Big Relief for CAs: ICAI Council makes Guidance Note on Non-Corporate entity voluntary

The Central Council of ICAI has resolved that the Guidance Note on Formats for Non-corporate Entities would be voluntary for the financial year 2024–25. However, this addresses only a small part of the issue and is more of a distraction from the main concern, which is the absence of consistency and enforceability in financial reporting for non-corporate entities says a CA on social media platform X (Previously Known as Twitter).

All members of the institute supported the recommendation from the meeting. The resolution is being circulated for Council approval and is expected to be confirmed on either September 19 or September 20 morning.

While this decision addresses a minor aspect of the issue, it risks diverting attention from the main concern: the absence of a clear and practical timeline for completing tax audits. Delaying the Guidance Note could further shift focus away from this more pressing problem.

Voluntary guidance could result in varied reporting practices, reducing comparability and reliability of statements. Instead of a short-term, optional fix, there should be a stronger plan with clear deadlines to make it compulsory.