Isa 315

IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING THE RISKS OF MATERIAL
MISSTATEMENT THROUGH UNDERSTANDING THE ENTITY AND ITS

ENVIRONMENT
ISA 315
A.
Risk Assessment Procedures and Related Activities

The risk assessment procedures shall include the following:
(a) Inquiries of management, and of others within the entity who in the auditors
judgment may have information that is likely to assist in identifying risks of material
misstatement due to fraud or error. (Ref: Para. A6)
(b) Analytical procedures. (Ref: Para. A7A10)
(c) Observation and inspection. (Ref: Para. A11)
The understanding establishes a frame of reference within which the auditor plans the
audit and exercises professional judgment throughout the audit, for example, when:
Assessing risks of material misstatement of the financial statements;
Determining materiality in accordance with ISA 320;3
Considering the appropriateness of the selection and application of accounting
policies, and the adequacy of financial statement disclosures;
Identifying areas where special audit consideration may be necessary, for example,
related party transactions, the appropriateness of business purpose of transactions;
Developing expectations for use when performing analytical procedures;
Responding to the assessed risks of material misstatement, including designing and
performing further audit procedures to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence;
and
Evaluating the sufficiency and appropriateness of audit evidence obtained, such as the
appropriateness of assumptions and of managements oral and written representations.
a. Inquiries of Management and Others within the Entity
Much of the information obtained by the auditors inquiries is obtained from
management and those responsible for financial reporting. However, the auditor may
also obtain information, or a different perspective in identifying risks of material
misstatement, through inquiries of others within the entity and other employees with
different levels of authority
b. Analytical Procedures
Analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures may include both
financial and non-financial information, for example, the relationship between sales
and square footage of selling space or volume of goods sold.
c. Observation and Inspection
d. Information Obtained in Prior Periods
e. Discussion among the Engagement Team
Where the auditor intends to use information obtained from the auditors previous
experience with the entity and from audit procedures performed in previous audits, the
auditor shall determine whether changes have occurred since the previous audit that may
affect its relevance to the current audit. The engagement partner and other key
engagement team members shall discuss the susceptibility of the entitys financial
statements to material misstatement, and the application of the applicable financial
reporting framework to the entitys facts and circumstances. The engagement partner
shall determine which matters are to be communicated to engagement team members not
involved in the discussion.
1. The Required Understanding of the Entity and Its Environment, Including the
Entitys Internal Control
The Entity and Its Environment
b) Relevant industry, regulatory, and other external factors including the applicable financial
reporting framework.
a. The nature of the entity, including:
(i)
its operations;
(ii)
its ownership and governance structures;
(iii)
the types of investments that the entity is making and plans to make,
including investments in special-purpose entities; and
(iv)
the way that the entity is structured and how it is financed,
b. to enable the auditor to understand the classes of transactions, account balances,
and disclosures to be expected in the financial statements. (Ref: Para. A23A27)
c. (c) The entitys selection and application of accounting policies, including the
reasons for changes thereto. The auditor shall evaluate whether the entitys
accounting policies are appropriate for its business and consistent with the
applicable financial reporting framework and accounting policies used in the
relevant industry. (Ref: Para. A28)
d. (d) The entitys objectives and strategies, and those related business risks that may
result in risks of material misstatement. (Ref: Para. A29A35)
e. (e) The measurement and review of the entitys financial performance.
c) The Entitys Internal Control (Control environment, The entitys risk assessment process,
The information system, including the related business processes relevant to financial
reporting, and communication)
d) Control activities relevant to the audit,
e) Monitoring of controls
2. Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement
The auditor shall identify and assess the risks of material misstatement at:
(a) the financial statement level; and (Ref: Para. A105A108)
(b) the assertion level for classes of transactions, account balances, and disclosures, (Ref:
Para. A109A113)
Risks That Require Special Audit Consideration
The auditor shall determine whether any of the risks identified are, in the auditors
judgment, a significant risk. In exercising this judgment, the auditor shall exclude the
effects of identified controls related to the risk. If the auditor has determined that a
significant risk exists, the auditor shall obtain an understanding of the entitys controls,
including control activities, relevant to that risk.
Risks for Which Substantive Procedures Alone Do Not Provide Sufficient Appropriate
Audit Evidence
In respect of some risks, the auditor may judge that it is not possible or practicable to
obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence only from substantive procedures. Such risks
may relate to the inaccurate or incomplete recording of routine and significant classes of
transactions or account balances, the characteristics of which often permit highly
automated processing with little or no manual intervention. In such cases, the entitys
controls over such risks are relevant to the audit and the auditor shall obtain an
understanding of them.
Revision of Risk Assessment
In circumstances where the auditor obtains audit evidence from performing further audit
procedures, or if new information is obtained, either of which is inconsistent with the
audit evidence on which the auditor originally based the assessment, the auditor shall
revise the assessment and modify the further planned audit procedures accordingly.
Assessment of Risks of Material Misstatement at the Financial Statement Level
Risks at the financial statement level may derive in particular from a deficient control
environment (although these risks may also relate to other factors, such as declining
economic conditions). For example, deficiencies such as managements lack of
competence may have a more pervasive effect on the financial statements and may
require an overall response by the auditor
Assessment of Risks of Material Misstatement at the Assertion Level

Assertions used by the auditor to consider the different types of potential misstatements
that may occur fall into the following three categories and may take the following forms:
(a) Assertions about classes of transactions and events for the period under audit:
(i)
Occurrencetransactions and events that have been recorded have occurred
and pertain to the entity.
(ii)
Completenessall transactions and events that should have been recorded
have been recorded.
(iii)
Accuracyamounts and other data relating to recorded transactions and
events have been recorded appropriately.
(iv)
Cutofftransactions and events have been recorded in the correct accounting
period.
(v)
Classificationtransactions and events have been recorded in the proper
accounts.
(b) Assertions about account balances at the period end:
(i)
Existenceassets, liabilities, and equity interests exist.
(ii)
Rights and obligationsthe entity holds or controls the rights to assets, and
liabilities are the obligations of the entity.
(iii)
Completenessall assets, liabilities and equity interests that should have been
recorded have been recorded.
(iv)
Valuation and allocationassets, liabilities, and equity interests are included
in the financial statements at appropriate amounts and any resulting valuation
or allocation adjustments are appropriately recorded.
(c) Assertions about presentation and disclosure:
(i)
Occurrence and rights and obligationsdisclosed events, transactions, and
other matters have occurred and pertain to the entity.
(ii)
Completenessall disclosures that should have been included in the financial
statements have been included.
(iii)
Classification and understandabilityfinancial information is appropriately
presented and described, and disclosures are clearly expressed.
(iv)
Accuracy and valuationfinancial and other information are disclosed fairly
and at appropriate amounts.
3. Documentation
The auditor shall include in the audit documentation:2
(a) The discussion among the engagement team, and the significant decisions reached;
(b) Key elements of the understanding obtained regarding each of the aspects of the entity
and its environment and of each of the internal control components; the sources of
information from which the understanding was obtained; and the risk assessment
procedures performed;
(c) The identified and assessed risks of material misstatement at the financial statement
level and at the assertion level; and
(d) The risks identified, and related controls about which the auditor has obtained an
understanding

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IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING THE RISKS OF MATERIAL

MISSTATEMENT THROUGH UNDERSTANDING THE ENTITY AND ITS

Risk Assessment Procedures and Related Activities

Assessment of Risks of Material Misstatement at the Assertion Level

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