AICPA Statements of Position
AICPA Statements of Position (SOPs), available full-text at the links below from the University of Mississippi's Library Digital Collections with the permission of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), have been issued by the AICPA's Accounting Standards Division since 1974 and are meant to influence the development of accounting standards and to propose revisions to the AICPA's Audit and Accounting Guide (AAGs) series.[1][2]
Those SOPs dealing with accounting standards are superseded by the FASB's Accounting Standards Codification.
Audit and Attest SOPs were issued to revise or supplement the AICPA's Audit and Accounting Guides, provide implementation guidance for specific types of audit and attest engagements, and guidance in specialized areas of audit and attest. These SOPs have the same authority as the AAGs.
The full-text in the list below links to reproductions of SOPs as originally issued. Revisions, deletions, and status changes are recorded in the annual AICPA publication Technical Practice Aids which began in 1977.
List of Statements of Position
| No. | Official title | Issued on |
|---|---|---|
| 74-1 | Contingencies arising from energy shortages full-text | 1974 January 24 |
| 74-1 | Accounting for research and development and similar costs full-text | 1974 February 28 |
| 74-2 | Disclosure in annual stockholder reports; comments on Securities Exchange Act release no. 10591 full-text | 1974 March 7 |
| 74-3 | Reporting the effects of general price-level changes in financial statements full-text | 1974 April 5 |
| 74-4 | Accounting for future losses full-text | 1974 April 25 |
| 74-5 | Accounting for foreign currency translation, May 17, 1974 full-text | 1974 April 25 |
| 74-6 | Recognition of profit on sales of receivables with recourse full-text | 1974 June 14 |
| 74-8 | Financial accounting and reporting by colleges and universities full-text | 1974 August 31 |
| 74-9 | Conceptual framework for accounting and reporting full-text | 1974 August 31 |
| 74-10 | Accounting for leases full-text | 1974 October 11 |
| 74-11 | Financial accounting and reporting by face-amount certificate companies full-text | 1974 December 10 |
| 74-12 | Accounting practices in the mortgage banking industry full-text | 1974 December 30 |
| 75-1 | Revenue recognition when right of return exists full-text | 1975 |
| 75-2 | Accounting practices of real estate investment trusts full-text | 1975 June 27 |
| 75-3 | Accrual of revenues and expenditures by state and local governmental units full-text | 1975 July 31 |
| 75-4 | Presentation and disclosure of financial forecasts full-text | 1975 August |
| 75-5 | Accounting practices in the broadcasting industry full-text | 1975 December 29 |
| 75-6 | Questions concerning profit recognition on sales of real estate full-text | 1975 December 29 |
| 76-1 | Accounting practices in the record and music industry full-text | 1976 August 25 |
| 76-2 | Accounting for origination costs and loan and commitment fees in the mortgage banking industry full-text | 1976 August 25 |
| 76-3 | Accounting practices for certain Employee Stock Ownership Plans full-text | 1976 December 20 |
| 77-1 | Financial accounting and reporting by investment companies, April 15, 1977 full-text | 1977 April 15 |
| 77-2 | Accounting for interfund transfers of state and local government units full-text | 1977 September 1 |
| 78-1 | Accounting by hospitals for certain marketable equity securities full-text | 1978 May 1 |
| 78-2 | Accounting practices of real estate investment trusts : proposal to Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend Statement of position 75-2 full-text | 1978 May 12 |
| 78-3 | Accounting for costs to sell and rent, and initial rental operations of, real estate projects full-text | 1978 June 30 |
| 78-4 | Application of the deposit, installment, and cost recovery methods in accounting for sales of real estate full-text | 1978 June 30 |
| 78-5 | Accounting for advance refundings of tax-exempt debt, June 30, 1978 full-text | 1978 June 30 |
| 78-6 | Accounting for property and liability insurance companies; proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of fire and casualty insurance companies full-text | 1978 July 28 |
| 78-7 | Financial accounting and reporting by hospitals operated by a governmental unit, July 31, 1978; proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of state and local governmental units full-text | 1978 July 31 |
| 78-8 | Accounting for product financing arrangements, Dec. 26, 1978 full-text | 1978 December 26 |
| 78-9 | Accounting for investments in real estate ventures, December 29, 1978 full-text | 1978 December 29 |
| 78-10 | Accounting principles and reporting practices for certain nonprofit organizations full-text | 1978 December 31 |
| 79-1 | Accounting for municipal bond funds; proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of investment companies full-text | 1979 January 15 |
| 79-2 | Accounting by cable television companies full-text | 1979 March 12 |
| 79-3 | Accounting for investments of stock life insurance companies; proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend AICPA industry audit guide: Audits of stock life insurance companies full-text | 1979 March 23 |
| 79-4 | Accounting for motion picture films; proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend AICPA industry accounting guide Accounting for motion picture films full-text | 1979 March 26 |
| 80-1 | Accounting for title insurance companies full-text | 1980 January 31 |
| 80-2 | Accounting and financial reporting by governmental units; amendment to AICPA Industry audit guide, Audits of state and local governmental units full-text | 1980 June 30 |
| 80-3 | Accounting for real estate acquisition, development, and construction costs full-text | 1980 December 22 |
| 81-1 | Accounting for performance of construction-type and certain production-type contracts full-text | 1981 July 15 |
| 81-2 | Reporting practices concerning hospital-related organizations; August 1, 1981 : proposal to the Financial Accounting Standards Board to amend AICPA Industry audit guide, "Hospital audit guide." full-text | 1981 August 1 |
| 82-1 | Accounting and financial reporting for personal financial statements; an amendment to AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of personal financial statements full-text | 1982 October 1 |
| 83-1 | Reporting by banks of investment securities gains or losses, December 31, 1983; amendment to AICPA industry audit guide Audits of banks full-text | 1983 December 31 |
| 85-1 | Financial reporting by not-for-profit health care entities for tax-exempt debt and certain funds whose use is limited; amendment to AICPA industry audit guide, Hospital audit guide full-text | 1985 January 1 |
| 85-2 | Accounting for dollar repurchase, dollar reverse repurchase agreements by sellers-borrowers; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Savings and loan associations full-text | 1985 January 1 |
| 85-3 | Accounting by agricultural producers and agricultural cooperatives full-text | 1985 April 30 |
| 86-1 | Reporting repurchase-reverse repurchase agreements and mortgage-backed certificates by savings and loan associations; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Savings and loan associations full-text | 1986 September 30 |
| 87-1 | Accounting for asserted and unasserted medical malpractice claims of health care providers and related issues [full-text] | 1987 March 16 |
| 87-2 | Accounting for joint costs of informational materials and activities of not-for-profit organizations that include a fund-raising appeal full-text | 1987 August 21 |
| 88-1 | Accounting for developmental and preoperating costs, purchases, and exchanges of take-off and landing slots, and airframe modifications; September 30, 1988, amendment to AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of airlines full-text | 1988 September 30 |
| 88-2 | Illustrative auditor's reports on financial statements of employee benefit plans comporting with statement on auditing standards no. 58, reports on audited financial statements, December 15, 1988 full-text | 1988 December 15 |
| 89-1 | Reports on audited financial statements of brokers and dealers in securities; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide Audits of brokers and dealers in securities full-text | 1989 January |
| 89-2 | Reports on audited financial statements of investment companies : amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide Audits of investment companies full-text | 1989 January |
| 89-3 | Questions concerning accountants' services on prospective financial statements full-text | 1989 April 25 |
| 89-4 | Reports on the internal control structure in audits of brokers and dealers in securities full-text | 1989 April 27 |
| 89-5 | Financial accounting and reporting by providers of prepaid health care services full-text | 1989 May 8 |
| 89-6 | Auditor's reports in audits of state and local governmental units; August 11, 1989, amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide Audits of state and local governmental units full-text | 1989 August 11 |
| 89-7 | Report on the internal control structure in audits of investment companies; December 29, 1989, Amendment to AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide Audits of Investment Companies full-text | 1989 December 29 |
| 90-1 | Accountants' services on prospective financial statements for internal use only and partial presentations full-text | 1990 January 5 |
| 90-2 | Report on the internal control structure in audits of futures commission merchants; February 12, 1990, amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of brokers and dealers in securities full-text | 1990 February 12 |
| 90-3 | Definition of the term substantially the same for holders of debt instruments, as used in certain audit guides and a statement of position; February 13, 1990, amendment to AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of banks and AICPA audit and accounting guides Audits of brokers and dealers in securities and Savings and loan associations full-text | 1990 February 13 |
| 90-4 | Auditors' reports under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Audit guide for mortgagors having HUD insured or Secretary held multifamily mortgages full-text | 1990 February 23 |
| 90-5 | Inquiries of representatives of financial institution regulatory agencies,August 31, 1990; amendment to AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of banks, AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of credit unions, and AICPA audit and accounting guide, Savings and loan associations full-text | 1990 August 31 |
| 90-6 | Directors' examinations of banks, September 17, 1990; amendment to AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of Banks full-text | 1990 September 17 |
| 90-7 | Financial reporting by entities in reorganization under the bankruptcy code full-text | 1990 November 19 |
| 90-8 | Financial accounting and reporting by continuing care retirement communities, November 28, 1990; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide Audits of providers of health care services full-text | 1990 November 28 |
| 90-9 | Auditor's consideration of the internal control structure used in administering federal financial assistance programs under the Single Audit Act, November 28, 1990; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of state and local governmental units, and supersession of SOP 89-6, example 26 full-text | 1990 November 28 |
| 90-10 | Reports on audited financial statements of property and liability insurance companies, November 30, 1990; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide Audits of property and liability insurance companies full-text | 1990 November 30 |
| 90-11 | Disclosure of certain information by financial institutions about debt securities held as assets, November 30, 1990; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guides Audits of banks, Audits of credit unions, Audits of finance companies (including independent and captive financing activities of other companies), Audits of property and liability insurance companies, Savings and loan associations, and Audits of stock life insurance companies full-text | 1990 November 30 |
| 91-1 | Software revenue recognition full-text | 1991 December 12 |
| 92-1 | Accounting for real estate syndication income full-text | 1992 February 6 |
| 92-2 | Questions and answers on the term reasonably objective basis and other issues affecting prospective financial statements, February 10, 1992; amendment to AICPA Guide for prospective financial statements full-text | 1992 February 10 |
| 92-3 | Accounting for foreclosed assets full-text | 1992 April 28 |
| 92-4 | Auditing insurance entities' loss reserves, May 29, 1992; supplement to AICPA Audit and accounting guide, Audits of property and liability insurance companies full-text | 1992 May 29 |
| 92-5 | Accounting for foreign property and liability reinsurance, June 1, 1992; supplement to AICPA Audit and accounting guide : Audits of property and liability insurance companies full-text | 1992 June 1 |
| 92-6 | Accounting and reporting by health and welfare benefit plans, August 3, 1992; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audit of employee benefit plans full-text | 1992 August 3 |
| 92-7 | Audits of state and local governmental entities receiving federal financial assistance; supplement to AICPA Audit and accounting guide, Audits of state and local governmental units full-text | 1992 September 23 |
| 92-8 | Auditing property/casualty insurance entities' statutory financial statements; applying certain requirements of the NAIC annual statement instructions full-text | 1992 October 26 |
| 92-9 | Audits of not-for-profit organizations receiving federal awards; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guides, Audits of providers of health care services, Audits of voluntary health and welfare organizations, Audits of colleges and universities, and Audits of certain nonprofit organizations full-text | 1992 December 28 |
| 92-9 revision | Audits of not-for-profit organizations receiving federal awards, with conforming changes as of December 18, 1995, resulting from the issuance of Government auditing standards: 1994 revision, and Statement on auditing standards no. 74, Compliance auditing considerations in audits of governmental entities and recipients of governmental financial assistance full-text | 1995 December 18 |
| 93-1 | Financial accounting and reporting for high-yield debt securities by investment companies, January 28, 1993; amendment to AICPA Audit and accounting guide, Audits of investment companies full-text | 1993 January 28 |
| 93-2 | Determination, disclosure, and financial statement presentation of income, capital gain, and return of capital distributions by investment companies, February 1, 1993; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of investment companies full-text | 1993 February 1 |
| 93-3 | Rescission of Accounting Principles Board statements full-text | 1993 February 1 |
| 93-4 | Foreign currency accounting and financial statement presentation for investment companies, April 22, 1993; amendment to AICPA Audit and accounting guide, Audits of investment companies full-text | 1993 April 22 |
| 93-5 | Reporting on required supplementary information accompanying compiled or reviewed financial statements of common interest realty associations, April 23, 1993; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Common interest realty associations full-text | 1993 April 23 |
| 93-6 | Employers' accounting for employee stock ownership plans full-text | 1993 November 22 |
| 93-7 | Reporting on advertising costs full-text | 1993 December 29 |
| 93-8 | Auditor's consideration of regulatory risk-based capital for life insurance enterprises full-text | 1993 December 29 |
| 94-1 | Inquiries of state insurance regulators; amendment to AICPA Audit and accounting guide Audits of property and liability insurance companies and AICPA industry audit guide Audits of stock life insurance companies full-text | 1994 April 20 |
| 94-2 | Application of the requirements of accounting research bulletins, opinions of the Accounting Principles Board, and statements and interpretations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board to not-for-profit organizations full-text | 1994
September 2 |
| 94-3 | Reporting of related entities by not-for-profit organizations; amendment to AICPA industry audit guides, Audits of voluntary health and welfare organizations and Audits of colleges and universities, AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of certain nonprofit organizations, and SOP 78-10, Accounting principles and reporting practices for certain nonprofit organizations full-text | 1994 September 2 |
| 94-4 | Reporting of investment contracts held by health and welfare benefit plans and defined-contribution pension plans, September 23, 1994; amendment to AICPA Audit and accounting guide, Audits of employee benefit plans, and SOP 92-6, Accounting and reporting by health and welfare benefit plans full-text | 1994 September 23 |
| 94-5 | Disclosures of certain matters in the financial statements of insurance enterprises full-text | 1994 December 15 |
| 94-6 | Disclosure of certain significant risks and uncertainties full-text | 1994 December 30 |
| 95-1 | Accounting for certain insurance activities of mutual life insurance enterprises full-text | 1995 January 18 |
| 95-2 | Financial reporting by nonpublic investment partnerships full-text | 1995 May 19 |
| 95-3 | Accounting for certain distribution costs of investment companies; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audit of investment companies full-text | 1995 July 28 |
| 95-4 | Letters for state insurance regulators to comply with the NAIC Model Audit Rule full-text | 1995 November 3 |
| 95-5 | Auditor's reporting on statutory financial statements of insurance enterprises; supersedes Statement of position 90-10, Reports on audited financial statements of property and liability insurance companies, and amends AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of property and liability insurance companies, and AICPA industry audit guide, Audits of stock life insurance companies full-text | 1995 December 21 |
| 96-1 | Environmental remediation liabilities, including auditing guidance full-text | 1996 October 10 |
| 97-1 | Accounting by participating mortgage loan borrowers full-text | 1997 May 9 |
| 97-2 | Software revenue recognition full-text | 1997 October 27 |
| 97-3 | Accounting by insurance and other enterprises for insurance-related assessments full-text | 1997 December 10 |
| 98-1 | Accounting for the costs of computer software developed or obtained for internal use full-text | 1998 March 4 |
| 98-2 | Accounting for costs of activities of not-for-profit organizations and state and local governmental entities that include fund raising; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guides Health care organizations, Not-for-profit organizations, and Audits of state and local governmental units full-text | 1998 March 11 |
| 98-3 | Audits of states, local governments, and not-for-profit organizations receiving federal awards full-text | 1998 March 17 |
| 98-4 | Deferral of the effective date of a provision of SOP 97-2, Software revenue recognition full-text | 1998 March 31 |
| 98-5 | Reporting on the costs of start-up activities full-text | 1998 April 3 |
| 98-6 | Reporting on management's assessment pursuant to the life insurance ethical market conduct program of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association full-text | 1998 April 9 |
| 98-7 | Deposit accounting : accounting for insurance and reinsurance contracts that do not transfer insurance risk full-text | 1998 October 19 |
| 98-8 | Engagements to perform year 2000 agreed-upon procedures attestation engagements pursuant to rule 17a-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, rule 17Ad-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and advisories no. 17-98 and no. 40-98 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission full-text | 1998 November 16 |
| 98-9 | Modification of SOP 97-2, Software revenue recognition, with respect to certain transactions full-text | 1998 December 22 |
| 99-1 | Guidance to practitioners in conducting and reporting on an agreed-upon procedures engagement to assist management in evaluating the effectiveness of its corporate compliance program full-text | 1999 May 21 |
| 99-2 | Accounting for and reporting of postretirement medical benefit (401(h)) features of defined benefit pension plans; amendment to the AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of employee benefit plans full-text | 1999 July 28 |
| 99-3 | Accounting for and reporting of certain defined contribution plan investments and other disclosure matters; amendment to the AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of employee benefit plans full-text | 1999 September 15 |
| 00-1 | Auditing health care third-party revenues and related receivables full-text | 2000 March 10 |
| 00-2 | Accounting by producers or distributors of films full-text | 2000 June 12 |
| 00-3 | Accounting by insurance enterprises for demutualizations and formations of mutual insurance holding companies and for certain long-duration participating contracts full-text | 2000 December 15 |
| 01-1 | Amendment to scope of Statement of position 95-2, Financial reporting by nonpublic investment partnerships, to include commodity pools full-text | 2001 March 27 |
| 01-2 | Accounting and reporting by health and welfare benefit plans; amendment to AICPA audit and accounting guide, Audits of employee benefit plans, and SOP 92-6, Accounting and reporting by health and welfare benefit plans full-text | 2001 April 20 |
| 01-3 | Performing agreed-upon procedures engagements that address internal control over derivative transactions by the New York State insurance law full-text | 2001 June 15 |
| 01-4 | Reporting pursuant to the Association for Investment Management and Research performance presentation standards full-text | 2001 November 13 |
| 01-5 | Amendments to specific AICPA pronouncements for changes related to the NAIC codification full-text | 2001 December 14 |
| 01-6 | Accounting by certain entities (including entities with trade receivables) that lend to or finance the activities of others full-text | 2001 December 26 |
| 02-1 | Performing agreed-upon procedures engagements that address annual claims prompt payment reports as required by the New Jersey Administrative Code full-text | 2002 May 23 |
| 02-2 | Accounting for derivative instruments and hedging activities by not-for-profit health care organizations, and clarification of the performance indicator full-text | 2002 December 27 |
| 03-1 | Accounting and reporting by insurance enterprises for certain nontraditional long-duration insurance contracts and for separate accounts full-text | 2003 July 7 |
| 03-2 | Attest engagements on greenhouse gas emissions information full-text | 2003 September 22 |
| 03-3 | Accounting for certain loans or debt securities acquired in a transfer full-text | 2003 December 12 |
| 03-4 | Reporting financial highlights and schedule of investments by nonregistered investment partnerships : an amendment to the audit and accounting guide audits of investment companies and AICPA statement of position 95-2, financial reporting by nonpublic investment partnerships full-text | 2003 December 29 |
| 03-5 | Financial highlights of separate accounts : an amendment to the audit and accounting guide audits of investment companies full-text | 2003 December 29 |
| 04-1 | Auditing the statement of social insurance full-text | 2004 November 22 |
| 04-2 | Accounting for real estate time-sharing transactions full-text | 2004 December 9 |
| 05-1 | Accounting by insurance enterprises for deferred acquisition costs in connection with modifications or exchanges of insurance contracts full-test | 2005 September 19 |
| 06-1 | Reporting pursuant to the Global Investment Performance Standards full-text | 2006 April 6 |
| 07-1 | Clarification of the scope of the audit and accounting guide investment companies and accounting by parent companies and equity method investor for investments in investment companies | 2007 June 11 |
| 09-1 | Performing agreed-upon procedures engagements that address the completeness, accuracy, or consistency of XBRL-tagged data full-text | 2009 April |
| 12-1 | Reporting pursuant to the Global Investment Performance Standards | 2012 October |
| 13-1 | Attest engagements on greenhouse gas emissions information | 2013 April |
| 13-2 | Performing agreed-upon procedures engagements that address the completeness, mapping, consistency, or structure of XBRL-formatted information | 2013 September |