SAS 70 Type I and Type II Audits have become so common in today's regulatory
compliance environment, and due in large part to the enormous growth of federal
legislation, particularly the like of Sarbanes-Oxley, along with HIPAA and the
Gramm Leach Bliley Act.

What's become such interesting water cooler talk are the pricing structures
being used for these audits. To put it bluntly, pricing is all over the map and
for any different number of reasons.

As with any opportunity, prospects will follow, and this is what's exactly happened
to SAS 70 Type I and Type II audits. The exponential rise in these audits over
the past five years has resulted in many CPA firms entering the marketplace to
conduct SAS 70 audits.

And to be fair, competition should breed credible price stability along with
a quality service and a product. For the most part it has, but one
particular element has many CPA firms somewhat indignant-the aggressive pricing
by some who seek to generate only revenue and not concern themselves with the
quality of the report. I've been told of pricing for Type I audits as low as
$12,000 and Type II audits as low as $18,000, for first time companies.

My friends, sure, we all want a great product at a great price, but there are
times when absurdity comes in play. You simply cannot perform an adequate,
quality audit at those fees. Thus, the real loser is the lucky winner who paid
for such a paltry report. Remember, these reports are often read by the big 4 accounting
firms who have to rely on them.

Make a wise investment and find a firm with a fair, honest fee that does
quality work. It will only benefit you in the long run. And remember, a low
quality sas 70 report can cause you more harm then good.

If you want to view an actual SAS 70 Type II report, you can receive complimentary sas 70 sample reports by filling in the sas 70 download available information at the SAS 70 Resource Guide.