A major shift is coming to the accounting profession. In December 2025, a new suite of quality management standards will take effect, replacing the long-standing quality control framework firms have used for decades. This change goes beyond new policies; it reflects a broader mindset focused on continual improvement, risk awareness, and firmwide accountability.

To help us understand what is coming, we sit down with Mike Manspeaker, past chair of the MACPA board and a member of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board. With deep experience in peer review, audit evidence, risk response, and technology, Mike offers an insider’s perspective on why these standards matter and how firms can prepare.

Mike explains that the new standards are not burdens but tools that help practitioners deliver high-quality work and manage growing risks. We discuss the transition challenges firms may face and the opportunities to build a stronger culture of communication, leadership, and shared responsibility for quality.

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