IAASB eNews October 2025

Oct 8, 2025 | English

In this eNews you will find:

  • Highlights from our September meeting
  • Release of the 2025 handbook
  • Plans for Q4 2025
  • Coordination with IESBA
  • Key dates for this quarter
Highlights from Our September Meeting

During our September 2025 meeting, we approved narrow-scope amendments to our standards arising from the IESBA’s Using the Work of an External Expert Project.
Other topics we discussed during our meeting include:

  • ISRE 2410 (Revised), Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity (Project Stage: Exposure Draft Development) – We discussed selected sections of the standard, including proposed drafting and initial direction on the nature and extent of the auditor’s work effort relating to going concern and considerations relating to group interim review engagements.
  • Audit Evidence and Risk Response (Project Stage: Exposure Draft Development) – We discussed key insights from outreach activities undertaken by the project team. We also discussed several specific topics, including technology-related matters and the auditor’s work on internal controls.
  • ISA 540 (Revised), Auditing Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures Post Implementation Review – We discussed the project team’s plan for a post-implementation review of our standard on accounting estimates and key findings from the team’s initial information gathering.
  • Technology – We discussed updates to the Catalog of Issues and Possible Actions and progress on the Technology Quality Management initiative, including information gathering through a series of eight international roundtables (see Looking Ahead section below).

Recordings of the September 2025 meeting are available on our YouTube channel and more information on our projects can be found on the Latest on Our Projects web page.

2025 Handbook

On September 17, we released our 2025 Edition of the Handbook of International Quality Management, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance, and Related Services Pronouncements. It is available as a PDF download; print copies can be ordered via our website.

Looking Ahead: Our Plans for Q4 2025

Technology Quality Management 
As part of our Technology Quality Management initiative, we have begun a series of eight roundtables around the world to gather stakeholder insights on:

  • How emerging technologies, including AI, are being integrated into practice.
  • How our quality management standards are being applied in a rapidly evolving environment.
  • How firms are approaching governance and oversight of emerging technologies used in engagements.

The first roundtable was held in Brussels on September 30 with others to follow in October and November.

ISSA 5000 on Sustainability Assurance
In Q4, we will continue to support the adoption and implementation of ISSA 5000, our sustainability assurance standard. This includes:

  • Webinar series: We are hosting a three-part global webinar series designed to assist our stakeholders as they adopt and implement ISSA 5000. The webinars will be held in October and will cover:
    • Foundational Principles and Concepts (October 1 and 2);
    • Engagement Planning, Risk Assessment & Response (October 7 and 8); and
    • Concluding and Reporting on Sustainability Assurance Engagements (October 14 and 15).

Register here or watch the recordings here at our ISSA 5000 web page;

  • FAQ on materiality; and
  • Updating information on jurisdictional adoption.

Access published resources on the dedicated ISSA 5000 web page.

Coordination with IESBA

Although IAASB and IESBA are independent boards under IFEA, with their own remits and unique needs, our standard-setting actions have a collective impact on the external reporting ecosystem. Given this collective impact, we continuously maintain and enhance our coordination with IESBA—in the traditional areas of audits and reviews of financial statements, as well as the area of sustainability. This includes coordination at the board and staff levels.

Currently, we are closely coordinating with IESBA on the following projects:

  • Strategy and Work Plan: We will launch a joint stakeholder survey in early 2026 as a first step in an aligned strategic planning process for developing the Boards’ strategies and work plans for 2028–2031.
  • IESBA’s Firm Culture and Governance project: We are working closely to make sure this project is aligned with our standard on quality management at the firm level (ISQM 1). For example, during our June and September meetings, IESBA staff joined us to share updates on progress and receive feedback from IAASB members.
Key Dates for this Quarter
  • On October 21 and 22 the Stakeholder Advisory Council (SAC) will meet in New York. You can find more information on the SAC meetings web page. This meeting will also livestream in our YouTube channel. 
  • On November 4, we will hold a joint Jurisdictional Standard Setters Meeting with IESBA.