CHAPTER 7 LEARNING OBJECTIVES 7-1 Contrast audit evidence with evidence used by other professions. 7-2 Identify the four audit evidence decisions that are needed to create an audit program. 7-3 Specify the characteristics that determine the persuasiveness of evidence. 7-4 Identify and apply the eight types of evidence used in auditing. 7-5 Know the types of analytical procedures and their purposes. 7-6 Compute common financial ratios. 7-7 Understand the purposes of audit documentation. 7-8 Prepare organized audit documentation.
AUDIT EVIDENCE DECISIONS The auditor must make four major decisions regarding what evidence to gather and how much to accumulate: 1. Which audit procedures to use? 2. What sample size to select for a given procedure? 3. Which items to select from the population? 4. When to perform the procedures? An audit program includes all of the above information for a given audit.
Audit standards require that the auditor accumulate
sufficient appropriate evidence to support the opinion issued. The two determinants of the persuasiveness of evidence are appropriateness and sufficiency. Appropriateness of evidence depends on: • Relevance of evidence • Reliability of evidence
Relevance of evidence means that the evidence must
pertain to or be relevant to the audit objective that is being tested. Reliability of evidence refers to the degree to which evidence is believable or worthy of trust. Reliability depends on the following characteristics: 1. Independence of provider 2. Effectiveness of client’s internal controls 3. Auditor’s direct knowledge 4. Qualifications of individuals providing the information 5. Degree of objectivity 6. Timeliness
PERSUASIVENESS OF EVIDENCE (CONT.) Sufficiency of evidence refers to the quantity of evidence obtained. The sample size that is considered sufficient is affected by two factors: • The auditor’s expectation of misstatements • The effectiveness of the client’s internal controls Combined Effect—The persuasiveness of the evidence can be evaluated only after considering the combination of appropriateness and sufficiency.
In making decisions about audit evidence, both persuasiveness and
cost must be considered. The relationships among evidence decisions and persuasiveness are illustrated in Table 7-2.
TYPES OF AUDIT EVIDENCE Every audit procedure obtains one or more of the following types of evidence: 1. Physical examination 2. Confirmation 3. Inspection 4. Analytical procedures 5. Inquiries of the client 6. Recalculation 7. Reperformance 8. Observation
TYPES OF AUDIT EVIDENCE (CONT.) 1. Physical Examination—The inspection or count of a tangible asset by the auditor. 2. Confirmation—The receipt of a direct written response from a third party verifying the accuracy of information that was requested by the auditor. Information often confirmed is detailed in Table 7-3. 3. Inspection—The auditor’s examination of the client’s documents and records to substantiate the information in the financial statements. • Documents can be internal (prepared by the client’s organization) or external (prepared or handled by someone outside the organization who is a party to the transaction). • Using documents to support recorded transactions (occurrence) is called vouching. • Testing from source documents to recorded amounts (completeness objective) is called tracing.
5. Inquiry—Obtaining written or oral information from the client in
response to auditor questions. Usually not considered conclusive unless it is corroborated. 6. Recalculation—Rechecking a sample of calculations made by the client. 7. Reperformance—The auditor’s test of client accounting procedures or controls. 8. Observation—Watching a process or procedure being performed by others.
Appropriateness of Types of Evidence—Table 7-4 details the criteria to
determine appropriateness. Conclusions from the criteria: • The effectiveness of a client’s internal controls has significant influence on the reliability of most types of audit evidence, especially internal documentation and analytical procedures. • Physical examination and recalculation involve the auditor’s direct knowledge and are likely to be highly reliable. • Inquiry alone is usually not sufficient to provide appropriate evidence to satisfy any audit objective.
ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES Purposes of Analytical Procedures During the Audit Engagement: 1. Analytical procedures are required in the planning phase as part of risk assessment to understand the client’s business and industry. 2. Analytical procedures are often done during the testing phase of the audit as substantive tests in support of an account balance. 3. Analytical procedures are required during the completion phase of the audit, serving as a final review for material misstatements.
COMMON FINANCIAL RATIOS Financial ratios fall into several categories: • Short-Term Debt-Paying Ability: • Cash ratio • Quick ratio • Current ratio • Liquidity Activity Ratios: • Accounts receivable turnover • Days to collect receivables • Inventory turnover • Days to sell inventory
AUDIT DOCUMENTATION Audit documentation is the record of the audit procedures performed, relevant audit evidence, and conclusions the auditor reached. Purposes of Audit Documentation: • Basis for planning the audit • Record of the evidence accumulated and the results of the tests • Data for determining the proper type of audit report • Basis for review by supervisors and partners Ownership of the Audit Files: All audit files are the property of the auditor.
The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct states that a member in public practice shall not disclose any confidential client information without the specific consent of the client. Requirements for Retention of Audit Documentation: • Auditing standards require records of private companies be retained for a minimum of five years. • Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires auditors of public companies to maintain audit files for a minimum of seven years.
The contents and organization of a typical set of audit files is illustrated in
Figure 7-3. The type of audit documentation and the way it is arranged in the files is logical although firms may vary in their approaches. Permanent Files: Contain data of a historical or continuing nature. These provide a convenient source of information that is used from year to year: • Copies of company documents such as articles of incorporation, bylaws, bond indentures, and long-term contracts • Analyses of accounts from previous years that have continuing importance • Information related to understanding internal controls and assessing control risk • Results of analytical procedures from prior years’ audits for comparison