Section 43-3-32. Ownership of accountants' working papers; confidentiality of communications to accountants

   (a) All statements, records, schedules, working papers, computer printouts, computer tapes, and memoranda made by a certified public accountant or public accountant incident to, or in the course of, professional service to clients by such certified public accountant or public accountant, except reports submitted by a certified public accountant or public accountant to a client, shall be and remain the property of such certified public accountant or public accountant and his or her partners, fellow shareholders, or fellow members of the firm, in the absence of an express agreement between such certified public accountant or public accountant and the client to the contrary. No such statement, record, schedule, working paper, or memorandum shall be sold, transferred, or bequeathed, without the consent of the client or his personal representative or his assignee, to anyone other than one or more surviving partners, fellow shareholders, or fellow members of the firm of such certified public accountant or public accountant.

(b) All communications between a certified public accountant or public accountant or employee of such certified public accountant or public accountant acting in the scope of such employment and the person for whom such certified public accountant, public accountant, or employee shall have made any audit or other investigation in a professional capacity and all information obtained by a certified public accountant, public accountant, or such an employee in his professional capacity concerning the business and affairs of clients shall be deemed privileged communications in all courts or in any other proceedings whatsoever; and no such certified public accountant, public accountant, or employee shall be permitted to testify with respect to any of such matters, except with the written consent of such person or client or such person's or client's legal representative, provided that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting a certified public accountant, public accountant, or such an employee from:

   (1) Disclosing any data required to be disclosed by the standards of the accounting profession in rendering an opinion on the presentation of financial statements or in making disclosure where the practices or diligence of the accountant in preparing, or in expressing an opinion upon, such financial statements are contested;

   (2) Disclosing any data where the professional services of the accountant are being contested by or against the client for whom such services were performed or any representative or assignee of such client;

   (3) Disclosing any data to other certified public accountants, public accountants, or employees thereof in connection with practice reviews and ethics reviews sponsored by professional groups, the purpose of which reviews is to survey such accountant's business practices, audits, and work papers or to review ethical considerations concerning such accountant; or

   (4) Disclosing any data pertaining to an application, investigation by the board, or hearing on its behalf, so long as such data shall be received by the board in camera and shall not be disclosed to the public; and provided, further, that no disclosure provided for in this paragraph shall constitute a waiver of the privilege established in this subsection.

Code 1933, § 84-220, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 1063, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1616, § 7; Ga. L. 1993, p. 123, § 14; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1545, § 8.