Texas Administrative Code
Title 22 - EXAMINING BOARDS
Part 22 - TEXAS STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY
Chapter 501 - RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Subchapter C - RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS
Section 501.72 - Contingency Fees

(a) A person shall not perform for a contingent fee any professional accounting services or professional accounting work for, or receive such a fee from, a client for whom the person performs professional accounting services or professional accounting work requiring independence under § 501.70 of this chapter (relating to Independence).

(b) A person shall not prepare an original or amended federal, state, local or other jurisdiction tax return for a contingent fee for any client during the period in which the person is engaged to perform any of the services referenced by subsection (a) of this section and the period covered by any historical or prospective financial statements involved in any of the referenced services. Fees are not contingent if they are fixed by courts or governmental entities acting in a judicial or regulatory capacity, or in tax matters if determined based on the results of judicial proceedings or the findings of governmental agencies acting in a judicial or regulatory capacity, or if there is a reasonable expectation of substantive review by a taxing authority.

(c) A person shall not perform an engagement as a testifying accounting expert for a contingent fee. A testifying accounting expert is one that at any time during the proceeding becomes subject to disclosure and discovery under the procedural rules of the forum where the matter for which his services were engaged is pending.

(d) The prohibitions outlined in subsections (a) and (b) of this section apply during any period in which the person is engaged to perform any of the services referenced by subsections (a) and (b) of this section, and the period covered by any historical or prospective financial statements involved in any of the referenced services.

(e) Interpretive Comment: A consulting accounting expert may become a testifying accounting expert when the client for whom he is working makes his work available to a testifying expert. A consulting accounting expert who is working on a contingent fee basis should work closely with his client to ensure that he does not inadvertently become a testifying expert through the actions of his client. An accounting expert may not accept a contingent fee for part of an engagement and a set fee for part of the same engagement. A consulting accounting expert who becomes a testifying expert may not accept a contingent fee for the part of his work done as a consultant, but must be compensated on a set fee basis for all of the work performed on the same engagement. A consulting accounting expert who enters into a contingent fee engagement should reach an agreement, preferably in writing, with the client as to how he will be compensated should he become a testifying expert prior to beginning the engagement.