(1) A licensee shall not (a) express an opinion or state affirmatively that the financial statements or other financial data of any entity are presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles or (b) state that the licensee is not aware of any material modifications that should be made to such statements or data in order for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, if such statements or data contain any departure from an accounting principle promulgated by bodies appropriate to the service undertaken to establish such principles that has a material effect on the statements or data taken as a whole. If, however, the statements or data contain such a departure and the licensee can demonstrate that due to unusual circumstances the financial statements or data would otherwise have been misleading, the licensee can comply with the rule by describing the departure, its approximate effects, if practicable, and the reasons why compliance with the principle would result in a misleading statement.

(2) For the purposes of this rule, "licensees" includes licensees, licensees with an inactive status, CPA firms, nonlicensee firm owners, employees of such persons, out-of-state individuals with practice privileges under RCW 18.04.350 (1), and out-of-state firms permitted to offer or render certain professional services in this state under the conditions prescribed in RCW 18.04.195.