Which organization issues the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS)?

The organization that issues the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) is the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). GAAS provides a framework and guidelines for auditing financial statements, ensuring that audits are conducted in a consistent manner across different organizations and sectors. These standards serve to enhance the credibility and reliability of financial reporting and help protect public interest.

The AICPA created GAAS to address the need for established auditing practices that auditors can follow when performing audits of public and private entities. The standards encompass various principles such as the importance of independence, due professional care, and the necessity of sufficient and appropriate audit evidence.

In contrast, other organizations mentioned have different responsibilities: the Government Accountability Office (GAO) develops standards primarily for governmental audits; the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) sets standards for the audits of public companies and oversees the audits of public accounting firms; while the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) focuses on setting accounting standards rather than auditing standards. Each plays a crucial role in the financial and accounting landscape, but the AICPA specifically provides the guidelines for GAAS.