The Auditor - S Responsibilities - Chapter 3
The Auditor - S Responsibilities - Chapter 3
RESPONSIBILITY
ERROR
Refers to unintentional
mistatements in the
financial statements
Including the omission of
an amount or a disclosure
ERRORS ARE:
Mathematical or clerical mistakes in the
underlying records and accounting data
An incorrect accounting estimate arising from
oversight or misinterpretation of facts
Mistake in the application of accounting policies
FRAUD
-refers to intentional act by one or
more individuals among management
- Those charged with governance,
employees, or third parties, involving
the use of deception to obtain an
unjust or illegal advantage.
FRAUD
Auditor is primarily concerned with:
fraudulent acts that cause a material
misstatement in the financial statements
Types of Fraud
1. Fraudulent financial reporting
2. Misappropriation of assets or
employees fraud
SYSTEM
OF
QUALITY CONTROL
Methods
Financial statement frauds fall into general
categories. These include
a. improper revenue recognition,
b. manipulation of liabilities,
c. manipulation of expenses,
d. improper disclosures on financial
statements and
e. overstating assets
Manipulating Expenses
Another fraud involving financial statements is the deliberate
manipulation of expenses.
The Deloitte survey of AAER filings by the SEC shows that 12 percent
involved expense manipulation and 8 percent manipulation of liabilities.
An example of manipulating expenses is to capitalize normal operating
expenses. This scheme is an improper method to delay recognition of the
expense and artificially raise income figures.
An example of this type of scheme is the WorldCom scandal, where
significant operating expenses were listed as capital on the balance sheet.
Concealment and manipulation of liabilities frauds include failure to record
accounts payables or report regular expenses on financial statements.
Keeping certain liabilities, leaving notes or loans off-the-books and writing
off money lent to executives are also common methods of fraud.
Improper Disclosures
Disclosure frauds are commonly based on
misrepresenting the company and making
false representations in press releases and
other company filings.
Making false statements in the commentary
sections of annual reports of other
regulatory filings are another source for
improper disclosures.
Some disclosures might be intentionally
confusing or obscure and impossible to
completely understand
2. Misappropriation of assets or
employee fraud
Involves theft of an entitys assets
committed by the entitys employees
This includes:
a. Embezzling receipts
b. Stealing entitys assets such as cash,
marketable securities, and inventory
c. Lapping of accounts receivable
Note: often accompanied by false or
misleading records or documents in order to
conceal the fact that the assets are missing
Overstating Assets
Overstatement of current assets on
financial statements and failure to
record depreciation expenses are often
employed as methods of fraud.
Overstatement of inventory and
accounts receivables are also
commonly used to inflate company
assets on fraudulent statements
Fraud involves
Motivation to commit it
A perceived opportunity to do so
Distinguish Fraud from Error
- Whether the underlying cause of
misstatement in the financial statements
is intentional or unintentional.
Auditors Responsibility
- To design the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance that the financial statements
are free from material misstatement
whether caused by error or fraud.
Planning Phase
1. Auditor should make inquiries of management about
the possibility of misstatement due to fraud or error:
a. Management s assessment of risk due to fraud
b. Controls established to address the risks
c. Any material error or fraud that has affected the
entity or suspected fraud that the entity is
investigating.
Testing Phase
3. During the course of the audit, the
auditor may encounter circumstances
that may indicate the possibility of fraud
or error
4. After identifying material misstatement
in the FS
Resulted from a fraud or an error.
Errors will result to adjustments of FS
Fraud may have other implications on an audit
COMPLETION PHASE
5. The auditor should obtain a written
representation from the clients
management that
It acknowledge the responsibility for the
implementation and operation of
accounting and internal control system
that are designed to prevent and detect
fraud and error
COMPLETION PHASE
6. Material Errors or fraud exist
He should request the management to
revise the FS, otherwise he will express
a qualified or adverse opinion
7. Unable to evaluate the effect of fraud
on the FS
because of limitation of scope, he
should either qualify or disclaim his
opinion on the FS
Managements
Responsibilities
PAS 250
The responsibility for the prevention and
detection of noncompliance rests with
management
Auditors Responsibility
Planning Phase
1 Obtain a general understanding of the
legal and regulatory framework
applicable to the entity.
2. Design procedures to help identify
instances of noncompliance with those
laws and regulations where
noncompliance should be considered
when preparing FS