A6 - Accounting and Review Service Engagements, Interim Reviews, and Ethics and Professional Responsabilities Flashcards
What are the duties of the PCAOB?
- Register public accounting firms that prepare audit reports for issuers
- Establish rules relating to the preparation of audit reports for issuers; and
- Conduct inspections, investigations, and disciplinary proceedings concerning registered public accounting firms.
the Board does not prosecute suspected criminal violations by registered public accounting firms.
How many members does the PCAOB has?
The PCAOB has 5 members:
1. 2 must be CPAs
2. 3 members cannot be CPAs.
What engagement type provides limited assurance?
A review engagement under SSARS or SSAE is the only engagement where the accountant express limited assurance
What are the characteristics of a review engagement under SSARS?
- only for Nonissuers
- Require independence
- Requires inquiries of management and analytical procedures.
- Increase attention where there is increased risk
- CPA expresses a conclusion, not an opinion
- Reviews historic F/S of nonissuer
- Requires Engagement letter
- Review is substantially less in scope than an audit
- Statement that no opinion will be expressed
- Management Rep letter
- Representation should have same date as review report
- F/S and accounting records are provided
What is a compilation engagement under SSARS?
Service performed to apply accounting and financial expertise to assist management of a company in presenting their financial statements in an accurate manner. It’s used to present to third parties such as a bank.
What are the characteristics of a compilation engagement?
- F/S include an indication that “No assurance has been provided.”
- Independence is not required of the practitioner. If not independent, that must be disclosed in a separate paragraph (no reasons required).
- No inquiry or analytical procedures performed
- One paragraph report
- Only performed for nonissuers
What is the practitioner not required to do in a review engagement under SSARS?
- Substantive testing procedures
- Testing of internal controls
- Assessment of risk of fraud
When is a preparation engagement apply?
An accountant in public practice is engaged to prepare financial statements but is not engaged to perform an audit, review, or a compilation on those financial statements. This is a nonattest service.
What are key characteristics of a preparation engagement?
- Independence is not required.
- No assurance is provided. Each page of the F/S must include a footnote saying “no assurance has been provided.”
- Engagement letter required
- Accountant is required to perform the following to prepare the F/S:
- Obtain knowledge and understanding of financial reporting framework and significant accounting policies
- Use documentation provided by management - Not report is required
What documentation should the accountant retain in the workpapers of a preparation engagement?
- copy of engagement letter
- Copy of financial statements
- Any significant findings or issues.
What does the integrity principle of the AICPA code of conduct describes?
R
O
D
I
S
I- Integrity
P
what is right and what is just
What does the objectivity principle of the AICPA code of conduct describes?
R
O - Objectivity
D
I
S
I
P
State of mind that requires impartiality, intellectual honesty, free from conflict of interest. It applies to every role in the accounting profession even if it’s not attest work. Free from bias.
What does the independence principle of the AICPA code of conduct describes?
R
O
D
I - Independence
S
I
P
About your financial interests, any conflicts that you have with the client material or immaterial, direct or indirect. Only those doing attest related engagement have to be independent in fact and appearance. (Club membership stock ownership does not apply for this rule)
What does the due care principle of the AICPA code of conduct describes?
R
O
D - Due care
I
P
I
Member should observe the following:
1. profession’s technical and ethical standards,
2. strive continually to improve competence
3. Continually improve the quality of service
4. discharge professional responsibility to the best of the member’s ability
5. Involves adequate planning and supervision of the engagement.
What would happen if proper due care is not applied?
If due care is not applied, this will lead to negligence.
What does the responsibilities principle of the AICPA code of conduct describes?
R - Responsibilities
O
D
I
S
I
P
- Members should exercise sensitive (being aware of how actions appear to a non-accountant) professional and moral judgement
- Members should co-operate with other members to improve the art of accounting, maintaining public confidence.
What does the public interest principle of the AICPA code of conduct describes?
R
O
D
I
S
I
P - Public interest
Members should act in a way that:
1. serves the public interest
2. honors the public trust
3. demonstrates commitment to professionalism
What is consider a member in public practice?
A member engaged in auditing, tax, or consulting for a client
What are considered members in business?
Members are employed or engaged on a contractual or volunteer basis in executive, staff, governance, advisory, or administrative role in various areas (e.g., public sector, education, non-for-profit organizations and regulatory professional bodies)
What are threats to compliance with the fundamental principle?
- adverse interest threat
- Advocacy threat
- Familiarity threat
- Management participation threat
- self-interest threat
- self-review threat
- Undue influence threat
What should the auditor do if unable to state in each page of the preparation engagement that no assurance has been provided?
The auditor should perform the following:
1. Issue a disclaimer that makes clear that no assurance is provided on the F/S
2. Perform a compilation engagement
3. withdraw from the engagement and inform mgmt the reasons
How can the auditor report unaudited prior period F/S when reporting comparative F/S?
The auditor could perform the following:
1. Reissue the prior period F/S with the current period audited F/S, or
2. Include in the current year audit report an “other matters” paragraph explaining the responsibility assumed for the prior period F/S
If the prior period F/S are not re-issued, what information is included in the other matter paragraph?
- Services performed in the prior period (review or compilation)
- date of the prior report
- Any material modifications described in the report
- A statement that the service was less in scope than an audit and does NOT provide the basis for expressing an opinion on the F/S.
What are the ethical principles under GAGAS (SIPPO)?
S - Serving the public interest
I - Integrity
P - Proper use of government information, resources, and positions
P - Professional behavior
O - Objectivity
What does serving the public interest under GAGAs refers to?
S - Serving the public interest
I
P
P
O
defined as the collective well-being of the community of people and entities served by the auditor
What does integrity under GAGAs refers to?
S
I - Integrity
P
P
O
Conducting work with an attitude that is objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, and nonideological with regard to the audited entities and users of the auditor’s report.
What does objectivity under GAGAs refers to?
S
I
P
P
O - Objectivity
independence of mind and appearance when providing audits, maintaining an attitude of impartially, having intellectual honesty, and being free of conflicts of interest.
What does proper use of government information, resources, and positions under GAGAs refers to?
S
I
P - Proper use of government information, resources, and positions
P
O
auditor is to use government information, resources, and positions for official purposes and not inappropriately for the auditor’s personal gain
What does proper use of professional behavior under GAGAs refers to?
S
I
P
P - Professional behavior
O
Auditor’s honest effort in performance of professional services in accordance with the relevant technical and professional standards.
What is the partner and concurring partner rotation period to not impair independence in an issuer?
partners should rotate off the audit every 5 years or failure of the audit partner to rotate off the audit engagement after no more than 7 years impairs independence.
What is the rotation rule for partner and concurring partner for nonissuers?
Small firms or nonissuers with fewer than 5 clients and fewer than 10 partners may be exempted from the partner rotation requirement.
What are the reasons footnote disclosures are included in additional paragraphs in a compilation?
- Lack of independence (no reasons required, but if given, must disclose all reasons)
- A reporting framework different than US GAAP is used
- Footnotes were omitted
What date is used for a compilation report?
The date of the completion of the compilation
What is the Accounting and Review Services Committee?
Authoritative body designed to promulgate standards concerning an accountant’s association with unaudited F/S of a nonissuer (an entity that is not required to file F/S with an agency regulating the issuance of the entity’s securities).
What are the characteristics of a review engagement under SSAE?
- Used by Issuers
- Require independence
- Requires inquiries and analytical procedures.
- Increase attention where there is increased risk
- CPA expresses a conclusion, not an opinion
- On subject matter or management’s written assertion
- Requires Engagement letter
- Review is substantially less in scope than an examination
- Statement that no opinion will be expressed
- Written representation from responsible and engaging parties
- Representation should have same date as review report
- Inquire about subsequent events up to the date of the report
- Identification of the measurement criteria to be used
- Written assertion about the subject matter
What is the purpose of a review engagement under SSARS?
To perform certain procedures in order to provide limited assurance as to whether material modifications need be made for financial statements to be in accordance with the framework. Non-issuers financial statements that do not get audited.
What is the purpose of a review engagement under SSAE?
To evaluate subject matter against criteria in order to express a conclusion and provide limited assurance about whether any material modification should be made to the subject matter in order to be in accordance with the criteria. It’s not related to financial statements.
What would the auditor do if the engaging party and responsible party refuses to provide a written assertion or written representation in a review engagement under SSAE?
The auditor should withdraw from the engagement
This is applicable to all attestation engagements.
What would the auditor do if the engaging party and responsible party are different and refuse to provide a written assertion in a review engagement under SSAE?
- Auditor should disclose the refusal in the examination or review
- The auditor should restrict the use of the examination/review to the engaging party
What would the auditor do if the engaging party is NOT the responsible party and the responsible party refuse to provide a written representation in a review engagement under SSAE?
- The CPA should make inquiries and seek oral responses from the responsible party.
- If satisfactory oral responses are obtained, the CPA should restrict (add an alert) the report to the engaging party.