A4: Audit Evidence Flashcards
When is audit evidence gathered during an audit?
The auditor gathers evidence when performing:
- Risk assessment procedures
- Test of controls
- Substantive procedures
- Other audit procedures
What factors should be considered when evaluating the reliability of audit evidence?
- The auditor’ direct personal knowledge provides more persuasive evidence than knowledge obtained indirectly
- Evidence obtained from independent external sources is more reliable than internally generated evidence
- Evidence sent directly to the auditor is more valid than evidence received and held by the client
- Internal evidence generated under strong, effective internal controls is more reliable than that generated under weak controls
- Evidence in documentary form is more reliable than oral evidence
- Consistency among evidence provides a greater degree of assurance
- The accuracy and completeness of info. produced by the client should be evaluated.
How is the relevance of evidence determined?
To be relevant, evidence must relate to the F/S assertions under consideration.
PCAOB standards state that the relevance of audit evidence depends on the design and timing of the audit procedure.
What influences the auditor’s decision regarding the sufficiency of evidential matter?
- The risk of material misstatement
- The quality of audit evidence
List some of the standard auditing procedures used in most audits.
(F) Footing, crossfooting, and recalculation
(I) Inquiry
(V) Vouching
(E) Examination/inspection
(C) Confirmation (A) Analytical procedures (R) Reperformance (R) Reconciliation (O) Observation (T) Tracing
(C) Cutoff review
(A) Auditing related accounts simultaneously
(R) Representation letter
(S) Subsequent events review
What should the direction of testing be if the auditor is concerned about the existence or occurrence assertion?
Vouching backward from the accounting records (financial statements, journal entries, etc.) to source documents provides evidence of existence or occurrence.
What should the direction of testing be if the auditor is concerned about the completeness assertion?
Tracing forward from source documents to the accounting records (i.e. F/S, JE, etc.) provides evidence of completeness.
Which departments are responsible for preparing the sales order, approving the sales order, preparing the bill of lading, and preparing the invoice?
Sales department: Prepares the sales order
Credit department: Approves the sales order
Shipping department: Prepares the bill of lading
Billing department: Prepares the invoice
Which department should approve write-offs of uncollectible accounts?
The treasurer’s department should approve write-offs of uncollectible accounts.
A listing of cash receipts should be sent to which 3 departments?
The cashier, AR (billing), and general accounting departments should each receive a copy of the cash receipts listing.
What are some common audit procedures related to the revenue cycle?
- Trace a sample of shipping documents to sales invoices and the sales journal (completeness)
- Vouch a sample of sales transactions from the sales journal to the shipping documents (existence)
- Examine sales transactions from shortly before and after year-end for recording in the proper period (cutoff)
- Confirmation of a sample of AR (existence)
- Testing of the allowance for uncollectible accounts (valuation)
Compare and contrast positive, negative, and blank confirmations.
Positive confirmation:
Customer is requested to return confirmation to the auditor. Should be used when: accounts are large, errors are expected, or items are disputed
Negative confirmation:
Customer is requested to reply only if amount stated by auditor is incorrect. Should be used when: combined assessed level of inherent and control risk is low, a large number of small balances are being confirmed, and recipients are not expected to disregard the confirmations.
Blank confirmation:
A positive confirmation that does not include the balance, instead requesting the recipient to provide this info. Blank confirmations provider greater assurance but may result in lower response rates.
In a purchase transaction, which departments are responsible for preparing the purchase order, preparing the receiving report, recording the payable, approving the invoice, signing the check, and mailing the check?
Purchasing department: Prepares the purchase order
Receiving department: Prepares the receiving report
AP department: Records the payable and approves the invoice
Treasurer’s department: Signs and mails the check
What documents should be compared before an invoice is approved for payment, and why?
The purchase order, receiving report, and vendor invoice should be compared before an invoice is approved for payment. This is to ensure the company does not pay for goods that were not ordered or that were ordered but not received.
What are some common audit procedures related to the expenditure cycle?
- Performing a search for unrecorded liabilities (completeness)
- AP confirmations (existence)
- Examination of purchases before and after year-end for recording in the proper period (cutoff)
When might AP confirmations be used, and to whom would they be sent?
- I/C is weak
- There are disputed amounts
- Monthly vendor statements are not available
They would be sent to vendors with small or zero balances, b/c errors often involve unrecorded liabilities.
Note: Confirmation of recorded AP will not provide evidence regarding unrecorded liabilities, but confirmations sent to vendors with zero (or small) balances might provide such evidence.
Define lapping.
Delaying the recording of cash receipts to conceal the theft of cash.
Define kiting
Overstatement of bank balances by transferring cash b/t banks and reporting the amount in both bank balances simultaneously.
