Assurance built for professional employer organizations.
AsuraTrust provides independent audit, examination, and other assurance services designed for professional employer organizations.
The co-employment model concentrates trust: PEOs handle payroll, employment taxes, and benefits on behalf of their clients’ worksite employees, and the parties around them — the IRS, accreditation bodies, state regulators, clients, and insurance partners — expect financial reporting that stands up to scrutiny. Our engagements are built around the reporting issues that define the industry: gross-versus-net revenue presentation, client trust funds and payroll tax remittance, and workers’ compensation and benefits accruals. AsuraTrust is a Tampa-based CPA Firm licensed in the state of Florida, and our remote engagement model allows us to serve PEOs in the Tampa area and beyond.
Whether you’re pursuing CPEO certification, maintaining accreditation, or meeting a state licensing requirement, schedule a free consultation today.
Where PEO financial reporting is required, not optional.
CPEO Certification
IRS Certified PEO designation under IRC Section 7705 requires annual audited financial statements — and the program also calls for quarterly employment-tax assertions accompanied by an independent CPA’s attestation.
ESAC Accreditation
Accreditation through the Employer Services Assurance Corporation also requires independent audited financial statements as part of its financial assurance standards.
State Licensing
Many states license or register PEOs and commonly require periodic financial reporting — often audited — to obtain and maintain the license.
Clients & Insurance Partners
Prospective clients, workers’ compensation carriers, and benefits partners weigh a PEO’s financial standing — reliable statements support the diligence they run before committing.
The reporting issues that define PEOs.
Gross vs. Net Revenue
Whether a PEO reports gross billings or its net service fee is a judgment-heavy principal-versus-agent question under ASC 606 — and it changes the face of the income statement dramatically.
Client Trust Funds
Handling client funds for payroll taxes and benefits demands rigorous accounting controls — and clean presentation of the related custodial balances and pass-through liabilities.
Workers’ Comp & Benefits Accruals
Master policy arrangements and benefits cost reporting rest on estimates — accruals, deposits, and collateral that are recurring audit focus areas for the industry.
Payroll Tax Remittance
Federal and state employment taxes flow through the PEO in volume — timely remittance, reconciliation, and the controls around them are central to the trust the model depends on.
Engagements we perform for PEOs.
Audits
Independent financial statement audits conducted under GAAS — the annual requirement behind CPEO certification, ESAC accreditation, and many state licenses.
Examinations & Attestations
Attestation examinations address the quarterly assertion reporting the CPEO program calls for, along with other subject-matter attestation needs.
Reviews
Financial statement reviews offer a moderate level of assurance where a full audit isn’t required — a fit for internal and partner reporting needs.
Internal Controls
Internal controls consulting strengthens the processes the model runs on — trust fund handling, tax remittance, and client onboarding.
Quality of Earnings
Quality of earnings analyses support buyers and sellers in PEO transactions — where gross-versus-net presentation makes reported revenue especially easy to misread.
Agreed-Upon Procedures
Agreed-upon procedures provide targeted, factual reports on specific questions from regulators, partners, or other stakeholders.
Serving more than PEOs — explore all of the industries we serve.
Trust starts with controls — our guide to internal controls best practices for small businesses is a practical place to start.
Questions PEOs ask us.
What does CPEO certification require from a CPA?
Under the IRS program, annual audited financial statements with a CPA’s opinion — plus quarterly employment-tax assertions accompanied by an independent CPA’s attestation. Both are engagements we perform.
Should we report revenue gross or net?
It depends on the arrangement: the principal-versus-agent analysis under ASC 606 is judgment-heavy for PEOs, and the answer shapes both the income statement and how outsiders read your scale. We evaluate the analysis and its disclosure as part of the engagement.
Are CPEO certification and ESAC accreditation the same thing?
No — they are separate programs. CPEO certification is a federal IRS designation under IRC Section 7705; ESAC accreditation is an industry program with its own financial assurance standards. Each defines its own reporting package, and many PEOs pursue one or both.
Can our audit be performed remotely?
Yes. Our remote engagement model is designed for it — document exchange, walkthroughs, and status meetings all happen remotely, with the same professional standards and the same licensed CPA supervision.
Considering an audit or review?
Connect with us to discuss how our services can provide the support you need.
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