The Staff of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today released a questions and answers (Q&A) publication to support the adoption and implementation of the IESBA Tax Planning and Related Services Standards. The standards provide a principles-based framework and a global ethical benchmark to guide professional accountants in public practice and in business when they provide tax planning services or perform tax planning activities, respectively.
The Q&A publication is designed to highlight, illustrate, or explain aspects of the standards and is intended to complement the Basis for Conclusions for the final pronouncement. It will assist firms, jurisdictional standards setters, and professional accountancy organizations in adopting and/or implementing the standards, and individual professional accountants in applying them. The Q&As will also assist tax authorities, the corporate governance community, investors, business preparers, educational bodies or institutions, and other stakeholders in understanding the standards.
The development of the Q&As has been informed by the IESBA’s extensive discussions and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders and the IESBA’s own deliberations during the development and finalization of the standards.
The Tax Planning and Related Services standards come into effect July 1, 2025.
About IESBA
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high-quality, international ethics (including independence) standards as a cornerstone to ethical behavior in business and organizations, and to public trust in financial and non-financial information that is fundamental to the proper functioning and sustainability of organizations, financial markets and economies worldwide.
Along with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the IESBA is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA). The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) oversees IESBA and IAASB activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards.