Companies Act 2014 section 1474

Powers of Director

Section 1474 deals with the power of the Corporate Enforcement Authority to demand proof of approval or registration from persons acting as, or claiming to act as, statutory auditors or audit firms.

• The Corporate Enforcement Authority can require any person acting as a statutory auditor or audit firm, or claiming to be approved or registered to do so, to produce evidence of their approval or registration.
• The evidence demanded must cover the entire period during which the person acted in that capacity or claimed to hold such approval.
• Failure to produce the required evidence within 30 days of the demand (or a longer period if allowed by the Authority) is a category 3 criminal offence.
• In any prosecution for this offence, the court will presume the defendant failed to produce the evidence within the required timeframe unless the defendant can show otherwise.