The Auditing Standards Board has issued Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards, Subsequent Events and Subsequently Discovered Facts. The proposal would supersede AU sections 530, Dating of the Independent Auditor’s Report, 560, Subsequent Events, 561, Subsequent Discovery of Facts Existing at the Date of the Auditor’s Report, and paragraphs .71–.73 of
Audit & assurance
IFAC President: U.S. Needs SEC Commitment to Global Standards
The time is now to implement global accounting and auditing standards, said International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) President Robert L. Bunting, CPA, in a speech last week at the World Bank in Washington. In a JofA interview, Bunting, a partner in Seattle-based Moss Adams LLP and a former chairman of
IFAC Publishes Guide to Quality Control For Small- and Medium-Sized Practices
IFAC has published a Guide to Quality Control for Small- and Medium-Sized Practices. This nonauthoritative implementation guide is intended to help SMPs understand and efficiently apply International Standard on Quality Control (ISQC) 1, Quality Control for Firms that Perform Audits and Reviews of Financial Statements, and Other Assurance and Related
GASB, CAQ Offer Research Grants
GASB and the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) are each reaching out to the academic community with grant proposals. GASB is offering a $5,000 research grant to encourage academic support for its standard-setting activities, while the CAQ separately plans to give out a combined $200,000 in grants for multiple research
Guidance Released on Registration of Auditors of Nonpublic Broker-Dealers
The PCAOB and SEC issued guidance on the registration of auditors of nonpublic broker-dealers. Until recently, auditors of nonpublic broker-dealers were not required to register with the PCAOB as a result of a series of SEC exemptions dating back to 2003. The latest SEC order, issued in December 2006, extended
Auditing
To help auditors, management and others involved with gauging the effects of the economic crisis on an entity’s viability and whether these effects should be described in the financial statements, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) released the practice alert Audit Considerations in Respect of Going Concern
Burzenski, Shelton Join PCFRC
John R. Burzenski, president and managing officer of Burzenski & Co. PC, in East Haven, Conn., and Steven A. Shelton, president and managing partner at Way, Ray, Shelton and Co. PC, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., were named to the Private Company Financial Reporting Committee. The PCFRC is a FASB committee that
Madoff Auditor Charged with Securities Fraud
Federal officials filed criminal and civil charges against Bernard Madoff’s auditor on Wednesday, and the AICPA expelled him from the Institute after concluding its own ethics investigation. In a civil complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, the SEC alleges that from 1991 through 2008, David G. Friehling and
Effort to Simplify International Audit Standards Completed
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has completed its clarity project, an initiative to update and reposition auditing standards in a form that is easier to understand, implement and translate. The clarified standards are effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after Dec. 15,
Clarified Risk Standard Proposals Available
The AICPA released for exposure certain risk assessment standards rewritten as part of its clarity project. The proposed risk assessment standards have been redrafted into a format that clearly identifies objectives, relevant definitions, requirements, and application and other explanatory material. Comments on the exposure drafts are due April 30.
Compilation and Review
The Accounting and Review Services Committee issued Interpretation no. 31, Preparation of Financial Statements for Use by an Entity’s Auditors, of AR section 100, Compilation and Review of Financial Statements. The document, available at http://tinyurl.com/7z9o24, provides guidance for situations in which a client engages an accountant, other than its auditor,
Auditing
The Center for Audit Quality issued a practice aid on testing journal entries. The nonauthoritative document is designed to be a reference for auditors of public companies when applying certain sections of AU section 316, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, of the PCAOB’s interim auditing standards. It
ASB Issues Audit Documentation Guidance, Internal Control Standards
The Auditing Standards Board (ASB) issued the second clarified auditing standard resulting from its clarity project, which aims to make U.S. GAAP easier to understand and apply and gives each standard a principles-based objective. Statement on Auditing Standards Audit Documentation (Redrafted) supersedes AU section 339, Audit Documentation. The standard
CAQ Offers Pointers for Integrated Audits of Internal Control
The Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) issued a report highlighting lessons learned from section 404 audits of internal control over financial reporting. The nonauthoritative report, designed to help audit firms that have not yet conducted an integrated audit, as well as more experienced firms, identifies 21 practical tips for auditors.
Guidance Released on Monitoring Internal Control
The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) released guidance designed to help organizations better monitor the effectiveness of their internal control systems and to take swift corrective action if needed. The guidance, developed by COSO in a project led by a Grant Thornton LLP team, recognizes
Updated Airline Industry Guide Available
The AICPA issued the Audit and Accounting Guide Airlines, which provides the latest information on accounting and auditing issues affecting the airline industry. The guide addresses a number of new transactions and issues that have emerged over the years, including frequent flyer programs, electronic ticketing, revenue breakage, power-by-the hour maintenance
CAQ Issues Aid on Testing Journal Entries
The Center for Audit Quality issued a practice aid on testing journal entries. The nonauthoritative document is designed to be a reference for auditors of public companies when applying certain sections of AU section 316, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, of the PCAOB’s interim auditing standards. It
Uniting the Global Profession
Robert Bunting became president of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in November, beginning a two-year term. Prior to this, he was deputy president of IFAC for two years and has been a member of the IFAC Board since 2005. Bunting is a partner in Seattle-based Moss Adams LLP, where
Auditing
The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board issued two exposure drafts related to service organizations. Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards, Audit Considerations Relating to an Entity Using a Service Organization (Redrafted), is for auditors of entities that use a service organization. The redrafted SAS would supersede AU section 324, Service Organizations. Proposed
New Statement on Quality Control Standards Effective as of Jan. 1
Statement on Quality Control Standards (SQCS) no. 7, A Firm’s System of Quality Control, applies as of Jan. 1, 2009, to a CPA firm’s system of quality control for its accounting and auditing practice. The statement describes elements of quality control and other matters essential to the effective design and
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