The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is pleased to announce the publication of the 2026 edition of the Handbook of International Education Standards. This new edition compiles the full suite of International Education Standards (IES) 1–8, along with the supporting Framework and Glossary, and incorporates all recently revised and updated standards.

The 2026 Handbook is organized to support the consistent adoption and implementation of the IESs, which establish the principles, concepts, and requirements that underpin high-quality accountancy education worldwide.

This edition includes:

• The Framework for International Education Standards, which outlines the foundational concepts for developing and maintaining professional competence.
• A Glossary of Terms, providing essential definitions used across the standards.
• IESs 1–6, addressing entry requirements to professional accounting education programs and the initial professional development of aspiring professional accountants.
• IES 7, Continuing Professional Development, establishing requirements for lifelong learning for all professional accountants.
• IES 8, Professional Competence for Engagement Partners, which outlines the competence demands for engagement partners responsible for audits of financial statements.
• Revisions to IES 2, 3, 4 and 6 aimed at strengthening global consistency in formal assessment and supporting emerging skills needs in areas including ethics and sustainability.

This Handbook includes revised standards that become effective on July 1, 2026 and replaces the 2019 edition.

The new Handbook is available for download on the IFAC website.

About IFAC
IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has developed an approach for maintaining its auditing standard for smaller and less complex entities, known as the International Standard on Auditing for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities (the ISA for LCE).

The approach is detailed in an Approach Statement that promotes transparency and execution consistency. It establishes a mechanism for updating the ISA for LCE that emphasizes that revisions to the ISA for LCE should be:

• Relevant in the context of the typical nature and circumstances of an audit of a less complex entity; and
• Aligned, in a proportionate manner, with the core requirements and concepts of the International Standards on Auditing.

The Approach Statement sets out the context, purpose, process, responsibilities, outputs, and timing for maintaining the ISA for LCE. It also describes the steps the IAASB will follow when developing revisions to the ISA for LCE in response to new or revised auditing standards.

To learn more about the maintenance of the ISA for LCE, visit www.iaasb.org/ISAforLCE.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has published narrow-scope amendments to its standards arising from the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants’ (IESBA) Using the Work of an External Expert project.

These amendments respond to the IESBA’s recently approved revisions to its International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards), which introduced, among other provisions, explicit ethical requirements for using the work of external experts in audit, assurance, and non-assurance engagements. The IAASB’s updates reflect ongoing collaboration and coordination between the IAASB and IESBA and help to maintain interoperability between the IAASB standards and the IESBA Code.

The targeted amendments affect the following IAASB standards:

• ISA 620, Using the Work of an Auditor’s Expert
• ISRE 2400 (Revised), Engagements to Review Historical Financial Statements
• ISAE 3000 (Revised), Assurance Engagements Other than Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information
• ISRS 4400 (Revised), Agreed-upon Procedures Engagements

To learn more and access the amendments and Basis for Conclusions, visit the IAASB website.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

"Decoding Ethics: Building trust in a tech-driven world" is a podcast of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) exploring the technological and ethical risks and opportunities shaping the future of accounting and finance. Through in-depth conversations with global thought leaders, Decoding Ethics helps professionals navigate change and lead with integrity in a tech-driven world.

Episode 3 -  AI and Ethics in Accounting: The Need for Human Judgment

This episode explores the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in the accounting profession. Jeanne Viljoen is joined by Alistair Brisbourne and Sarah Lane from the ACCA Policy and Insights team to discuss real-world dilemmas finance professionals are beginning to face.

Drawing on insights from ACCA’s recent AI Monitor report, the conversation examines how AI is already embedded in everyday accounting tools, the ethical risks this creates, and why professional judgment remains essential. The discussion also highlights practical guidance for navigating issues such as data confidentiality, automation bias, and the governance challenges organizations face when adopting AI.

Episode 2 - Quantum is Coming!

Quantum computing is no longer science fiction. With experts predicting operational quantum computers as early as 2029, the implications for data security, encryption, and professional trust are rapidly becoming very real.

In this episode of Decoding Ethics, host Jeanne Viljoen is joined by Clinton Firth, a cybersecurity and digital trust partner at PwC whose experience spans national security, intelligence, and enterprise risk, to unpack what quantum computing actually is—and why it matters now for the accounting profession.

Episode 1 - How can ethics keep pace with innovation?

In the first episode of "Decoding Ethics: Building trust in a tech-driven world", recorded live at the inaugural IESBA Ethics & Independence Conference in Lisbon, IESBA brings together leaders from EY, KPMG UK, and Responsible Intelligence to explore the impact of AI on audit and accounting, the importance of principle-based standards, and why trust is essential for technology to drive sustainable innovation in a tech-driven world.

Decoding Ethics is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has published a new set of illustrative practitioner’s assurance reports to further support the implementation of International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements. The IAASB developed this new set of examples through a joint initiative with a group of jurisdictional auditing and assurance standard setters, whose collaboration and support have been crucial in shaping this guidance.

While ISSA 5000 includes four illustrative reports that reflect the baseline requirements of the standard, this new publication provides more specific examples to help practitioners apply the standard in real-world scenarios.

The examples illustrate how ISSA 5000 can be applied across a range of engagements:

• Five examples of assurance reports with unmodified assurance conclusions, addressing common engagement types:
  • Assurance on sustainability disclosures aligned with IFRS S1 and S2, for both limited and reasonable assurance engagements
  • Assurance on selected sustainability disclosures in an entity’s sustainability report
  • Assurance on sustainability disclosures prepared using multiple reporting frameworks
  • Assurance engagements combining limited and reasonable assurance
• A further three examples of assurance reports with modified conclusions illustrating a:
  • Qualified conclusion
  • Disclaimer of conclusion
  • Adverse conclusion

Together, these illustrative reports help bring ISSA 5000 to a practical level, demonstrating how technical issues can be addressed in practice. They reflect questions and issues that regulators, practitioners, and others have begun to encounter as they adopt and apply the new standard.

This publication is part of the IAASB’s broader efforts to support the adoption and implementation of ISSA 5000 and provide guidance to help practitioners apply the standard with confidence and consistency.

To view the illustrative reports and learn more about ISSA 5000, visit www.iaasb.org/ISSA5000.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

All speeches and session videos from the IESBA Ethics and Independence Conference 2025 are now available on the conference website, offering open access to the key discussions and insights shared.

With about 800 participants - including more than 200 in-person attendees and 35 speakers and moderators from around the world - the conference was a milestone in the global dialogue on the relevance of ethics in the accounting services industry and the financial sector.

Keynotes and panels addressed:

• Ethical Conduct and Information Quality in Accounting and Auditing: Safeguarding Market Confidence
• The Importance of Ethics in Building Trust in Global Financial Markets
• Ethics in a World of Regulatory Shifts and Market Transformation
• Trust and Transparency in Capital Markets
• Ethical Culture and Governance – Reinforcing Resilience and Public Trust in Accounting Firms
• Ethics vs. Innovation? The Future of Technology in Audit and Accounting
• The Rise of Private Equity in Accounting: Strategic Partnerships or Increased Risks to Public Interest?
• Accountants at a Crossroads: Ethics and the Fight Against Financial Crime
• How to Enhance Trust in the Audit Market: a European Perspective

This content is part of a series of initiatives the IESBA will promote throughout October to celebrate Global Ethics Day 2025 (October 15), under the theme “Ethics Re-Envisioned.”

The conference discussions provide valuable contributions to the ongoing reflection on how we can, and should, re-envision the increasingly relevant role of ethics across the accounting profession and the broader financial system.

Throughout the month, the IESBA will invite its community to engage and contribute to the discussion through a series of initiatives, including dedicated videos and polls on each panel topic, content exploring how ethics can be re-envisioned, and highlights of IESBA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen stakeholder engagement and deliver greater public value.

Stay tuned to IESBA on LinkedIn for updates and opportunities to join the conversation.

On behalf of IAASB, IESBA and IFEA, we warmly congratulate Tshegofatso (Tshego) B. Modise on her appointment as Chair of the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). Ms. Modise brings deep experience in governance, risk management, and the accountancy profession, and we look forward to working with her to advance the public interest through strong, globally accepted assurance and ethics standards.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to Linda de Beer for her dedicated leadership of the PIOB over the past five years. Her tenure coincided with a period of profound change, during which she oversaw the careful implementation of the Monitoring Group’s 2020 Recommendations and guided the PIOB’s oversight through a time of significant global challenge and transformation.

The IAASB and IESBA share with the PIOB a commitment to enhancing trust and confidence in the audit and accountancy profession and the information it provides to stakeholders worldwide. Under Ms. Modise’s leadership, we are confident that our close collaboration with the PIOB will continue to strengthen the international standard-setting system and deliver standards that serve the global public interest.

Gabriela Figueiredo Dias
Chair, International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA)
Co-CEO, International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA)

Tom Seidenstein
Chair, International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB)
Co-CEO, International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA)

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has released the 2025 edition of its Handbook of International Quality Management, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance, and Related Services Pronouncements.

The IAASB Handbook comprises the following five volumes:

• Volume 1: International Auditing Practice Notes (IAPNs), International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), and International Standards on Quality Management (ISQMs)
• Volume 2: International Standard on Auditing for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities (the ISA for LCE)
• Volume 3: International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements
• Volume 4: International Standards on Assurance Engagements (ISAEs), International Standards on Review Engagements (ISREs), and International Standards on Related Services (ISRSs)
• Volume 5: A Framework for Audit Quality: Key Elements that Create an Environment for Audit Quality and the International Framework for Assurance Engagements

The following standards, which are not yet effective, are included in the 2025 Handbook:

• ISA 240 (Revised), The Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements
• ISA 570 (Revised 2024), Going Concern
• ISSA 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements

The 2025 Handbook is available as a PDF download; print copies can be ordered via the IAASB website.

Reproducing and Translating the IAASB Handbook
To help adoption and implementation of the IAASB standards, stakeholders are invited to request permission to reproduce or translate the IAASB handbook via the Online Permissions Requests or Inquiries system on the IFAC website.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing, assurance, related services, and quality management standards and guidance in the public interest that support consistent performance of quality engagements. Along with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, the IAASB is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board oversees IAASB and IESBA activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards. For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please visit Permissions.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today released two new staff publications to enhance understanding and support global adoption and implementation of its ethics standard on Using the Work of an External Expert as well as the International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance^TM (including International Independence Standards^TM) (IESSA^TM), both of which are effective from December 2026. These publications explain key aspects of the standard related to using the work of an external expert and the proportionality of the ethics and independence provisions for sustainability assurance in the IESSA.

1. Questions and Answers on Using the Work of an External Expert

This publication is relevant to all professional accountants, whether in business or in public practice, and sustainability assurance practitioners (SAPs). It provides answers to common questions on:

• Evaluating whether to use the work of an external expert
• How to identify an external expert
• The extended requirements for evaluating the objectivity of an external expert in the context of an audit or other assurance (including sustainability) engagement
• Concluding an external expert’s competence, capabilities and objectivity
• Potential threats arising from using the work of an external expert
• Specific considerations related to the IESSA

Access other resources relating to this standard on the IESBA Experts Page.

2. Proportionality of the IESSA

This publication highlights key aspects of the IESSA that illustrate its proportionality, while the IESSA also provides a robust global ethics and independence baseline for sustainability assurance engagements (SAEs). The proportionality of the IESSA enables it to support the performance of SAEs for entities of all sizes, thereby underpinning public trust in those engagements.

The publication is especially geared towards facilitating the implementation of the IESSA by SAPs that are small and medium practices (SMPs).

Access other resources relating to the IESSA on the IESBA Sustainability Focus Page.

Both publications may also be helpful to jurisdictional standard setters, regulators and oversight bodies, professional accountancy organizations, educational bodies, and other stakeholders.

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.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board is hosting a three-part global webinar series designed to assist sustainability assurance practitioners, firms, jurisdictional standard setters, and professional organizations as they adopt, implement, or apply International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements (ISSA 5000) Regulators, oversight bodies, and other stakeholders (e.g., preparers, those charged with governance or users of sustainability reporting) may also find these webinars helpful.

This series, ISSA 5000 in Focus, will take participants through ISSA 5000 from engagement acceptance, assessing risks and designing and performing procedures, and finally to concluding and reporting. Each webinar includes an explanation of ISSA 5000 requirements with practical implementation insights, real-world examples, and solutions to common challenges.

Across the three sessions, participants will:

• Gain an understanding of ISSA 5000 concepts, scope, and application.
• Enhance their understanding of the requirements of ISSA 5000, including addressing assurance issues that may be particularly challenging, such as materiality and value chain considerations.
• Explore common pitfalls and how to overcome them.
• Engage directly with IAASB experts during Q&A segments.

Each webinar will take place twice to accommodate different time zones and a global audience. The webinars will air via Zoom with livestreaming on YouTube.

Webinar #1: Foundational Principles and Concepts

• Register for October 1, 11:00 UTC
• Register for October 2, 18:00 UTC

Webinar #2: Engagement Planning, Risk Assessment & Response

• Register for October 7, 11:00 UTC
• Register for October 8, 18:00 UTC

Webinar #3: Concluding and Reporting on Sustainability Assurance Engagements

• Register for October 14, 11:00 UTC
• Register for October 15, 18:00 UTC

Additional details on each webinar are available below.

Webinar #1: Foundational Principles and Concepts

Dates: October 1 (11:00 UTC) or October 2 (18:00 UTC)
Being well prepared sets the tone for a successful sustainability assurance engagement. In this session, IAASB experts will walk participants through the fundamental concepts and underlying premises for applying ISSA 5000—explaining its scope, authority, and why it was developed—and addressing overarching matters in preparing to perform a high-quality sustainability assurance engagement, including making sound engagement acceptance decisions.

• Register for October 1, 11:00 UTC
• Register for October 2, 18:00 UTC

Webinar #2: Engagement Planning, Risk Assessment & Response

Dates: October 7 (11:00 UTC) or October 8 (18:00 UTC)
Planning, risk assessment and response are at the heart of delivering a robust sustainability assurance engagement. Together they enable the practitioner to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence as a basis for their sustainability assurance conclusion. This session explores what is key to an effective strategy and engagement plan under ISSA 5000, and the essential aspects of identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement of the sustainability information and designing and performing procedures to respond to those risks.

• Register for October 7, 11:00 UTC
• Register for October 8, 18:00 UTC

Webinar #3: Concluding and Reporting on Sustainability Assurance Engagements

Dates: October 14 (11:00 UTC) or October 15 (18:00 UTC)

The assurance engagement culminates in the practitioner’s conclusion about whether the sustainability information is free from material misstatement. The practitioner’s conclusion and assurance report are the ultimate deliverables of the sustainability assurance engagement and are designed to enhance the degree of confidence of intended users about the entity’s sustainability information. In this session, IAASB experts will guide participants through the final stages of the engagement process under ISSA 5000—the evaluation of evidence, forming a conclusion, and preparation of an assurance report.

• Register for October 14, 11:00 UTC
• Register for October 15, 18:00 UTC