(1) "Certificate holder" means a person holding a CPA certificate issued by the board pursuant to 37-50-302, MCA.

(2) "Client" means the person, entity, or enterprise, whether organized for profit or not, which retains a permit holder for the performance of professional services. A client may be an entity served by governmental or nongovernmental agencies performing services similar to public accounting firms.

(3) "Engagement peer review report 'Fail'" means the engagements submitted for review by the review practice unit were not performed and reported on in conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects.

(4) "Engagement peer review report 'Pass'" means the engagements submitted for review by the review practice unit were performed and reported on in conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects.

(5) "Engagement peer review report 'Pass with deficiencies'" means except for the deficiencies described in the report, the engagements submitted for review by the review practice unit were performed and reported on in conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects.

(6) "Financial statement" means a presentation of financial data, derived from accounting records and intended to communicate an entity's economic resources or obligations at a point in time, or the changes therein for a period of time. Financial presentations included in tax returns are not financial statements for purposes of this definition. Financial statements include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) balance sheet;

(b) statement of income;

(c) statement of retained earnings;

(d) statement of changes in owners' equity;

(e) financial forecasts, projections, and similar presentations;

(f) statement of assets and liabilities (with or without owners' equity accounts);

(g) statement of revenue and expenses;

(h) summary of operations;

(i) statement of operations by product lines;

(j) statement of cash receipts and disbursements; and

(k) statement of cash flows.

(7) "Firm" means a proprietorship, partnership, or professional corporation engaged in the practice of public accounting.

(8) "Licensee" means a certificate, license, or permit holder.

(9) "License holder" means a person holding a license issued by the board pursuant to 37-50-303, MCA.

(10) "NASBA" means the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

(11) "Peer review" means a review under a formal peer review program sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), or the Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) or their successors, or such other formal peer review programs approved by the Board of Public Accountants (board).

(12) "Peer review report 'Failed'" means the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice of the reviewed practice unit, in effect for the year most recently ended, has not been suitably designed and complied with to provide the firm with reasonable assurance of performing and reporting in conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects.

(13) "Peer review report 'Pass'" means the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice of the reviewed practice unit, in effect for the year most recently ended, has been suitably designed and complied with to provide the firm with reasonable assurance of performing and reporting in conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects.

(14) "Peer review report 'Pass with deficiencies'" means except for the deficiencies described in the report, the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice of the reviewed practice unit, in effect for the year most recently ended, has been suitably designed and complied with to provide the firm with reasonable assurance of performing and reporting in conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects.

(15) "Permit holder" means a person holding an annual permit to practice public accounting issued by the board pursuant to 37-50-314, MCA.

(16) "Practice privilege" means that privilege extended pursuant to 37-50-325, MCA, to a qualified individual whose principal place of business is not in this state and who holds a valid license as a certified public accountant.

(17) "Practice privilege holder" means an individual who avails himself or herself of the practice privilege.

(18) "Practice unit" means:

(a) each licensee who practices public accounting as an individual or sole proprietor;

(b) a sole proprietorship, partnership, or professional corporation that practices public accounting; or

(c) a governmental organization that employs a licensee in a public accounting capacity.

(19) "Professional services" means any service performed or offered to be performed by a permit holder for a client in the course of the practice of public accountancy.

(20) "Report" (when used with reference to financial statements) means an opinion, report, or other form of language which states or implies assurance as to the reliability of any financial statements (examples include: audits, reviews, and compilations) and which:

(a) includes or is accompanied by any statement or implication that the person or firm issuing it has special knowledge or competence in accounting or auditing;

(i) Such a statement or implication of special knowledge or competence may arise from use by the issuer of the report of names or titles indicating that the person or the firm is an accountant or auditor, or from the language of the report itself.

(b) includes any form of language which disclaims an opinion when such form of language is conventionally understood to imply any positive assurance as to the reliability of the financial statements referred to and/or special competence on the part of the person or firm issuing such language; and

(c) includes any other form of language that is conventionally understood to imply such assurance and/or such special knowledge or competence.