(Adopted at the Fourth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People’s Congress on October 31, 1993, promulgated
CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS CHAPTER II EXAMINATION AND REGISTRATION CHAPTER III BUSINESS SCOPE AND RULES CHAPTER IV PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM CHAPTER V INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS CHAPTER VI LEGAL LIABILITY CHAPTER VII SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS
Article 1 This Law is formulated in order to bring into play certified public accountants’ role of attestation and service in social economic Article 2 A certified public accountant is a professional who has obtained the certificate of certified public accountant according Article 3 A public accounting firm is an organization which is established according to law and undertakes to provide professional A certified public accountant who provides services shall join a public accounting firm. Article 4 The institute of certified public accountants is a public organization composed of certified public accountants. The Article 5 The financial department under the State Council and financial departments of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous Article 6 Certified public accountants and public accounting firms in performance of services must abide by the law and administrative Certified public accountants and public accounting firms shall carry out their business independently and impartially according CHAPTER II EXAMINATION AND REGISTRATION Article 7 The State shall adopt a unified national examination system for certified public accountants. The measures for the unified national Article 8 Chinese citizens who have graduated from colleges or universities or who have earned the professional post_title of accountant Article 9 Whoever has passed the unified national examination for certified public accountants and has engaged in auditing business Except the situations specified in Article 10 of this Law, the institute of certified public accountants that has received the application Article 10 If the applicant is involved in any of the following circumstances, the institute of certified public accountants that (1) if the applicant does not have the full capacity for civil conduct; (2) if the applicant was punished for a crime and the period between the date of completing the criminal punishment and the date (3) if the applicant was subjected to an administrative sanction, or removed from office or a more serious sanction, due to (4) if the applicant was punished with the revocation of the certificate of certified public accountant, and the period between (5) other circumstances under which registration shall not be approved as stipulated by the financial department of the State Article 11 The institute of certified public accountants shall submit the namelist of applicants whose applications are approved to If an institute of certified public accountants decides not to approve the registration of an applicant in accordance with Article Article 12 The applicants who are permitted to register shall be granted by the institute of certified public accountants an unified certificate Article 13 If anyone who has acquired the certificate of a certified public accountant is involved in any of the following circumstances (1) having completely lost the capacity for civil conduct; (2) being under punishment for a crime; (3) being under an administrative sanction, or removed from office, or under a more serious sanction due to grave mistakes (4) having stopped, of his or her own accord, serving as a certified public accountant for one year or more. If the person concerned disagrees with the cancellation of registration, he or she may, within 15 days from the date of Persons whose registration has been cancelled in accordance with the provisions of the first paragraph may apply for registration CHAPTER III BUSINESS SCOPE AND RULES Article 14 Certified public accountants shall undertake the following audit services: (1) examining the accounting statements of enterprises and producing audit reports; (2) verifying the capital of enterprises and producing capital verification reports; (3) dealing with audit services in matters of merger, division or liquidation of enterprises and producing the relevant reports; (4) other audit services stipulated by relevant laws and administrative rules and regulations. The reports produced by certified public accountants engaged in audit services according to law shall be authentic. Article 15 Certified public accountants may undertake accounting consultancy and accounting services. Article 16 All professional engagements to be undertaken by certified public accountants shall be accepted by the public accounting firm The public accounting firm shall assume civil liabilities for the services provided by its certified public accountants in Article 17 When providing services, certified public accountants may, where necessary, consult the relevant accounting materials, documents Article 18 If there is an interest between a certified public accountant and a client, the certified public accountant shall withdraw; and Article 19 Certified public accountants shall have the obligation to keep their clients’ business secrets they come to know in carrying Article 20 In carrying out their audit services, certified public accountants may, under any of the following circumstances, refuse (1) The client indicates that they should provide untruthful or improper verification; (2) The client intentionally refuses to provide relevant accounting materials and documents; or (3) Due to other unreasonable requirements from the client, the report to be produced by certified public accountants can not Article 21 The certified public accountants must, in carrying out audit services, produce audit reports in accordance with the audit procedures When preparing reports in the course of carrying out audit services, certified public accountants may not commit any of the (1) to refrain from pointing out while clearly knowing that the client’s processing of the important items of the financial (2) to conceal facts or produce an untruthful report while clearly knowing that the client’s processing of the financial (3) to refrain from pointing out while clearly knowing that the client’s processing of the financial accounting may substantially (4) to refrain from pointing out while clearly knowing that the important items of the client’s accounting statements Where certified public accountants ought to know the acts of their clients specified above in accordance with the professional Article 22 Certified public accountants shall not commit any of the following acts: (1) in the course of carrying out audit services, to buy or sell stocks or debentures of the institutions audited or purchase other (2) to ask for or accept remuneration or other forms of payment in cash or in kind in addition to what is agreed upon with the (3) to undertake commission to dun debts; (4) to allow others to carry out services in the name of the certified public accountant; (5) to work concurrently at two or more public accounting firms; (6) to advertise their qualifications to solicit business; or (7) other acts in violation of the laws or administrative rules and regulations. CHAPTER IV PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM Article 23 A public accounting firm may be established by certified public accountants in partnership. The obligations of a public accounting firm in partnership shall be borne by the partners with their own property according Article 24 A public accounting firm conforming to the following requirements may be a legal person with limited liabilities: (1) having a registered capital of no less than 300 000 yuan; (2) employing a certain number of full-time professionals, among whom there must be at least five certified public accountants; (3) satisfying the business scope and other requirements as stipulated by the financial department of the State Council. Public accounting firms with limited liabilities shall bear obligations with their total assets. Article 25 The establishment of a public accounting firm shall be subjected to the approval of the financial department of the To apply for establishment of a public accounting firm, the applicant shall submit to the examining and approving authorities (1) an application; (2) the name, institutional structure and premises of the public accounting firm; (3) the articles of association of the public accounting firm, and the agreement of partnership if there is any; (4) the name list, resumes and relevant certificates of the certified public accountants; (5) the names, resumes and relevant certificates of the leading persons and partners of the public accounting firm; (6) the certificate of capital contributions of the public accounting firm with limited liabilities; and (7) other documents as required by the examining and approving authorities. Article 26 The examining and approving authorities shall decide whether to approve or not within 30 days from the date of receiving Public accounting firms approved by the financial departments of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions or Article 27 Establishment of a branch of a public accounting firm shall be subjected to the approval of the financial department of the people’s Article 28 Public accounting firms shall pay taxes according to law. Public accounting firms shall set up a professional risk fund Article 29 When receiving business, public accounting firms shall not be limited by administrative regions or trades, except as otherwise Article 30 No unit or individual shall interfere in the services entrusted by the clients to public accounting firms. Article 31 The provisions of Articles 18 to 21 of this Law shall be applicable to public accounting firms. Article 32 Public accounting firms shall not commit any of the acts listed in Items 1 to 4, Item 6 and Item 7 of Article 22 of this Law. CHAPTER V INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS Article 33 A certified public accountant shall join an institute of certified public accountants. Article 34 The Articles of Association of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants shall be formulated by the national Article 35 The Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants shall draw up professional standards and rules for certified Article 36 The institutes of certified public accountants shall support the certified public accountants in conducting their services according Article 37 The institutes of certified public accountants shall carry out annual inspection of the qualifications and professional services Article 38 The institutes of certified public accountants shall acquire the status of body corporate according to law.
Article 39 If a public accounting firm violates the provisions of Article 20 or Article 21 of this Law, the financial department of If a certified public accountant violates the provisions of Article 20 or Article 21 of this Law, the financial department A public accounting firm or a certified public accountant, that, in violation of the provisions of Article 20 or Article Article 40 If a unit undertakes the services defined for certified public accountants under Article 14 of this Law without prior approval, Article 41 If the party concerned disagrees with the decision on administrative sanctions, it may, within 15 days from the date The organ giving reconsideration shall make a decision within 60 days from the date of receiving the application for reconsideration. If the party concerned within the time limit has neither applied for reconsideration nor brought a suit before a people’s court, Article 42 If a public accounting firm has in violation of the provisions of this Law caused losses to its client or other interested CHAPTER VII SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS Article 43 A certified public auditor working in an audit firm, who has been recognized as qualified for a certified public accountant, Article 44 As to foreigners who apply for participation in the unified national examination for Chinese certified public accountants and Apart from what is stipulated in the preceding paragraph, if a foreign public accounting firm wishes to conduct relevant business Article 45 The State Council may formulate regulations for implementation in accordance with this Law. Article 46 This Law shall enter into force as of January 1, 1994. The Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese Certified
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