LibGuides: Accounting & Taxation: Standards & Guidance Documents

Canadian Accounting & Auditing Standards & Guides

Who Sets Accounting Standards? The Chartered Professional Accountants - Canada (CPA Canada) profession works together with international organizations such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), to create new and amend older standards in order to establish and maintain a common language for communicating financial information.

Relevant Accounting & Auditing Standards for Canadian Companies

CPA Canada Standards and Guidance Collection (via Knotia)
This comprehensive collection provides you access to up-to-date information on the accounting and assurance standards, the implementation of IFRS, Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises, as well as the Canadian Auditing Standards. At York we have access to the CPA Canada Handbook in Accounting and Assurance, the 20 Questions Series, and more. Click here to access searching tips and tricks for this database.
International Financial Reporting Standards (via Knotia)
This resource includes the complete set of IFRS. To access the most recent IFRS version, click on Subscriptions, then select International Financial Reporting Standards (2021) from the drop-down menu.

Handbooks & Guides from CPA Canada

Guide to Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (via Knotia)
This comprehensive guide will help you better understand the standards and requirements in Part II of the CPA Canada Handbook - Accounting.
Professional Engagement Guide (via Knotia)
This guide provides practical, step-by-step guidance for accounting and tax practitioners to help them better understand how to conduct assurance and compilation engagements.
Canadian REIT Handbook, 2nd Edition (via Knotia)
This handbook from Knotia provides detailed guidance on key topics for real estate investment trusts, such as taxation issues, securities compliance, and governance.

International Accounting Standards

International Accounting Standards

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS, via Knotia)
Refer to standards and interpretations adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). To access the most recent IFRS version, click on Subscriptions, then select International Financial Reporting Standards (2021) from the drop-down menu.
FASB Accounting Standards Codification
Select 'Basic View' for access. This is the US equivalent of the CPA Canada Standards and Guidance Collection.

Guidance Documents for U.S. Accounting Standards & Topics

Nexis Uni (formerly Lexis Nexis Academic)
Provides access to documents and records from more than 45,000 legal, news and business sources. Select Menu > All Sources from the top left. Then, type "AICPA" in the search box to access Applying Government Accounting Principles, Journal of Accountancy, and The Tax Adviser.

Auditing Standards

AASB News & Updates

Who Sets Auditing Standards? The Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AASB) has the authority, as reflected in federal and provincial Business Corporations Acts and other legislation and securities regulations, to set generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) for financial statement audits.

The AASB also sets standards for other services performed by public accountants, including assurance services other than audits of financial statements such as reviews of financial statements and audits and reviews of information other than financial statements, as well as related services such as compilation engagements and engagements to perform agreed-upon auditing procedures.