Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a private-sector, nonprofit corporation created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to oversee the auditors of public companies. Its mission is to protect investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. The PCAOB accomplishes this mission through four primary functions: registering public accounting firms, inspecting firms' audits, setting auditing standards for public company audits, and conducting investigations and disciplinary proceedings where violations are found.