ICAI Extends Peer Review Mandate Phase IV Applicability to December 31, 2026

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) recently made an announcement on December 31, 2025, regarding the extension of Phase IV of the Peer Review Mandate.

The Group recommended that Phase IV of the Peer Review mandate should be delayed. Based on this recommendation, it was decided that Phase IV which was supposed to start on January 1, 2026, its implementation will now be postponed and extended until December 31, 2026.

Category of Practice Firms covered for Mandatory Peer Review

Under Phase IV of the Peer Review Mandate, some accounting or audit firms must first get a Peer Review Certificate before they are allowed to take up certain types of work.

• If an audit firm wants to audit branches of public sector banks, it cannot do that work unless it already has a Peer Review Certificate.
• If an audit firm offers attestation services and has 3 or more partners, then it must obtain a Peer Review Certificate before taking any statutory audit work.