AICPA Comments on Final Changes to the Single Audit Data Collection Form

The AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC) provided comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on final proposed revisions to the Data Collection Form.  The Form, prepared by both the auditor and auditee, is required to be submitted at the end of every Single Audit and serves as a summary of the audit.

The Federal Register notice requesting comments was issued on April 22, 2016, and was a follow-up to a previous round of proposed changes to the Form that the GAQC commented on in February 2016.  (Read the article in the February issue of The CPA Advocate for details about the GAQC’s February comment letter.)  In general, the proposed changes to the Form and its instructions are intended to make updates needed to reflect changes needed for 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, also referred to as the Uniform Guidance.

In its letter, the GAQC expresses appreciation for OMB’s responsiveness to its comments on the previous draft of the Form.  However, the letter also includes several remaining overarching and specific comments.  Among the topics covered are continued concerns regarding the burden estimates for completing the Form; suggested revisions to the required auditor’s statement; several recommended clarifications to the Form’s instructions; and a request for an additional time extension for submitting the Form once it is issued due to the overall delay in the Form’s issuance.