FYI - The Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS) are issued by the AICPA's Accounting and Review Services Committee (ARSC) and are applicable to certain financial statement-related services that a CPA may provide to nonissuers. Historically, the SSARSs involved two types of engagements: (1) reviews; and (2) compilations. The clarified SSARSs added a third type of engagement: engagements to prepare financial statements for a client without issuing an accompanying report. **Compliance with the SSARSs is enforceable under the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, including the Rule of Conduct dealing with Compliance with Standards.**

Requirements—The General Principles retained the two categories of requirements for SSARSs: (1) unconditional and presumptively mandatory. 1. Unconditional Requirements—Indicated by the word must, the accountant is required to comply with such a requirement without exception whenever the requirement is relevant. 2. Presumptively Mandatory Requirements—Indicated by the word should, the accountant is expected to comply with such a requirement, except in rare circumstances. **Noncompliance is allowed if a required procedure would be ineffective in achieving the intent of the requirement for a specific engagement. When not complying with such a requirement, the accountant should perform alternative procedures to achieve the intent of the presumptively mandatory requirement.**