Partners in Peer Review is a division of the Alabama Society of CPAs and we administer the AICPA Peer Review Program in Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas according to the AICPA Standards For Performing And Reporting On Peer Reviews (standards). The peer review program is intended to be educational and remedial and it is designed to help you improve the quality of your practice. Partners in Peer Review serves as a resource to assist your firm in scheduling a review, selecting a reviewer, and finalizing your firm's report through the committee acceptance process.
An accounting and auditing practice is defined in the standards as a practice that performs engagements under Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs), Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs), Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAEs), Government Auditing Standards (the Yellow Book) issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, or PCAOB standards. Engagements covered in the scope of the program are those included in the firm’s accounting and auditing practice that are not subject to PCAOB permanent inspection.
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Director of Peer Review Operations
Ashley serves as Director of Peer Review Operations for Partners in Peer Review at the Alabama Society of CPAs. Ashley has been employed with the ASCPA for 10 years, and she is passionate about serving others and strengthening the CPA profession. Her responsibilities include overseeing the daily operations of the peer review program and providing administrative and technical support to firms and reviewers throughout the process. She also serves as a representative on the AICPA’s Administrator Advisory Task Force (AATF), and also serves as an administrator representative on the AICPA’s Peer Review Oversight Task Force (OTF), including the Evolution Focus Group and RAB Observation Focus Group.
Ashley graduated from Troy University with a Master in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is originally from Valley, Alabama and currently resides in Daphne, Alabama with her husband and two daughters.
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Director of Peer Review Professional Standards
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Manager, Peer Review Operations
Raegen serves as Manager of Peer Review Operations and has been employed with the ASCPA for 7 years. Raegen is responsible for the successful and timely movement of peer reviews through each stage of the peer review process, including providing direct communication and guidance to firms and reviewers during the process. With over 9 years working in customer support, Raegen’s strength to the team is her communication and organizational skills.
Raegen is from Eclectic, Alabama and currently lives in Holtville, Alabama, with her husband, son and her two pups.
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Manager, Membership and Peer Review Billing
Bethany has been with the ASCPA for 5 years and works with the peer review team. She also handles all peer review & membership dues invoicing and billing. If you have a question about your ASCPA membership, chances are Bethany can answer it!
Bethany is a Michigan native and has her associates degree from Texas State Tech.
AICPA's Peer Review Support
Peer review is an evaluation of the systems and/or work product of a public accounting practice by a qualified, fellow practitioner.
Members of the AICPA who are engaged in the practice of public accounting in the United States or its territories are required to be practicing as partners or employees of firms enrolled in the peer review program if the firm or individuals perform services under the Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs), Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs), Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAEs), Government Auditing Standards (the Yellow Book) issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and engagements under PCAOB standards. Engagements covered in the scope of the Program are those included in the firm’s accounting and auditing practice that are not subject to PCAOB permanent inspection.
For purposes of complying with AICPA membership requirements, a firm that only performs engagements to prepare financial statements under AR-C section 70, Preparation Engagements, is not required to enroll in a peer review program. For firms already enrolled in the Program, engagements to prepare financial statements would fall within the scope of peer review and will be required to have a peer review.
Alabama Firms
The Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy laws and regulations regarding peer review requirements mirror the AICPA standards. (Accountancy Rules 30-X-8 Peer Review Program)
Arkansas Firms
The Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy law does not require a peer review for a firm whose highest level of service is a compilation of financial statements. Such a firm will instead undergo a Quality Review by the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy of its compilation engagement(s). (Arkansas Code of 1987 Title 17: Professions, Occupations and Businesses Subtitle 2: Nonmedical Professions Chapter 12: Accountants section 508 Peer Review)
Please note that if the firm includes members of the AICPA the firm must follow the more restrictive AICPA rules.
Mississippi Firms
The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy laws and regulations regarding peer review requirements mirror the AICPA standards. (Public Accountancy Statutes Miss. Code § 73-33-1, et seq. Title 30 Rule 5.3)
A firm needing a peer review will now have to set up an account in the Peer Review Integrated Management Application (PRIMA), an online, interactive system. All peer review information and documents will be managed within PRIMA. The direct link to this website is https://prima.aicpa.org .
1. Begin Enrollment Process
To begin the enrollment process, please first complete a Public Accounting Firm Creation Form and submit it to our team at peer.review@alabama.cpa for processing. Once processed we will contact you with next steps.
To begin the enrollment process, please first complete a Public Accounting Firm Creation Form and submit it to our team at peer.review@alabama.cpa for processing. Once processed we will contact you with next steps.
2. PRIMA Enrollment Form
Next, if you already have an AICPA member account, you may access PRIMA to login and complete the enrollment form for your firm.
To do so, click on "For Firms" located on the top-left of the screen and then the "Enroll/Update PRI. button"
If you do not have an existing AICPA member account, our team will help navigate you in setting one up.
Next, if you already have an AICPA member account, you may access PRIMA to login and complete the enrollment form for your firm.
To do so, click on "For Firms" located on the top-left of the screen and then the "Enroll/Update PRI. button"
If you do not have an existing AICPA member account, our team will help navigate you in setting one up.
3. Peer Review Due Date
The firm's initial Peer Review due date is ordinarily 18 months from the date of enrollment or from when the firm should have enrolled.
Please contact our peer review team at 334-834-7650 or email peer.review@alabama.cpa for additional questions regarding enrollment.
The firm's initial Peer Review due date is ordinarily 18 months from the date of enrollment or from when the firm should have enrolled.
Please contact our peer review team at 334-834-7650 or email peer.review@alabama.cpa for additional questions regarding enrollment.
4. PRIMA Information & Training
Please add prima@aicpa.org to your safe senders list.
All PRIMA emails, including status and reminder emails, are sent directly from PRIMA from this address.
Please add prima@aicpa.org to your safe senders list.
All PRIMA emails, including status and reminder emails, are sent directly from PRIMA from this address.
To begin the enrollment process, please first complete a Public Accounting Firm Creation Form and submit it to our team at peer.review@alabama.cpa for processing. Once processed we will contact you with next steps.
To begin the enrollment process, please first complete a Public Accounting Firm Creation Form and submit it to our team at peer.review@alabama.cpa for processing. Once processed we will contact you with next steps.
Next, if you already have an AICPA member account, you may access PRIMA to login and complete the enrollment form for your firm.
To do so, click on "For Firms" located on the top-left of the screen and then the "Enroll/Update PRI. button"
If you do not have an existing AICPA member account, our team will help navigate you in setting one up.
Next, if you already have an AICPA member account, you may access PRIMA to login and complete the enrollment form for your firm.
To do so, click on "For Firms" located on the top-left of the screen and then the "Enroll/Update PRI. button"
If you do not have an existing AICPA member account, our team will help navigate you in setting one up.
The firm's initial Peer Review due date is ordinarily 18 months from the date of enrollment or from when the firm should have enrolled.
Please contact our peer review team at 334-834-7650 or email peer.review@alabama.cpa for additional questions regarding enrollment.
The firm's initial Peer Review due date is ordinarily 18 months from the date of enrollment or from when the firm should have enrolled.
Please contact our peer review team at 334-834-7650 or email peer.review@alabama.cpa for additional questions regarding enrollment.
Please add prima@aicpa.org to your safe senders list.
All PRIMA emails, including status and reminder emails, are sent directly from PRIMA from this address.
Please add prima@aicpa.org to your safe senders list.
All PRIMA emails, including status and reminder emails, are sent directly from PRIMA from this address.
If you need further guidance in determining what type of peer review your firm needs, please contact the peer review team at 334-834-7650 or email peer.review@alabama.cpa .
Once the initial due date is set or the firm's ongoing due date is established based upon the year-end of their initial review, a firm is expected to maintain the same review due date going forward. Nevertheless, circumstances may arise that require the firm to extend its review due date.
Requests are reviewed and approved on a case-to-case basis. If approved, the extended review due date only applies to the current review. Firms are responsible for communicating with their respective State Boards of Public Accountancy if due dates are extended.
For detailed information regarding extensions or for instructions for requesting an extension in PRIMA, please email peer.review@alabama.cpa.
Firms may find that a major engagement routinely is not completed, or its review is due during its busy season, which causes the firm to request an extension. The firm should consider requesting a change in year-end.
Please keep in mind a firm’s next peer review cannot cover a twelve month period that extends beyond three years from the last peer review. Firms are encouraged to discuss a possible change in year-end with the peer reviewer and/or an ASCPA Partners in Peer Review team.
For instructions on requesting a year-end change, please email peer.review@alabama.cpa.
The ASCPA Partners in Peer Review Program issues one Annual Peer Review Program Fee to firms whose peer reviews are administered by Alabama for the fiscal year May to April.
We have included the Peer Review Annual Fee Structure and examples of fee calculations.
Annual Base Fee
| Number of Professionals in a Firm | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | $350 |
| 6-10 | $500 |
| 11-24 | $650 |
| 25+ | $800 |
Plus $35 per professional in the firm
Note: Professionals are as defined by the AICPA Peer Review Standards (all individuals who perform professional services for which the firm is responsible whether they are CPAs or not).
Additionally, for each year where an enrolled firm performs a "Must Select" (high risk) engagement there will be a fee of $115.
This fee only applies to firms subject to system reviews. The fee will be due annually based upon the firm's profile in PRIMA. It is due when the firm has one or more "Must Select" engagements as defined by the AICPA standards. Currently, "Must Select" engagements include Employee Benefit Plans, Governmental Audits, Depository Institutions subject to FDICIA, and Service Organization Control Report Engagements. The AICPA may add additional or remove "Must Select" criteria at any time.