1. Review of Introduction to Auditing
Lynn Kingston, CPA
Adjunct Faculty
Portland State University

2. Definition of Auditing
Auditing is a systematic process of
1) obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events
2) ascertaining the degree of correspondence between assertions and established criteria
3) Communicating the results to interested users

3. Audit Evidence
“Audit evidence is all the information used by the auditor in arriving at the conclusions on which the audit opinion is based.”

4. Why are assertions important?

5. Overview of Three Classes of Assertions
Class of Transactions
Account Balances
Presentation & Disclosure
Occurrence
Existence
Occurrence/Rights
Completeness
Cutoff
Accuracy
Valuation/Allocation
Accuracy/Valuation
Classification
Classification/
Understandability
Rights/Obligations

6. Being Alert for Misstatements
Misstatements can result from either errors or fraud and may consist of any misstatement of an assertion
What is the difference between known misstatements and likely misstatements?
What is the auditor’s responsibility for immaterial misstatements?
What is the auditor’s responsibility to communicate misstatements to management?

7. Understanding the Entity and Its Environment

8. Goal: Assessing the Risk of Material Misstatement
Develop a knowledgeable perspective about the entity
Relate risks to what can go wrong and the F/S level of assertion level
Consider the magnitude of risks that could result (Material?)
Consider the likelihood of risks that could result

9. Inherent Risk at the Financial Statement Level (Pervasive Risks)
Examples:
Management turnover, reputation, or accounting skills
Liquidity and going concern problems
Pressure to meet debt covenants
Changing industry conditions, etc.
Responses
Increased knowledge, skill, and ability of personnel assigned significant engagement responsibilities
Involvement of a specialist
Appropriate level of supervision of assistants

10. Inherent Risk at the Assertion Level
Examples:
Difficult to audit accounts or transactions
Contentious or difficult accounting issues
Susceptibility to misappropriation
Complexity of calculations
Significant volume of transactions
Responses
Choices about nature, timing and extent of substantive tests depends on internal controls

11. Fraud Defined Acts Resulting in Material Misstatements
Intentional or Unintentional
2 Types of Misstatements Relevant to Fraud
Fraudulent Financial Reporting
Misappropriation of Assets

12. The Fraud Triangle

13. Significant risks that require special audit consideration
Significant risks are often derived from business risks that may result in a material misstatement.
Whether the risk is a risk of fraud
Whether the risk is related to recent significant economic, accounting, or other developments and, therefore, requires specific attention
The complexity of transactions
Whether the risk involves significant transactions with related parties
The degree of subjectivity in measurement
Whether the risk involves significant nonroutine transactions

14. Significant risks
Understand whether the entity has developed internal controls
Communicate significant deficiency or material weakness
Analytical procedures should not be the primary substantive test

15. Internal Control
The auditor should obtain an understanding of the five components of internal control
The auditor should obtain a sufficient understanding by performing risk assessment procedures to evaluate the design of controls relevant to an audit of financial statements and to determine whether they have been implemented

16. Internal Control The auditor should know enough to:
Identify types of potential misstatements.
Consider factors that affect the risks of material misstatement.
Design tests of controls, when applicable, and substantive procedures.

17. Components of Internal Control
Control Environment
Risk Assessment
Information and Communication
Monitoring
Control Activities
Understand in
Every Audit
Depth of Understanding
Depends on Audit strategy

18. Control Environment
Tone at the top that influences control consciousness
Integrity and Ethical Values
Commitment to Competence
Board of Directors and Audit Committee
Management’s Philosophy and Operating Style
Organizational Structure
Assignment of Authority and Responsibility
Human Resource Policies and Practices

19. Risk Assessment Process

20. Information and Communication
Transactions
Audit Trail or Transaction Trail
Documents
Records
Communication

21. Information and Communication
Authorize
Execute
Risk of Misstatement
Risk of Misstatement
Report
Record
Risk when you change the content
of information about at transaction or you change the form of information
Consideration

22. Monitoring Ongoing monitoring programs Separate evaluations
Element of reporting deficiencies to the management / governance

23. Control Activities Authorization Segregation of Duties
Information Processing Controls
Computer General Controls
Computer Application Controls
Controls over the Financial Reporting Process
Physical Controls
Performance Reviews
Controls over Mgmt. Discretion in Financial Reporting

24. Segregation of Duties

25. Overview of Computer Controls And Strategies for Test of Controls

26. Computer General Controls
Organizational and operational controls
System development and documentation controls
Hardware and system controls
Access Controls
Data and Procedural Controls

27. Application Controls
Programmed controls that identify and report possible misstatements in assertions

28. How to identify key controls
Completeness
Start Here
Authorize / Initiate
Execute
Record
Start Here For Occurrence,
Accuracy, and Classification
Consideration

29. Controls over the Financial Reporting Process
Spreadsheets
Accounting
Database
SQL
Financial
Statements
Strong
Controls
Weak or No Controls
Weak or No
Controls

30. Control Activities Authorization Segregation of Duties
Information Processing Controls
Computer General Controls
Computer Application Controls
Controls over the Financial Reporting Process
Physical Controls
Performance Reviews
Controls over Mgmt. Discretion in Financial Reporting

31. Overall Conclusion about Internal Controls
What is the cumulative effect of all five components of internal control for each assertion?

32. PCAOB Auditing Standard #5
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Note: There is a reasonable possibility of an event, as used in this standard, when the likelihood of the event is either "reasonably possible" or "probable," as those terms are used in Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 5, Accounting for Contingencies ("FAS 5").3/

33. PCAOB Auditing Standard #5
A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those responsible for oversight of the company's financial reporting.

34. Factors that influence judgments about likelihood
The nature of the financial statement accounts, disclosures, and assertions involved. For example, suspense accounts and related party transactions involve greater risk.
The susceptibility of the related assets or liabilities to loss or fraud.
The subjectivity and complexity of the amount involved, and the extent of judgment needed to determine that amount.
The cause and frequency of any known or detected exceptions related to the operating effectiveness of a control.
The interaction or relationship of the control with other controls.
The interaction of the control deficiency with other control deficiencies.
The possible future consequences of the deficiency.

35. Factors that influence judgments about magnitude
The financial statement amounts or total of transactions exposed to the deficiency.
The volume of activity in the account balance or class of transactions exposed to the deficiency in the current period or expected in future periods.

36. Analytical Procedures

37. Effective Analytical Procedures

38. Responses to risk at the assertion level
Nature
The nature of the audit procedures is of most importance in responding to the assessed risks.
Timing
Good internal controls are required to modify the timing of audit procedures
Extent
Directly related to test of details risk in the audit risk model
The auditor also needs to consider other factors related to sample size

39. Nature and Timing of Test of Controls

40. General Categories of Substantive Tests
Initial Procedures
Analytical Procedures
Tests of Details of Transactions
Tests of Details of Balances
Tests of Details of Accounting Estimates
Tests of Details of Disclosures

41. Factors that influence performing substantive tests at an interim date
The control environment and other relevant controls
The availability of information at a later date that is necessary for the auditor’s procedures
The objective of the substantive procedure
The assessed risk of material misstatement
The nature of the class of transactions or account balance and relevant assertions
The ability of the auditor to reduce the risk that misstatements that exist at the period end are not detected by performing appropriate substantive procedures or substantive procedures combined with tests of controls to cover the remaining period in order to reduce the risk that misstatements that exist at period end are not detected

42. Evaluating the sufficiency and appropriateness of evidence
At the end of the audit the auditor should cycle back through risk assessments made and evidence obtained to evaluate the effectiveness of the audit.
Significance of the potential misstatement in the relevant assertion and the likelihood of its having a material effect, individually or aggregated with other potential misstatements, on the financial statements.
Effectiveness of management’s responses and controls to address the risks.
Experience gained during previous audits with respect to similar potential misstatements.
Results of audit procedures performed, including whether such audit procedures identified specific instances of fraud or error.
Source and reliability of available information.
Persuasiveness of the audit evidence.
Understanding of the entity and its environment, including its internal control.

43. Final Consideration Evaluate known and likely misstatements
Consider material overstatement and understatements
The effect of misstatements in prior periods

44. The Assurance Bucket Accounting 493/593 – Spring 2009
I’d like to introduce our “Assurance Bucket” analogy. This analogy will be expanded on during the course of the training. Essentially, the auditor’s goal is the fill the bucket with appropriate audit evidence to gain the level of desired assurance (high level of assurance for audits).
Explain this over the next few slides: Risk Assessment Procedures form the base layer in the bucket – you do those first. Once you have assessed risk and planned audit responses to the risks of the entity, then you have the base of a level of assurance required (this is not enough assurance to render an opinion). Next is tests of controls (if applicable), substantial analytical procedures and finally substantive tests of details (last resort).
Accounting 493/593 – Spring 2009

45. Filling the Assurance Bucket
Risk Assessment Procedures
Risk Assessment Procedures

46. Filling the Assurance Bucket
Test of Controls
Tests of Controls
Risk Assessment Procedures 46

47. Filling the Assurance Bucket
Substantive Analytical Procedures
Substantive Analytical Procedures
Tests of Controls
Risk Assessment Procedures

48. Filling the Assurance Bucket
Substantive
Test of Details
Substantive Tests of Details
Substantive Analytical Procedures
Tests of Controls
Risk Assessment Procedures
Emphasize that this top down approach illustrated in the assurance hierarchy is not about “avoiding detail testing” at all costs. Rather, it is about effectively leveraging the power of controls testing and substantive analytical procedures to direct attention to high risk areas as we go about obtaining sufficient appropriate evidence.

49. Filling the Financial Statement Assertion “Buckets”
Tests of Controls
Substantive Analytical Procedures
Substantive Tests of Details
Risk Assessment Procedures
Display PowerPoint slide “Filling Financial Statement Assertion Buckets”.
Our risk assessment procedures help us determine how big the bucket is for each assertion. Obviously, there are assertions that are more important or present bigger risks for some accounts than for others. For instance, existence or validity is typically more important for accounts receivable than it is for accounts payable. After we determine the risks associated with accounts, we can determine the size of our assurance buckets and then begin filling our buckets as we move through the assurance hierarchy.
As depicted on the slide, most buckets will be filled with a combination of audit tests. In some instances our assurance buckets will be nearly full after we conduct tests of controls and analytical procedures. In other instances we will need to fill a significant portion of the bucket with our tests of details. For example, we may choose to fill the bucket largely through tests of details when an account contains a few large transactions. Obviously, if we are conducting an audit of internal control over financial reporting we will also gather evidence on the design and operating effectiveness of important controls over significant accounts.
Currently, some of our buckets runneth over and some of our buckets are not full. Our goal, and that of our peer reviewers and the regulators who review our work papers, is to see nice, even, full buckets.
Completeness
Cut-Off
Existence
Valuation 49

50. Questions?