... Towards Reducing the Audit Expectation Gap: Possible Mission? The auditing profession believes that the increase in litigation and criticism against auditors may be due to the audit expectation gap. The audit expectation gap is defined as the difference between what the public expects from an audit and what the audit profession accepts the audit objective to be. The audit expectation gap is critical to the auditing profession because the greater the unfulfilled expectations of the public, the lower the credibility, earning potential and prestige associated with the work of auditors. The objective of this paper is to review and evaluate some of the possible solutions that can be taken to narrow the gap. The study found the proposed solutions in the literature are unlikely to be implemented in view of the practical issues identified. Hence, the proposed solutions are only likely to be effective on theoretical grounds. It is hoped that this paper will provide some insights into proposed solutions which will enable the audit expectation gap to be reduced in a comprehensive and effective manner. E xternal auditing plays an important role in contributing to the effectiveness and efficient functioning of business operations, the capital markets, and the economy by adding credibility to financial statements (Rezaee, 2004). The reliability of auditing functions and the professionalism of the auditing profession was, however, called into question after some spectacular...
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...Wright, 2009). The reason for such misinterpretation and confusion by the users of the independent auditors’ report is mainly the use of technical language. For example, from the independent auditors’ report in the annual report of SP Setia Berhad 2012, it was mentioned that the audit was carried according to approved auditing standards in Malaysia. However, it does not clarify which standards are being applied during the course of auditing. The misinterpretation arose from the use of technical language also lead to an expectation gap in the nature and responsibilities of the independent auditors and the public’s expectation of them (Enyi, Ifurueze and Enyi, 2012). Again, example can be obtained in the annual report of SP Setia Berhad 2012. In the independent auditors’ report, it was stated that the auditors perform the audit to get “reasonable assurance” that the financial statements do not contain material misstatement. However, the word “reasonable assurance” may hold different meanings for different individuals. By utilising these words in a report, people will have different perception of the work of the independent auditors compared to the actual responsibilities of the auditors during an audit. There are three main causes to the occurrence of the expectation gap which are auditor’s performance, audit environment and users of financial statements (Mohammed Al-Alimi and Katdare, 2013). In the auditor’s performance cause, the expectation gap exists due to the auditor’s deficient...
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...State. Abstract This study investigates the role of auditors in the detection, prevention and reporting of fraud. Data were obtained from 184 respondents in Nigeria. The findings revealed that the respondents are very concerned about the problem of fraud. In addition, the respondents placed very high expectation on auditors’ duties on fraud prevention and detection. This perception is in contrast with the stated primary objective of an audit, as stipulated in ISA 200, which merely required auditors to form an opinion on the financial statements, but not of fraud detection. Keywords: Auditors, fraud, detection, prevention Introduction That an auditor has the responsibility for the prevention, detection and reporting of fraud, other illegal acts and errors is one of the most controversial issues in auditing, and has been one of the most frequently debated areas amongst auditors, politicians, media, regulators and the public (Gay et al...
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...and culturally. As the world has evolved, so has business, and as business has evolved so has auditing. The concept of auditing is as old as civilization. The need for a knowledgeable, external, third person to verify transactions or accounts and detect fraud has been present since the advent of trade and accounting. Thus the goal of auditing, in this sense, has not changed since. Teck-Heang Lee observed that “auditing serves as a mechanism to monitor conduct and performance, and to secure and enforce accountability (Lee 2008). All in all, an audit function plays a crucial role in maintain welfare and stability in society.” However, what has changed is how the roles and responsibilities of auditors have changed to reflect the needs of the business environment of the time. As such, auditors and the auditing profession have always played a very important role in business and, more recently, in society in general. As business in today’s world becomes more dynamic, accounting (and therefore by extension auditing) must also evolve to become more dynamic. The evolution of auditing is a complicated history that has always been changing through historical events. This can be seen in the shift in the role of external auditors from a cyclical audit approach to now more of a top-down risk-based continuous audit. The factors that have played a major role in this shift of role and responsibilities are the cycle of fraud, regulation, and compliance; and also the rise and importance of technology...
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...purpose of auditing is increasing the confidence of people who want to do investment. In order to check the financial statement of listed companies, auditing become more and more important in the society. The people cannot know more the situation about listed companies, so they use auditors’ report to think their investment. However, with more and more scandals about auditing, many people think whether external auditors’ reports provide information to investor that serves the public interest under the current regulatory environment. The public interest First, it is important to know what the public interest is. In order to know the public interest better, we can understand it separately. The public represents social that is abstract concept. It conflicts the private that is specific and certainly. Social is universality and uncertainty. Its function is adjective interest. The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) defines the public interest as ” The net benefits derived for, and procedural rigor employed on behalf of, all society in relation to any action, decision or policy.” It means that everyone in the society may obtain the interest from all society in relation to any action, decision or policy. The auditing profession is relation to the benefit to the society. The public interest from auditing profession is like the responsibility of this profession. This interest is not direct interest, but the auditors will use their behavior to show their responsibility for society...
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...Audit 8 Subsequent Discovery of Facts existing at the date of auditors report Auditor’s Report This report addresses the auditor's responsibilities relating to subsequent events and subsequently discovered facts in an audit of financial statements. It also addresses a predecessor auditor's responsibilities for subsequent events and subsequently discovered facts when reissuing the auditor's report on previously issued financial statements that are to be presented on a comparative basis with audited financial statements of a subsequent period. In addition this report also incorporates management representation and consideration of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. There may be times when new information may come to an auditor's attention subsequent to the date of their report of an audited financial statements, this might affect the previously issued report. With information form the PCAOB this report describes how a subsequent audits should be followed by any auditor who becomes aware that facts may have existed at that time of the original audit of the financial statement. When performing an integrated audit of financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, refer to paragraph 98 of PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 5, which relays that an audit of internal control over financial reporting should be integrated with an audit of financial statements, this will provide directions, with respect to the subsequent discovery of information existing...
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...Chapter 2 The CPA Profession Review Questions The four major services that CPAs provide are: 1. Audit and assurance services Assurance services are independent professional services that improve the quality of information for decision makers. Assurance services include attestation services, which are any services in which the CPA firm issues a report that expresses a conclusion about the reliability of an assertion that is the responsibility of another party. The four categories of attestation services are audits of historical financial statements, attestation on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, reviews of historical financial statements, and other attestation services. Accounting and bookkeeping services Accounting services involve preparing the client's financial statements from the client's records. Bookkeeping services include the preparation of the client's journals and ledgers as well as financial statements. Tax services Tax services include preparation of corporate, individual, and estate returns as well as tax planning assistance. Management consulting services These services range from suggestions to improve the client's accounting system to computer installations. 2-1 2. 3. 4. 2-2 The major characteristics of CPA firms that permit them to fulfill their social function competently and independently are: 1. Organizational form A CPA firm exists as a separate entity to avoid an employer-employee relationship with its clients...
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...AUDIT 401-01 Chapter 1: Auditing and Assurance Services User Demand for Reliable Information A. Information and Information Risk * ****Business risk: the risk that an entity will fail to meet its objectives**** * Environmental conditions to increase user demand for relevant, reliable, information: 1. Complexity 2. Remoteness 3. Time sensitivity 4. Consequences * Information risk: the probability that the information circulated by a company will be false or misleading * ****Assurance: Depend on information professionals to serve as an independent and objective intermediaries who will lend credibility to the information**** * ****Attestations: when the assurance is provided for specific assertions made by management**** Auditing, Attestation, and Assurance Services A. Definition of Financial Statement Auditing * ****Auditing: systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to ascertain the degree of correspondence between the assertions and established criteria and communicating the results to interested users **** OVERVIEW: Independent auditor – obtains and evaluates evidence knowledge of client’s business, observation of physical assets, inquiry of managers, confirmations from third parties, inspection of documents Management assertions about economic actions and events: * Balance sheet * Income statement * Statement...
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...Overview of Auditing Standards Ethical Standards Ethical Standards (FRS, 2010) is issued by Auditing Practices Board. Its responsibilities are set up standards and guidance for auditing work. According to this standard, APB tries to enhance confidence on auditing process for public. ESs includes five requirements that auditors must adhere to and its primary objective is to give ‘true and fair’ opinions on financial statement. The credibility of audit opinions depends on the integrity, objectivity and independence of the auditor. Accordingly, it requires the quality of audit more stringent, especially the independence of auditors’ assurance. ES2 illustrates the guidance on some particular circumstances, which may generate threats to the independence and objectivity of auditors. ES3 states that senior positions have collaborated with audit engagement for a continuous period should be rotating. ES4 explains that there is no relationship between audit opinion and audit fees or other remuneration. ES5 shows that audit firm should consider whether non-audit service have significant effect on the threats to the auditor’s objectivity or independence. International Standards on Auditing ISA (FRS, 2009) copes with independent auditor’s overall responsibilities when implementing auditing process. These professional standards establish objectives of independent auditors together with explain the scope and nature of auditing process, which is designed to enable auditors to achieve...
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...how the reporting requirements of the PCAOB reduce the chance of financial fraud. Basically, the goal of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is to improve quality of audited financial statements, reduce the risk of auditing failures, and increase public trust in financial reporting processes and of the auditing profession. In order for this to happen PCAOB must refocus and remind auditors of the standards required of them regarding fraud and for them to be diligent about their responsibilities relating to fraud. The purpose of auditing a financial statement is to detect material misstatements and false or missing information caused by fraud. The PCAOB reporting requirements place a lot of emphasis on disclosure in financial reporting however the board provides guidance and information that are relevant which should be disclosed within the financial statements. PCAOB also dictates to management and to the auditor their roles and responsibilities in financial reporting. PCAOB requires these standards and duties to be followed reinforces the accounting professionals to be able to reduce fraud in financial reporting at the same time ensuring investors receive accurate financial information. According to Rischall, PCAOB has established auditing, quality control, ethics, and independence standards to be used by registered public accounting firms in the preparation of audited financial statements for publicly traded companies, as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002...
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...organisations has created the need for a specialist in various business controls: the internal auditor. We can understand better the nature of internal auditing today if we know something about the changing conditions in the past and the different needs these changes created. What is the earliest form of internal auditing and how did it come into existence? How has internal auditing responded to changing needs? As the operations of an organisation become more voluminous and complex, it is no longer practicable for the owner or top manager to have enough contact with all operations to satisfactorily review the effectiveness of performance. These responsibilities need to be delegated. The Development of the Profession of Internal Auditing Internal auditing has evolved from accounting-oriented to a management-oriented profession. At one time, internal auditing functioned as a junior to the independent accounting profession, and attesting to the accuracy of financial matters was the profession's main concern. Now internal auditing has established itself with a far broader focus. Modern internal auditing provides services that include the examination and appraisal of controls, performance, risk and governance throughout public and private entities. Financial matters represent only one aspect of the purview of internal auditing. Requirement to have Internal Audit Activity In January 2004, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had approved new rules proposed...
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...Case Study 2: A Practical Guide to the New PCAOB Reporting Requirements Forensic Accounting: ACC-571 January 28, 2012 A Practical Guide to the New PCAOB Reporting Requirements Created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or PCAOB requires auditors of U.S. public companies be subject to external and independent oversight. Congress established the PCAOB in order to protect investors and the public interest by promoting accurate, informative, and independent audit reports. The PCAOB aims to improve audit quality, reduce the risks of auditing failures in the U.S. public securities market and promote public trust in both the financial reporting process and auditing profession. (PCAOB, 2012). During this case study I will justify how the reporting requirements of the PCAOB reduce the chance of financial fraud, illustrate the responsibilities of an auditing firm to detect fraud during the audit process, recommend alternatives to the PCAOB, and lastly prepare a sample timeline for PCAOB reporting. How the reporting requirements of the PCAOB reduce the chance of financial fraud: PCAOB necessitate senior financial managers to enforce a code of conduct (Advisory Report, 2003). The purpose of the code of conduct is to encourage honesty and ethical conduct, compliance to relevant regulations, and also promote full, accurate and timely disclosure in financial reports. As a result, the PCAOB reduces chances of financial fraud by ensuring...
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...INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ON AUDITING 700 FORMING AN OPINION AND REPORTING ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2009) Introduction Scope of this ISA 1. This International Standard on Auditing (ISA) deals with the auditor’s responsibility to form an opinion on the financial statements. It also deals with the form and content of the auditor’s report issued as a result of an audit of financial statements. 2. ISA 7051 and ISA 7062 deal with how the form and content of the auditor’s report are affected when the auditor expresses a modified opinion or includes an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter paragraph in the auditor’s report. 3. This ISA is written in the context of a complete set of general purpose financial statements. ISA 8003 deals with special considerations when financial statements are prepared in accordance with a special purpose framework. ISA 8054 deals with special considerations relevant to an audit of a single financial statement or of a specific element, account or item of a financial statement. 4. This ISA promotes consistency in the auditor’s report. Consistency in the auditor’s report, when the audit has been conducted in accordance with ISAs, promotes credibility in the global marketplace by making more readily identifiable those audits that have been conducted in accordance with globally recognized standards. It also helps to promote the user’s understanding...
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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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...CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SURNAME NAME REG NUMBER NYANHETE BELINDA C14123957H LAZARO PATIENCE T C14122512I GUVEYA MUNASHE D C14122897Y GAVAZA LUKE C14122634V SHEHA KINE C14123650C CHAURURA EMMANUEL C14123699J MUBVIGWI BOTHWEL C14123427E RISIRO BRIAN T C14123638W PROGRAM BSCAC LEVEL 2.1 COURSE CUAC 202 QUESTION 1 Discuss in detail both the purpose and the contents of the engagement letter INTRODUCTION Before the commencement of an engagement it is in the interest of both the auditor and client that the auditor...
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