Audit Procedures
Audit Procedures
Inventory ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Receivables ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
Prepayments .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Substantive Procedures
Obtain the bank reconciliation and cast to ensure arithmetical accuracy.
Obtain a bank confirmation letter from Murray’s bankers to confirm existence and rights & obligations.
Agree the balance per the cash book on the reconciliation to the year-end cash book and financial
statements to confirm accuracy & valuation.
Agree the balance per the bank statement to an original year-end bank statement and also to the bank
confirmation letter to confirm accuracy & valuation.
Trace all of the outstanding lodgements to the pre year-end cash book, post year-end bank statement and
to paying-in-book pre year-end to confirm accuracy & valuation and existence.
Trace all unpresented cheques through to a pre year-end cash book and post year-end statement. For any
unusual amounts or significant delays obtain explanations from management to confirm accuracy &
valuation and completeness.
Examine any old unpresented cheques to assess if they need to be written back into the purchase ledger to
confirm accuracy & valuation and completeness.
Inspect the bank confirmation letter for details of any security provided by the company or any legal right
of set-off as this may require disclosure to confirm appropriate presentation.
Review the cash book and bank statements for any unusual items or large transfers around the year-end,
as this could be evidence of window dressing. This verifies completeness, existence.
Count the petty cash in the cash tin at the year-end and agree the total to the balance included in the
financial statements to confirm accuracy & valuation, and existence.
3
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Non-Current Liabilities
The key assertion for liabilities is completeness and valuation.
Sources of evidence:
Loan agreement
Cash book
Bank statements
Bank confirmation letter
Substantive Procedures
Obtain a breakdown of all loans outstanding at the year-end, cast to verify arithmetical accuracy and agree
the total to the financial statements: completeness.
Agree the balance(s) outstanding to the bank confirmation letter: accuracy & valuation, rights &
obligations.
Inspect the bank confirmation letters for any loans listed that have not been included in the financial
statements: completeness.
Inspect the bank confirmation letter for details of any security over assets and agree the details to the
disclosure in the financial statements: presentation.
Inspect financial statements for disclosures of interest rates, and the split of the loan between current and
non-current: allocation, classification, presentation.
Recalculate the split between current and non-current liabilities: allocation, classification, and
presentation.
Inspect the loan agreement for restrictive covenants (terms) and determine the effect of any loan covenant
breaches: allocation, classification, presentation. [If loan covenants have been breached the loan may
become repayable immediately and should therefore be included as a current liability].
Inspect the cash book for loan repayments made: existence, accuracy & valuation.
For the related finance cost in the statement of profit or loss, recalculate the interest charge and any interest
accrual in accordance with terms within the loan agreement, to ensure mathematical accuracy: accuracy
of finance costs in the statement of profit or loss, completeness of accruals.
4
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Non-Current Assets
The key assertions for non-current assets are existence, valuation, completeness and rights and obligations.
Sources of Evidence:
Non-current asset register
Purchase invoices (additions)
Sales invoices / capital disposal forms (disposals)
Bank statements and cash book
Physical assets
Ownership documents including title deeds and registration documents
Depreciation policy and rates
Capital expenditure budgets / capital replacement plans
Substantive Procedures
Obtain the non-current asset register, cast and agree the totals to the financial statements: verifies
completeness, classification, presentation.
Select a sample of assets from the non-current asset register and physically inspect them: verifies
existence.
Select a sample of assets visible at the Murray's premises and inspect the asset register to ensure they are
included: verifies completeness.
Inspect assets for condition and usage to identify signs of impairment: verifies valuation.
For revalued assets, inspect the independent valuation report and agree the amount stated to the amount
included in the general ledger and the financial statements: verifies valuation; and ensure that all assets in
the same class have been revalued.
Obtain a list of additions and for a sample, agree the cost to supplier invoice: verifies valuation.
Select a sample from the list of additions and review the description on the invoice to confirm that they
relate to capital expenditure items rather than repairs and maintenance: verifies existence.
Inspect a breakdown of repairs and maintenance expenditure for the year to identify items of a capital
nature: verifies completeness.
For a sample of assets included in the non-current asset register, inspect supplier invoices (for equipment),
title deeds (for property), and registration documents (for motor vehicles) to ensure they are in the name
of the client: verifies rights and obligations.
Disposals
Obtain a breakdown of disposals, cast the list and agree all assets have been removed from the non-current
asset register: verifies existence.
5
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Select a sample of disposals and agree sale proceeds to supporting documentation such as sundry sales
invoices: verifies accuracy of profit on disposal.
Recalculate the profit/loss on disposal and agree to the statement of profit or loss: verifies accuracy of
profit on disposal.
Depreciation
Inspect the capital expenditure budgets for the next few years to assess the appropriateness of the useful
economic lives in light of plans to replace assets: verifies valuation.
Review profits and losses on disposal of assets disposed of in the year to assess the reasonableness of the
depreciation policies (if depreciation policies are reasonable, there should not be a significant profit or
loss): verifies valuation.
Compare depreciation rates to companies with the same type of assets to assess reasonableness: verifies
valuation.
Recalculate the depreciation charge for a sample of assets to verify arithmetical accuracy: verifies
accuracy, valuation.
Recalculate the depreciation charge for revalued assets to ensure the charge is based on the new carrying
value: verifies accuracy, valuation.
Perform a proof in total calculation for the depreciation charged for each category of assets, discuss with
management if significant fluctuations arise: verifies completeness, valuation. (Analytical procedure)
Inspect the financial statement disclosure of the depreciation charges and policies in the draft financial
statements and compare to the prior year to ensure consistency: verifies presentation.
6
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Intangible Non-Current Assets
Development costs
The key assertion for development costs is existence.
Sources of evidence:
Breakdown of expenditure during the year
Purchase invoices
Bank statements and cash book
Timesheets
Development expenditure / project plans
Project test / trial results
Cash flow forecasts
Licence agreement
Third party valuation report e.g. for brand names and trademarks
Amortisation policy and rates
Substantive Procedures
Obtain a breakdown of capitalised costs, cast for mathematical accuracy and agree to the amount included
in the financial statements valuation.
For a sample of costs included in the breakdown, agree the amount to invoices or timesheets: valuation.
Inspect board minutes for any discussions relating to the intended sale or use of the asset: existence.
Discuss details of the project with the project manager or management to evaluate compliance with IAS
38 criteria: existence.
Inspect project plans and other documentation to evaluate compliance with IAS 38 criteria: existence.
Inspect budgets to confirm financial feasibility: existence.
Inspect the financial statement disclosure in the draft financial statements to ensure compliance with IAS
38: presentation. Other intangible assets
Inspect purchase documentation for the company name and the cost of the purchased intangible assets:
existence, rights and obligations and valuation.
Inspect specialist valuation report and agree to the amount included in the general ledger and the financial
statements: valuation. Amortisation
Inspect the budgets/forecasts for the next few years to ascertain the period over which economic benefits
are expected to be generated and compare with the amortisation policy, to assess reasonableness of the
amortisation period: valuation.
Recalculate the amortisation charge to verify arithmetical accuracy: accuracy, valuation.
For intangibles such as licences, inspect the licence agreement to confirm the amortisation period
corresponds to the licence period: valuation.
7
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Inventory
The key assertions for inventory are existence, valuation, completeness and rights and obligations.
Sources of evidence:
Aged inventory listing
Inventory assets
Inventory count sheets
Purchase invoices
Goods received notes
Sales invoices
Goods despatch notes
Client calculations of overhead allocation, absorption and apportionment and percentage of completion
for work-in-progress
Substantive Procedures
Before the inventory count
Contact the client to obtain a copy of the inventory count instructions to understand how the count will be
conducted and assess the effectiveness of the count process.
Review working papers obtained from the previous auditor (in subsequent years inspect prior year working
papers) to understand the inventory count process and identify any issues that should be taken into account
this year.
Contact the client to obtain details of date, time and locations of the inventory count(s).
Obtain a list of locations where inventory is stored and select which locations will be attended by the audit
firm if not all locations can be visited. Priority should be given to locations with a high value of inventory or
locations with poor controls.
Consider the need for using an expert to assist in valuing the inventory being counted.
Ascertain whether any inventory is held by third parties, and if possible, make arrangements to visit the third
party site.
Request a direct confirmation of inventory balances held at the year-end from any third party warehouse
providers regarding quantities and condition of inventory owned by the client.
8
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
During the count Tests of controls
Observe the count to ensure that the inventory count instructions are being followed. For example: No
movements of inventory occur during the count.
Teams of two people perform the count.
Sections of inventory are tagged as counted to prevent double counting.
Damaged/obsolete items have been separately identified so they can be valued appropriately.
Inspect the count sheets to ensure they have been completed in pen rather than pencil.
Inspect the count sheets to ensure they show the description of the goods but do not show the quantities
expected to be counted.
Re-perform the sequence check on the count sheets to ensure none are missing.
Enquire of the counting staff which department they work in to ensure they are not warehouse staff.
Substantive procedures
Select a sample of items from the inventory count sheets and physically inspect the items in the warehouse:
verifies existence.
Select a sample of physical items from the warehouse and trace to the inventory count sheets to ensure that
they are recorded accurately: verifies completeness.
Enquire of management whether goods held on behalf of third parties are segregated and recorded separately:
verifies rights and obligations.
Inspect the inventory being counted for evidence of damage or obsolescence that may affect the net realisable
value: verifies valuation.
Record details of the last deliveries prior to the year-end. This information will be used in the final audit to
ensure that no further amendments have been made: verifies completeness & existence.
Obtain copies of the inventory count sheets at the end of the inventory count, ready for checking against the
final inventory listing at the final audit: verifies completeness and existence.
Attend the inventory count at the third party warehouses: verifies completeness and existence.
Trace the items counted during the inventory count to the final inventory list to ensure it is the same as the
one used at the year-end and to ensure that any errors identified during counting procedures have been
rectified: verifies completeness, presentation.
Cast the list (showing inventory categorised between finished goods, WIP and raw materials) to ensure
arithmetical accuracy and agree totals to financial statement disclosures: verifies completeness,
classification.
Trace goods received immediately prior to the year-end to year-end payables and inventory balances: verifies
completeness & existence.
Trace goods despatched immediately prior to year-end to the general ledger to ensure the items are not
included in inventory and revenue (and receivables where relevant): verifies completeness & existence.
Inspect purchase invoices for the name of the client: verifies rights and obligations.
9
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Inspect purchase invoices for a sample of inventory items to agree the cost of the items: verifies valuation. –
Inspect post year-end sales invoices for a sample of inventory items to determine if the net realisable value
is reasonable. This will also assist in determining if inventory is held at the lower of cost and net realisable
value: verifies valuation.
Recalculate work-in-progress and finished goods valuations using payroll records for labour costs and utility
bills for overhead absorption: verifies valuation.
Inspect the ageing of inventory items to identify old/slow moving amounts that may require an allowance,
and discuss these with management: verifies valuation.
Calculate the inventory holding period and compare this to prior year to identify slow-moving inventory
which requires an allowance to bring the value down to the lower of cost and NRV: verifies valuation.
(Analytical procedure)
Calculate gross profit margin and compare this to prior year, investigate any significant differences that may
highlight an error in cost of sales and closing inventory: verifies valuation. (Analytical procedure.
10
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Receivables
The focus of testing for receivables is valuation and existence.
Sources of Evidence:
Aged receivables listing
Sales invoices
Goods despatch notes
Receivables circularisation letters
Post year end bank statements
Policy for allowance for doubtful receivables
Substantive Procedures
Obtain the aged receivables listing, cast it and agree the total to the financial statements: verifies accuracy
and presentation.
Agree the receivables ledger control account with the receivables ledger list of balances: verifies
completeness and existence.
Select a sample of year-end receivable balances and agree back to valid supporting documentation of
GDN and sales order: verifies existence.
Inspect after date cash receipts and follow through to pre year-end receivable balances: verifies valuation,
rights and obligations and existence.
Select a sample of goods despatched notes (GDN) before and just after the year-end and follow through
to the sales invoice to ensure they are recorded in the correct accounting period: verifies completeness and
existence (cut-off of revenue).
Perform a positive receivables circularisation of a representative sample year-end balances, for any non-
replies, send a reminder letter to follow-up: verifies existence and rights and obligations.
Inspect the aged receivables report to identify any slow moving balances and discuss these with the credit
control manager to assess whether an allowance or write-down is necessary: verifies valuation and
allocation.
Discuss any significant balances with management to identify any issues regarding payment: verifies
valuation.
Inspect customer correspondence in respect of any slow moving/aged balances to assess whether there are
any invoices in dispute: verifies valuation.
Inspect board minutes to assess whether there is any material disputed receivables that may require write
off: verifies valuation.
Inspect the receivables ledger for any credit balances and discuss with management whether these should
be reclassified as payables: verifies existence of receivables and completeness of payables, classification.
Inspect a sample of post year-end credit notes to identify any that relate to pre year-end transactions to
ensure that they have not been included in receivables: verifies existence (occurrence of revenue).
Calculate the average receivables collection period and compare this to prior year, investigate any
significant differences: verifies completeness and valuation. (Analytical procedure)
11
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Prepayments
Prepayments are services or goods which a company has paid for in advance. Therefore, the client should include
the value of any prepayments as a receivable in the financial statements.
Inspect bank statements to ensure payment has been made before the year-end: existence.
Inspect invoices to ensure payment relates to goods or services not yet received: existence.
Recalculate the amount prepaid to confirm mathematical accuracy: valuation.
Compare prepayments with the prior year to identify any missing items or any new prepayments which
require further testing: existence, valuation, and completeness. (Analytical procedure).
12
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Inspect the trade payables ledger for any debit balances, for any significant amounts discuss with
management and consider reclassification as current assets: valuation of payables and completeness of
receivables, classification.
Compare the list of trade payables and accruals against the prior year list to identify any significant
omissions: completeness. (Analytical procedure)
Calculate the trade payables payment period and compare to prior year, investigate any significant
differences: completeness and valuation. (Analytical procedure)
13
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Provisions & Contingencies
Substantive Procedures
Obtain a breakdown of the provisions, cast it and agree the figure to the financial statements: accuracy
and presentation.
Enquire with the directors, or inspect relevant supporting documentation, to confirm that a present
obligation exists at the year-end: rights and obligations.
Inspect relevant board minutes to ascertain whether payment is probable: existence.
Recalculate the liability and agree components of the calculation to supporting documentation:
completeness.
Inspect post year-end bank statements to identify whether any payments have been made, compare actual
payments to the amounts provided to assess whether the provision is reasonable: valuation.
Inspect the financial statement disclosure of the provisions and contingent liabilities to ensure compliance
with IAS 37: presentation.
Obtain a written representation from management that they believe the provisions and contingent
liabilities are treated appropriately in the financial statements, are valued appropriately and are complete:
valuation and completeness.
14
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Accounting Estimates & Fair Value
IAS 540 Auditing Accounting Estimates, Including Fair Value Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures
requires auditors to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence about whether estimates (including fair values) are
reasonable and adequately disclosed in the financial statements.
Substantive Procedures
Determine whether events up to the date of the auditors’ report provide additional evidence with regard
to the appropriateness of estimates.
Test hoe management made their estimates and evaluating whether the method is appropriate.
Test the effectiveness of controls over estimations.
Develop a point estimate to use in comparison to managements.
If there are significant risks associated with estimates the auditor should also enquire whether management
considered any alternative assumptions and why they rejected them, and whether the assumptions used
are reasonable in the circumstances.
Obtain written representations from management confirming that they believe the significant assumptions
used in making accounting estimates are reasonable.
Verify the external prices used to value financial instruments.
15
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Share Capital, Reserves & Director's Remuneration
Share Capital
Sources of Evidence:
Share register
Share certificates
Bank statements and cash book
Board minutes
Registrar of companies (e.g. Companies House)
Substantive Procedures
Agree authorised share capital and nominal value disclosures to underlying shareholding
agreements/statutory constitution documents.
Inspect cash book for evidence of cash receipts from share issues and ensure amounts not yet received are
correctly disclosed as share capital called-up not paid in the financial statements.
Inspect board minutes to verify the amount of share capital issued during the year.
Dividends
Sources of evidence:
Board minutes
Bank statements and cash book
Dividend warrant
Substantive Procedures:
Inspect board minutes to agree dividends declared before the year-end.
Inspect bank statements to agree dividends paid before the year-end.
Inspect dividend warrants to agree dividend payment.
16
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Directors’ Emoluments
Sources of Evidence:
Directors’ service contracts
Board minutes
Bank statements and cash book
Payroll records
Written representation from management
Substantive Procedures:
Obtain and cast a schedule of directors’ remuneration split between wages, bonuses, benefits, pension
contributions and other remuneration, and agree to the financial statement disclosures.
Inspect payroll records and agree the figures disclosed for wages, bonuses, and pension contributions.
Inspect bank statements to verify the amounts actually paid to directors.
Inspect board minutes for discussion and approval of directors' bonus announcements or other additional
remuneration.
Obtain a written representation from directors that they have disclosed all directors’ remuneration to the
auditor.
Reserves
Agree opening reserves to prior year closing reserves and reconcile movements.
Agree movements in reserves to supporting documentation (e.g. revaluation reserve movements to the
independent valuer’s report).
17
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Statement of Profit or Loss
Payroll
The focus of testing for payroll is completeness, accuracy and occurrence.
Sources of Evidence:
Payroll control account
Payroll payment listing
Payslips
Contracts of employment
Hourly rates of pay
Timesheets
Bank statements and cash book
Starters and leavers forms
Substantive Procedures:
Agree the total wages and salaries expense per the payroll control account to the general ledger and the
financial statements: completeness and presentation.
Cast the monthly payroll listings to verify the accuracy of the payroll expense: accuracy.
Recalculate the gross and net pay for a sample of employees and agree to the payroll records: accuracy.
Recalculate statutory deductions to confirm whether correct deductions for this year have been included
within the payroll expense: accuracy.
Select a sample of joiners and leavers, agree their start/leaving date to supporting documentation,
recalculate that their first/last pay packet was accurately calculated and recorded: completeness,
occurrence, accuracy.
For salaries, agree the total net pay per the payroll records to the bank transfer listing of payments and to
the cashbook: occurrence.
For cash wages, agree that the total cash withdrawn for wage payments equates to the weekly wages paid
plus any surplus cash subsequently banked: completeness, occurrence.
Agree the year-end tax liability to the payroll records and subsequent payment to the post year-end cash
book: occurrence.
For a sample of individuals, agree the amount per the payroll listing to the personnel records, and
timesheets if applicable: accuracy.
Analytical Procedures
Perform a proof in total of total wages and salaries incorporating joiners and leavers and any pay increase
awarded during the year. Compare this to the actual wages and salaries in the financial statements and
investigate any significant differences: completeness, accuracy.
Compare the payroll figure for this year to last year to identify any unusual fluctuations and discuss them
with management: completeness, accuracy.
18
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Revenue
The focus of testing for revenue is completeness, cut-off, occurrence and accuracy.
Sources of Evidence:
Revenue control account
Sales day book
Sales invoices
Customer contracts
Goods despatch notes
Sales orders
Substantive Procedures:
Inspect a sample of GDNs before and after the year-end and ensure they have been recorded in the sales
day book in the correct period: cut-off. In most cases, the despatch of goods indicates that the seller has
fulfilled its performance obligations and therefore the sale can be recorded.
Recalculate discounts and sales tax applied for a sample of large sales invoices: accuracy.
Select a sample of customer orders and agree these to the despatch notes and sales invoices through to
inclusion in the sales day book: completeness.
Inspect credit notes issued after the year-end, trace to GDN and invoice and ensure the sale has been
reversed: occurrence.
Analytical Procedures
Compare revenue against prior year and investigate any significant fluctuations: cut-off, occurrence,
accuracy and completeness.
Compare revenue with budget/forecast and investigate any significant fluctuations: cut-off, occurrence,
accuracy and completeness.
Calculate the gross profit margin and compare to prior year. Investigate any significant differences: cut-
off, occurrence, accuracy and completeness.
19
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022
Purchases & Other Expenses
The focus of testing for purchases is completeness, cut-off, occurrence, accuracy and classification.
Sources of Evidence:
Purchase control account
Purchase day book
Purchase invoices
Supplier contracts
Goods received notes
Purchase orders
Substantive Procedures:
Inspect GRNs before and after the year-end and ensure they have been recorded in the purchase day book
in the correct period: cut-off. In most cases, the company takes ownership for goods when they are
received and therefore the purchase expense (and corresponding liability) should be recorded.
Recalculate discounts and sales tax applied for a sample of purchase invoices: accuracy.
Select a sample of purchase orders and agree these to the GRNs and purchase invoices through to inclusion
in the purchase day book: completeness.
Inspect purchase invoices for a sample of purchases/expenses in the purchase day book for the amount,
name of the client and description of the goods: accuracy, occurrence and classification.
Analytical Procedures
Compare expenses for each category year on year and investigate any significant fluctuations: cut-off,
accuracy, completeness, classification and occurrence.
Compare expenses against budget and investigate any significant fluctuations: cut-off, accuracy,
completeness, classification and occurrence.
Calculate gross profit margin and compare with prior year to identify any possible misstatement of
purchases. Discuss any significant movement with management: cut-off, accuracy, completeness, and
occurrence.
Calculate operating profit margin and compare with prior year. Investigate any significant fluctuations:
cut-off, accuracy, completeness, classification and occurrence.
20
Sir Athar Mehmood
SKANS Rawalpindi
Session Mar 2022