Chapter 4- Responsibilities in the Financial Statement Audit Flashcards
What is the financial reporting ecosystem?
The people and processes involved in the preparation, approval, audit, analysis , and the use of the financial reports. The purpose of the system is to serve the public interest by enabling complete, accurate, and transparent financial disclosures.
Who are the key stakeholders in the financial reporting system?
- Management
- Board Members
- Auditors
- Regulators
- Professional Accounting Bodies
- Standard setters.
What are managements 4 responsibilities in the financial statement audit?
- Preparing the financial statements in accordance with the applicable accounting frameworks.
- Assess the appropriateness of going concern basis of accounting
- Maintain adequate internal control
- Provide auditors unrestricted access to relevant information and people.
What are the 3 responsibilities of those in charge with governance in the financial statement audit?
- Oversee management and the financial reporting process.
- Oversee the auditor
- Approval the financial statements
What are the 5 responsibilities of the auditor in the financial statement audit?
- Plan and perform the audit in accordance with GAAS
- Obtain reasonable assurance that the statements are free from material misstatements due to fraud and error.
- Express an opinion on the statement in written report.
- State whether the statements are prepared in accordance with the applicable reporting framework
- Report to those who are in charge of governance.
What are duties management must do when preparing the financial statements? When is it ok for the auditor to draft financial statements and make accompanying footnotes?
- Apply the appropriate accounting policies
- Make reasonable accounting estimates.
- Management understand and approves the company doing it.
What is the going concern underlying assumption? What framework is this appleid too?
The entity will be able to continue operating for a period of time that is sufficient to carry out its commitments, obligations, and objectives. Both IFRS and ASPE.
What are the two exceptions when the management does not need to create financial statements on a going concern basis?
- Intends to liquidate the entity / cease trading
- No realistic alternative to keep the company running
Describe the meaning of maintaining adequate systems of internal control?
Design, implement, and maintain a system of internal control to provide reasonable assurance about the achievement of entity objectives with regard to the reliability of financial reporting, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
In accordance with CAS 200, what are the 3 items that managers managers provide auditors with
- Access to all information that is relevant to the preparations of the financial statements, like records, documentations, etc.
- Any additional information that the auditor may request
- Unrestricted access to persons within the entity whom the auditor determines necessary to obtain audit evidence.
What is corporate governance?
A system of rules, practices, and processes, by which an organization is directed and controlled in which you must balance the needs of many different stakeholders.
Who is charged with governance in large vs small entities?
In large entities the board of directors is charged with governance.
In small entities only one person may be charged with governance, such as the owner manager.
What is the role of the board of directors?
Provide a high level strategic view of the organization and ensure that the organizations resources are used to achieve its purpose and fulfill its accountability to external stakeholders. They also have duties in regarding financial reporting and internal control.
Describe what overseeing the managerial financial reporting process means?
- Reviewing the quality and integrity of the corporations financial reporting
- Oversee managements responsibilities as to the adequacy of internal controls.
What does it mean when the board oversees the auditor? What does these safeguards create?
- Reviewing the independence and qualifications of the auditor
- Appointing the external auditor
- Pre-approving audit and audit related fees and expenses.
- They create important safeguards to the auditors independence.
What does approving the audited financial statements mean?
- Be able to understand financial statements
- Identify and issues or problems that may arise.
What are the five inherent limitations to the financial statement audit?
- Nature of financial reporting
- Concealed Fraud
- Factors affecting the future
- Nature of audit evidence
- Design of audit procedures.
What is the nature of financial reporting limitation to the financial statement audit?
The preparation of financial statements involves subjective decisions regarding items (such as estimates) that are complex and uncertain.
What is the concealed fraud limitation of the financial statements?
Fradulent reporting is often extremely difficult to detect, when there is collusion among management.
What are the factors affecting the future limitations of the financial statement audit?
Auditors cannot predict the future, which limits their ability to detect misstatements regarding future events that may cause the entity to cease to continue as a gain concern.
What is the nature of the audit evidence limitation to the financial statement audit?
Auditors rely on persuasive rather than conclusive evidence
What is the design of the audit procedures limitations to the financial statement audit?
Audit procedures cannot detect all misstatements. Auditors use sampling, which includes the risk of not uncovering a material misstatement. Auditors also us professional judgement when determining the audit evidence and forming conclusions.
How do auditors fight back against the inherent limitation of the audit?
If they fulfill their personal and performance responsibilities than it should be able to reduce the risk that they face.
What is an error?
It is an unintentional misstatement of the financial statements