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Chapter Seventeen Completing the Engagement. Review for Contingent Liabilities.
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Chapter Seventeen Completing the Engagement
Review for Contingent Liabilities A contingent liability is defined as an existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible loss to an entity that will ultimately be resolved when some future event occurs or fails to occur. • Examples • Pending or threatened litigation; • Actual or possible claims and assessments; • Income tax disputes; • Product warranties or defects; • Guarantees of obligations to others; • Agreements to repurchase receivables that have been sold. Probable: The future event is likely to occur. Reasonably Possible: The chances of the future event occurring is more than remote but less than probable. Remote: The chance of the future event occurring is slight.
Audit Procedures for Identifying Contingent Liabilities Read minutes of meetings of the board of directors, committees of the board, and stockholders. Review contracts, loan agreements, leases, and correspondence from government agencies. Review income tax liability, tax returns, and IRS agents’ reports. Confirm or otherwise document guarantees and letters of credit. Inspect other documents for possible guarantees.
Audit Procedures for Identifying Contingent Liabilities Specific Audit Procedures Conducted Near Completion of Audit Inquiry and discussion with management about its policies and procedures for identifying, evaluating, and accounting for contingent liabilities. Examine documents in the entity’s records such as correspondence and invoices from attorneys for pending or threatened lawsuits. Obtain a legal letter that describes and evaluates any litigation, claims, or assessments. Obtain written representation from management that all litigation, asserted and unasserted claims, and assessments have been disclosed in accordance with FASB No. 5.
Legal Letters A letter of audit inquiry (a legal letter) sent to the client’s attorneys is the primary means of obtaining or corroborating information about litigation, claims, and assessments.
Long-term contracts to purchase raw materials or sell their products at a fixed price. To obtain a favorable pricing arrangement. To secure the availability of raw materials. Commitments Long-term commitments are usually identified through inquiry of client personnel during the audit of the revenue and purchasing processes. In most cases, such commitments are disclosed in a footnote to the financial statements.
Require adjustment of the financial statements. Require disclosure and possibly pro forma financial statements. Review for Subsequent Events for Audit of Financial Statements Balance Sheet Date Type II Event Conditions did not exist at the balance sheet date. Type I Event Affects estimates that are part of financial statements.
Review for Subsequent Events for Audit of Financial Statements
Dual Dating • When a subsequent event is recorded or disclosed in the financial statements after completion of the field work but before the issuance of the financial statements, the auditor must consider the following options for dating of the auditor’s report: • “Dual date” the report (limits liability) • Use the date of the subsequent event.
Audit Procedures for Subsequent Events Inquire of Management Examples of audit procedures Read Interim Financial Statements Examine the Books of Original Entry Read Minutes of Meetings Inquire of Legal Counsel Obtain Management Representation Letter
Review of Subsequent Events for Audit of Internal Control over Financial Reporting Auditors of public companies are responsible to report on any changes in internal control that might affect financial reporting between the end of the reporting period and the date of the auditor’s report.
Final Evidential Evaluation Processes Perform final analytical procedures. Evaluate entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Obtain a representation letter. Review working papers. Final assessment of audit results. Evaluation of financial statement presentation and disclosure. Obtain an independent review of the engagement.
Archiving and Retention • Sarbanes-Oxley Act and PCAOB’s Documentation Standard • Requires audit firms to archive their public-company audit files for retention within 45 days following the time the auditor grants permission to use the auditor’s report in connection with the issuance of the company’s financial statements. • Retain audit documentation for 7 years from the date of completion of the engagement, as indicated by the date of the auditor’s report, unless a longer period of time is required by law. • Retain all documents that “form the basis of the audit or review.” • Include in the audit file for significant matters any document created, sent, or received, including documents that are inconsistent with a final conclusion.
Auditor’s responsibility under GAAS. Significant accounting policies. Management judgments and accounting estimates. Significant audit adjustments. Auditor’s judgments about the quality of the entity’s accounting principles. Disagreements with management. Consultation with other accountants. Major issues discussed with management before the auditor was retained. Difficulties encountered during the audit. Fraud involving senior management and fraud that causes material misstatement of the financial statements. Communications with the Audit Committee and Management Auditors are required to communicate certain matters related to the conduct of the audit to those individuals responsible for oversight of the financial reporting process (1) when entities have an audit committee or similar group, and (2) for all SEC engagements.
Subsequent Discovery of Facts Existing at the Date of the Auditor’s Report Notify the client that the auditor’s report must no longer be associated with the financial statements. Notify any regulatory agency having jurisdiction over the client that the auditor’s report can no longer be relied upon. Notify each person known to the auditor to be relying on the financial statements.
