What is the Yellow Book?

The Yellow Book contains the complete set of Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. The document provides users with a framework for the conduct of audits of all types of government entities and entities that have received awards and grants from the government. The types of audits discussed in the book include attestation engagements, financial audits, and performance audits.

Users of the Yellow Book are primarily CPAs and government auditors. It is released annually by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The most recent major update was in 2018, with only technical updates having been added to it since then.

The Yellow Book name is derived from the yellow cover of the document.