Chapter 18- ALL Flashcards
(102 cards)
Adverse opinion
The auditor’s opinion that the financial statements do not present fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (or other basis of accounting) due to a pervasively material misstatement.
Critical (or Key) Audit Matter
Any matter arising from the audit of the financial statements communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment.
Disclaimer of Opinion
The auditor’s indication that no opinion is expressed on the financial statements.
The auditor will disclaim an opinion if a pervasive scope limitation arises or if it is determined that the auditor lacks independence.
Explanatory Paragraph
A paragraph that is used under certain circumstances to provide additional explanation to users of the financial statements.
Explanatory paragraphs do not affect the auditor’s unqualified opinion.
Generally Accepted Auditing Standards
Standards against which the quality of the auditor’s performance is measured.
Materiality
The maximum amount by which the auditor believes the financial statements could be misstated and still not affect the decisions of users.
Qualified Opinion
The auditor’s opinion that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (or other basis of accounting), except for a material misstatement that does not, however, pervasively affect users’ ability to rely on the financial statements. Can also be issued for a scope limitation that is of limited significance.
Reasonable Assurance
A term that implies some risk that a material misstatement could be present in the financial statements without the auditor detecting it, even when the auditor has exercised due care.
Representation Letter
A letter that corroborates oral representations made to the auditor by management or by other auditors and documents the continued appropriateness of such representations.
Scope Limitation
A lack of evidence that may preclude the auditor from issuing a clean opinion, usually resulting from an inability to conduct an audit procedure considered necessary.
Unqualified/Unmodified Opinion
The auditor’s opinion that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the client’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (or other basis of accounting)-that is, a “clean” opinion. “
“Unqualified” is the term used for audits conducted for public companies under PCAOB standards, while “Unmodified” is the term used for audits conducted for other entities under ASB standards.
Describe what is meant when it is said that an auditor is “associated with” a set of financial statements.
An auditor is associated with financial statements when he or she has consented to the use of his or her firm’s name in a document such as an annual report.
Distinguish between accounting changes that affect consistency and changes that do not. To what does the word consistency refer? How is it possible for an accounting change to affect comparability but not consistency?
Accounting changes can be categorized into changes that affect consistency and those that do not affect consistency. The word “consistency” refers to the application of accounting principles.
If a change in accounting principle or in the method of its application has a material effect on the comparability and consistency of the financial statements and the auditor concurs with the change, the auditor should refer to the change in an explanatory or emphasis-of-matter paragraph.
Accounting changes that affect comparability but do not affect consistency, such as a change in an estimate or the correction of an error that does not involve a change in accounting principle, are normally disclosed in the notes to the financial statements but do not require an explanatory or emphasis-of-matter paragraph in the auditor’s report.
An accounting change can affect comparability but not consistency because an accounting principle can be consistently applied even when the underlying data used to apply it may change.
For example, when the estimate of the useful life of a building changes, the company may still consistently apply straight-line depreciation, but the depreciation expense will not be comparable to that of the previous year due to the change in estimate.
Give examples of a client-imposed and a condition-imposed scope limitation. Why is a client-imposed limitation generally considered more serious?
An example of a client-imposed scope limitation is where a client requests that the auditor not confirm accounts receivable because of concerns about creating conflicts with customers.
An example of a circumstances-imposed scope limitation is when the auditor is not engaged to conduct the audit until after year-end. Under such circumstances, the auditor may not be able to observe inventory.
Auditors should be particularly cautious when a client places a limit on the scope of the engagement because the client may be trying to prevent the auditor from discovering material misstatements.
Auditing standards suggest that when restrictions imposed by the client significantly limit the scope of the engagement, the auditor should disclaim an opinion on the financial statements.
How does the materiality of a departure from GAAP affect the auditor’s choice of financial statement audit reports?
The concept of materiality plays a major role in the auditor’s choice of audit reports. If the departure from GAAP is immaterial, the auditor issues an unqualified/unmodified opinion.
If the departure from GAAP is material but not pervasive, the auditor issues a qualified (“except for”) opinion. If the departure is so pervasive that its effects are highly material, the auditor issues an adverse opinion.
For example, suppose that a client accounts for leased assets as operating leases when proper accounting requires that the leases be capitalized.
If a client has only one small piece of equipment that is accounted for inappropriately, the auditor will probably issue an unqualified/unmodified opinion because the item is not material.
However, if the client has many significant leased assets that are accounted for as operating leases instead of capitalized leases, the auditor will normally issue a qualified or adverse opinion, depending on the magnitude of the problem.
In 2020, your firm issued an unmodified report on Tosi Corporation, a private company. During 2021, Tosi entered its first lease transaction. which vou have determined is material but not pervasive. Tosi Corporation’s management chooses to treat the transaction as an operating lease, without adopting the requirements of the new FASB leasing standard. What types of reports would you issue on the corporation’s comparative financial statements for 2020 and 2021?
The auditor should issue an unmodified report (“unmodified” because Tosi is a private company) on the 2020 financial statements and a qualified report on the 2021 financial statements because the current year is not in conformity with GAAP.
The non-GAAP accounting for the lease transaction should be disclosed in the audit report. The opinion on the 2021 financial statements would not be adverse because, while the misstatement is material, it is not pervasive.
What are the auditor’s responsibilities for other information included in an entity’s annual report?
The auditor has no responsibility beyond the financial information contained in the report, and he or she has no obligation to perform any audit procedures to corroborate the other information.
However, auditing standards (AU-C 720) requires that the auditor read the other information and consider whether such information is consistent with the information contained in the audited financial statements.
If the auditor determines that other information contained with the audited financial statements is incorrect and the client refuses to correct the other information, what actions can the auditor take?
If the auditor determines that other information contained with audited financial statements is incorrect, the auditor should request that the client correct the other information.
If the other information is not revised, the auditor should include an explanatory (or other-matter) paragraph in the audit report, withhold the report, or withdraw from the engagement.
The auditor also should communicate the material inconsistency to the client and the audit committee in writing and consider getting legal advice as to any further appropriate action.
List three examples of “special reports.”
- Financial statements prepared on a basis of accounting other than GAAP (e.g. The cash basis of
accounting) - Specified elements, accounts, or items of a financial statement.
- Compliance with aspects of contractual agreements or regulatory requirements related to audited
financial statements.
(In addition to these, there are others that are beyond the scope of this book, such as financial presentations to comply with contractual agreements or regulatory provisions, and financial information presented in prescribed forms or schedules that require a prescribed form of auditor’s report.)
List four bases for financial statements prepared on an other comprehensive basis of accounting. Why is it important that the audit report clearly identify the basis of accounting used in the preparation of the financial statements?
- Regulatory basis.
- Tax basis.
- Cash (or modified cash) basis.
- Contractual basis (for non-public entities).
It is important that the financial statements and the audit report clearly identify which basis of accounting is being used so that the financial statements are not confused with financial statements prepared on a GAAP basis.
In which of the following situations would an auditor ordinarily issue an unqualified/unmodified financial statement audit opinion with no explanatory (or emphasis-of-matter/other-matter) paragraph?
a) The auditor wishes to emphasize that the entity had significant related-party transactions.
b) The auditor decides not to refer to the report of another auditor as a basis, in part, for the auditor’s opinion.
c) The entity issues financial statements that present financial position and results of operations but omits the statement of cash flows.
d) The auditor has substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, but the circumstances are fully disclosed in the financial statements.
b) The auditor decides not to refer to the report of another auditor as a basis, in part, for the auditor’s opinion.
A public entity changed from the straight-line method to the declining balance method of depreciation for all newly acquired assets.
This change has no material effect on the current year’s financial statements but is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect in later years. The client’s financial statements contain no material misstatements and the auditor concurs that this change is justified.
If the change is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements, the auditor should issue a report with a(n)
a) “Except for” qualified opinion.
b) Adverse opinion.
c) Unqualified opinion.
d) Consistency modification.
c) Unqualified opinion.
An auditor includes a separate paragraph in an otherwise unqualified financial statement audit report to emphasize that the entity being reported upon had significant transactions with related parties. The inclusion of this separate paragraph
a) Is appropriate and would not negate the unqualified opinion.
b) Is considered an “except for” qualification of the opinion.
c) Violates auditing standards if this information is already disclosed in notes to the financial statements.
d) Necessitates a revision of the opinion paragraph to include the phrase “with the foregoing explanation.”
a) Is appropriate and would not negate the unqualified opinion.
Eagle Company, a public company, had a computer failure and lost part of its financial data. As a result, the auditor was unable to obtain sufficient audit evidence relating to Eagle’s inventory account. Assuming the inventory account is at least material, the auditor would most likely choose either
a) A qualified opinion or a disclaimer of opinion.
b) A qualified opinion or an adverse opinion.
c) An unqualified opinion with no explanatory paragraph or an unqualified opinion with an explanatory paragraph.
d) A qualified opinion with no explanatory paragraph or a qualified opinion with an explanatory paragraph.
a) A qualified opinion or a disclaimer of opinion.