Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Auditing Fundamentals covers the exciting and developing financial area of both External and Internal auditing in a clear and reader friendly way. This up-to-date textbook examines the fundamentals of auditing in terms of legislation, codes affecting the profession, and the International Auditing Standards.
Table of Contents
Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Cover | Cover | ||
Dedication | v | ||
Brief contents | vii | ||
Contents | ix | ||
Preface | xv | ||
About the authors | xvii | ||
Acknowledgements | xviii | ||
Chapter 1: Introduction to audit | 1 | ||
Objectives | 1 | ||
Introduction | 2 | ||
External audit | 3 | ||
Internal audit | 5 | ||
Summary | 6 | ||
Practice question | 6 | ||
Chapter 2: External and internal audit | 7 | ||
Objectives | 7 | ||
Introduction | 8 | ||
External audit | 8 | ||
External auditor’s reports to users and to management | 8 | ||
Management representation letters | 9 | ||
The management letter | 10 | ||
External audits in the public sector | 10 | ||
Auditor liability | 11 | ||
What are the auditor’s duties? | 12 | ||
Relationship between external and internal audit | 14 | ||
Internal audit | 14 | ||
Independence | 15 | ||
Staffing and training | 16 | ||
Relationships | 16 | ||
Due care | 17 | ||
Planning, controlling and recording | 17 | ||
Evaluation of the internal control systems | 17 | ||
Evidence | 18 | ||
Reporting and follow-up | 18 | ||
The image and marketing of internal audit | 20 | ||
Performance indicators for internal audit | 22 | ||
External audit reviews of internal audit | 22 | ||
Summary | 24 | ||
Practice question | 24 | ||
Chapter 3: Auditing standards | 25 | ||
Objectives | 25 | ||
Introduction | 26 | ||
Background to the adoption of international auditing standards | 26 | ||
History and development | 26 | ||
The IAPC becomes the IAASB | 27 | ||
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board | 27 | ||
International Standards on Auditing | 27 | ||
Accounting and auditing regulation in the UK | 28 | ||
The Financial Reporting Council | 28 | ||
The Professional Oversight Board | 29 | ||
The Auditing Practices Board | 30 | ||
International Standards on Auditing: an introduction | 31 | ||
International Standard on Quality Control (UK and Ireland) | 37 | ||
Practice notes and bulletins | 38 | ||
Summary | 38 | ||
Practice question | 38 | ||
Chapter 4: Professional ethics and code of conduct | 39 | ||
Objectives | 39 | ||
Introduction | 40 | ||
Why is there a code of professional ethics? | 40 | ||
Why is there a need for an ethics guideline for professional auditors? | 41 | ||
Background | 42 | ||
Professional ethics and codes | 43 | ||
Reasons for adopting ethical standards | 43 | ||
APB Ethical Standard 1 – Integrity, objectivity and independence | 45 | ||
Integrity | 45 | ||
Objectivity and independence | 46 | ||
APB Ethical Standard 2 – Financial, business, employment and personal relationships | 48 | ||
APB Ethical Standard 3 – Long association with the audit engagement | 49 | ||
APB Ethical Standard 4 – Fees, remuneration and evaluation policies, litigation, gifts and hospitality | 50 | ||
APB Ethical Standard 5 – Non-audit services provided to audit clients | 51 | ||
Audit firms as advisory companies | 51 | ||
Differences between independence in fact and independence in appearance | 51 | ||
Proper conduct | 52 | ||
Ethical Standard: Provisions Available for Small Entities 2005, revised 2008 | 52 | ||
Revised Ethical Standards 2008 | 53 | ||
Internal audit ethics | 53 | ||
Standards and quality of audit | 54 | ||
International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) ethics guidelines | 55 | ||
European Union | 55 | ||
United States | 56 | ||
Summary | 56 | ||
Practice question | 56 | ||
Chapter 5: Corporate governance | 57 | ||
Objectives | 57 | ||
Introduction | 58 | ||
Corporate governance codes | 59 | ||
Corporate governance developments | 59 | ||
Cadbury Report (1992) | 62 | ||
Audit interest in the Cadbury Report | 62 | ||
Greenbury Report (1995) | 63 | ||
Hampel Report (1997) | 64 | ||
Turnbull Report (1999) (Turnbull 1) | 65 | ||
Smith and Higgs reports (2003) | 66 | ||
FRC Combined Code (2003) | 68 | ||
Recommended committees in the Combined Code (2003) | 69 | ||
Tyson Report (2003) | 71 | ||
Flint Report (2005) (Turnbull 2) | 71 | ||
FRC Combined Code (2006) amendments | 73 | ||
Key aspects of corporate governance in the UK (FRC 2006 and 2008) | 73 | ||
Audit and corporate governance | 75 | ||
Audit and risk management | 75 | ||
Relationship between external and internal audit | 77 | ||
US legislation on corporate governance – the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) | 78 | ||
Sarbanes-Oxley, internal auditing and corporate governance | 79 | ||
An internationally accepted format for corporate governance | 80 | ||
Limitations to the international acceptance of global corporate governance | 81 | ||
Summary | 82 | ||
Practice question | 82 | ||
Chapter 6: Different approaches to investigation | 83 | ||
Objectives | 83 | ||
Introduction | 84 | ||
Statutory audits | 84 | ||
Voluntary audits | 84 | ||
Social audits | 85 | ||
Value-for-money (VFM) reviews | 85 | ||
Performance indicators | 87 | ||
Different approaches to VFM | 88 | ||
Financial investigations | 90 | ||
Fraud | 90 | ||
Evidence | 92 | ||
Summary | 95 | ||
Practice question | 96 | ||
Chapter 7: Planning the audit | 97 | ||
Objectives | 97 | ||
Introduction | 98 | ||
The planning cycle | 98 | ||
Preliminary arrangements and two important ISAs | 99 | ||
The overall planning strategy | 99 | ||
The audit plan | 100 | ||
The value of the audit plan to the audit manager/senior partner | 101 | ||
Post-audit review | 101 | ||
Additional work | 102 | ||
Considerations for initial audit engagements | 102 | ||
Direction, supervision and review | 103 | ||
Direction | 103 | ||
Supervision | 103 | ||
Review | 104 | ||
Documentation | 105 | ||
Working papers | 105 | ||
Recording the audit work | 106 | ||
Performance assessment | 108 | ||
Controlling the audit | 108 | ||
Quality of audit | 108 | ||
Audit risk | 109 | ||
Can it be eliminated? | 109 | ||
Materiality | 110 | ||
The importance of materiality | 111 | ||
Assessing materiality | 111 | ||
Qualitative considerations | 112 | ||
Summary | 112 | ||
Practice question | 112 | ||
Chapter 8: Co-operative working between auditors and other professionals | 113 | ||
Objectives | 113 | ||
Introduction | 114 | ||
The letter of engagement | 114 | ||
Content of the engagement letter | 115 | ||
Importance of information technology in the audit work plan | 116 | ||
Computer-assisted audit techniques | 116 | ||
Structured audit documentation | 119 | ||
Using the work of others | 119 | ||
Using the work of an expert | 119 | ||
Using the work of another auditor | 120 | ||
Use of internal audit work by the external auditor | 121 | ||
Working effectively with other review and assurance agencies (external and internal) | 123 | ||
Outsourcing internal audit | 124 | ||
Advantages | 124 | ||
Disadvantages | 125 | ||
Summary | 125 | ||
Practice question | 125 | ||
Chapter 9: Internal control and systems audit | 126 | ||
Objectives | 126 | ||
Introduction | 127 | ||
Risk | 127 | ||
Internal control | 128 | ||
Systems-based auditing | 133 | ||
Planning | 134 | ||
Evaluating a system | 134 | ||
Testing | 136 | ||
Compliance testing | 136 | ||
Walkthrough tests | 137 | ||
Substantive testing | 137 | ||
Weakness testing | 138 | ||
Evaluation and closure | 138 | ||
Example of control evaluation: a staff restaurant | 138 | ||
Summary | 142 | ||
Practice question | 143 | ||
Chapter 10: Key systems audits | 144 | ||
Objectives | 144 | ||
Introduction | 145 | ||
Stock and procurement | 145 | ||
Potential risks | 146 | ||
Systems control objectives | 146 | ||
Questions about the system | 146 | ||
Substantive tests | 147 | ||
Payroll | 148 | ||
Potential risks | 148 | ||
Systems control objectives (SCOs) and key controls | 148 | ||
Payments to suppliers | 149 | ||
Potential risks | 149 | ||
Systems control objectives (SCOs) and key controls | 149 | ||
Substantive tests | 150 | ||
Sales and receipts | 150 | ||
Potential risks | 151 | ||
Systems control objectives (SCOs) and key controls | 151 | ||
Computer systems | 152 | ||
Potential risks | 152 | ||
Input controls | 153 | ||
Processing controls | 154 | ||
Storage controls | 154 | ||
Output controls | 156 | ||
Access controls | 156 | ||
Summary | 156 | ||
Practice question | 157 | ||
Chapter 11: Revenue and capital expenditure | 158 | ||
Objectives | 158 | ||
Introduction | 159 | ||
Asset security | 159 | ||
Safety of employees and members of the public | 160 | ||
Control of revenue expenditure | 161 | ||
Questionnaires | 163 | ||
Internal control questionnaires (ICQs) | 163 | ||
Internal control evaluation questionnaires (ICEQs) | 164 | ||
Flowcharting | 165 | ||
Capital construction contracts | 166 | ||
Need and feasibility study | 169 | ||
Option appraisals | 169 | ||
Capital programme (or capital budget) | 170 | ||
Design stage | 171 | ||
Construction of the bill of quantities | 171 | ||
Contract stage | 174 | ||
Construction phase | 174 | ||
Final account stage | 175 | ||
Post-project appraisal | 176 | ||
Service contracts | 177 | ||
Summary | 178 | ||
Practice question | 178 | ||
Chapter 12: Audit risk assessment and sampling | 179 | ||
Objectives | 179 | ||
Introduction | 180 | ||
Risk management | 181 | ||
Identification of risk | 181 | ||
Risk measurement | 185 | ||
Avoidance of risk | 187 | ||
Reduction of risk | 188 | ||
Accommodation of risk | 188 | ||
Audit risk | 190 | ||
Inherent risk | 191 | ||
Control risk | 191 | ||
Detection risk | 191 | ||
Overall audit risk | 192 | ||
Sampling | 192 | ||
Sample selection | 192 | ||
Summary | 196 | ||
Practice question | 196 | ||
Chapter 13: Financial statement audit | 197 | ||
Objectives | 197 | ||
Introduction | 198 | ||
Financial | 198 | ||
Non-audit services | 200 | ||
The interim audit | 202 | ||
Auditing of accounting estimates | 204 | ||
Uncertainty and risk | 205 | ||
Summary | 207 | ||
Practice question | 207 | ||
Chapter 14: Asset verification | 208 | ||
Objectives | 208 | ||
Introduction | 209 | ||
Pre-audit preparation | 210 | ||
Verification of tangible fixed assets | 210 | ||
Land and buildings | 211 | ||
Plant and machinery | 211 | ||
Vehicles | 212 | ||
Furniture, fitting and equipment | 212 | ||
Investments | 212 | ||
Goodwill | 213 | ||
Certification of current assets | 213 | ||
Debtors | 213 | ||
Bank and cash balances | 214 | ||
Analytical procedures | 214 | ||
Computer-assisted audit techniques (CAATs) | 215 | ||
Summary | 216 | ||
Practice question | 217 | ||
Chapter 15: Liabilities and accruals | 218 | ||
Objectives | 218 | ||
Introduction | 219 | ||
Long-term liabilities | 219 | ||
Share capital | 219 | ||
Provisions and reserves | 220 | ||
Loans and debentures | 221 | ||
Current liabilities | 222 | ||
Creditors | 222 | ||
Dividends | 224 | ||
Taxation | 224 | ||
Overdraft | 225 | ||
Analytical review | 225 | ||
Summary | 226 | ||
Practice question | 226 | ||
Chapter 16: Going concern | 227 | ||
Objectives | 227 | ||
Introduction | 228 | ||
The going concern assumption | 228 | ||
Management’s assessment of the going concern assumption | 229 | ||
Risk to the going concern of an entity | 229 | ||
Auditor’s responsibility | 231 | ||
Period beyond management’s assessment | 231 | ||
Procedures when events are identified | 232 | ||
Management assessments | 232 | ||
Disclosure requirement relating to going concern issues | 232 | ||
Additional procedures when events or conditions are identified | 233 | ||
Subsequent events review | 233 | ||
The overall review | 234 | ||
Auditing Practices Board – Bulletin 2008/1 | 234 | ||
Audit evidence issues | 235 | ||
The Companies Act 2006 and going concern issues | 235 | ||
Summary | 236 | ||
Practice question | 236 | ||
Chapter 17: Audit reporting | 237 | ||
Objectives | 237 | ||
Introduction | 238 | ||
The audit report | 238 | ||
The unqualified audit report | 240 | ||
Introductory paragraphs | 241 | ||
Scope paragraph | 241 | ||
Opinion paragraph | 242 | ||
Date, address and signature | 242 | ||
Sample unqualified statutory auditor’s report | 243 | ||
The modified (qualified) audit report | 245 | ||
Matters that affect the auditor’s opinion | 245 | ||
Matters that do not affect the auditor’s opinion | 246 | ||
Inherent uncertainty and the auditor’s report | 248 | ||
Disclaimer of responsibility | 248 | ||
Comparison between SAS 600 and ISA 700 | 248 | ||
Management reports, internal audit and review reports | 249 | ||
Summary | 250 | ||
Practice question | 250 | ||
Chapter 18: Public sector auditing | 251 | ||
Objectives | 251 | ||
Introduction | 252 | ||
What are the public sector organisations? | 253 | ||
Accountability in the public sector | 253 | ||
Parliamentary accountability | 254 | ||
Other forms of accountability | 255 | ||
Key points of accountability in the public sector | 255 | ||
Accountability feedback | 255 | ||
Public sector auditors | 256 | ||
National Audit Office (NAO) | 256 | ||
The Audit Commission | 258 | ||
Devolved audit | 261 | ||
External audit in the public sector | 261 | ||
Internal audit in the public sector | 262 | ||
External and internal audit relationships | 263 | ||
Developments impacting on current auditing practices in the public sector | 264 | ||
Local authority accountability issues – reports in the public interest | 270 | ||
Report in the public interest versus the qualified audit report | 271 | ||
Housing associations and charities | 272 | ||
Summary | 273 | ||
Practice question | 273 | ||
Chapter 19: Value-for-money audit and performance indicators in not-for-profit organisations | 274 | ||
Objectives | 274 | ||
Introduction | 275 | ||
The role of audit | 276 | ||
External audit, internal audit and management’s responsibilities for VFM | 276 | ||
Statutory requirement for a VFM audit | 277 | ||
VFM focus | 277 | ||
Undertaking a VFM audit | 278 | ||
Categories of VFM studies | 279 | ||
Performance targets, measures and indicators | 280 | ||
The value of performance measurement | 281 | ||
Internal and external performance measures that are used to enhance accountability | 281 | ||
Evaluation of performance indicators | 283 | ||
Setting of targets and measures | 284 | ||
Limitations of performance indicators | 285 | ||
Summary | 289 | ||
Practice question | 289 | ||
Chapter 20: Emerging issues in auditing | 290 | ||
Objectives | 290 | ||
Introduction | 291 | ||
Forensic audit | 292 | ||
Working with others | 293 | ||
Forensic auditing and IT | 293 | ||
The expert witness | 293 | ||
The development of the ‘added value’ audit | 294 | ||
Changes in the nature of auditing | 294 | ||
Globalisation | 295 | ||
Wider use of technology | 295 | ||
The growth of audit assurance services | 295 | ||
Management of risk | 295 | ||
Risk management and audit | 296 | ||
Environmental audit | 296 | ||
Auditor skills | 296 | ||
Environmental issues that auditors may encounter | 296 | ||
Social audit | 297 | ||
Summary | 297 | ||
Practice question | 297 | ||
Index | 299 |