer / employee benefit plan]
**Applicable rules:** [e.g. "AICPA Code of Professional Conduct", "SEC and PCAOB", "GAO Yellow Book", "DOL" - list all that apply]
**Non-attest services we provide or plan to provide:** [e.g. "bookkeeping, tax returns, payroll, IT consulting"]
**Relationships to check:** [financial interests, loans, family members employed by the client, former client staff now at our firm, business relationships, fee arrangements]
**Fees:** [attest fees, non-attest fees, any unpaid fees older than one year]
**Client management's skills:** [can they oversee the non-attest services and take responsibility for them?]

Work through:
1. Prohibited relationships or services under each applicable rule set, flagged as likely disqualifying.
2. Threats to independence (self-review, management participation, familiarity, undue influence, financial self-interest, advocacy) for each item, rated significant or not.
3. Safeguards that could reduce significant threats to an acceptable level, and where no safeguard is enough.
4. Conditions for providing non-attest services: designated client individual with suitable skill, documented understanding, no management responsibilities.
5. Fee dependence and unpaid-fee issues.

Return a table (Item | Rule reference to verify | Threat | Significance | Safeguard | Conclusion), an overall accept / accept with safeguards / decline recommendation, and the documentation to place in the engagement file.

Do not cite specific rule section numbers unless I provide them; mark them [VERIFY CITATION]. This is a working aid - the final independence conclusion must be made by the engagement partner under the current professional standards.
```

## What to fill in

- e.g. "bookkeeping, tax returns, payroll, IT consulting"
- VERIFY CITATION

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