Audit of Cash Lesson
Audit of Cash Lesson
Assertions are management representations about economic actions and events. These are claims
on which the financial statements are fairly presented in accordance with accounting standards.
TRANSACTION CYCLES:
1. Revenue/Receipt Cycle
2. Expense/Disbursement Cycle
3. Human Resources/Payroll Cycle
4. Production/Conversion Cycle
5. Financing/Investing Cycle
AUDIT OF CASH
Cash is one of the most important assets of a business. Because of the very nature of cash, it
is considered a high-risk area or most vulnerable to misappropriate than other assets. It
requires good internal controls and careful monitoring. Due to its high degree of inherent
risk, more audit time is devoted to the audit of the account than is indicated by its peso
amount.
Before performing the substantive testing in any account, always reconcile first the amount in
the trial balance/unaudited FS versus the amount in the general ledger (if applicable).
SUMMARY OF AUDIT OBJECTIVES AND SUBSTANTIVE AUDIT PROCEDURES:
BANK CONFIRMATIONS
How to do?
1. The request for bank confirmation should be issued on auditor's letterhead and sent to all
banks where the client has dealings.
2. The request should be clear and concise.
3. Control over the content and dispatch of requests for confirmation is the responsibility of
the auditor (with the client's authorization for the disclosure of the relevant information).
4. Replies should be sent directly to the auditor enclose a stamped or business reply envelope
addressed to the office of the auditor.
5. Auditor will review the bank confirmation reply (details of security, guarantees and
restrictions over the entity's use of its cash).
6. Check pledging if properly disclosed in the notes to FS.
CASH COUNT PROCEDURE
-Performed on cash on hand (undeposited cash receipts, petty cash fund and change fund)
-Conducted before or after the reporting date.
-Should cover all branches (and if possible all custodians and tellers).
How to do?
1. "Surprise" cash count.
2. Control all cash fund to prevent transfer or substitution of floats to hide discrepancies.
3. Count in the presence of the custodian to ensure the auditor cannot be blamed for any
shortage.
4. List each item in the fund showing the dominations of notes and coins.
5. The custodian should sign the record as evidence of the return of all funds.
6. Agree the total to the cash book balance and investigate any differences.
PROOF OF CASH
Important Considerations:
1. If the auditor assessed that the internal control over cash receipts and cash disbursements
as weak or ineffective, you can perform this procedure.
2. Proof of cash is also called "four-column bank reconciliation"
3. This is prepared not only to verify the account balance but also the account transactions
occurring during a specified period.
4. Essentially a fraud detection procedure that may be used for any months during the year.
5. It helps identify:
a. CR and CD recorded in the books but not in the bank statement.
b. CR and CD recorded on the bank statement but not on the books.
c. CR and CD recorded at different amounts by the bank than in the books.
TRACING BANK TRANSFERS
- To detect Kiting.
- Kiting is concealing of cash shortage by taking advantage of the clearing period of checks.
How to do?
1. Obtain a bank cut-off directly from the bank.
2. Prepare a schedule of bank transfers showing all transferes between the client's bank
accounts the last week of the audit period and the first week of the subsequent period.
3. Trace all the checks, deposits and other cash changes from the cut-off statement to CRJ and
CDJ, paying particular attention to the dates and amounts.
CASH VALUATION
-Auditor should test the valuation of cash (if there are foreigh currencies).
-Determine whether the cash is stated at its realizable value.
How to do?
1. Obtain the period-end foreign exchange rate from an independent source.
2. Re-perform the conversion using the current rate.
3. Compare the result of amount to the account balance in the general ledger and accounting for
differences.
ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES
-To obtain reasonableness of cash reported in the FS.
How to do?
1. Compare the listing of cash amounts with those prior periods and investigate any unexpected
changes (ex: credit balances, unusual large balances, new accounts, closed accounts) or absence
of expected changes.
2. Review interest received or paid in relation to the average cash balances.
3. Investigate unusual fluctuations/significant differences.