The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board(PCAOB)

What The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board(PCAOB) does

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to oversee the audits of public companies and SEC-registered brokers and dealers in the United States. Its core functions include setting auditing, attestation, ethics, independence, and quality control standards; conducting inspections of registered public accounting firms and publishing the resulting reports; bringing enforcement actions against violators; and maintaining the registration system for accounting firms that audit SEC-regulated entities. The organization serves three primary constituencies: issuers (public companies), SEC-registered brokers and dealers, and registered public accounting firms.

The PCAOB operates proprietary digital platforms including the RASR (Registration, Annual and Special Reporting) portal for firm registration and reporting, the AuditorSearch public database for locating registered auditors, and a Versapay-based payment system for collecting Accounting Support Fees. Its outputs span regulatory services (standards, inspection reports, enforcement orders), advisory products (staff publications such as Data Points, Audit Focus, Spotlights), and research assets (academic working papers, emerging growth companies reports). The PCAOB also maintains cooperative arrangements with Foreign Auditor Oversight Authorities (FAOAs) and participates in the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR) for cross-border oversight.

The PCAOB is funded primarily through statutorily-mandated Accounting Support Fees allocated among issuers and broker-dealers, plus registration and annual fees from public accounting firms. The SEC-approved 2026 operating budget stands at $362.1 million following a 9.4% year-over-year reduction, with the issuer allocation at $306 million. The organization employs 251-500 staff at its Washington, D.C. headquarters (1666 K Street NW). Recent developments under Trump-administration-appointed Chair Jim Logothetis (February 2026) include a methodology shift toward firm-wide quality control evaluation under QC 1000, the launch of the Audit Practitioner Fellowship Programme, and introduction of a Firm Consultation Process.

Name

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board(PCAOB)

Legal name

Public Company Accounting Oversight Board

Website

https://pcaobus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a congressionally-established nonprofit that sets auditing standards, conducts inspections, and brings enforcement actions to oversee audits of U.S. public companies and SEC-registered brokers and dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audit Oversight Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services Regulators (Banking, Securities, Insurance) (BPAIAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Risk, Controls & Audit (Public Sector) (BPAIAEAH), Research Compliance & Governance (FSACAGAK)

Keywords

• Audit oversight
• Public company auditing
• Accounting standards setting
• Broker-dealer audit inspection
• Audit quality regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Accounting Support Fee: Annual fees allocated among issuers and broker-dealers to fund PCAOB operations. SEC approved $362 million for 2026, with issuer portion of $306 million and broker-dealer portion separate.
2. Registration and Annual Fees: Fees collected from registered public accounting firms for registration applications and annual reporting filings through the RASR system

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The PCAOB regulates the audits of U.S. public companies and SEC-registered brokers and dealers by registering public accounting firms, setting auditing, attestation, ethics, independence and quality control standards, inspecting registered firms (and publishing the inspection reports), and bringing enforcement actions against violators. It also operates the AuditorSearch public database for verifying registered auditors and the RASR portal for firm registration, and funds these activities primarily through Accounting Support Fees assessed on issuers and broker-dealers.

Product overview

The PCAOB is a nonprofit regulatory corporation (not a software product company) that oversees audits of public companies and SEC-registered brokers and dealers. Its primary offerings consist of regulatory services including: setting auditing, attestation, ethics, and quality control standards; conducting inspections of registered firms and publishing inspection reports; bringing enforcement actions against violators; operating the AuditorSearch℠ service for locating registered auditors; providing a registration portal (RASR) for accounting firms; and publishing research through Staff Publications (Data Points, Audit Focus, Spotlights), Working Papers, and Emerging Growth Companies Reports. These services work together to fulfill the PCAOB's mission of protecting investors and improving audit quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PCAOB Standards (Auditing, Attestation, Ethics & Independence, Quality Control) Comprehensive standards governing auditing, attestation engagements, ethics and independence requirements, and quality control systems for public accounting firms that audit issuers and broker-dealers.
• Firm Inspections and Inspection Reports Periodic inspections of registered public accounting firms to assess compliance with PCAOB auditing and quality control standards, with publicly released inspection reports.
• Enforcement Actions Public disciplinary proceedings and sanctions against registered firms and associated persons for violations of PCAOB rules, auditing standards, and securities laws.
• AuditorSearch A public search service for identifying and verifying registered public accounting firms and their associated persons.
• Registration and Reporting Resources (RASR Portal) An online portal where public accounting firms register with the PCAOB, file annual reports, manage their registration status, and pay related fees through Versapay.
• Firm Consultation Process A formal process administered by the PCAOB's Office of the Chief Auditor allowing registered firms to submit queries and receive informal staff guidance on applying PCAOB standards.
• Audit Practitioner Fellowship Programme A two-year fellowship program that brings auditors with recent practical experience into the PCAOB's office to support oversight of public company audits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Broker-dealer audit deficiencies reduced from 59% to 40% compliance report deficiencies
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SEC provides oversight of PCAOB regulatory activities and approves the PCAOB budget and accounting support fees. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has signaled potential restructuring of the audit watchdog's authority under the current administration.
• Foreign Auditor Oversight Authorities (FAOAs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCAOB enters into cooperative arrangements with international audit regulators for conducting inspections of non-U.S. registered firms and sharing regulatory information. Agreements include data protection safeguards and notification provisions.
• International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCAOB participates in IFIAR, an international body of audit regulators that facilitates cooperation and information sharing among member countries regarding audit oversight.
• State Attorneys General and State RegulatorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCAOB may transfer personal data obtained in inspections and investigations to state attorneys general and appropriate state regulators to support their regulatory and enforcement efforts.
• Federal Functional RegulatorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCAOB cooperates with appropriate federal functional regulators for sharing inspection and enforcement information to accomplish the purposes of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): The SEC is PCAOB's parent regulator — it approves PCAOB's budget, appoints board members, and is forming its own SOX Enforcement Group to investigate auditing-standards violations. Most directly comparable as the broader financial-services regulator that oversees public-company disclosure, the audit market, and broker-dealers.
• Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA): FINRA is a self-regulatory organization that oversees broker-dealers, overlapping with PCAOB's broker-dealer audit oversight authority. Comparable as a quasi-governmental SRO with rulemaking, examination, and enforcement functions over the securities industry.
• European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA): ESMA oversees EU securities markets, credit rating agencies, and trade repositories, with growing involvement in audit oversight coordination. Comparable as a broader regional financial regulator with audit-related supervisory functions.

Others

• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA): AICPA sets auditing and attestation standards for non-public entities and CPA professional ethics rules, complementing PCAOB's standards for public-company audits. It is the closest professional-body parallel in the U.S. accounting regulatory ecosystem.
• International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB): IAASB develops international auditing, assurance, and quality-control standards used as a reference by PCAOB. Comparable as a parallel standard-setting body in the global audit ecosystem.
• International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR): IFIAR is the international membership body of independent audit regulators of which PCAOB is a member. Comparable as the global coordination forum for audit oversight authorities and a venue for sharing inspection practices.
• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): GAO is the federal audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress — historically the model that informed Sarbanes-Oxley's creation of PCAOB. Comparable as a federal oversight institution whose work underpins audit quality standards in the public sector.

Direct peers

• Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB): CPAB is Canada's national audit regulator overseeing audits of public companies — structurally identical to PCAOB in mandate, inspections, and enforcement. Most direct international peer with cooperative oversight arrangements.
• Financial Reporting Council (FRC): The UK's FRC regulates auditors, sets accounting/auditing standards, and conducts inspections and enforcement — a direct functional equivalent of PCAOB. Recently expanded its powers into Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority status, increasing overlap with PCAOB's mandate.

Regional players

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): CFPB is a U.S. federal regulator with congressionally-delegated authority over consumer financial products. Comparable as another independent federal financial regulator subject to political pressures, budget dynamics, and restructuring debates similar to those affecting PCAOB.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pcaob_news
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyjTdHlrvi1OUxk58ewKLYA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pcaob
• Facebookfacebook.com/publiccompanyaccountingoversightboard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board(PCAOB)