Audit and Attestation Green Book Lee Flashcards
Types of services a CPA can provide:
Assurance Services
Attestation
Auditing
Assurance services include:
Attestation and Audit
What is assurance service? Are accountants required to be independent?
To improve info for decision making. Info can be financial or nonfinancial.
Examples: Information systems, security review, accounts receivable review.
Yes, accountants are required to be independent.
What is an attestation service?
To affirm something to be correct/ true. More assurance than assurance services.
Examples: agreed upon procedures, reporting on pro forma financial info, a compliance attestation.
What is an agreed upon procedure?
In which a practitioner is engaged to issue a report on finding on a subject matter. Does not provide examination or review. Does not provide an opinion or negative assurance. Report will only include the procedures performed and the findings.
What is the applicable pronouncement for attestation services?
SSAE (statements on standards for attestation engagement)
What are the two levels of attest assurance?
Positive (high level) assurance based on an examination
Limited (moderate level) assurance based on a review.
BUT these do not apply to the agreed upon procedure.
Are accountants required to be independent for attestation services?
YES
What is an audit?
Providing attestation service on historical financial statements, attest to the assertions made by management.
Express an opinion on financial statements.
Provide a reasonable (high, but not absolute level of) assurance.
Are accountants required to be independent for audits?
YES
Differentiate between issuers and nonissuers?
Isssuers: entities who issue stocks to the public and are required to register with SEC
Nonissuers: entities that are privately held, therefore are not required to register with the SEC
AICPA vs PCAOB
AICPA standards promulgated by the Auditing Standards Board (ASB), followed by auditors when audit nonissuers.
PCAOB standards: promulgated by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, followed by auditors when auditing issuers.
For issuers or nonissuers does a CPA need to issue a report on FS and IC?
For issuers.
For non issuers just a report on FS
For issuers or nonissuers does a CPA need to test test of controls?
For issuers.
Not required for nonissuers.
Is partner rotation manadoty for issuers or nonissuers?
Mandatory for issuers and optional for nonissuers.
What is a concurring partner?
The partner who reviews the audit work to ensure that the quality of audit work and reporting is in keeping with the firms quality standards.
Nonissuers can follow what standards to prepare their F/S?
GAAP
OCBOA (income tax basis, cash basis, or regulatory basis)
IFRS.
Can issuers use OCBOA?
No, only nonissuers. Issuers might have a choice between GAAP or IFRS. US companies usually have to use GAAP and foreign companies can choose either.
The purpose of the audit is to express an opinion on whether the FS are in accordance with GAAS? true?
False, the purpose of an audit is to express an opinion on whether the financial statements are in accordance with GAAP, not GAAS.
Assertions relating to the FS are set forth by the auditor. T or F?
False, assertions relating to the FS are set forth by management.
In what situations are auditors not required to be independent?
Compilations
Taxes
Consultations
Other non attest services (bookkeeping/payroll)
compilation is a little different, why?
Compilation is an attest service, but not an assurance service. Compilation does not require accountants to be independent. if you are asked if a compilation is an attest engagement, answer yes.
What is the public accounting firm structure?
Staff accountants, Senior accountants, managers, partners.
What are the GAAS General Standards?
Tim Is Poor
GENERAL STANDARDS:
- The auditor must have adequate technical TRAINING and proficiency to perform the audit.
- The auditor must maintain INDEPENDENCE in mental attitude in all matters relating to the audit.
- The auditor must exercise due PROFESSIONAL CARE in the performance of the audit and the preparation of the report.
What are the GAAS field work standards?
Poor Is Evil
FIELD WORK:
- The auditor must adequately PLAN the work and must property supervise and any assistants.
- The auditor must obtain a sufficient understanding of the entity and its environment, including its INTERNAL CONTROL, to assess the risk of material misstatement of the FSs whether due to error or fraud, and to design the nature, timing, and extent of further audit procedures.
- The auditor must obtain sufficient appropriate audit EVIDENCE by performing audit procedures to afford a reasonable basis for an opinion regarding the FSs under audit.
What are the GAAS Reporting standards?
Go Count Dime Ok
REPORTING STANDARDS:
- The auditor must state in the auditor’s report whether the FSs are presented in accordance with GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES>
- The auditor must identify the auditor’s report those circumstances in which such principles have not been CONSISTENTLY OBSERVED in the current period in relation to the preceding period.
- When the auditor determines that informative DISCLOSURES are not reasonably adequate, the auditor must so state in the auditor’s report.
- The auditor must either express an opinion regarding the FSs, taken as a whole, or state that an OPINION cannot be expressed, in the auditor’s report.
What is GAAS?
GAAS provides a measure of audit quality and the objectives to be achieved in an audit.
how are auditing standards different from auditing procedures?
Auditing procedures are acts that the auditor performs during the course of an audit to comply with auditing standards.
An auditor has to be independent in what ways?
Independent in fact AND in appearance.
What is professional skepticism?
An attitude that includes a questioning mind and a critical assessment of audit evidence. The auditor neither assumes that management is dishonest nor assumes unquestioned honesty.
Why might a properly planned and performed audit may not detect a material misstatement?
Due to inherent limitation s of an audit.
is an auditor responsible for finding fraud?
No, it is not an auditor’s job.
What should an assistant do when the assistant and an in charge has different opinions?
Each assistant has a professional responsibility to bring to the attention of appropriate individuals in the firm disagreements or concerns with respect to the accounting and auditing issues that the assistant believes are of significance to the FSs or auditor’s report.
What are the assistants responsibilities if he disagrees with an in charge?
Document his or her disagreement in the working papers
Disassociate himself or herself from the resolution of the matter.
What are the 2 categories of professional requirements and describe them.
Unconditional requirements: the auditor is required to comply with an unconditional requirement in all cases in which the circumstances exist to which the unconditional requirement applies. Words used: MUST, is required.
Presumptively mandatory requirements: the auditor is also required to comply with a presumptively mandatory requirement in all cases. In rare circumstances, the auditor may depart from a presumptively mandatory requirement provided the auditor documents his or her justification for the departure and how the alternative procedures performed in the circumstances were sufficient to achieve the objectives of the presumptively mandatory requirement. Words used: SHOULD. (if immaterial or ineffective)
What is managements responsibility for an audit?
Identification of the applicable financial reporting framework
F/S
-Adopting sound accounting policies
Establishing and maintaining IC
Providing the auditor with:
-Access to all info that is relevant to the FS
-Additional info that the auditor may request
-Unrestricted access to person within the entity.
What is auditors responsibility for an audit?
Providing an opinion on client’s FS.
What are the types of opinion auditors issue?
An UNMODIFIED (unqualified) opinion
Modified opinions:
A QUALIFIED opinion- issued when the FSs present the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP, with the EXCEPTION of one or more issues.
An ADVERSE opinion-the FSs do not present the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with GAAP
A DISCLAIMER of opinion- auditors DO NOT EXPRESS an opinion on the fairness of the entity’s FSs
For PCAOB and auditor is required to issue an opinion on the FSs and IC, what options does the auditor have in regards to issuing a report?
May choose a combined report (1 report on the FSs and another on IC)
Separate reports.
What kind of responsibility does the management have with IC? DIM
Design, implementation and maintenance of IC.
What are the rules for communicating with predecessor auditor?
The auditor should communicate with the predecessor auditor BEFORE accepting the engagement. However, an auditor MAY make a PROPOSAL for an audit engagement before communicating with the predecessor auditor.