1. Engagement risk applies to an auditor’s exposure to financial loss or a damaged reputation from an audit engagement. Engagement risk affects the entity’s business, the audit firm, and the audit. For instance, Case 7.1 Ligand Pharmaceuticals reflects the influence that Deloitte’s 2003 Ligand Audit had on Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Deloitte’s reputation. Therefore, Deloitte and other audit firms consider key factors when assessing engagement risk. Audit firms also fulfill several professional responsibilities when an engagement is accepted with a client that poses a higher than normal degree of engagement risk. The risk that the auditor or audit firm will suffer harm after the audit is completed, even though the audit report was correct, …show more content…
Auditors do not provide audit opinions for different levels of assurance. Therefore, auditors consider providing more or less assurance when modifying evidence for engagement risk to be unnecessary. However, auditors should be professionally responsible to accumulate additional evidence, assign more experienced personnel, and review the audit more thoroughly, particularly when a client poses a higher than normal degree of engagement risk. The auditor should also modify evidence for engagement risk when high legal exposure and other potential actions affecting the auditor …show more content…
These methods include the structure of the CPA firm and the procedures established by the firm. The CPA firm follows its specific quality control procedures to help the firm meet auditing standards consistently on every audit engagement. Quality control policies and procedures should be documented by each CPA firm, and the procedures should focus on the size of the firm, the number of offices, and the nature of the practice. The quality control procedures that firms use should address six elements such as leadership responsibilities for quality within the firm, relevant ethical requirements, acceptance and continuation of clients, human resources, engagement performance, and monitoring. CPA firms must also be enrolled in an AICPA approved practice-monitoring program or peer review in order for other CPA firms to determine and report if its quality control system is in effect and
Arens, Alvin A., Elder, Randall J., and Beasley, Mark S. (2012). Auditing and Assurance Services:
During the 2004 DHB audit, the company’s independent auditors had considerable difficulty obtaining reliable audit evidence regarding the $7 million of obsolete vest components that allegedly had been destroyed by a hurricane. What responsibility do auditors have when the client cannot provide the evidence they need to complete one or more audit tests or procedures?
This organization has been setting ethical standards and publishing the Code of Professional Conduct for the profession since the early 1900s. A Code of Professional Conduct is necessary for any profession to help maintain strict ethical standards. This organization is the basis of ethical reasoning in the accounting profession because of what the Code of Professional Conduct covers. The code is comprised of a preamble and six articles. The preamble and the six articles serve as a foundation to provide guidance and guidelines for accountants to overcome any emerging ethical issues with ease on a daily basis. The six articles’ purpose is to protect the public, investors, and creditors. The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct consists of: Responsibility, Public Interest, Integrity, Objectivity and Independence, Due Care, and Scope and Nature of
In addition to learning these four improper practices, as a plaintiff, if he or she intends to file a legal action against audit firms, evidences to charge them have to be sufficient. PwC’s auditors might be reckless, but they were not added as defendants. Most of the charges to Campbell were rejected by the judge just because plaintiffs could not provide sufficient evidence and specifically point out facts. Also, this case shows us a red flag about unusual increasing sales near the end of accounting period.
Auditors have an ethical responsibility to ensure that the financial statements are presented fairly. Auditors are also responsible for “detecting material fraud and reporting it to the board of directors.” (Mintz, p. 152) An assessment of business risk will help auditors to determine if there is confidence that they can trust management to provide the information to adequately complete the audit. If there is too much business risk, there is a good change that the auditor may not be able to meet their ethical obligations.
The concept of materiality provides a topic for continuing educational discussion that many firms across the country find essential to the development of their audit staff. Measuring and using materiality to obtain desired results during an audit becomes the responsibility of the staff member of a CPA firm. Partners and managers of a firm typically allow the staff member to use his/her judgment when applying this concept during the fieldwork of an audit. The overall success of an audit relies at least in part on the materiality concept; therefore, staff members’ continuing education on the concept becomes important and necessary. This report will define the term materiality, determine how to measure materiality, and explain the importance of the concept to the field of auditing.
Various definitions have been proposed for the audit expectation gap. Humphrey, Moizer and Turley (1992), suggest that the common element in the various definitions of the gap is that auditors are performing in a manner that is at variance with the beliefs and desires of others who are party to or interested in the audit.
The PCAOB has the authorization to provide rules governing the following areas; ethics, independence, and quality control for any registered accounting firm...
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) was formed in1921. The organization, however, does have history dating back to 1887. The AICPA is the face of the CPA profession. Rule-making and standard-setting for the profession is handled by the AICPA. The organization also serves an advocate before interest groups and legislative bodies. Besides developing standards and grading the Uniform CPA Examination, the AICPA also enforces technical and ethical standards. Being a member of the AICPA has many advantages to advance a profession’s career.
The level of assurance that the audit report will offer should be foolproof in that it will cover all the risky areas. The report will make sure that the company is covered from an audit professional perspective. All the risk that may face the company in this regard will be covered completely (Turley, 1997).
As with all industries and audits there is audit risk and inherent risks, although GD has potential risks, these risks seem to be mitigated due to GD’s industry performance.
These risks will have material effect on the organisation 's ability to sustain its business and operational goals and objectives.
Audit is a process to evaluate and review the accounts and financial statement objectively. We can divide it into internal auditors and external auditors. Internal auditors have a inner knowledge of business process. Auditor has access to the much confidential information and all levels of management. But they may lose their judgement and they are not acceptable by the shareholder. “The overall objective of the external auditors is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to report on the financial statements in acco...
Audit Risk is the risk that an auditor has stated an incorrect audit opinion on the financial statements. It may cause the auditors fail to alter the opinion when the financial statements contain material misstatement. The auditor should perform the audit to lower the audit risk to a sufficiently low level. In the auditor’s professional judgement, the auditor should appropriately state a correct opinion on the financial statement
As per ISA (NZ) 200-A17, this ethical requirement includes the auditors integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, & professional behaviour. Integrity is an ethical attitude which includes the auditor’s honesty, accuracy, and fair practice. Objectivity is a mental attitude while carrying out the audit wherein the auditor is fair and just with all his/her work. Professional competence is the knowledge and skill of the auditor, gained through education, training and experience, while due care is a degree of care of an auditor on certain situations wherein an he/she must act diligently. Confidentiality is the commitment of the auditor not to disclose any information regarding his/her client, unless required by law. Professional behaviour means the auditor must act in accordance to the law and set of standard as a manifestation of respect to the