Auditing for European Economic Area (EEA) auditors and audit firms operating in the UK
Guidance for EEA audit firms, EEA auditors, and those with EEA qualifications operating in the UK.
This guidance is for EEA auditors and audit firms. There’s different guidance for UK auditors and audit firms.
Statutory auditors
If you are already registered as a statutory auditor with a UK recognised professional body, you can sign audit reports here.
Registration as a UK statutory auditor on the basis of an EEA qualification is no longer possible.
You did not need to register in the UK if you were already registered in the Republic of Ireland with a Recognised Accountancy Body (RAB) that is also a Recognised Supervisory Body (RSB) in the UK.
Registering as an EEA-based third country auditor of an EEA company listed on a UK regulated market
To carry out these audits you should register with the Financial Reporting Council.
You should do this as soon as possible from 1 January 2021.
Ownership of EEA audit firms
You may need to restructure to continue as an EEA approved firm if your required majority of qualified owners and managers includes:
- UK audit firms
- people with UK audit qualifications
Ownership of UK audit firms
You cannot include an EEA auditor or firm in a UK firm’s required majorities of qualified owners and managers.
However you can include an EEA auditor or firm if they’re both:
- based in the Republic of Ireland
- registered with a Recognised Accounting Body that is also a UK Recognised Supervisory Body