The engagement partner's responsibility for quality at the level of the individual audit, within the firm's system of quality management. ICAI deferred the mandatory date of SQM 1 and SQM 2 on 31 March 2026 and SQC 1 continues to apply; confirm the status of SA 220 (Revised) on icai.org.
To manage quality at the engagement level so as to obtain reasonable assurance that quality objectives are achieved and the auditor's report is appropriate in the circumstances.
SA 220 sits in the General phase of the audit. The Standards on Auditing are issued by the ICAI Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AASB) and deemed to be prescribed by the Central Government under Section 143(10) of the Companies Act 2013. Compliance with SAs is mandatory for every audit conducted by a Chartered Accountant in India.
For authoritative text, refer to the ICAI AASB Compendium of Standards on Auditing at icai.org.
Editable, letterhead-ready formats that put SA 220 into practice — built from the ICAI working-paper set, free to download.
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SA 220 — Quality Management for an Audit of Financial Statements — is a Standard on Auditing issued by the ICAI Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. The engagement partner's responsibility for quality at the level of the individual audit, within the firm's system of quality management. ICAI deferred the mandatory date of SQM 1 and SQM 2 on 31 March 2026 and SQC 1 continues to apply; confirm the status of SA 220 (Revised) on icai.org. To manage quality at the engagement level so as to obtain reasonable assurance that quality objectives are achieved and the auditor's report is appropriate in the circumstances.
Yes. Standards on Auditing are deemed to be prescribed under Section 143(10) of the Companies Act 2013, and ICAI members must comply with them in every audit of historical financial information. Non-compliance must be justified and can attract professional consequences in peer review, NFRA inspection, and disciplinary proceedings.
Documentation sufficient for an experienced auditor with no previous connection to the audit to understand what was done and why (SA 230). For SA 220 in the general phase, that means evidencing: The engagement partner takes overall responsibility for managing and achieving quality on the engagement; Relevant ethical requirements, including independence, are met and documented; Acceptance and continuance conclusions are reached before the work starts.
