December 22, 2021

The auditor needs to obtain the same degree of assurance in order to give an unqualified opinion on the financial statements of both small and large entities. However, many controls which would be relevant to large entities are not practical in the small business. For example, in small business accounting work may be performed by […]

As a result of obtaining an understanding of the accounting and internal control systems and tests of control, the auditor may become aware of weaknesses in the systems. The auditor should make management aware, as soon as practical and at an appropriate level of responsibility, of material weaknesses in the design or operation of the

Management often reacts to inherent risk situations by designing accounting and internal control systems to prevent or detect and correct misstatements and therefore, in many cases, inherent risk and control risk are highly interrelated. In such situations, if the auditor attempts to assess inherent and control risks separately, there is a possibility of inappropriate risk

It implies examination of a few selected transactions from the beginning to the end through the entire flow of the transaction, i.e., from initiation to the completion of the transaction by receipt of payment of cash and delivery or receipt of the goods. This examination consists of studying the recording of transactions at the various

After assimilating the internal control system, the auditor needs to examine whether and how far the same is actually in operation. For this, he resorts to actual testing of the system in operation. This he does on a selective basis: he can plan this testing in such a manner that all the important areas are

It is a graphic presentation of each part of the company’s system of internal control. A flow chart is considered to be the most concise way of recording the auditor’s review of the system. It minimises the amount of narrative explanation and thereby achieves a consideration or presentation not possible in any other form. It

This is a comprehensive series of questions concerning internal control. This is the most widely used form for collecting information about the existence, operation and efficiency of internal control in an organisation. An important advantage of the questionnaire approach is that oversight or ommission of significant internal control review procedures is less likely to occur

This is a series of instructions and/or questions which a member of the auditing staff must follow and/or answer. When he completes instruction, he initials the space against the instruction. Answers to the check list instructions are usually Yes, No or Not Applicable. This is again an on the job requirement and instructions are framed

This is a complete and exhaustive description of the system as found in operation by the auditor. Actual testing and observation are necessary before such a record can be developed. It may be recommended in cases where no formal control system is in operation and would be more suited to small business. The basic disadvantages

So far as the auditor is concerned, the examination and evaluation of the internal control system is an indispensable part of the overall audit programme. The auditor needs reasonable assurance that the accounting system is adequate and that all the accounting information which should be recorded has in fact been recorded. Internal control normally contributes

1. Auditing and Assurance Standard (AAS) 6, “Risk Assessments and Internal Control” establishes standards on the procedures to be followed to obtain an understanding of the accounting and internal control systems and on audit risk and its components: inherent risk, control risk and detection risk. As per this Standard, the auditor should obtain an understanding

Before any discussion on the effect of internal control on the auditor’s work is undertaken it is necessary to appreciate that devising and installation of internal control is the responsibility of the management. In any business, the management is vested with the responsibility of carrying on the business, safeguarding its assets and recording the transactions