wp.net

wp.net e.V. (Verband für die mittelständische Wirtschaftsprüfung) is a German professional association of Wirtschaftsprüfer (public auditors) and vereidigte Buchprüfer (sworn accountants) who work freelance or in small and mid-sized practices, partnerships or companies rather than in large or network audit firms. It was founded in 2005 and registered as an eingetragener Verein (registered association) in Munich in May of that year; its seat remains in Munich. The association describes itself as the largest representative of mid-sized auditors within the Wirtschaftsprüferkammer (WPK), the German chamber of public auditors. The association was created as a reaction to what it sees as the domination of the profession by the Big Four audit firms. Its stated goals include promoting the professional practice of mid-sized auditors, preserving the free profession as a typical expression of mid-sized entrepreneurial auditing, democratising the profession and strengthening the weight of smaller and medium-sized practices. To that end wp.net campaigned, against resistance from the IDW (Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer), for the abolition of the WPK's in-person voting requirement and for the introduction of postal voting in the Wirtschaftsprüferordnung (WPO). That change was anchored in law on 2 December 2010 through the Fourth Act Amending the Wirtschaftsprüferordnung – Wahlrecht der Wirtschaftsprüferkammer. In the 2011 WPK advisory board elections, held by postal vote for the first time, the so-called Gschrei-Liste – the list associated with wp.net's managing board – won and secured a majority of WPK advisory board members. On 2 September 2011 wp.net's board spokesman Michael Gschrei was elected president of the Wirtschaftsprüferkammer; he stepped down as wp.net's managing board member on 12 October 2011. wp.net's activities include professional-policy representation for mid-sized auditing, continuing education for practitioners and their staff, advice and support on practice management and quality assurance systems (especially for statutory audits, other certification work and tax advice), making specialist knowledge available, and fostering cohesion among mid-sized practitioners. The association may issue expert opinions on professional and technical questions, join other organisations in Germany and abroad, and participate in or maintain working groups. It is not oriented towards a commercial business operation, though it economically supports its members' professional activities. Ordinary membership is open only to Wirtschaftsprüfer and vereidigte Buchprüfer. Audit firms can obtain membership when each of their auditors personally joins wp.net and the group collectively declares that they exercise their membership for the firm; professional firms have no separate voting right. Each practitioner can hold at most one membership and one vote and pay at most one contribution, with the managing board handling special cases such as auditors serving as managing directors of several firms. At the members' meeting on 26 January 2024 Holger Friebel was elected to wp.net's managing board and subsequently as its spokesman. Friebel heads the WP-Gebührenordnung working group and leads wp.net's two advisory board lists in the Wirtschaftsprüferkammer. Under him, highlighted goals include proportionate scaling of quality control, further development of specialist work and continuing-education seminars, and more transparency at the Wirtschaftsprüferversorgungswerk (WPV). A notable education cooperation with TÜV Süd addresses the topic of "Prüfer für Nachhaltigkeitsberichte" (auditor for sustainability reports) under the EU CSRD. The association also runs online seminars, for example a two-part course on artificial intelligence in mid-sized auditing, and publishes current news and a newsletter, sometimes also as a podcast.

wp.net e.V. was founded in 2005 and registered as an eingetragener Verein in Munich in May 2005. Its creation is closely linked to the introduction of quality control by the Audit Establishment, which, according to a study by Prof. Dr. Hansrudi Lenz, Dr. Georg Loscher and Dr. Lukas Löhlein (supported by M. Gschrei), led to the founding of a new professional association that significantly influenced the strategic fields of German auditing. The study examines the reactions of local professional associations to global requirements through audit standardisation in Germany, with Part 1 covering 1998–2005, Part 2 covering wp.net's achievements 2005–2011, and Part 3 covering 2011–2018. The association was founded as a reaction against the domination of the profession by the Big Four audit firms. It sought to democratise the profession and strengthen smaller and medium-sized practices. A central early campaign was the fight for postal voting in the Wirtschaftsprüferkammer (WPK) elections. Against resistance from the IDW, wp.net advocated abolishing the WPK's in-person voting requirement, arguing that in-person voting with proxy votes undemocratically favoured the large Big Four firms. On 2 December 2010, postal voting was anchored in the Wirtschaftsprüferordnung through the Fourth Act Amending the Wirtschaftsprüferordnung – Wahlrecht der Wirtschaftsprüferkammer. In the 2011 WPK advisory board elections, held by postal vote for the first time, the Gschrei-Liste – the list of wp.net's then and current managing board – won and provided the majority of WPK advisory board members. On 2 September 2011, wp.net board spokesman Michael Gschrei was elected president of the Wirtschaftsprüferkammer. He resigned as wp.net's managing board member on 12 October 2011. On 26 January 2024, at the members' meeting, Holger Friebel was elected to wp.net's managing board and subsequently as its spokesman. Friebel heads the WP-Gebührenordnung working group and leads wp.net's two advisory board lists in the Wirtschaftsprüferkammer. Under his leadership, highlighted goals include a proportionate scaling of quality control, further expansion of specialist work and continuing-education seminars, and more transparency at the Wirtschaftsprüferversorgungswerk (WPV). A notable cooperation with TÜV Süd addresses the training of auditors for sustainability reports under the EU CSRD. The association continues to publish current news and run seminars, including on artificial intelligence in mid-sized auditing.

• 2024

  Holger Friebel elected to managing board and as spokesman on 26 January.

• 2011

  Gschrei-Liste wins first postal-vote WPK advisory board elections; Michael Gschrei elected WPK president on 2 September.

• 2011

  Michael Gschrei resigns as wp.net managing board member on 12 October.

• 2010

  Postal voting anchored in the Wirtschaftsprüferordnung on 2 December through the Fourth Act Amending the WPO.

• 2005

  wp.net e.V. founded and registered as an association in Munich in May.

The largest association of mid-sized auditors in the German Wirtschaftsprüferkammer, advocating for small and medium-sized practices against Big Four dominance.

• Membership for Wirtschaftsprüfer and vereidigte Buchprüfer

• Continuing education seminars (including online)

• Advisory on quality assurance systems and practice management

• Professional policy representation in the WPK

• Expert opinions on professional and technical questions

1. 1Homepage - wp.netwp-net.com
2. 2wp.net-Geschichte - wp.netwp-net.com
3. 3Wp.net - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Wp.net - Wikidatawikidata.org