TITLE XXX
OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

CHAPTER 309-B
NEW HAMPSHIRE ACCOUNTANCY ACT

Section 309-B:3

    309-B:3 Definitions. –
In this chapter:
I. (a) "Attest" means providing the following services:
(1) Any audit or other engagement to be performed in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS).
(2) Any review of a financial statement to be performed in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS).
(3) Any examination of prospective financial statements to be performed in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE).
(4) Any engagement to be performed in accordance with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's Auditing Standards.
(5) Any examination, review, or agreed upon procedures engagement to be performed in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE), other than the examination described in subparagraph (a)(3).
(b) The Statements on Standards specified in subparagraph (a) shall be adopted by reference by the board pursuant to rulemaking and shall be those developed for general application by recognized national accountancy organizations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
II. "Board" means the New Hampshire board of accountancy established under RSA 309-B:4.
III. "Certificate" means a certificate as a certified public accountant issued under RSA 309-B:5 or corresponding provisions of prior law, or a corresponding certificate as certified public accountant issued after examination under the law of any other state.
III-a. "Compilation" means providing a service to be performed in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS) that is presenting in the form of financial statements, information that is the representation of management without undertaking to express any assurance on the statements.
IV. "CPA firm" means a sole proprietorship, a corporation, a partnership including a limited liability partnership, a limited liability company including a professional limited liability company, or any other legally authorized association issued a license under RSA 309-B:8.
V. "Financial Accounting Foundation" means the independently incorporated organization, the board of trustees of which consists of members of organizations having special knowledge of, and interest in, financial reporting, that is responsible for the oversight and funding for the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
VI. "Financial Accounting Standards Board" or "FASB" means the designated organization formed by the Financial Accounting Foundation or its successor organization that establishes the standards of financial accounting and reporting for nongovernmental entities recognized by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
VII. "Governmental Accounting Standards Board" or "GASB" means the designated independent organization in the private sector or its successor organization that establishes the standards of financial accounting and reporting for state and local governmental entities recognized by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
VII-a. [Repealed.]
VIII. "License" means a certificate issued under RSA 309-B:5, a permit issued under RSA 309-B:8 or a registration under RSA 309-B:9; or in each case, a certificate or permit issued under corresponding provisions of prior law.
IX. "Licensee" means the holder of a license as defined in RSA 309-B:3, VIII.
X. "Manager" means a manager of a professional limited liability company established under RSA 304-D or equivalent statute in another state.
XI. "Member" means a member of a professional limited liability company established under RSA 304-D or equivalent statute in another state.
XII. "Peer review" means a study, appraisal, or review of one or more aspects of the professional work of a person or firm that performs attest services, by a person or persons who hold certificates and who are not affiliated with the person or firm being reviewed.
XIII. "Permit" means a permit to practice as a CPA firm issued under RSA 309-B:8 or corresponding provisions of prior law, or under corresponding provisions of the laws of other states.
XIII-a. "Principal place of business" means the office location designated by a licensee for purposes of substantial equivalency and reciprocity.
XIV. "Professional" means arising out of or related to the specialized knowledge or skills associated with certified public accountants.
XV. "Report," when used with reference to any attest or compilation service, means an opinion, report, or other form of language that states or implies assurance as to the reliability of the attested or compiled financial statements, and that also includes or is accompanied by any statement or implication that the person or firm issuing it has special knowledge or competence in accounting or auditing. Such a statement or implication of special knowledge or competence may arise from use by the issuer of the report of names or titles indicating that such person or firm is an accountant or auditor, or from the language of the report itself. The term "report" shall include any form of language which disclaims an opinion when such form of language is conventionally understood to imply any positive assurance as to the reliability of the attested or compiled financial statements referred to or special competence on the part of the person or firm issuing such language, and it shall include any other form of language that is conventionally understood to imply such assurance or such special knowledge or competence.
XVI. "Rule" means any rule adopted by the board under RSA 541-A.
XVII. "State" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam; except that "this state" means the state of New Hampshire.
XVIII. "Substantial equivalency" is a determination by the board or its designee that the education, examination, and experience requirements contained in the statutes and administrative rules of another jurisdiction are comparable to or exceed the education, examination, and experience requirements contained in the Uniform Accountancy Act, or that the individual certified public accountant's education, examination, and experience qualifications are comparable to or exceed the education, examination, and experience requirements contained in the Uniform Accountancy Act. In ascertaining substantial equivalency as used in this statute, the board shall take into account the qualifications without regard to the sequence in which experience, education, or examination requirements were attained.
XIX. "Uniform Accountancy Act" means the May 2014 edition of the model legislation developed jointly by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

Source. 1999, 236:1. 2009, 155:1-5, eff. July 1, 2009. 2018, 69:1-4, 9, I, eff. July 24, 2018.