./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/CSS/W/62
28 March 2001
(01-1525)
Council for Trade in Services
Special SessionOriginal:  English
COMMUNICATION FROM AUSTRALIA
Negotiating Proposal for Accountancy Services
The following communication has been received from the delegation of Australia with the
request that it be circulated to the Members of the Council for Trade in Services.
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1. This paper sets out a negotiating proposal from Australia for the accountancy services sector.
Australia reserves the right to submit further and more detailed proposals on this sector at a later date.
I. IMPORTANCE OF TRADE LIBERALISATION IN THE SECTOR
2. Accountancy services play a vital support role for firms, providing advice and assistance on
taxation matters, financial reporting and commercial strategy.  The internationalisation of accountancy
firms has occurred in tandem with the globalisatio n of world markets and the internationalisation of
the clients they serve.  Many accountancy firms have established an offshore commercial presence to
develop new markets and to service clients that have expanded offshore.  Services are also traded by
accountants on short-term "fly-in, fly-out" assignments.  Electronic commerce provides growingpotential for greater crossborder supply.
II. IMPEDIMENTS TO FURTHER LIBERALISATION
3. Australian exporters have identified a number of impediments to further liberalisation of the
accountancy sector.  These include:
• restrictions on establishing a commercial presence or foreign equity limitations in some
markets including:
− limitation on the number of foreign or national accountants that can be employed and
or the number of new licences,
− limitation on the form of business organization that is permitted,
− overly burdensome fees and/or taxes on repatriation of profits;
• unduly onerous and/or non-transparent temporary visa procedures;
• citizenship or residency requirements for licensing or certification:
− less favourable treatment of certified foreign accountants,S/CSS/W/62
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− discriminatory treatment in respect of foreign partners in a joint venture;
• limited or no recognition of qualifications or unreasonable requirements for qualifying
examinations;
• restrictions on the use of firm names;
• restrictions on electronic transmission of reports and accounting documents.
III. PROPOSALS
4. Australia considers that the accountancy disciplines concluded by the Working Party on
Professional Services: “Disciplines on Domestic Regulation in the Accountancy Sector”, are a
valuable step towards assuring that licensing procedures, technical standards and qualificationprocedures are administered in the least trade-restrictive manner.  However, Australia considers there
is scope to strengthen the disciplines, includin g by extending their reach to measures subject to
scheduling under Articles XVI and XVII of the GATS.
5. Australia proposes that the accountancy disciplines be reviewed with the aim of clarifying and
elaborating GATS obligations to ensure that domestic regulations do not constitute unnecessary
barriers to trade. In respect of regulations govern ing the entry of natural persons, Australia wishes to
ensure that the procedures are efficient, expeditiously implemented and transparent.
6. Australia also proposes that members review any limitations on commercial presence with a
view to eliminating barriers that cannot be justified on commercial grounds.
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