1476. (1) Subject to subsection (2), a Member State auditor or third-country auditor applying for approval as a statutory auditor in the State is required to sit and pass an aptitude test to demonstrate his or her knowledge of the enactments and practice that are relevant to statutory audits in the State.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply to a Member State auditor or third-country auditor if the recognised accountancy body is satisfied that he or she has otherwise demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the enactments and practice referred to in that subsection.

(3) The Supervisory Authority shall, at such time as it thinks it appropriate to do so, issue guidelines to each recognised accountancy body as to the specific matters that should be given regard to in reaching a decision under subsection (2) whether or not a person has demonstrated the knowledge referred to in subsection (1).

(4) A recognised accountancy body may charge and impose on a Member State auditor or third-country auditor a fee (of an amount specified from time to time by the Minister sufficient to meet the body’s administrative expenses in respect of the following) in respect of the administration of an aptitude test under this section in relation to him or her.

(5) A fee imposed under subsection (4) may, in default of payment, be recovered from the Member State auditor or third-country auditor concerned as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(6) The amount of a fee imposed under Regulation 49(4) of the 2016 Audits Regulations as those Regulations were in force immediately before the date of commencement of section 3(6) of the Companies (Statutory Audits) Act 2018 shall be the amount of the fee imposed under subsection (4) until such time as the Minister exercises his or her power under that subsection to specify a different amount of such fee.]