Professional associations have stated that the information disseminated by the Addis Ababa Revenue Office has caused defamation of the auditing profession, undermining the credibility of professionals and resulting in professional losses. They have requested that the office issue a correction regarding the matter.
The associations noted that the Addis Ababa Revenue Office's announcement through the media, claiming that incorrect accounting reports were submitted with understated or concealed income tax, has significantly damaged the auditing profession. Three accounting and auditing associations have spoken out about this issue.
It is recalled that the Addis Ababa Revenue Office recently stated that, based on its preliminary audit work, 36,729 tax records in the past year alone were found to involve underreported or concealed income.
According to this, out of the 863 licensed accountants and auditors by the Ethiopian Accounting and Auditing Board, 824 professionals submitted accounting reports that were understated or concealed. The office had previously reported requesting the board to take action, ranging from written warnings to license revocation.
The professional associations, including the Ethiopian Association of Accountants and Auditors, the Association of External Auditors, and the Accounting Society of Ethiopia, stated that disseminating this information through the media without verification by the board was inappropriate and has caused harm to the profession.
In their statement, the associations noted that they have no objection to the office’s request to the board to penalize the professionals. However, they emphasized that the manner in which the information was shared through the media was misleading. They have requested that the office issue a correction and ensure that the information is removed from media outlets and the office’s communication channels.
Additionally, the associations have requested that the Ethiopian Accounting and Auditing Board make public the results of its investigation based on the request submitted by the tax office.
While the associations stated in their joint statement that the auditing profession has suffered losses due to the media coverage, they did not specify the extent of the professional damage.
The associations mentioned that they reached out to the Revenue Office via letter to discuss the issue but have not yet received a response. They expressed their willingness to collaborate and urged the office to open the door for dialogue.
- Category
- Celebrity
