...“Audit” is defined as an independent evaluation implementation by an independent expert of a particular activity or event. There are many types of audits such as financial, operational, technological etc. The most popular reference to audits, however; are the ones that examine financial statements. Auditing is the examination and systematic structural evaluation of an organized business. The evaluation is made up of operations within the business organization and the products and developments of production occurring within the business system. An investigation into past history of a business is involved in auditing. Records and data about a company are also involved, in order to measure and discover the legality of the business's transactions operations, tax reporting, and thorough handling of finances. To be blunt, audits test the financial legitimacy claimed by a business entity. According to R. Gene Brown’s “Changing Audit Objectives and Techniques”, (The Accounting Review, Vol. 37, No. 4), reviewing the history of auditing helps to provide a basis for analyzing and interpreting the changes which have occured in audit objectives and procedures over the years. Fundamentally, this review shows a recent significant correlation between expanded reliance on internal controls and a decrease in detailed testing. The future of auditing will probably consist primarily of a procedural or systematic review, with the analysis of effectiveness of internal controls providing the major...
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...Enron Corporation (Case 1.1) Most of us work from rags to riches but this is not the case of the Enron Corporation. Instead of becoming the nation’s greatest company, Enron instead laid claim to being the largest corporate bankruptcy in the history. The greediness and egotism wiped out the honesty and integrity that should instill on the persons who were involved in this case. Arthur Edward Andersen built his firm, Arthur Andersen & Company, into one of the largest and most respected accounting firms in the world through his reputation for honesty and integrity. His motto was “Think straight, talk straight” and he insisted that his clients adopt that same attitude when preparing and issuing their periodic financial statements. Arthur Andersen’s auditing philosophy was not rule-based; instead he invoked a substance-over-form approach to auditing and accounting issues. He avidly believed that the primary role of the auditor was to ensure that clients reported fully and honestly to the public, regardless of the consequences for those clients. Ironically, Arthur Andersen & Co.’s dramatic fall from eminence resulted from its association with a client known for aggressive and innovative uses of “accounting gimmicks” to window dress its financial statements. Enron Corporation was the second largest client of the firm and was involved in large, complex transactions with hundreds of special purpose entities (SPEs) that it used to obscure its true financial condition and...
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...AUDIT RISK MODEL Audit Risk (AR): risk that auditor will opine (render an opinion) with an unqualified opinion when unknown to auditor, FS are materially misstated (ultimate risk) Inherent Risk (IR): risk that errors (or misstatements or deviations) will occur," clientcontrolled Control Risk (CR): risk that client's internal control system will fail to prevent/ detect/correct errors ... clientcontrolled Detection Risk (DRI_ risk that auditor's procedures will fail to detect errors ... auditorcontrolled AR IR * CR * OR Audit risk = inherent risk * control risk * detection risk Audit risk: always set priority at a low level (.0 1, 05, 10) Inherent risk: controlled by client ... function of type of business, degree of liquidity, complexity Control risk: controlled by client ... relates to effectiveness of client's control system in preventing, detecting, and correcting errors. Detection risk: controlled by auditor ... function of nature, timing, and extent of audit procedures applied ... allowable or acceptable Solution Set: (1) Detection risk = audit risk / (inherent risk * control risk) (2) Detection risk low ... the more evidence you have to collect (3) Detection risk high ... the less evidence you have to collect Audit Risk: risk that auditor issues unqualified opinion when statements are materially misstated, audit risk and detection risk exactly related. IR/CR and detection risk...
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...history of auditing The evolution of auditing is a complicated history that has always been changing through historical events. Auditing always changed to meet the needs of the business environment of that day. Auditing has been around since the beginning of human civilization, focusing mainly, at first, on finding fraud. As the United States grew, the business world grew, and auditing began to play more important roles. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, people began to invest money into large corporations. The Stock Market crash of 1929 and various scandals made auditors realize that their roles in society were very important. Scandals and stock market crashes made auditors aware of deficiencies in auditing, and the auditing community was always quick to fix those deficiencies. The auditors’ job became more difficult as the accounting principles changed, and became easier with the use of internal controls. These controls introduced the need for testing; not an in-depth detailed audit. Auditing jobs would have to change to meet the changing business world. The invention of computers impacted the auditors’ world by making their job at times easier and at times making their job more difficult. Finally, the auditors’ job of certifying and testing companies’ financial statements is the backbone of the business world. Introduction Auditing has been the backbone of the complicated business world and has always changed with the times. As the business world grew strong, auditors’...
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...Commission standards. They conduct this compliance assessment as they review the organization’s systems for delivering safe, quality health care. ("Tracer Facts," 2012, para. 1) For this assignment I have reviewed the tracer patient summary information and there are several outstanding patient care issues. Some of these are related to documentation, such as history and physical exam not completed timely, lack of documentation pertinent to functional assessment, plan of care documentation outdated, and the lack of pain assessment documentation following medication administration. I have elected to address the patient care issue of documentation since many elements of the patient tracer revealed documentation to be a concern. The old motto goes, “if it is not documented, it was not done”, therefore, appropriate documentation is critical not only for successful patient care, but also for the delivery of safe and quality health care. Documentation is always a high risk item and often there will be deficiencies noted on audits and surveys due to the large number of requirements for same. Continued focus audits, random audits, and training will be necessary to continually improve on documentation. Training must focus not only on...
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...Auditing standards history in the United States Auditing profession has relied on agreed upon procedures at the beginning of its emergence. The current formal audit practice has evolved relatively recently. The story of how auditing evolved started in the early 20th century with the growth of industrial revolution, when firms entered the stock market which was unregulated at the time a growing need evolved to detect fraud and make more reliable financial statements as investors began to depend on financial reports. Federal Trade Commission requested AICPA to provide guidance to accountants and auditors in 1917 as a response AICPA issued a series of recommendation to the accounting community on financial reporting and auditing. In 1929 the AICPA issued a specific guide for auditing (Verification of Financial Statements) and it stated that the extent of the work is a responsibility of the auditor which is one of the most important auditing concepts even now. In 1936 AICPA issued Examination of Financial Statements by Independent Public Accountants, a guide on performing audit procedures on small and mid-sized companies. The SEC which was created in 1934. A part of its duties was to oversight the auditing profession, and it required the companies to send periodic reports in accordance with GAAP and to provide assurances with their reports. Auditing standards issuance used to be triggered by financial fraud events or crimes. Statement on Auditing Procedure (SAP) No. 1 in October...
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...Issues 1-. Is it necessary or appropriate for independent auditors to trust client executives? If so, to what extent should auditors trust client management? 2. a) What types of information should auditors obtain when evaluating the integrity of a prospective client’s executives? b ) What sources would they generally collect this information from? 3.a) Was it appropriate for Seidman & Seidman to resign as the audit firm of the company that chose Goldblum as its new president and CEO? b) What conditions would make appropriate for a professional firm, such as a CPA firm, to choose not to provide professional services to a company or individual requesting such services? Facts Equity Funding Corporation of America was founded in 1960 by four partners, however 2 of then resigned in no time leaving the organization to Stanley Goldblum (President) and Michael Riordan (Chairman of the board). The corporation based its activities in the life insurance industry providing policies and funding programs for investors., and gained a nationwide reputation after going public in 1964. Riordan died in 1969 and Goldblum was appointed as the new chairman of the board, where he designed a company’s employee, Fred Levin as the new executive vice-president. The corporation’s operations, revenues, and earning increased by the hand of the aggressive management policies directed by Goldblum and Levin, being ranked as one of the 10 largest life insurance companies in the US in 1972...
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...Ponzi Scheme Keller Graduate School Forensics Accounting The Bernie Madoff scam truly made history. Bernie Madoff probably would not have been able to prolong this scam without the continued help of the Accounting Firm of Friehling & Horowitz CPAs PC, who at last reported purported to audit financial statements and disclosures of Madoff firm for the last 17 years. Ponzi schemed to help Madoff by trying to go undetected because of Friehling deceiving investors and regulators by declaring that Madoff enterprise had clean audit records. Ponzi’s scheme enabled Madoff by falsely stating in annual audit reports that F & H audited Madoff financial statements pursuant to GAAP, including the requirements to maintain auditor independence and perform audit procedures regarding custody of securities. F & H purported that the financial statements conformed to GAAP and the Friehling reviewed internal controls at Madoff firm. According to SEC complaint, Friehling knew that the firm regularly distributed the annual audit reports to Madoff customers, and that reports were filed with the SEC and other regulators. The complaint alleges these statements were “materially false”. The SEC alleges that Friehling merely pretended to conduct minimal audit procedures of certain accounts to make it appear that he was conducting an audit, and then failed to document his purported findings and conclusions as required under the GAAP. If properly stated those financial statements...
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...Vision, & Core Values………………………………….………........6-7 b) Current Standards…………………………………………………………….…..............…7-8 c) Future Standard Plans…………………………………………………………………….…8-9 Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 Section 404……………………………………………………………...….9 a) Auditing Standard 5…………………………………………………………………….….9-10 b) Auditing Standard 11……………………………………………………………………..10-12 c) Communication Requirements.................................................................................................13 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................13 References…………………………………………………………………...………………………...21-22 List of Tables Table 1- History of PCAOB………………………………………………………………………..14-20 Introduction There once...
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...Shane Connolly Journal Article ACT 301 December 17, 2014 Is The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Working? This article written by Stephen D. Willits and Curtis Nicholls was printed in the CPA journal in April of this year. To give a brief history of SOX after the corporate fraud in the early 2000’s the SEC felt pressure to respond. Their response to the fraud committed my giant corporations such as Enron and WorldCom was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The main point of SOX was to try to limit or ideally eliminate corporate fraud by cracking down on self-regulating audit. The answer as to whether SOX is working or not is not as simple as yes or no. Some say that the scope of SOX was too wide while others maintain that it did not go far enough. The basis for the success of SOX comes down to cost versus benefit. Section 404 of SOX seems to have drawn the greatest criticism. Section 404 states that companies must issue reports concerning the internal control structure and the procedures for financial reporting. The purpose of this section was assessing the internal control and procedures of any company. The problem was the cost. Shortly after SOX was enacted companies (depending on size) report spending between 4 and 10 million dollars in order to comply with section 404. This number was expected to decrease as companies adjusted to the new laws; however there have been conflicting reports as to whether that has come to fruition. In respond to the political pressure the SEC was facing regarding...
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...Prepare common-sized balance sheets and income statements for Just for Feet for the period 1996 – 1998. Also compute key liquidity, solvency, activity, and profitability ratios for 1997 and 1998. Given these data, comment on what you believe were the high-risk financial statement items for the 1998 Should auditors insist that their clients accept all proposed audit adjustment, even those that have an “immaterial” effect on the given financial statements? According to section 312.10 of the PCAOB standards, “the auditor’s consideration of materiality is a matter of professional judgment and is influenced by his or her perception of the needs of a reasonable person who will rely on the financial statements” (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 2011). This statement suggests that there are no hard and fast rules with regards to the determination of whether an adjustment is material or immaterial. In my opinion, much of the decisions are left to the auditor’s interpretation of the rule. Given all the rules and standards that both auditors and corporations must abide by, it would be wise to accept the proposed audit adjustments. Whether they are “material” or “immaterial” should not matter, because the fact that the auditor finds it necessary to propose the adjustment must be based on a rule or interpretation of a rule. If the company is secure in the abilities of its chosen auditor, they should allow the auditor to do his job. On the other hand, the auditor is supposed...
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...impact of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and the reasons for the creation of the PCAOB, as well as the implementation of the rules and regulations. Additionally, this paper examines the impact of AS 5. Keywords: audit, AS 5, financial statements, PCAOB, SEC, SOX Table of Contents Introduction ………….……………………………………………………..……………………4 Scandals ...…..……………………………………...……………………………………………4 PCAOB Mission and Vision …………………… ……………………………………………….5 Structure ………………………….……………..……………………………………………5, 6 PCAOB's Objective….…….……..…………………………………………………………….6, 7 Duties ………………………….…..………………………………………………….……… 7, 8 Standard Setting………..………………………………………………………………..……..…8 Inspection ………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Enforcement…………..………………………………………………………………..……...8, 9 AS5 .…………………….…………………………………………………...…………….…9, 10 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….....……. 10 References …………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 History of PCAOB …………………………………………………………………… 13-19 Introduction Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) was passed in 2002 and as a result brought numerous changes to auditing. The Sarbanes-Oxley was passed in direct response to business failures, allegations of corporate improprieties and financial statement restatements. Prior to the SOX passage, auditors used a risk-based approach to perform audits of a company's internal controls. The auditors would identify the areas where improvement were needed and made suggestions for improvements upon their findings. Due to the changes brought forth by the...
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...Licensed to: iChapters User Licensed to: iChapters User CONTEMPORARY AUDITING REAL ISSUES & CASES MICHAEL C. KNAPP SEVENTH EDITION MAKE IT YOURS! SELECT JUST THE CASES YOU NEED Through Cengage Learning’s Make It Yours, you can — simply, quickly, and affordably — create a quality auditing text that is tailored to your course. • Pick your coverage and only pay for the cases you use. • Add cases from a prior edition of Knapp’s Contemporary Auditing. • Add your course materials and assignments. • Pick your own unique cover design. We recognize that not every program covers the same cases and topics in your auditing course. Chris Knapp wrote his case book for people to use either as a core e book or as a supplement to an existing book. If you would like to use a custom auditing case book or supplement the South-Western accounting book you are currently using, simply check the cases you want to include, indicate if there are other course materials you would like to add, and click submit. A Cengage Learning representative will contact you to review and confirm your order. G E T S T A R T E D Visit www.custom.cengage.com/makeityours/knapp7e to make your selections and provide details on anything else you would like to include. Prefer to use pen and paper? No problem. Fill out questions 1-4 and fax this form to 1.800.270.3310. A Custom Solutions editor will contact you within 2-3 business days to discuss the options you have selected...
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...Question $20.00 ACC 546 Week 3 - Individual Assignment: The Audit Report and Internal Control (Get your A by Help from Proven A+ Tutor) Found in Business: General-Business Chapter 1, # 0 Posted by : TutorXpress Rating (506):A+ Questions Asked: 0 Tutorials Posted: 2255, Earned: $49,213.14 Q: Week Three Audit Reporting and Required Communications · Identify characteristics of audit evidence. · Evaluate the appropriateness of an audit report for a completed audit. · Describe audit sampling methods for tests of controls and substantive tests of transactions. Course Assignments 1. Readings · Read Ch. 3, 7, & 15 of Auditing and Assurance Services: An Integrated Approach. 3. Individual Assignment: The Audit Report and Internal Control Evaluation · Resource: pp. 62–63 in Ch. 3 of Auditing and Assurance Services: An Integrated Approach · Evaluate the evidence provided by Apollo Shoes. · Decide how to structure the audit report for the provided evidence. · Compose an audit report reflecting the appropriate length, sections, and content for the provided information. · Include a description of the evidence, the accounting sampling and testing procedures used, and a brief description of the value of the audit report. You may use pp. 62–63 in Ch. 3 of Auditing and Assurance Services to complete this assignment. Tutorial $20.00 ACC 546 Week 3 - Individual Assignment: The Audit Report and Internal Control (Get your A by Help from Proven...
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...http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudAmericanHistory.htm History of Fraud in America (Edited for use in MBA 590_ NCSU) Bob Jensen at Trinity University Colonial History Earliest "business" fraud in America centered around phony heath cures. Armstrong and Armstrong (1991) document many of the snake oil ploys that commenced soon after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Medical frauds ranging from deceptive medicines to spiritual cures to bloodletting expanded over time to modern day cancer miracle cures and Internet charlatanism. Since early America was largely agricultural, various land schemes accompanied the growing market for deceptive rural living and farming products. As the original 13 colonies were established land was owned by men who had been granted land from the English King. They in turn sold land to individuals and established common areas. Although many of the early dealings were legitimate, it did not take long for land swindles to commence. Swindlers were either buyers or sellers of land. Victims were often new immigrants and Indians who lived on the land before Colonial times. One of the best known frauds was the 1626 purchase of Manhattan Island for trinkets valued at 60 guilders (approximately $24). In this case the Carnarsie Indians from Brooklyn perpetrated the fraud since their land was not even connected to Manhattan Island. But in most cases it was the white men who cheated the Indians and each other. Land swindling grew rampant as America expanded...
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