A1 - Audit Reports Flashcards
What is professional skepticism?
It is an attitude that includes a questioning mind and a critical assessment of audit evidence. Recognizes that circumstances may exist that may cause the financial statements to be materially misstated.
What are things the auditor should consider when applying professional skepticism?
- Possible fraudulent activity
- audit evidence that is contradictory to evidence provided by management.
- Information that calls into question the reliability of documents and responses to inquires that may be used as audit evidence.
- Circumstances that suggest the need for audit procedures in addition to those required by GAAS.
What are the primary paragraphs of a nonissuer (private company) audit report?
1) opinion: Required for every report
2) Basis for Opinion: required for every report
3) Going Concern
4) Key Audit Matters (KAM): only if engaged to report on key audit matters.
5) Responsibilities of management
6) Auditor’s responsibilities
What are the primary paragraphs of an issuer (public company) audit report?
1) Opinion: Required for every report
2) Basis for Opinion: Required for every report
3) Critical Audit Matter (CAM): Required for every report
What does the auditor’s responsibility paragraph from the nonissuer audit report refers to?
- Plan and perform audit to perform reasonable assurance whether F/S are free from material misstatement, whether caused by error or fraud.
- Provides an assessment of risk prior to performing test of detail. Explicit statement saying “such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the F/S”
- Express an opinion on the F/S presented by management.
What does the auditor’s opinion paragraph from the nonissuer audit report refers to?
1) Indicates nature of engagement (audit)
2) Financial statements covered in the audit engagement (e.g., balance sheet, income statement, etc.)
3) Name of company audited.
4) Dates of period covered by each financial statement (e.g., December 31, 20XX)
5) Should identify the applicable financial reporting framework and its origin
Who are the addressees in the nonissuer audit report?
Addressed to the company owners or the company requesting the audit (e.g., the company engaged auditor to perform an acquisition audit). It is not addressed to management or external parties (e.g., bank).
What is the date of auditor’s report in the nonissuer audit report?
Audit report should be dated no earlier than the date in which they have obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence.
What would the Key Audit Matters (KAM) paragraph from the nonissuer audit report refer to?
1) Higher/significant risk: Areas of higher assessed risk of material misstatement, or significant risk identified.
2) Significant/challenging auditor judgement: significant management judgement, including accounting estimates that have been identified as having high estimation uncertainty.
3) Impact from significant events or transactions: The effect on the audit of significant events or transactions that occurred during the period.
What would the Critical Audit Matters (CAM) paragraph from the issuer audit report refer to?
A matter that was communicated or is required to be communicated to the audit committee and involves an especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgement. It can be included in both unmodified or modified audit reports.
What is included in the auditor’s secondary/final paragraph from the nonissuer audit report refers to (CODA)?
C - City and state where audit report is issued.
O - Other information (related to management’s and the auditor’s responsibilities)
D - Date of the auditor’s report (same date as when sufficient appropriate audit has been obtained and mgmt asserted on the F/S)
A - Audit Firm Signature
When does the auditor has to modify the audit opinion?
The audit opinion is modified when the auditor concludes that the financial statements as a whole are materially misstated.
When does the auditor gives an unmodified opinion?
When the auditor gives a clean opinion or has performed other procedures to satisfy the auditor and the reasonableness of account balances.
Unmodified = clean opinion
What action would the auditor take if it gives an unmodified opinion?
- The auditor can add an emphasis-of-matter paragraph if there was a change that is not consistent with comparative financial statements
- Issue the independent auditor’s report without modification if the financials do not represent any audit or accounting issues and information is properly disclosed. if a proposed adjustment by the auditor is immaterial, there is no need to disclose this information.
When does the auditor gives an “Except for” qualified opinion?
When the financials have any of the following issues, and the issue is material but not pervasive.
1. Accounting/GAAP issue
2. Audit/GAAS issue
When does the auditor gives an Adverse opinion?
When the financials have accounting/GAAP issues, those are significant (material) and pervasive, and the auditor was able to obtain sufficient evidence to provide that opinion.
What action would the auditor take if it gives an “Except for” qualified or Adverse opinion?
The auditor will modify the opinion and basis for opinion sections
When does the auditor gives a disclaimer opinion?
A disclaimer opinion when there is an audit/GAAS issue, the issue is significant/material and pervasive, the auditor is unable to obtain sufficient documentation to conclude on the audit. This represents a change to the report all together.
What action would the auditor take if it gives a disclaimer opinion?
- The auditor will modify the auditor’s responsibility section
- The auditor will modify the opinion and basis for opinion section
What are scope limitations in an audit that could result in a disclaimer of opinion?
- Auditor’s inability to perform substantive test:
- Inability to confirm accounts receivable
- Inability to observe inventory
- Restricted use on audit tests
- Inability to obtain the financial statements of a subsidiary owned by the entity being audited.
- Inadequacy of accounting records - Management’s refusal to provide the auditor a representation letter and/or acknowledge its responsibility for the fair presentation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP.
- Timing constraints (not enough time to properly conduct the audit)
- Refusal of the client’s attorney to respond to inquiries
- The auditor fails to meet independence requirements
How does an independent CPA associated with the financial statements of a public entity, but has not audited or reviewed such statements issue the report?
The independent CPA must issue a disclaimer of opinion on the statements.
What is a qualified opinion phrase included in the opinion section of the report?
A qualified opinion phrase is, “in our opinion, except for [reference to matter given rise for qualification] described in the Basis for Qualification section of our report..”
When is a departure from US GAAP permissible that will result in a unmodified opinion?
When circumstances indicate that a financial presentation in accordance with US GAAP would be misleading. The financials are not materially misstated.
When is the auditor required to comply with auditing requirements in addition to GAAS?
In certain engagements, the auditor may be required to comply with other auditing requirements in addition to GAAS.
What are the other audit requirements in addition to GAAS the auditor has to comply with?
- Auditing standards issued by the PCAOB
- International Standards on Auditing (ISA)
- Government auditing standards (GAGAS), or
- Auditing standards of a specific jurisdiction or country.
What does the term Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (“GAAS”) means?
Measures the quality of the auditor’s performance, and guides the auditor in the performance of a properly planned and executed audit.
What is reasonable assurance?
Is a high, but not absolute, level of assurance.
What does the auditor need to obtain reasonable assurance?
- Plan the work and properly supervise any assistants
- Determine and apply appropriate materiality levels
- Identify and assess risks of material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error
- Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence
What is the primary use of the emphasis-of-matter paragraph from a nonissuer?
- to describe a justified change in accounting principle that has a material effect (unjustified change in accounting principle results in a modified opinion)
- To describe subsequently discovered facts that lead to a change in audit opinion
- The financial statements are prepared in accordance with applicable special purpose framework (other than regulatory basis financial statements intended for general use).
In what other instances would the emphasis-of-matter paragraph be used?
When referring to any matter that is appropriately presented or disclosed in the financial statements and is of such importance that is fundamental to the user’s understanding of the financial statements
What are examples of other instances described in the emphasis-of-matter paragraph?
- Uncertainty related to litigation or regulatory action
- A major catastrophe having impact in the F/S
- Significant related party transactions.
- Subsequent events.
- Subsequent doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern
What is the responsibility of the group engagement partner?
- Responsible for the group engagement 2. Determines materiality levels
- Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence related to the component financial information.
- Express an opinion on whether the F/S are in accordance with the framework
- Communicates clearly with component auditors.
- Determines whether to refer to the component auditor’s work in the audit report on the group F/S.
What is the responsibility of the Group Auditor?
Examine much of the financial information or examine the parent company
What is the responsibility of the Component Auditor?
Will do a portion of the work. A component auditor audits one or more investees or subsidiaries.
What does a component means?
A component may be a subsidiary, joint venture, or equity method investee.
Who signs the audit report on the group financial statements?
Only the group auditor signs the audit report.
How is materiality of a component compared to the group financial statements?
Component materiality should be lower than materiality for the group financial statements as a whole.
How does the group engagement partner gets comfort to not reference the component auditor in the audit report?
The “group auditor” must be satisfied with “component auditor” independence and professional reputation, including “ethical requirements.” Inability to be satisfied might be a scope limitation resulting in a qualified or disclaimer of opinion.