Welcome to the FASB’s Technical Inquiry Service. The FASB’s mission is to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting for the guidance and education of the public, including companies that issue financial statements, their auditors, and readers of those financial statements. In line with that mission, the FASB staff provides the Technical Inquiry Service to answer questions about existing FASB literature. We welcome hearing from you because your question may help us identify ways we can make our accounting standards easier to use and understand.
The process used to submit a question depends on the nature of that question. The following links have been provided to guide you to the appropriate portion of this website for further instructions on submitting your question.
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I have a question about an existing FASB accounting standard or EITF consensus.
The mission of the FASB’s Technical Inquiry Service is to clarify existing guidance or provisions within the FASB literature, which includes:
- APB Opinions and Interpretations
- Accounting Research Bulletins
- FASB Statements
- FASB Interpretations and Technical Bulletins
- Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts
- FASB Staff Implementation Guides
- Consensuses of the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
How do I submit my question?
Questions are submitted electronically by completing the FASB Technical Inquiry Form (accessible through the link below). To help us in providing a timely answer to your question, please be as specific as possible by first reading the related FASB literature and focusing your question on the specific literature for which you need clarifying guidance. Additionally, we will be better able to respond to your question if you seek the advice of others within your organization and consult with your independent auditors, if applicable, before submitting your question. The FASB is a not-for-profit organization and, as such, we have limited resources available to respond to questions.
The following steps should be used as a guide in forming and submitting your question.
- Obtain and read the applicable FASB literature.
- Formulate your question and discuss with the most senior accountants in your organization (typically the controller or chief accounting officer of a company or the partners, technical advisory partners, or national office of a public accounting firm).
- Discuss the question with your independent auditors, if applicable (your auditors should request the assistance of their technical advisory partners or national office if necessary).
- If after consulting with your most senior accountants and independent auditors you still need clarifying guidance, complete the FASB Technical Inquiry Form. When finished, click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the page to send your inquiry to the FASB.
Please Note: Submission of incomplete forms may result in a request for additional information (for example, if the views of your auditor’s or other parties that you consulted are not documented in the space provided or if you have not cited the appropriate FASB literature). Should you have any further questions about how to fill out the FASB Technical Inquiry Form, please call Joe Damico at (203) 956-5336 or email him at techinq@fasb.org.
When can I expect an answer to my question?
You can expect a response within two weeks, but it may take longer depending on staff availability and the nature of your question. The FASB staff addresses inquiries in the order that they are received.
How will I get an answer to my question?
We thoroughly review and evaluate each question so that we may refer it to the appropriate FASB staff member. The staff will respond via telephone or e-mail. When responding to your inquiry by telephone, the FASB staff will usually request that you have your auditor or senior technical partner participate in the conversation.
Please note that the FASB staff is prohibited from issuing a formal written response to your technical inquiry. Please also note that the FASB staff's responses reflect only the staff’s opinions in light of the particular circumstances described by the inquirer and should not be viewed as an official position of the FASB. Official positions of the FASB are established only after extensive deliberation and due process.
Application of generally accepted accounting principles is the responsibility of a company's management. As such, the FASB staff is prohibited from making subjective judgments for constituents or acting as an arbitrator on any issue (for example, a dispute between a company and its auditor).
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I would like a copy of an AICPA Statement of Position, Auditing Standard, or Audit and Accounting Guide.
AICPA Statements of Position, AICPA Audit and Accounting Guides, and audit, compilation, and review standards are issued by the AICPA. You can order AICPA publications through the AICPA Store or by calling (888) 777-7077.
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I would like to comment on an issue in a current Board project or request to add an issue to the FASB’s agenda. (Please do not send formal comment letters to this email address. Formal comment letters should be sent to director@fasb.org)
We welcome comments on our current projects and requests to add other issues to the FASB’s agenda. Please e-mail your comments and requests to fasbcomments@fasb.org or submit in writing to:
Director of Major Projects and Technical Activities
Financial Accounting Standards Board
401 Merritt 7
Norwalk, Connecticut 06856-5116
Agenda requests and requests for review or reexamination of a standard are circulated to Board members. The Board has a policy of reviewing annually all requests it has received. During that review, the Board assesses whether the volume or technical merits of such requests, on a collective basis, warrant adding a project to its agenda and warrant reconsideration of a particular standard. You will receive an acknowledgment letter upon receipt of your request.
