Transparency Report – 31 March 2017

Concerning the issue of when an auditor must prepare a transparency report in accordance with the EU regulation, the EU Commission is of the opinion that a transparency report in accordance with the new regulations must be published for the first time for the financial year beginning after the 16 June 2016. In adhering to this opinion, Mazars Germany shall publish a transparency report for the financial year ending on 31 August 2017 in accordance with Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No. 537/2014 at the latest by 31 December 2017.

According to the information released in Pronouncement No. 2 on 7 March 2017 by The Auditor Oversight Authority [Abschlussprüferaufsichtsstelle (APAS)], there will be no objection made to an accounting firm orienting itself to this opinion held by the EU Commission and again preparing its transparency report in accordance with the old version of § 55c WPO. In adhering to this information, we are publishing our Transparency Report 31 March 2017 in accordance with the old version of §55c WPO.

For the 2017 Transparency Report, we have used the same approach as we used in the prior year. The following entities, have been summarised into one report entitled “Mazars Germany”:

Roever Broenner Susat Mazars GmbH & Co. KG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Steuerberatungsgesellschaft (hereinafter also “RBSM KG”)

MAZARS GmbH & Co. KG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (hereinafter also “MAZARS KG”).

After the merger of RBS RoeverBroennerSusat GmbH & Co. KG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Steuerberatungsgesellschaft and Mazars GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft in Germany in June 2015, the latter became a wholly owned subsidiary of RBSM KG after changing its legal form from a limited liability company to a limited partnership. Both entities have been one organisational unit since this point in time.

The worldwide Mazars Group (“Mazars” for short in the following) is an international, integrated and independent organisation offering a wide range of services in the areas of audit, accounting, and tax, legal and advisory services.

With this report we present the legal structure of the national firm of Roever Broenner Susat Mazars GmbH & Co. KG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Steuerberatungsgesellschaft and MAZARS GmbH & Co. KG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, and we explain our being bound internationally to the worldwide Mazars organisation. By presenting the management and supervisory structures as well as the quality control system, we show how we have put the quality standards of our profession into practice.