BOI reporting risk management tips from CAMICO

CPAs must be very careful they don’t offer law advice when helping clients navigate beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act. (See the Disclosures article "Watch Your Step" for information on the CTA and reporting requirements.

Below are some tips to remember offered by CAMICO.

Familiarize yourself with the Corporate Transparency Act and the beneficial ownership reporting requirements and stay current with any further guidance promulgated by FinCEN. For details on specific CTA provisions, refer to the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule, available at fincen.gov/boi. For additional information, refer to FinCEN’s Frequently Asked Questions document at fincen.gov/boi-faqs.
Tread carefully to reduce the likelihood of an accusation of practicing law without a license! Performing services for clients that are outside of the purview of your licensure or your competencies poses significant liability and insurance coverage risks. It is best to refer such services to other professionals than to face the consequences of allegations of falling short of professional standards of care.
However, if contemplating providing CTA-related services to clients, we strongly encourage you to document your due diligence efforts to confirm that your state has not deemed these services to be the unlicensed practice of law. If you have a CAMICO policy, note that engaging in the unauthorized practice of law is not covered by CAMICO, so we encourage you to also contact us so that we can help you evaluate the risks associated with these services, as well as assess any potential coverage issues.
DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT:
- Inform and advise your clients in writing regarding the new beneficial ownership reporting requirements under the CTA and your recommendation that they seek legal guidance. CAMICO offers a client notification template for this purpose.
- Modify engagement letters to include language that specifically disclaims the firm’s involvement in assisting clients with CTA compliance. See CAMICO’s below suggested engagement letter language for this purpose:
  Management is responsible for Client’s compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), if applicable to its business, and for ensuring that any required reporting of beneficial ownership information is timely filed with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) as required by the CTA. As <Firm> is not rendering any legal services as part of our engagement, we will not be responsible for advising you regarding the legal or regulatory aspects of your company’s compliance with the CTA, nor are we responsible for the preparation or submission of Client’s beneficial ownership information reports to FinCEN. If you have any questions regarding Client’s compliance with the CTA, including but not limited to whether an exemption may apply to your organization or to ascertain whether relationships constitute beneficial ownership under CTA rules, we strongly encourage you to consult with qualified legal counsel experienced in this area.
Prepare your own firm for compliance if you are deemed to be a reporting company under currently promulgated CTA guidance.