Materialidad en Auditoria

Our commitment to
executing quality audits

Information for audit committees
Ernst & Young LLP
November 2012
Auditors play a vital role

in the efficient functioning
of the capital markets. We
recognize and embrace
the responsibility that has
been entrusted to us as
independent auditors.
Contents
Letter from Steve Howe and Tom Hough
Our commitment to executing quality audits
The importance of communication
Global integration and how it supports audit quality
The Firms quality control system
Instilling professional values across the organization
Our audit quality support structure
10
How we work to perform quality audits
13
Integrated multidisciplinary service delivery
15
Our accounting and auditing review and consultation process
16
Our client acceptance and continuance procedures
18
Our recruiting and professional development objectives
19
Our compliance with legal requirements
22
Our independence procedures and monitoring efforts
23
Our practices related to evaluating and compensating our audit partners
26
Our internal and external inspection programs
27
Appendix A: Glossary
33
Document title Additional text
Audit committee chairs and members

We are pleased to present this report discussing the commitment of Ernst & Young LLP
(the Firm or EY) to executing quality audits and describing our system of quality control.
Quality is the bedrock of what we do every day. As a leader in the audit profession, we
must serve our stakeholders with passion and integrity and fulfill our independent role
to serve with objectivity and skepticism, excellence and professionalism. Our audit practice
is not just our largest service offering; it is central to our brand a brand that defines
our organization.
The importance of the audit practice to EY
From an office opened
in Cleveland, Ohio, by the
Stephen R. Howe, Jr.

Managing Partner
Ernst & Young LLP
G. Thomas Hough
Vice Chair of
Assurance Services
Ernst & Young LLP
Ernst brothers in 1903

in Chicago,
Illinois,
Sinceand
the one
enactment
of the
Sarbanes-Oxley
of 2002practice
(SOX), many
auditaudit)
committees
TheAct
assurance
(including
is the Firms
started by Arthur Young
in
1906,
Ernst
&
Young
have taken on a greater role in the oversight
of a
companys
financial reporting
largest
service
line. Performing
audits isand
ourits
largest
has grown to be a dealings
worldwide
professional
servicesauditor. Empowered and independent audit committees play
with
the independent
activity and is our central priority critical to our
organization of more
than
167,000
people
operating in promoting audit quality, protecting independence
a vital
role
on behalf
of shareholders
brand in the marketplace. In the US, EY audits more
in more than 140 countries
a
global
leader
and preventing conflicts of in
interest. The than
global
Ernstentities.
& YoungThey
organization
is committed
to
4,000
range from
multi-national
assurance, advisory,
tax and
robust
andtransaction
transparentadvisory
communication with
audit
committees.
We also
believe
greater
public
companies
operating
around
thethat
globe
that
services.
investor understanding of audit firms quality
control statements
systems andwith
thethe
measures
such
audit
file financial
Securities
and
firms
are taking
to improve
audit
could further
bolster confidence
in the profession.
Commission
(SEC) to privately
-held,
Quality audits instill
confidence
in and
credibility
to qualityExchange
thatfor
may
supply
the financial reporting
that is soofvital
the efficient
The purpose
thisto
report
is to describefamily-owned
the system ofbusinesses
quality control
the
auditfinancial
practice
information
to
a
local
lender.
These
entities
operate in
functioning of the of
capital
markets.
The
substantial
EY, the US member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited (EYG), and the significant
myriad
industries
from
software
to
financial
services,
procedures and analyses
performed
by
the
investments we have made and continue to make to enhance audit quality. We describe
from
retail
to
real
estate,
from
energy
to
consumer
independent auditor
enable
the
auditor
to
opine
on
the global Ernst & Young organization, processes and procedures that have one goal
products
and theto
public
sector. While EYG has
an entitys financial
statements
and, for
certain public
providing
seamless,
consistent
quality service
worldwide
stakeholders.
companies, internal
control
over
financial
reporting.
made significant investments in organizing
the
of member
firms
around the world
Who
is network
accountable
for audit
quality?
Performing this work
integrity,
andwith
operating
as aexpertise,
highly integrated, multidisciplinary global organization, this report
Theinvestments
answer herewe
is simple:
We all
Theand
objectivity and professional
ataudit
the heart
focuses onskepticism
the FirmsisUS
practice, the
have made
in are.
people
responsibility
for
quality
begins
at
the
top
of the
of our responsibility
as
independent
auditors
a
processes in the US, and initiatives resulting from practice monitoring activities,
including
global
organization
at
the
Global
and
Americas
responsibility we take
most
seriously.
internal and external inspection findings. For more information on the global Ernst & Young
Executive
Boards
andErnst
senior
leadership
level
of the
organization,
to the Transparency
Report
2012:
& Young
Global,
which
is
Our commitment to
audit qualityplease
meansrefer
we must
Firm
and
runs
throughout
the
Firm
to
our
partners
available
on
our
website
at
www.ey.com.
make continuous investment and continuous
and to our professional staff in all of our service lines
improvement. Audits
cant
staticcomplex
and remain
Audits
inbe
todays
financial environment
outstanding
people supported
involvedrequire
in performing
and supporting
audits. In
effective over time.
are conducted
a
byAudits
an organization
with in
a clear
focus on short,
quality.the
Our
passion for quality
begins
the
responsibility
for quality
is anatimportant
dynamic marketplace
top with
of theincreasingly
global Ernstchallenging
& Young organization,
permeates
everywho
levelworks
and isatan
attribute
of everyone
anongoing
Ernst & Young
and complex business
activities. To
Weexecute
recognize
commitment.
quality audits infirm.
todays
complex
andofchallenging
environment,
We are
mindful
the public franchise
that has
the importance of we
thisfocus
role and
take
seriously our service delivery model, including professionals
on our organization,
been entrusted to us. We recognize and embrace the
our commitment to
executingaudit
quality
audits. Ourteams, our people, our policies and procedures, and our
supporting
engagement
responsibility that this role represents and take our
organizational structure,
methodologies,
monitoring activities by:policies,
obligation to serve the public interest as independent
practices and procedures are all designed to fulfill
auditors
seriously.
Developing and executing a common global
audit
methodology designed to achieve
that important responsibility.
quality audits with seamless, consistent
service
regardless
of location
How is the Firm investing
in the audit practice to
The enactment of SOX marked a significant milestone
enhance
audit
quality?
Supporting
an by
audit
delivery
in the US audit professions
history
moving
themodel with an organization where a quality tone is stressed
and significant
investments
arefive
directed
continuously
maintain
a robust
Our
major to
quality
initiatives
are described
in the
audit profession fromthroughout
self-regulation
to the regulated
systemCompany
of qualityAccounting
control
introductory letter from Steve Howe and Tom Hough.
environment of the Public
Those
initiatives
(Resources
workload,
Training,
Oversight Board (PCAOB).
We ahave
supported
thisprofessionals
Fostering
culture
where all
are
held accountable
forand
their
performance
Audit tools, Top-down emphasis on audit quality and
expansion in regulatory oversight of our audits of
Accepting
retaining clients
that share
our valuesfor
foraudit
integrity
in financial
reporting
Accountability
quality)
represent
significant
public companies because
it hasand
contributed
to
multi-milliondollar
investments
in
our
audit
rebuilding confidence
in
the
capital
markets
and
Attracting and developing the best talent from various professional disciplines to practice.
These fashion
initiatives
represent
major
focus of our
improving the qualityconduct
of our work.
audits in an independent, objective
with
integrityaand
professional
ongoing
commitment
to
executing
quality
audits.
skepticism
Making sure we have an appropriate complement of audit professionals in the field,

supported by national resources, with workloads that provide them with the time to
execute our audit responsibilities in the quality manner you and we expect
Openly communicating in a timely and robust manner with the entitys audit committee
and management

Objectively
work performed
by our audit The
teams
and providing
enhanced
importance
of the
audit practice to EY
From
an officeevaluating
opened inthe
Cleveland,
Ohio, by the
guidance
in
response
to
the
changing
environment
Ernst brothers in 1903 and one in Chicago, Illinois,
The assurance practice (including audit) is the Firms
started
Arthur
Young
in 1906,
& Young of our system of quality control
Many ofby
these
facets
overlap.
All ofErnst
the elements
largest service line. Performing audits is our largest
has
grown
to be ato
worldwide
professional
services
operate
together
enable audit
quality. We
have made and
continue
significant
activity
andto
is make
our central
priority critical to our
organization
of more
than 167,000
people operating
multimillion-dollar
investments
in initiatives
to meet the challenges
of auditing
in an In the US, EY audits more
brand in the
marketplace.
in
more than 140
countries
a globalthe
leader
in
ever-changing
world
and to enhance
objectivity,
independence
andentities.
professional
than 4,000
They range from multi-national
assurance,
advisory,
tax
and
transaction
advisory
skepticism we bring to the delivery of our audit services. Inpublic
this regard,
we are
focusedaround the globe that
companies
operating
services.
on making continuing investments and progress in five important
areas:statements with the Securities and
file financial
Exchange
Commission
(SEC) New
to privately -held,
Quality
audits
instill
confidence
in
and
credibility
to
Resources and workload The demands on our people have continued
to increase.
family-owned
businesses
that
may supply financial
theauditing
financial
reporting
that
is
so
vital
to
the
efficient
standards, complexity in accounting standards and heightened expectations are
information
to
a
local
lender.
These
functioning
of
the
capital
markets.
The
substantial
all providing additional challenges for our audit engagement teams. We have recognized entities operate in
myriad industries
from software
to financial services,
procedures
and analyses
performed
by the
these demands
and have
taken actions
to increase our resources.
For our fiscal
year
from
retail
to
real
estate,
from
energy
to consumer
independent
auditor
enable
the
auditor
to
opine
on
ending June 30, 2012, client service head count across our audit practice increased
products
and
the
public
sector.
anby
entitys
financial
statements
and,
for
certain
public
more than 10%, inclusive of an increase in the partner and senior manager levels.
companies,
internal
control over
financial reporting.
This increase
in resources
accompanies
our need to spend
more
time in planning
and quality?
Who
is accountable
for audit
Performing
this
work
with
integrity,
expertise,
executing our work in the quality manner
you and we expect. To that end, we have
The answer of
here
simple: We all are. The
objectivity
and
professional
at workload
the heart and deployment
developed
improved
waysskepticism
to monitoristhe
ourissenior
responsibility
for
quality
of engagement
our responsibility
as
independent
auditors
a
executives to help make sure such workloads are balanced and thatbegins
our at the top of the
global
organization
at
the
Global and Americas
responsibility
we
take
most
seriously.
people have the capacity to devote enough time to our audits so that they are executed
Executive
Boards
and
senior
leadership level of the
in commitment
a quality manner.
Thisquality
effort means
continues.
Our
to audit
we must
Firm and runs throughout the Firm to our partners
make
continuous
investmenttraining
and continuous
Training
The continuing
and education of our and
professional
staff are key
to our professional
staff in all of our service lines
improvement.
Audits
cant
be
staticinitiatives.
and remain
components of our audit quality
Over the past
year, weinhave
significantly
involved
performing
and supporting audits. In
effective
over
time. Audits
are conducted
in aFor our partners and senior managers, this
expanded
classroom
training
for all levels.
short, the responsibility for quality is an important
dynamic
marketplace
with
increasingly
challenging
added training comprises five days that can be tailored to
addressofcurrent
developments
attribute
everyone
who works at an Ernst & Young
and
complex
business
activities.
recognize
and
hot topic
practice
issuesWe
that
have been identifiedfirm.
in internal
external
We areand
mindful
of the public franchise that has
theinspections.
importanceThis
of this
and take
seriously
is arole
significant
but
critical investment for
us entrusted
and one that
we We
arerecognize and embrace the
been
to us.
our
commitment
to
executing
quality
audits. Our
committed to expanding.
organizational structure, methodologies, policies,
obligation
to serve

Audit tools
Our policies,
and enablers
are important
tothe
thepublic interest as independent
practices
and procedures
are procedures,
all designed tools
to fulfill
auditors
seriously.
execution
of quality
audits. In the normal course, we refine such policies to be responsive
that
important
responsibility.
to new standards, current practice developments, and internal
inspection
How is and
the external
Firm investing
in the audit practice to
The
enactment
of SOXthe
marked
significant
milestone
findings.
Moreover,
AuditaTool
of the Future
project is
part
of
a
global
Audit
enhance audit quality?
in Transformation
the US audit professions
history
by moving
the
initiative and
investment
to design
and develop the next generation suite
Our five replacing
major quality
initiatives are described in the
audit
profession
from
self-regulation
to
the
regulated
of audit tools for managing and documenting the audit process,
our existing
introductory
letter
from
Steve Howe and Tom Hough.
environment
of
the
Public
Company
Accounting
audit support platform and integrating new techniques (including an expanded use
Those
initiatives
(Resources
Oversight
Board
(PCAOB).
We
have
supported
this
of data analytics) to deliver an improved audit. This initiative is a large and importantand workload, Training,
tools, Top-down
emphasis on audit quality and
expansion
in regulatory
oversight
of our audits
of that will Audit
investment
for our global
organization
and one
take several
years to complete.
Accountability
for
audit
public
companies
because
it
has
contributed
to
In the meantime, several smaller elements of this larger effort have been made quality) represent significant
investments in our audit practice.
rebuilding
confidence
the capital
markets
andto improvemulti-millionoperational
and are in
being
deployed
currently
the quality ofdollar
our work.
These initiatives represent a major focus of our
improving the quality of our work.
ongoing commitment to executing quality audits.
A top-down emphasis on audit quality The actions of the Firms leadership

significantly influence the culture of the Firm. The promotion of a quality-oriented
culture depends on clear, consistent and frequent messages, from all levels of the Firms
management, emphasizing our commitment to audit quality. We believe our focus here
has been clear. In addition, this messaging must be supported by actions and increased
visibility into the types of investments, many of which are described in this document,
we are
making
in our
auditinbusiness
to continue
From
an office
opened
Cleveland,
Ohio, by to
theimprove quality.
Ernst brothers
1903quality
and one
in Chicago,
Illinois,
Accountability
forinaudit
We
have long-standing
policies
designed to
sustain(including audit) is the Firms
The assurance
practice
started
by
Arthur
Young
in
1906,
Ernst
&
Young
and promote a culture that recognizes the performance of quality
audit
work.line.
ThisPerforming audits is our largest
largest
service
has grown to
a worldwide
professional
services
accountability
is abemarket
demand
that we must
meet and is essential
to the
long-term
activity and
is our
central priority critical to our
organization
of
more
than
167,000
people
success of our Firm. Accountability is critical tooperating
effectively meeting
quality
control In the US, EY audits more
brandour
in the
marketplace.
in moreand
than
140 countries
globalofleader
in outlined in this document. At EY,
standards
making
progressinamany
the areas
than 4,000 entities. They range from multi-national
assurance,
advisory,
tax
and
transaction
advisory
we are all responsible for audit quality. This responsibility begins
withcompanies
our leadership
public
operating around the globe that
andservices.
filters down to auditors just starting their careers with thefile
Firm.
Over the
past year,
financial
statements
with the Securities and
we have
implemented
to strengthen
the goals
of allCommission
professionals
Exchange
(SEC) to privately -held,
Quality
audits instillchanges
confidence
in and credibility
to and actions
involved
in our assurance
of our Board
to new hires.businesses
Our focus that may supply financial
family-owned
the financial
reporting practice,
that is sofrom
vital members
to the efficient
on this
front continues.
information to a local lender. These entities operate in
functioning
of the capital markets. The substantial
myriad
industries
procedures and
analyses
performed
bymust
the make continuous
Our commitment
to audit
quality
means we
investment
andfrom software to financial services,
from
retail
to
real
from energy to consumer
independent
auditor
enable
the
auditor
to
opine
on
continuous improvement. To that end, we have developed a suite of ideas, efforts estate,
and
products
and
the
public
sector.
an
entitys
financial
statements
and,
for
certain
public
initiatives that must be pursued collectively and aggressively. We believe we are making
companies,
internal
control
over financial
significant
progress
on these
initiatives
and thatreporting.
our many efforts
demonstrate
our passion
Who
is accountable
for audit quality?
Performing
this
work
with
integrity,
expertise,
for quality and service excellence.
The answer here is simple: We all are. The
objectivity and professional skepticism is at the heart
In theof
decade
since the enactment
of SOX,auditors
we haveundertaken
significant reforms.
responsibility
for quality begins at the top of the
our responsibility
as independent
a
Our investments
in structure,
people,
methodology and various processes
have beenat the Global and Americas
global organization
responsibility
we take most
seriously.
substantial and, at the same time, have been required to meet the
increasing
challenges
Executive
Boards
and senior leadership level of the
Our commitment
audit quality
means weWe
must
of todays
business andto
regulatory
environment.
believe thatFirm
auditand
quality
is
runstoday
throughout
the Firm to our partners
continuous
highermake
as a continuous
result of ourinvestment
continuousand
focus
and improvement. Weand
commit
toprofessional
sustain this staff in all of our service lines
to our
improvement.
bewhat
static
and
remain public demands and what all of our
path because
that isAudits
what iscant
right,
the
investing
involved in performing and supporting audits. In
effective
over
time.
Audits
are
conducted
in a
stakeholders deserve.
dynamic marketplace with increasingly challenging
attribute
everyone who works at an Ernst & Young
As always,
we welcome
comments
or questions
you might have about
theofglobal
and complex
business
activities.
We recognize
firm.
We
are
Ernst the
& Young
organization,
the Firm
or the
matters discussed in this report. mindful of the public franchise that has
importance
of this role
and take
seriously
Pleaseour
contact
the EY partner
serving
youraudits.
committee.
commitment
to executing
quality
Our
auditors seriously.
Sincerely,
How is the Firm investing in the audit practice to
in the US audit professions history by moving the
audit
from self-regulation to the
Stephen
R. profession
Howe, Jr.
G. regulated
Thomas HoughOur five major quality initiatives are described in the
introductory
letter from Steve Howe and Tom Hough.
environment
of
the
Public
Company
Accounting
Managing Partner
Vice Chair of Assurance
Services
Those
initiatives
(Resources and workload, Training,
Oversight
Board
(PCAOB).
We
have
supported
this
Ernst & Young LLP
Ernst & Young LLP
Audit tools, Top-down emphasis on audit quality and
Accountability for audit quality) represent significant
public companies because it has contributed to
multi-milliondollar investments in our audit practice.
rebuilding confidence in the capital markets and
Our commitment to executing

quality audits
Cleveland, OH
From an office opened in Cleveland, Ohio, by the

Ernst brothers in 1903 and one in Chicago, Illinois,
started by Arthur Young in 1906, Ernst & Young
has grown to be a worldwide professional services
organization of more than 167,000 people
operating in more than 140 countries a global
leader in assurance, advisory, tax and transaction
advisory services.
Quality audits instill confidence in and provide
credibility to the financial reporting that is so vital to
the efficient functioning of the capital markets. The
substantial procedures and analyses performed by
the independent auditor enable the auditor to opine
on an entitys financial statements and, for certain
public companies, internal control over financial
reporting. Performing this work with integrity,
expertise, objectivity and professional skepticism
is at the heart of our responsibility as independent
auditors a responsibility we take most seriously.
Our commitment to audit quality means we must
make continuous investment and continuous
improvement. Audits cant be static and remain
effective over time. Audits are conducted in a
dynamic marketplace with increasingly challenging
and complex business activities. We recognize
the importance of this role and take seriously
our commitment to executing quality audits. Our
in the US audit professions history by moving the
audit profession from self-regulation to the regulated
environment of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (PCAOB). We have supported this
public companies because it has contributed to
rebuilding confidence in the capital markets and

The assurance practice (including audit) is the Firms
largest service line. Performing audits is our largest
activity and is our central priority critical to our
brand in the marketplace. In the US, EY audits more
than 4,000 entities. They range from multinational
public companies operating around the globe that
file financial statements with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) to privately held,
family-owned businesses that may supply financial
information to a local lender. These entities operate in
myriad industries from software to financial services,
from retail to real estate, from energy to consumer
products and the public sector.
Who is accountable for audit quality?
The answer here is simple: we all are. The
responsibility for quality begins at the top of the
global organization at the Global and Americas
Executive Boards and senior leadership level of the
Firm and runs throughout the Firm to our partners
and to our professional staff in all of our service lines
involved in performing and supporting audits. In
attribute of everyone who works at an Ernst & Young
firm. We are mindful of the public franchise that has
auditors seriously.
How is the Firm investing in the audit practice to
Our five major quality initiatives are described in the
introductory letter from Steve Howe and Tom Hough.
Those initiatives (resources and workload, training,
audit tools, top-down emphasis on audit quality and
accountability for audit quality) represent significant
multimillion- dollar investments in our audit practice.
The importance of communication
Atlanta, GA
Communication is at
the heart of an open
relationship between the
audit committee and the
auditor. We recognize that
we work for and report to
the audit committee and
are firmly committed to
open, timely and robust
communication. We
believe this dialogue helps
to promote audit quality.
We interact with audit committees on

various levels and in different venues. At
the individual engagement level, our audit
partners meet regularly with audit committees
to discuss aspects of the audit, communicate
information on topics required under
professional standards, provide business
insights and share the results of our external
inspection programs.
of communication matters described in the

standard to enhance the relevance, timeliness
and quality of communications between the
auditor and the audit committee. Open, twoway communication between the auditor and
an engaged audit committee enhances audit
quality. We believe the PCAOBs standard
will help foster the continued delivery of
important information to audit committees.
We support various audit committee networks

at the regional and national levels to share
experiences and exchange ideas for best
practices. Members of our senior leadership
meet quarterly with a group of leading audit
committee chairs.
Also in August 2012, the PCAOB issued

Release No. 2012-03, Information for Audit
Committees about the PCAOB Inspection
Process. The release provides audit committee
members with information about the PCAOBs
inspection process to help members better
understand the findings in the PCAOBs
inspection reports. In addition, the release
suggests questions that an audit committee
can ask the independent auditor about PCAOB
inspections. We have always encouraged open
and robust communication between the audit
team and audit committees regarding the
inspection process, the PCAOBs findings and
our responses.
These different interactions help inform us on

matters of importance to audit committees
and the changes we must make to address
audit committee needs and expectations in a
timely and responsible manner.
In August 2012, the PCAOB adopted Auditing
Standard No. 16, Communications with Audit
Committees. We supported the expansion
Global integration and how it supports audit quality
Boston, MA
Ernst & Youngs global approach and organization

are designed to support the provision of seamless,
consistent, quality audit services worldwide. All
Ernst & Young member firms share consistent and
high standards of quality and integrity in our work,
a single global audit methodology and a single audit
technology platform. We believe Ernst & Young was
the first accounting and auditing network to make an
extensive investment in a truly global integration and
that today, the worldwide Ernst & Young network of
member firms is the most globally integrated of the
Big Four accounting and auditing organizations.
There are a number of benefits to our global
integration, including a greater scale of resources,
more effective use of people, greater consistency
in the application and inspection of our audit
methodology, and a more effective implementation
of global strategy. Ernst & Youngs global integration
drives exceptional service, enhances audit quality,
and benefits investors and the capital markets.
The global Ernst & Young organization is a leader in
assurance, advisory, transaction advisory services
and tax. Worldwide, more than 167,000 people in
more than 140 countries are united by our shared
values and a commitment to quality, integrity and
professionalism. Ernst & Young has developed a
globalized approach to businesses through mindset,
culture and policies. We operate under global EYG
regulations overseen by a Global Executive Board
and advised by our Global Advisory Council (GAC),
which comprises partners drawn from across
different geographic Areas and includes independent
non-executive representatives (INEs). These INEs,
all individuals from outside Ernst & Young, bring
the GAC and the global organization as a whole
the benefit of significant external perspectives and
views. We believe the INEs collectively enhance the
confidence in the public interest aspects of

Ernst & Young decision-making, stakeholder dialogue
and management of reputational risks. The approval
of the GAC is required for many significant matters
affecting the Ernst & Young organization.
EY is a part of EYG. The member firms of EYG,
a UK private company limited by guarantee, are
grouped in four geographic Areas: the Americas,
Asia-Pacific, EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India and
Africa) and Japan. The Areas comprise a number of
Sub-Areas that comprise member firms or sections
of those firms. The Firm is part of the Americas Area.
The Firm is a private limited liability partnership
registered with the PCAOB, the independent
organization established by the SOX legislation that
is responsible for regulating accounting firms whose
audit reports are filed with the SEC.
More information about the global network
arrangements and organization is included in the
Transparency Report 2012: Ernst & Young Global
that is available on our website at www.ey.com.
What global integration means to you:

A worldwide organization providing
quality seamless service
Consistent audit services
supplemented with local perspective
grounded in one worldwide
methodology
Access to global resources
Greater ability to identify and resolve
issues as they arise
The Firms quality control system
Denver, CO
Our system of quality control

serves as the foundation
for our execution of quality
audits. Providing quality
professional audit services
in an independent, objective
and professionally skeptical
manner is fundamental to
audit quality and our success
as independent auditors. We
continue to invest in initiatives
to keep these important
attributes at the forefront
of what we do.
organization continue to invest heavily in

developing the audit methodology, tools
and other resources to support quality
service delivery. While investors, the
market and other stakeholders continue to
demand quality audits, they also demand
increasingly efficient and effective delivery
of audit services. We continue to seek ways
to enhance the effectiveness and
the efficiency of our Ernst & Young
Global Audit Methodology (EY GAM) and
processes, without losing sight of our audit
quality objective.
As part of our process to continuously
enhance audit quality, we also seek to
learn from external and internal inspection
activities and identify potential causes of
any noted quality occurrences. In this way,
we nurture an environment of continuous
improvement.
Effective quality control system
Our role as auditors is to provide assurance

on the financial reports and internal control
over financial reporting of the entities we
audit. We bring together qualified teams
and subject matter resources, drawing
on our experiences across industry
sectors, service lines and geographies. We
continually strive to enhance our quality
processes across the global organization
and the Firm so that the quality of our
service is at a consistently high level.
We recognize that in todays environment,
with continuing globalization and the
rapid movement of capital, the quality
of our audit services has never been
more important to investors and other
stakeholders. That is why we and the global
The global Ernst & Young organization

has designed and implemented a
comprehensive set of global audit quality
control policies and practices, as described
in this publication. We supplement them
to comply with local laws or professional
guidelines. The Firm also has designed
and implemented additional quality
control policies and tools in response to
professional standards set by the PCAOB,
the SEC, the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants (AICPA), and other
regulators and standard-setters. As a
member firm of EYG, the Firm is also
required to execute the Ernst & Young
Global Audit Quality Review program.
Each year, we evaluate whether our system

of audit quality control has operated
effectively to provide reasonable assurance
that the Firm and its personnel comply
with professional, regulatory and internal
requirements.
The results of the Firms Audit Quality
Review program and external inspections
are evaluated and communicated within
the Firm and EYG to provide the basis for
continuous improvement in audit quality
and to leverage knowledge and experiences.
Our internal practice monitoring and
our evaluation of the feedback received
from independent regulatory inspections
provide us with a basis to conclude
that, notwithstanding opportunities for
continuous improvement in audit quality,
our audit quality control systems are
designed appropriately and are operating
effectively.
In the following pages, we describe the
significant components of our audit quality
control system:
Our professional values instilled across
the organization
Our methods for performing quality
audits with multidisciplinary teams
Our accounting and auditing review and
consultation process
Our client acceptance and continuance
procedures
Our inspection program procedures
Instilling professional values across the organization
Chicago, IL
Quality begins with setting the right tone at the top of the organization. The global Ernst & Young organization
promotes a culture of integrity. EYGs Global Code of Conduct provides a clear set of standards and behaviors
that are grounded in our values and guide our actions and business conduct. Through a combination of many
of our activities, including our training, our coaching and supervision, and our compliance programs, we strive
to create an environment that encourages all of our people to act responsibly.
We operate under a comprehensive set of

policies, processes and procedures that
provide a framework for the delivery of
quality audit services to serve the interests
of the investing public, as well as those of
the entities we audit.
Setting the right tone at the top is a key
responsibility of our senior leaders, who
make clear for our people that quality
and professional responsibility are of
paramount importance. Our approach
to ethics and integrity is embedded in
our culture of consultation, our training
programs and internal communications.
Our internal message consistently has been
that no company is more important than
professional reputation the reputation
of the Firm, EYG and each of our
professionals.
We communicate to our people that
quality and professional responsibility start
with them and are the most important
responsibilities they execute on every
day. Senior leadership regularly reinforces
these expectations and the importance of
performing quality work and complying
with professional standards and our policies
through various forms of communication.
Quality is a key element in evaluating and
rewarding our audit professionals.
Our culture strongly supports collaboration
and teamwork and places special emphasis
on the importance of consultation in

dealing with complex or subjective
accounting, auditing, reporting,
regulatory and independence matters.
Code of Conduct
The global organization promotes a
culture of integrity and responsibility for
the performance of quality audit work
for all Ernst & Young professionals. The
Global Code of Conduct, which can be
accessed using the following link:
www.ey.com/GL/EN/home/Global-Codeof-Conduct, provides a clear set of the
standards and behaviors that guide our
actions and business conduct. The Global
Code of Conduct is organized into five
categories containing principles that are
to be followed to guide behavior across
all areas of activity:
Working with one another
Working with clients and others
Acting with professional integrity
Maintaining our objectivity and
independence
Respecting intellectual capital
All Firm personnel must affirm compliance
with the Global Code of Conduct annually.
Through procedures to monitor compliance
with policies and processes and through
frequent communications, we strive to

create an environment that encourages all
of our people to act responsibly, including
reporting misconduct without fear of
retaliation.
EY/Ethics, a global ethics hotline, provides
our people, stakeholders and others
outside of the organization a confidential
means to report activity that may involve
unethical or improper behavior that may
be in violation of professional standards or
otherwise inconsistent with the Global Code
of Conduct. EY/Ethics is operated on behalf
of the Firm by an external organization that
provides confidential and, if so desired,
anonymous hotline reporting services for
companies worldwide.
Our values who we are:

People who demonstrate
integrity, respect and teaming
People with energy,
enthusiasm and the courage
to lead
People who build relationships
based on doing the right thing
Los Angeles, CA
Our Quality
& Risk
Management
structure
supports
quality across
the Firms four
service lines.
The Firm operates in seven Sub-Areas, primarily

along geographic lines. Each Sub-Area is led by a
Sub-Area Managing Partner who is responsible for
the delivery of services across our four service lines:
Assurance (including Audit), Advisory, Transaction
Advisory Services and Tax.
The CAML works with the Sub-Area AMP, QIL,

Assurance Learning Leader and other Sub-Area
Assurance resources and the Professional Practice
Director (PPD) located in the Sub-Area on matters
involving the application of audit standards, our
methodology and execution of quality audit work.
Our Assurance service line is led by our Vice Chair

of Assurance Services.
Professional Practice organization
The Sub-Area Assurance Managing Partner

(Sub-Area AMP) is responsible for the day-to-day
execution of the Firmwide assurance strategy,
including all aspects of People, Quality, Growth
and Operational Excellence.
Audit quality implementation leaders
As part of our continuing focus on audit quality and
to help us execute various quality processes and
procedures in the Sub-Areas, we instituted a senior
leadership role, the Sub-Area Quality Implementation
Leader (QIL). The QIL reports to the Sub-Area AMP
and assists in matters related to:
Acceptance and continuance
Inspection activities (Assurance Quality Review
(AQR), PCAOB inspections and peer review)
Quality occurrences (i.e., those situations involving
a significant deficiency identified in the internal or
external inspections or a restatement of financial
statements) and related remediation efforts
Other Sub-Area audit quality matters
Audit control and methodology leaders
In each Sub-Area, another resource available to
audit teams is the Control and Methodology Leader
(CAML). The CAMLs are supported by a network of
audit professionals who respond to questions about
EY GAM and help teams implement it effectively
and efficiently.
10
Professional Practice consists of the National

Accounting and SEC Matters groups, Sub-Areabased Professional Practice, Financial Services
Industry (FSI) Professional Practice, Auditing and
Assurance Standards and Methodology, and Quality
and Regulatory Matters (collectively, Professional
Practice). The Vice Chair of Professional Practice
leads this group of partners and other professionals.
National Accounting
The National Accounting group provides guidance
on accounting, reporting and other technical issues
to our personnel, the entities we audit and other
stakeholders. This group works with Sub-Area-based
Professional Practice, audit teams and the entities
they serve to provide counsel on a variety of issues
including complex and innovative transactions.
National Accounting also provides timely thought
leadership by communicating practical and forwardlooking implementation guidance on new and
continuing accounting issues. In addition, National
Accounting also provides input to the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the FASBs
Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF), the International
Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the AICPA, the
Governmental Accounting Standards Board and
the SEC on their projects and actively seeks input
from the entities we audit so that we thoroughly
understand the underlying business issues.
The National Accounting group also issues numerous
internal and external publications on accounting
and other technical matters, including Accounting

& Auditing News, To the Point, Technical Line,
Financial reporting briefs, EITF Update and Quarterly
Standard Setter Update, among many others.
SEC Matters
The SEC Matters group (SEC Group), based in
Washington, DC, includes some of the Firms most
knowledgeable professionals on interpretation of
the SECs rules, policies and procedures. The SEC
Group monitors the SECs activities and maintains
our knowledge base on how the SEC staff interprets
the federal securities laws and related SEC rules
and regulations. The SEC Group also advises audit
teams, company personnel and others on the latest
developments in SEC rulemaking, emphasizing
practical implementation guidance.
The SEC Group provides assistance to Sub-Areabased Professional Practice and National Accounting
with a companys pre-filing submissions to the SEC
staff and responses to SEC staff comment letters.
In addition, the SEC Group provides interpretive
guidance on the SECs rules and regulations and
the SEC staffs interpretations. The SEC Group also
maintains our guidance on consents, comfort letters
and communications with underwriters and prepares
training courses on applying SEC rules.
Auditing and Assurance Standards and Methodology
(National Audit)
National Audit formulates and communicates
our policies and guidance on audit and other
attest services and determines that they reflect
the professional requirements established by the
PCAOB, the AICPAs Auditing Standards Board (ASB)
and other bodies. National Audit develops audit
methodologies, forms and templates to help our
engagement teams deliver consistent, quality
attest services.
National Audit also oversees the development
and delivery of training programs for our audit
professionals. We have significantly increased our
training efforts with our Executive Events for audit
senior managers and partners and increased core
training for our audit managers.
Quality and Regulatory Matters
The Quality and Regulatory Matters group leads our
internal AQR program and interacts with the PCAOB
and the peer review firm on their inspections. This
group, together with others in the Professional
Practice organization, evaluates practice monitoring

and inspection findings to determine whether we
need to change our policies, processes or procedures.
Sub-Area-based Professional Practice
We have a unique accounting and auditing technical
resolution structure, a key part of which is our
distributed network of senior national office technical
partners who are located across the country in the
Sub-Areas. This distributed network is a key aspect of
our accounting and auditing consultation process.
Each Sub-Area has at least one PPD assigned to it
and, depending on the size of the Sub-Area, several
other partners in the Professional Practice group.
The Sub-Area-based Professional Practice network
is designed to be readily accessible to our partners,
audit teams and the entities we audit. We believe
this structure provides our partners, audit teams and
the entities we audit with more timely guidance and
faster issue resolution. This proximity allows the PPDs
to know the partners and their capabilities better, be
more attuned to the effects of the regional economy
and better understand the businesses we audit and
related risks. While located geographically in the SubArea, these partners are part of the National Office
Professional Practice group and report to the Vice
Chair of Professional Practice.
The PPD also is involved in risk management matters,
including engagement acceptance and continuance
(described later), restatements, whistleblower letters,
SEC filings and comment letter responses, reportable
disagreements and conflict of interest resolution. The
PPD concurs with the Sub-Area AMPs assignment of
partners on public company and higher-risk audits.
The PPD also provides the Sub-Area AMP with input
related to audit quality for every audit partners
annual performance evaluation.
11
FSI Professional Practice

The FSI Professional Practice group supplements
our other Professional Practice resources, given
the unique environment and regulatory structure
in which the financial services industry operates.
FSI Professional Practice consults with audit teams
on technical accounting, reporting and regulatory
financial services industry issues and provides
guidance on current and emerging technical and
regulatory issues. This group develops and leads
training programs related to the financial services
industry.
Accounting and Auditing Committee
The Firms Accounting and Auditing Committee
(AAC) consists of the leaders of various Professional
Practice functions, the PPDs located in the
Sub-Areas and client-serving partners. The Vice
Chair of Professional Practice chairs the AAC.
The AAC provides a forum for the Firms Professional
Practice partners to discuss emerging accounting,
auditing and financial reporting issues.
Quality Control Committee
An element of our quality control system is the
Quality Control Committee (QCC). The QCC was
formed as part of our commitment to continuous
improvement. The QCC meets monthly to
evaluate internal and external inspection findings,
restatements and consultation activity to determine
whether steps need to be taken, such as clarifying
guidance, to improve audit quality. The QCC:
Determines what actions should be taken and what
recommendations should be made to the Firms
leadership, the assurance practice or others in
the Firm for improving audit quality (e.g., practice
guidance, training) and enhancing the system of
audit quality control (e.g., improving controls or
processes and documenting existing controls)
Communicates, where appropriate, matters for

consideration by others who evaluate individual
partner and staff performance and determine
promotions, disciplinary actions and compensation
(e.g., Assurance leadership) and provides relevant
input on business unit performance or other
considerations (e.g., Quality & Risk Management)
The QCC obtains a timely understanding of (1)
emerging accounting and auditing issues (e.g.,
proposed standards, new standards and practice
issues) identified through the consultation process
and other means; (2) the results of practice
monitoring activities; (3) other identified events that
might potentially involve significant departures from
applicable professional standards or our policies and
processes. The QCC also identifies and communicates
lessons learned from past experiences, emerging
regulatory, reputational and legal issues, and leading
professional practices pertaining to the performance
of assurance services.
In addition to three one-year rotating positions
consisting of a Sub-Area AMP, PPD and a
client-serving partner, the standing members of
the QCC are the individuals in the following roles:
Vice Chair of Professional Practice
Vice Chair of Quality & Risk Management
Assurance Chief Operating Officer
Director of Quality and Regulatory Matters
Director of Sub-Area Professional Practice
Director of Consultations Professional
Practice Accounting
Director of Professional Practice Auditing and
Assurance Standards and Methodology
Director of Risk Management
Director of Professional Practice Operations
Representative of the General Counsels Office
12
How we work to perform quality audits
Dallas, TX
Performing audits in todays environment is increasingly challenging. Reporting deadlines are shorter.
Accounting and auditing standards are more complex, business models and technologies are changing,
and the global business environment remains uncertain. Quality audit execution begins with an appropriate
risk assessment and development of the appropriate nature, timing and extent of audit procedures that are
responsive to the risks identified. EY GAM focuses on the entitys business and financial statement risks and
how those risks can be addressed during the audit of the financial statements.
To deliver quality audit services, the global

organization has invested in a global audit
methodology that promotes consistency
in audit processes, judgment frameworks
and audit procedures across not only the
Firm but other member firms that may be
involved in providing audit services to US
multinationals and foreign private issuers.
We continue to invest significantly in our
professionals and in the development of
new audit methodologies and technologies
to help audit teams perform effective and
efficient risk-based quality audits in todays
increasingly complex environment.
One common audit methodology
One of the cornerstones of EY GAM is
making risk assessments that we use to
determine the nature, timing and extent of
our audit procedures (and reconsidering
and modifying those assessments, when
appropriate, throughout the audit). EY
GAM also emphasizes applying appropriate
professional skepticism in the execution
of audit procedures. EY GAM is based
on International Standards on Auditing
(ISA) and is supplemented in the US with
content developed to comply with PCAOB
and AICPA auditing standards and other
regulatory or statutory requirements. EY

GAM is a technology-enabled, top-down,
risk-based approach that focuses on the
drivers of the business, the associated risks
and the potential effects on the financial
statements.
EY GAM is organized into interdependent
phases designed to focus on the entitys
business and financial statement risks
and how those risks affect the audit of the
financial statements. The methodology
and guidance in EY GAM represent a
comprehensive methodology consisting
of three key components: requirements;
supplemental guidance; and supporting
forms, templates and examples. The
requirements reflect the typical flow of
how we execute an audit. The supplements
provide the requirements and guidance
for specific situations and circumstances
that may arise during an audit. The forms,
templates and examples include leading
practice illustrations to help our teams
perform and document audit procedures.
EY GAM is updated regularly to reflect new
standards, emerging auditing issues and
matters, and implementation experiences
and to respond to external and internal

inspection results. In addition, through
audit planning and other reminders, we
emphasize key topics of interest to the
PCAOB including professional skepticism,
revenue recognition and engagement
quality reviews.
Technology enablers
Our audit teams use many technology
enablers to execute and document the work
performed under EY GAM and supplemental
US guidance. GAMx is our primary audit
support platform that helps drive uniform
execution of EY GAM and appropriate audit
documentation. GAMx provides links to
knowledge databases (audit guidance and
interpretations), professional standards,
documentation templates and other tools
necessary to execute and document
a risk-based audit effectively. GAMx
provides a team-collaboration environment
that facilitates sharing information and
the documentation of procedures and
conclusions and enables secure peer-topeer communications so that, regardless of
geography, our people can work together
as if they were in the same location. Audit
13
teams use other software applications,

forms and templates during various
phases of the audit to help them perform
and document audit considerations, data
acquisition and analysis.
GAMx-SA is our documentation tool
designed specifically for audits of
small, non-complex businesses. The
EY GAM Supplement for Audits of
Small, Non-Complex Businesses
enables the appropriate application
of EY GAM objectives in an effective
and efficient manner.
The global network is also investing
significantly in the development of the next
generation of audit tools. The new tools
will enhance audit quality and performance
by better aligning the significant risks of
an engagement with the audit procedures
that respond to those risks. Greater
tailoring of audit procedures to the specific
characteristics of the entity being audited
will result in a more effective and efficient
audit process. Similarly, the new tools will
facilitate and enhance the review process by
partners and other executives. In addition,
new analytical tools will enable more critical
analysis of data and further support critical
thinking to identify issues, trends and
anomalies.
Formation of audit engagement teams
EYG and Firm policies require an annual
review of partner assignments by SubArea Assurance leadership so that the
professionals leading audits possess
the appropriate competencies, i.e., the
knowledge, skills, abilities and experience
to fulfill their responsibilities, and, if
applicable, that they are in compliance with
the audit partner rotation requirements.
Partner assignments for public companies
also require concurrence by the PPD.
14
To facilitate the audit partner assignments

by Assurance leadership, we developed
the Partner Workload Template (PWT).
The partner completes the PWT to identify
all of his/her audit responsibilities and
other activities (e.g., recruiting, practice
development, training, professional
organizations). Sub-Area Assurance
leadership discusses the completed
PWT with each partner to determine
that the partner has an appropriate
workload that provides sufficient time
to properly supervise the audits and
perform quality work.
Sub-Area Assurance leadership is
responsible for the assignment of
people to audit engagement teams.
Factors considered when assigning our
professionals to audit teams include
competence (including knowledge
of required accounting and auditing
requirements and standards), engagement
size and complexity, specialized industry
knowledge and experience, timing of work,
continuity, and opportunities for on-the-job
training. Where applicable, consideration is
given to whether specialized or additional
expertise is needed to supplement or
enhance the audit team.
In many engagements, internal specialists
are assigned as part of the audit team
to help perform audit procedures and
obtain appropriate audit evidence. These
professionals are used in situations
requiring special skills or knowledge,
such as taxation, information technology
systems, asset valuation and actuarial
analysis.
strengthen auditor independence. We

comply with the audit partner rotation
requirements of the SEC, PCAOB and other
regulatory bodies as applicable (e.g., for
certain financial institutions and insurance
companies). Audit partner rotation
provides a fresh perspective and promotes
independence from company management
while retaining some important aspects
of audit team continuity, expertise and
knowledge of the business. Audit partner
rotation, independence requirements,
effective systems of internal quality
controls, audit committee oversight and
independent audit regulatory oversight
help strengthen independence and
objectivity and are important safeguards
of audit quality.
For audits of public companies, we rotate
the partner-in-charge of the audit, the
engagement quality reviewer and certain
other audit partners (as defined) no less
frequently than the maximum consecutive
years of service permitted under the
SEC independence rules. The partner-incharge of the audit and the engagement
quality reviewer are permitted to serve
a maximum of five years and then must
have a time-out of five consecutive years
before resuming a role on the same audit.
All other audit partners who are subject to
mandatory rotation are permitted to serve
a maximum of seven years with a time-out
of two consecutive years. We track partner
rotation in our electronic database.
How we see it:
Audit partner rotation
One global audit methodology
An aspect of audit partner assignments is

compliance with applicable audit partner
rotation requirements. The Ernst & Young
organization views mandatory audit partner
rotation as one of the measures that helps
One global audit technology

One goal seamless, quality
service
Integrated multidisciplinary service delivery
Seattle, WA
Audits today are increasingly complex as new financial instruments have been
introduced, new revenue recognition models developed, and new accounting and
auditing standards issued all against a backdrop of the financial crisis and worldwide
recession. Effective integration and communication between the audit team and
service lines that support the audit team greatly enhance audit quality and service
execution.
To tackle todays complexity, we bring together

a multidisciplinary team. Resources in valuation,
information technology systems, taxes, actuarial
science, derivatives and other fields help audit teams
execute audit procedures, identify issues, evaluate
management assumptions and sensitive estimates,
and document judgments and decisions. Effective
collaboration between Assurance professionals and
other EY professionals is an important element in
the design and execution of an effective and efficient
audit strategy that focuses on the key accounting,
valuation and financial reporting matters. These
other professionals are members of the audit
engagement team, their work product is part of the
audit work papers, and their activities are reviewed
and supervised by the audit executives on the
engagement.
The ability to bring together professionals in various
fields together in an integrated team enhances
audit quality. Whether the issue involves valuation
of derivatives or harder-to-value investments in
an illiquid market, pension obligations, workers
compensation or environmental liabilities, uncertain
tax positions, corporate responsibility reporting or
the investigation of a whistleblower allegation, our
ability to bring together resources from various
disciplines to address issues as part of one audit
engagement team enhances audit quality and
service execution. A coordinated effort involving

EY resources with experience in areas such as tax,
information technology systems, actuarial and
valuation to support the audit team is vital to our
ability to deliver the seamless, quality services
the entities we audit deserve and the investing
public expects.
These other disciplines can also provide other
permitted services to the companies we audit.
By providing such services to these companies,
we contribute to audit quality by enhancing our
knowledge of the companys operations. We provide
these services with a careful eye to the independence
implications, and teams work with our Independence
group so that only permitted services are provided.
Audit Committee preapproval is obtained when
applicable.
What it means to you:

Subject matter professionals
assisting audit teams
Integrated service delivery
One goal seamless, quality service
15
Our accounting and auditing review and consultation process
New York, NY
Consultation requirements and related policies and procedures are designed to involve
the right resources so that audit teams can reach appropriate and timely conclusions.
Our policies describe the requirements for timely,

direct executive participation in audits and various
levels of review of the work performed. Members
of the audit team perform a detailed review of the
audit documentation while engagement executives
perform a second-level review. A tax professional
reviews the significant tax and other relevant
work papers. An engagement quality review (EQR)
partner (described below) reviews important
areas of accounting, financial reporting and audit
execution, and the audited financial statements and
our accompanying report(s). The nature, timing and
extent of these reviews depend on many factors,
including the materiality, subjectivity and complexity
of the subject matter; the ability and experience
of the audit team member who prepared the audit
documentation; the level of the reviewers direct
participation in the audit work; and the extent of
consultation employed.
Our policies also describe the roles and
responsibilities of each team member and the
requirements for documenting the audit
procedures performed and conclusions reached.
Consultation requirements
We have a long history of promoting a culture of
consultation as the best means to providing a quality
audit. Many of todays financial reporting issues can
be challenging, and the accounting guidance also has
become more complicated. In this environment, we
believe our consultation culture is a sign of strength.
The partner in charge of the audit is ultimately
responsible for the audit, accounting and reporting
conclusions (that are supported by the Firm) relating
16
to the financial statements being audited. Our

consultation process is a decision-making process
that results in an answer supported by the Firm.
Consultation requirements and related policies
and procedures are designed to involve the right
resources so that audit teams can reach appropriate
conclusions. For complex and sensitive matters,
we encourage, and in specific situations require,
consultation with others who may have more
experience or specialized knowledge, primarily
Professional Practice and Independence personnel.
We document these consultations and obtain
written concurrence from the person consulted to
demonstrate his or her understanding of the matter
and agreement with its resolution.
As described earlier, an important element of our
consultation network is our distributed group of
Professional Practice partners located in the
Sub-Areas readily accessible to our partners,
audit teams and the entities we audit. Our
Professional Practice partners have a wealth of
experiences dealing with accounting, auditing,
SEC and financial reporting matters.
What it means to you:

Subject matter professionals
assisting audit teams
Integrated service delivery
One goal seamless, quality service
Engagement quality reviews

EQRs performed by audit partners in compliance
with professional standards, are conducted for all
audits of public and private companies. The reviewers
are experienced professionals with significant subject
matter knowledge. Because they are independent of
the engagement team, they can objectively evaluate
significant accounting, auditing and reporting
matters.
The EQR for a public company is an activity that
generally spans the entire audit cycle and is not
limited to a review of the financial statements when
we issue our report(s). Policies and procedures
for these reviews, which recently have been
strengthened to place more emphasis on this
important quality feature, provide specific guidelines
on the nature, timing and extent of the procedures to
be performed. EQR assignments for audits of public
companies and those non-public companies deemed
to present higher risk are reviewed and approved by
the Sub-Area AMPs and the PPDs.
Audit engagement team disagreement-resolution

process
We have a collaborative culture and encourage
our people to speak up if they disagree or are
uncomfortable with an audit engagement matter. We
require team members to raise any disagreements
that are considered to be material or that may
affect our opinion on the financial statements being
audited. These policies are introduced at the entry
level and reinforced thereafter to instill in our people
both the responsibility and authority to require a
thorough vetting of different viewpoints.
Differences of professional opinion that arise
during an audit generally are resolved at the audit
team level. However, anyone not satisfied with
the decision has the right and the obligation to
see that the issue is referred to the next level of
authority. If the engagement quality reviewer makes
recommendations that the engagement partner
does not accept and the matter is not resolved to the
reviewers satisfaction, the report is not issued until
the matter is resolved by following the consultation
processes for resolution of professional differences.
When a matter that goes beyond the audit
engagement team is resolved, our policies require
the matters resolution to be documented in the same
manner as other professional practice consultations.
17
Our client acceptance and continuance procedures
St. Louis, MO
Providing
services to
the right
organizations
is an essential
foundational
element
of the
Ernst & Young
organizations
quality
and risk
management
processes.
The global and Firm acceptance and continuance

policies describe principles we use to determine
whether to accept a new client or a new engagement
or to continue a relationship with an existing
audit entity. These principles are fundamental to
maintaining quality, managing risk and meeting
regulatory requirements. The objectives of the
policy are to:
Establish a rigorous process for evaluating risk
and making decisions to accept or continue
clients or engagements
Meet applicable independence requirements
Identify and deal appropriately with any conflicts
of interest
Identify and decline situations that pose excessive
risk
Require consultation with designated professionals
to identify additional risk-management procedures
for specific high-risk factors
Comply with legal, regulatory and professional
requirements
The global conflicts policy establishes the framework
for evaluating potential conflicts of interest. It defines
categories of conflicts of interest and the process
for identifying potential conflicts. The policy also
describes how to manage potential conflicts as
quickly and efficiently as possible through the use
of appropriate safeguards. Such safeguards range
from obtaining consents from the entities involved to
ceasing to act to avoid a potential conflict.
The Global Tool for Acceptance and Continuance
(GTAC) is the Ernst & Young organizations intranetbased system for efficiently and effectively
coordinating acceptance and continuance activities in
line with global, service line and Firm policies. GTAC
18
takes users step by step through the acceptance

and continuance requirements and connects to the
resources and information needed to assess business
opportunities and associated risks.
The acceptance process involves a careful
consideration of the risk characteristics of a
prospective entity and includes several due diligence
procedures. Before we take on a new engagement
or client, we determine whether we can commit
the necessary resources to deliver quality service,
especially in highly technical areas, and that the
services the entity wants are appropriate for us to
provide. The approval process is rigorous. No new
audit entity may be accepted without the approval
of the Sub-Area AMP and the PPD.
In our annual continuance process, we review
our ability to continue to provide quality service
and confirm that the entities we audit share our
commitment to quality and transparency in financial
reporting. The partner in charge of each audit,
together with the Sub-Areas Assurance leadership,
annually reviews our relationship with the entity to
determine whether continuance is appropriate. As
a result of this review, certain audit engagements
are identified as requiring, and are then subjected
to, additional oversight procedures during the audit.
Some engagements are discontinued. As with the
acceptance process, the Sub-Area AMP and PPD are
involved in the continuance process and must concur
with the continuance decisions.
Both acceptance and continuance decisions
depend on, among other things, the absence of
any perception that a companys management
pressures the audit team to accept inappropriate
accounting and reporting or uses financial pressures
to undermine audit quality. Considerations and
conclusions on the integrity of management are
essential to acceptance and continuance decisions.
Our recruiting and professional

development objectives
Philadelphia, PA
Changes in demographics are affecting the composition of the workforce and

motivating us to field diverse and globalized teams. Attracting and developing
talented people are critical to our success. By offering a wealth of experiences and
opportunities (both domestic and international), we develop outstanding people
who can achieve their potential.
Our core training programs involve self-study,

web-based learning and in-person classroom
training. Our multimillion-dollar annual investment
in training further develops our people, provides
opportunities for networking and enhances audit
quality. Our Executive Events training programs for
senior managers and partners focus on emerging
accounting and auditing matters as well as lessons
learned from our internal and external inspections.
One of our strategic objectives is to attract and
build lifelong relationships with talented audit
professionals. We are proud of our People Culture,
and we are committed to doing even more to advance
the development of our professionals.
The people joining EY today, especially those joining
straight from a university campus, are more global
in their outlook than ever. They are more open to
diverse points of view and engaged in the world
around them. Ernst & Young is, and must continue
to be, an organization that embraces all kinds of
differences and brings together people of different
backgrounds and capabilities. While we train EY
people thoroughly in our Ernst & Young culture,
values and code of conduct, our people retain their
different perspectives. This diversity of thought
strengthens the quality of our work and helps the
entities we audit make more informed decisions.
We believe strongly in diversity and inclusiveness
as drivers of organizational effectiveness and
quality service.
A highly integrated organization helps provide

expanded opportunities for its people in terms of
professional experience, development, mobility,
flexible work structures and community focus.
We expect these opportunities to continue to
grow over time.
The organization aspires to have a leading people
culture everywhere in the world. Creating a
culture that attracts, retains and develops
outstanding people and helps them thrive leads
to higher-quality service.
Recruiting and hiring
Recruiting and retaining talented individuals and
then creating the right teams are key elements
of success. Recruiting for our audit practice is
performed primarily on university campuses and
supplemented, when necessary, by hiring people
with prior work experience.
Candidates are evaluated based on the following
competencies:
Technical skills and knowledge
Intellectual competencies
Leadership skills
Team/personal skills
Motivation
Communication skills
19
For the past 14 years, the Firm has been named

to FORTUNEs 100 Best Companies to Work For
list. We are the only Big Four firm in the US that
has achieved such consistent recognition. We invite
you to go to our website at www.ey.com regarding
other awards and accolades the Firm has received
recognizing our culture, training and diversity efforts.
CPA exam
A critical milestone of an audit professionals
career development is passing the US Uniform CPA
Examination to become a certified public accountant
(CPA). We encourage our professionals to take the
exam as soon as they are eligible. Passing the CPA
exam is required for promotion to audit manager.
All EY personnel who are CPAs and all Firm partners
who provide services must hold an active CPA license
in their work location state(s). All CPAs also must
meet the statutory licensing requirements in any
state in which they perform services. Requirements
vary by state and depend on several factors, including
whether the services fall within the definition of the
practice of public accounting in the state. Our CPA
Licensing Support Team helps our partners and
professionals navigate the various state licensing
requirements.
Professional development
Ernst & Young and You (EYU) is our globally
consistent career development framework. Through
EYU, our professionals have opportunities for the
right experiences, learning and coaching to help
them grow and achieve their potential.
EYU expands the commitment to coaching via

various forms of counseling and mentoring, from the
moment people are recruited through the various
phases of their careers.
The learning component of EYU is based on an
extensive and globally consistent learning curriculum
that helps Ernst & Young people develop the right
technical and personal leadership skills wherever
they are around the world. The core audit training
courses are supplemented by learning programs that
are developed in response to changes in auditing
standards, accounting and reporting standards,
independence and professional standards, and
emerging practice issues. Audit professionals are
required to obtain at least 20 hours of continuing
professional education each year and at least 120
hours over a three-year period. Our professionals
average approximately 80 hours per year of learning.
In recent years, we have invested in additional
classroom training for our professionals, especially
managers, senior managers and partners. Our annual
Executive Events, which consist of summer, fall and
year-end sessions totaling approximately 40 hours
of continuing education, address emerging issues in
accounting and auditing, including lessons learned
from internal AQR and PCAOB inspections.
Professional development also occurs through
coaching and the experiences our professionals
receive on the job. Coaching helps to transform
knowledge and experience into practice. Experienced
professionals are expected to coach and develop lessexperienced personnel to create a continual learning
environment.
People development:
On-the-job training supplemented
by classroom learning
CPA exam assistance
Performance reviews
Opportunities for advancement
throughout ones career
Mobility (domestic and international)
20
Performance management
A comprehensive performance management process
requires our professionals to set goals, have clear
work expectations, receive feedback and talk about
their performance. The Performance Management
and Development Process (PMDP) is designed to help
our professionals grow and succeed in their careers.
Under the PMDP, periodic performance reviews are
combined with annual self-appraisal and annual
reviews. As part of the annual review process, each
professional, in conjunction with a counselor (an
assigned, more experienced professional), identifies
opportunities for further development. Professionals
and their counselors are guided by a set of service
line competencies that articulate the knowledge and
skills that should be developed for a particular rank.
Mobility
Fellow programs
During the course of their careers, our professionals

may seek out or be approached by the Firm to
consider transfers to other locations, both domestic
and international. Transfers could also include threeto five-year residencies in Professional Practice
or Independence for managers, senior managers
and partners. We encourage mobility as a way to
accelerate personal and career development.
We actively support the various fellow programs

sponsored by the FASB, the SEC and other regulatory
organizations. These programs provide the
opportunity for high-performing senior managers to
spend two years working with these organizations.
Global exchange program

The Global Exchange Program (GEP) supports the
global organizations ability to deliver seamless,
consistent, quality service worldwide by offering
international assignments to high-performing
assurance professionals in member firms to
accelerate their learning and career development.
International assignments of varying durations are
available to professionals, from seniors through
partners. We are committed to developing highperforming professionals who have a truly global
skill set and understanding of business, political and
social matters. Mobility helps our people develop
both personally and professionally. The GEP makes a
real difference by developing professionals who can
help meet the increasing needs of our stakeholders in
strategic and emerging markets.
Sub-Area residency program with PPD

The Sub-Areas have a senior manager residency
program that gives top-rated senior managers
an opportunity to spend 18 months to two years
working with the Sub-Area-based Professional
Practice partners in consulting with audit teams
on a variety of accounting, auditing and financial
reporting matters. The resident maintains some audit
responsibilities. Many senior managers who have
participated in this program have advanced in their
careers to become partners handling global accounts
or leaders in Professional Practice.
21
Our compliance with

legal requirements
The Ernst & Young Global Code of Conduct
provides a clear set of standards that guide
the Firm and our professionals actions and
business conduct. We comply with applicable laws
and regulations, and our values underpin our
commitment to doing the right thing.
This important commitment is supported by
Ernst & Young global policies and procedures
including:
Anti-bribery
The global anti-bribery policy provides our
people with direction around unethical and illegal
activities relating to their day-to-day activities.
It emphasizes the obligation of our people to
comply with anti-bribery laws and provides greater
definition of what bribery is. It also identifies our
peoples reporting responsibilities when they
discover potentially illegal acts.
Insider trading
The global insider-trading policy reaffirms the
obligation not to trade in securities with inside
information, provides greater detail about what
inside information is and identifies with whom
our people need to consult if they have questions
about their responsibilities.
Data privacy
The data privacy policy describes principles to
be applied to the use and protection of personal
data of our people, the entities we serve, their
personnel or other third parties. This policy is
consistent with applicable laws and regulations
concerning data protection and privacy when
processing personal data.
Document retention
We have record retention policies that apply
to all engagements and personnel. We are
required to retain documents in accordance with
professional, legal and regulatory obligations. We
emphasize that all documents must be preserved
whenever any person becomes aware of any
actual or reasonably anticipated claim, litigation,
investigation, subpoena or other government
proceeding involving EY or one of the entities we
serve that may relate to our work. Firm policies
also address legal requirements in the US involving
the creation and maintenance of working papers
relevant to the audit work performed.
22
Our independence procedures and

monitoring efforts
Cleveland,
Miami,OH
FL
Independence is a fundamental concept of the audit profession that pervades all our
dealings with our stakeholders. Maintaining the independence of all Ernst & Young
member firms is essential to achieving audit quality.
The EYG networks independence policies and

processes are designed to enable member firms
and professionals to comply with the independence
standards that apply to specific engagements,
including, for example, the independence standards
of the SEC, PCAOB, AICPA, and other US federal
and state regulators. The foundation is the Code
of Ethics for Professional Accountants published
by the International Ethics Standards Board for
Accountants. All professionals and certain other
employees are required to participate in annual
independence learning. The goal is to help our people
understand both their personal obligation and the
Firms obligation to be free from interests that might
be regarded as being incompatible with objectivity,
integrity and impartiality in performing our audits.
The Public Company Independence Procedures
(PCIP) process is an advance-approval consultation
that documents the results of independence
procedures completed by engagement or pursuit
teams in connection with the acceptance of a
prospective SEC audit client, an initial public offering
of a private company audit client, a significant
acquisition by an SEC audit client, and certain other
situations. We consider and evaluate independence
from several relevant perspectives including the
financial relationships of the Firm and professionals,
employment relationships, business relationships,
the permissibility of non-audit services that may be
provided to entities we audit, partner rotation, fee
arrangements, partner remuneration and, where
applicable, Audit Committee preapproval.
A professionals failure to comply with independence

requirements will generally factor into promotion
and compensation decisions and may lead to other
disciplinary measures.
The Firms Independence function has deployed
several applications, tools and processes to help the
Firm, our professionals and other employees comply
with independence policies.
Independence provides the infrastructure and
resources to help our professionals and the Firm
meet applicable professional standards, regulatory
requirements and our standards of quality with
respect to independence. The organization consists
of centrally based independence professionals and,
similar to the distributed network of Professional
Practice partners, a distributed network of
independence professionals assigned to the
Sub-Areas. Independence professionals have
a wealth of experience dealing with complex
independence matters.
Independence policy
Ernst & Youngs Global Independence Policy contains
the independence requirements for professionals
and other employees. Our separate US Independence
Policy sets forth the minimum standard expected
from the Firm and all US professionals with respect
to US independence issues and is designed to comply
with or exceed the elements of SEC Regulation S-X,
Rule 2-01; the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct;
and PCAOB standards that deal with independence,
objectivity and integrity.
23
Independence system
Independence confirmations
The Global Independence System (GIS) is an intranetbased tool that identifies the public entities for which
independence is required and the independence
restrictions that apply to each one. Most often these
proscribed entities are public companies and their
affiliates, but they can be other entities for which
we provide attest or assurance services. The tool
includes family tree data relating to affiliates of the
public companies we audit and is updated periodically
by audit teams. The entity data includes notations
that indicate the independence rules that apply to
each entity so that our professionals can readily see
the entity and the independence notations. GIS is
frequently used by our professionals to determine the
type of services that can be provided based on the
independence notations.
Each member firm and associated entities are

included in an annual process to confirm compliance
with independence policies and requirements and to
report identified exceptions, if any. All professional
personnel at EYG member firms and certain others
based on their role or function are required to
confirm compliance with EYG independence policies
and procedures no less than annually. All Firm
partners are required to confirm compliance with
certain independence matters quarterly.
Independence Monitoring System

The Independence Monitoring System (IMS) is a
global tool that identifies proscribed securities and
other impermissible financial interests. Professionals
with the rank of manager or higher are required to
report the securities that they or their immediate
family members hold into the IMS. If a security is
proscribed, the individual will receive a notice and
is required to dispose of the security. Identified
exceptions are reported through the Global
Independence Incident Reporting System
for regulatory matters.
Independence Compliance Team

The Independence Compliance Team conducts
testing and visits to assess compliance with
several independence matters, including reviewing
for non-audit services, business relationships with
the entities we audit and financial relationships of
member firms. A separate compliance group, the
Independence Compliance Audit Group, establishes
the annual program for testing compliance with
personal independence confirmation requirements
and reporting information into IMS. All professionals
are subject to potential selection for independence
testing.
Non-audit services
Compliance with professional standards governing
the provision of non-audit services to entities we
audit is designed to be achieved through a variety of
mechanisms including the use of GTAC (previously
described) and the Service Offering Reference Tool
(SORT), training, tools, and required procedures
completed during the performance of audits and our
internal inspection processes.
Global independence learning
EYG develops and deploys independence learning
programs. The annual independence learning
program covers our independence requirements
focusing on recent policy changes and recurring
themes and topics of importance. Professionals and
certain other personnel are required to complete the
annual independence learning. Timely completion
is required and monitored closely. We supplement
this program with local content that covers PCAOB
24
and AICPA requirements that differ from or are in

addition to the Global Independence Policy. We have
many other independence learning programs in the
new-hire program, certain milestone programs and
core service line curricula.
Service Offering Reference Tool
We assess and monitor our portfolio of services on
an ongoing basis, confirming that they are permitted
by law and professional standards; are supported by
the right methodologies, procedures and processes;
and are consistent with our global strategy. When
appropriate, we exit or restrict services that could
present independence or other risks. SORT provides
our people with information about all Ernst & Young
services worldwide. It includes guidance about which
services can be delivered to entities we audit and
entities we do not audit as well as independence and
other risk management issues.
Business Relationship Evaluation Tool
We oversee our compliance with business relationship
independence requirements through our Business
Relationship Evaluation Tool (BRET). The Firm, its
professionals and other employees are required to
evaluate and obtain approval of potential direct or
indirect business relationships with third parties,
including entities we audit, in advance so that
our business relationships are consistent with the
independence standards.
Independence:
We view it as fundamental to our role
as auditors.
We provide extensive tools to monitor
compliance.
We require annual learning.
We require regular confirmation of
independence compliance.
25
Our practices related to evaluating and

compensating our audit partners
Detroit, MI
Quality is at
the center of
our business
strategy
and is a key
component
of our
performance
management
systems.
Partners and other professionals are evaluated and

compensated based on criteria that include specific
quality and risk management indicators, covering
actions and results.
The Global Partner Performance Management
(GPPM) process is a globally consistent evaluation
process for partners around the world. It reinforces
global priorities by linking partner performance to
appropriate goals and values. GPPM is an ongoing
cyclical process that includes goal setting, personal
development planning, performance review, and
recognition and reward. It is the cornerstone of our
evaluation process to document partners goals and
performance. Partners goals are required to reflect
various global priorities.
Our partner compensation philosophy calls for
meaningfully differentiated rewards based on a
partners level of performance. Partners are assessed
annually on their performance in quality execution,
leading people, operational excellence, and market
leadership and growth. To recognize different
market values for different skills and roles, and
to attract and retain high-performing individuals,
other factors are also considered when determining
partner compensation including seniority, roles and
responsibilities, long-term potential and mobility.
In accordance with the SECs independence rules, our
audit partners do not earn or receive compensation
based on the provision of any non-audit services by
EY to companies they audit.
Non-compliance with quality standards results in
remedial actions that may include a compensation
adjustment in addition to required special training,
additional supervision or reassignment. A serious
non-compliance matter or pattern of non-compliance
may result in actions that include separation from
the Firm.
26
In view of the importance we place on quality in

the GPPM process, the PPD based in the Sub-Area
provides input related to audit quality to the Sub-Area
AMP for each audit partner in that Sub-Area. This
input is a key contributor to the overall evaluation of
the audit partner.
Partner evaluation and compensation

what you need to know:
Quality is a key element of the
performance review process.
The PPD provides input related to
audit quality to the Sub-Area AMP for
every client-serving audit partner in
the Sub-Area.
An evaluation of quality occurrences
is performed to assess responsibility.
Audit partners are not compensated
for the provision of any non-audit
services to the companies they audit.
Our internal and external inspection programs
Houston, TX
The annual Audit Quality Review program is a

cornerstone of our efforts to monitor audit quality
and identify areas where improvements can be
made. In addition to reviewing the results of
inspections conducted by the PCAOB, we conduct
a comprehensive internal inspection program in
the Firm each year to assess whether our system of
quality control is operating effectively, resulting in the
review of more than 300 public and private company
audit engagements involving the work of more than
one-third of all EY client-serving audit partners.
Selections are based on various risk and other
considerations. Our internal reviews are coordinated
with external inspections performed by the PCAOB
or the firm conducting our peer review. On a global
level, about 1,300 audit engagements conducted
by more than 90 member firms are evaluated in a
similar manner each year.
We analyze the results of these inspection activities
to identify the cause(s) of noted deficiencies and to
assess whether a more pervasive practice problem
may exist requiring a change or enhancement to our
audit methodology, policies, practices, procedures
or training.
Our AQR program complies with guidelines in the
PCAOBs Interim Standards on Quality Control, the
AICPA Statement on Quality Control Standards
No. 8 and International Standard on Quality Control
No. 1, as amended.
We select audit engagements to be reviewed each
year using a risk-based approach that emphasizes
audits that are large, complex or of significant
public interest. The AQR program includes detailed,
risk-focused file reviews covering a large sample of
public and non-public audit engagements to measure
compliance with internal policies and procedures,
EY GAM requirements, and relevant US professional
standards and regulatory requirements.
In addition to engagement inspections, reviews are
performed to assess compliance with quality control
policies and procedures in the functional areas set

forth in the quality control standards. Such functional
areas include:
Tone at the top
Independence
Client acceptance and continuance
Human resources, including recruiting,
assignments, professional development,
performance evaluation, compensation and
advancement
Consultation
As part of our increasing investment in audit quality,
we reassigned a number of experienced partners in
each Sub-Area to the Professional Practice Quality &
Regulatory Matters group as dedicated team leaders
for our AQR program. The AQR program requires
hundreds of client-serving professionals to serve
as reviewers and team leaders. These professionals
are selected based on their skills and professional
competence as well as their industry specialization.
Reviewers frequently perform reviews in the AQR
program for several years and possess a high level of
skill in the execution of the program. Reviewers are
assigned to inspections outside of their Sub-Area and
are independent of the audit teams reviewed.
AQR results are compiled and reported at many
levels and in different ways. For example, the
AQR results are summarized at the Firm level
and by type of service, industry and other key
characteristics. Results are reported to the Global
and Area executives, and they are shared more
broadly in meetings and other communications to
our professional staff and with the PCAOB. In cases
where material findings are identified, we evaluate
these findings to identify potential causes, develop
and execute remedial action plans, and seek ways to
enhance audit quality.
27
PCAOB inspections
The PCAOB conducts annual inspections of our
system of quality control and selected public company
audit engagements. We value this process and review
the PCAOBs findings to determine if changes or
enhancements are required in our policies, processes
or procedures. A PCAOB report on its inspection
activities is presented in two parts: a public portion
and a non-public portion.
The public portion of the PCAOB report (Part I)
describes the procedures performed during the
inspection and certain observations regarding audit
performance on specific engagements. When the
PCAOB identifies an audit deficiency that it believes
warrants disclosure in Part I of the inspection report
(which the PCAOB refers to as an audit failure),
we evaluate the comment and respond with our
assessment of the facts. That assessment includes
evaluating the significance of the matter and our
ability to support our previously expressed opinion.
In some cases, we determine that we need to
supplement the audit documentation in specific
areas or perform additional procedures. As part
of our assessment, we often arrange for a team
independent of the engagement to review the
relevant audit work papers.
While we agree with most of the PCAOBs findings,
as can be expected, there can be instances where we
have a difference in view, particularly in areas that
involve judgment, as to whether a PCAOB finding
(or common findings) in a particular area constitutes
non-compliance with professional standards. In this
regard, while we may agree that a specific matter

could have been addressed in a different manner,
there are instances where we do not believe the
matter, in view of the totality of the audit work
performed on the engagement, gives rise to a
reported Part I deficiency. We discuss our views on
any such matters with the PCAOB and may outline
our views formally when we respond to the Part I
sections of our reports.
In Part II of the inspection report, the PCAOB provides
observations on some of our policies, practices and
procedures related to audit quality. That review
addresses five areas: (1) management structure and
processes, including tone at the top; (2) practices for
partner management, including allocation of partner
resources and partner evaluation, compensation,
admission and disciplinary actions; (3) a firms
policies and practices for evaluating the risks involved
in accepting and retaining clients; (4) processes
related to a firms use of audit work performed by
foreign affiliates on the foreign operations of US
issuers; and (5) processes for monitoring audit
performance, including identifying and assessing
indicators of deficiencies in audit performance,
independence policies and procedures, and processes
for responding to weaknesses in quality control.
The PCAOB may or may not have comments on
all five areas in Part II.
An inspected firm has one year to address any
deficiencies identified in this section of the report
to the Boards satisfaction. Deficiencies that are not
remediated to the PCAOBs satisfaction within this
time frame may be reported publicly.
In our most recent inspection reports, the PCAOB
has identified several areas in which it believes
improvement is necessary. We concur with these
observations, and in certain cases, they are
consistent with areas we identified through our
internal AQR program. Areas identified by the
PCAOB or our AQR program are critical inputs to
our development of action plans for improvement.
(See the following section, Continuous improvement
actions, for areas needing additional focus and our
related improvement plans.)
We take the PCAOBs Part II observations seriously
and have taken steps or have actions planned or
28
under way to address the matters we and the PCAOB

have identified. The actions we take in response
to the PCAOBs Part II observations are influenced
by many factors including, for example, the timing
of communications from the PCAOB; the nature
of the observations; the time required to evaluate
and implement changes in policies, processes and
training; and our ability to monitor the effectiveness
of the changes we implemented. The PCAOBs
inspection process and our organizational responses
to the PCAOBs observations and recommendations
create a continuous, iterative improvement process
that transcends any individual annual inspection
reporting period.
Our overriding objective is to make certain that all
aspects of our auditing and quality control processes
are of high quality. While we believe that the Firms
present system of quality control provides reasonable
assurance that our work meets applicable standards
and regulatory requirements, we value the PCAOB
inspection process because it helps us, along with our
extensive internal monitoring activities, identify areas
where we can continue to improve our performance.
Continuous improvement actions
The Firms QCC (discussed earlier) facilitates
continuous improvement in audit quality in many
ways, including identifying and communicating
lessons learned from past experiences; emerging
regulatory, reputational and legal issues; and leading
practices for performing quality audits. One of the
areas the QCC oversees is the analysis and evaluation
of the Firms AQR results, the PCAOB inspection
results, peer review results and financial statement
restatements and the identification of the possible
root cause(s) underlying any noted deficiency, which
we refer to as a quality occurrence. The QCC also
oversees a process conducted by the Sub-Area AMPs,
QILs and PPDs that seeks to evaluate the facts of a
quality occurrence, assess responsibility for it and
determine its underlying cause(s). Based on those
findings, Sub-Area leadership may take steps to
balance a partners workload, enhance staffing on
engagements or conduct special training sessions.
As noted above, we are fully committed to taking
steps to continuously improve the overall quality
of our audit practice. Our recent internal and
external inspections have identified several areas for
attention. We have evaluated the AQR and PCAOB

observations and describe below specific actions we
have taken as part of our continuous improvement
process with respect to the more significant matters.
Testing of internal controls
To improve our performance in testing the
effectiveness of internal control, we enhanced and
clarified our guidance and increased our classroom
training for managers through partners with
instruction on the appropriate design and execution
of audit strategies, including appropriate evaluation
of entity-level controls, electronic audit evidence
and roll-forward procedures. We have clarified our
guidance on the testing of journal entries and the
selection process to focus on the types of entries
that pose the highest potential for fraud.
Fair value measurements and disclosures
We significantly expanded our guidance and training
on the audit procedures to be employed in testing
the fair value of financial instruments that exhibit
higher degrees of measurement uncertainty. We also
developed a more focused evaluation process around
the effectiveness of our various quality initiatives in
this area by performing periodic reviews outside of
the AQR process to evaluate if the revisions to this
guidance were being executed properly.
Staffing and supervision matters
To improve the effectiveness of supervision
and review, we have made personnel changes,
29
Using the work of others

We have enhanced our guidance on audit areas in
which the audit team uses the work of others as part
of the audit strategy (e.g., internal audit). We now
require involvement of the partner performing the
EQR in the audit teams evaluation of the audit areas
in which it would employ the use of others to execute
audit procedures and the extent of that use.
Engagement quality review
workload reallocations and changes in certain audit

procedures. We developed the PWT as a tool to help
our partners and Sub-Area leadership evaluate the
totality of the partners responsibilities and make
sure that the partner has the time to perform quality
audits. We implemented the QIL role in each Sub-Area
and expanded and enhanced the CAML network. We
have increased our resources in the audit practice by
more than 10% and increased training for managers
through partners with more classroom training and
our Executive Events. We have also instituted an
Estimates Event as a required audit procedure to
increase executive involvement and focus attention
on areas of the audit such as valuation, impairment
measurements, income taxes, and the allowance for
loan losses that involve significant estimates and
require professional judgment.
To address concerns about our professional
skepticism when evaluating contrary or new evidence,
we developed additional training for all levels of the
audit practice that stresses the need to challenge the
extent of management representations as evidential
matter and to objectively evaluate audit evidence
that is not consistent with other findings. We also
developed the EY Judgment Framework as a process
to help our audit teams develop, evaluate, document
and support judgments that are important to our
evaluation of a companys financial statements
and internal control made during the course of an
audit. The Judgment Framework is not a mechanical
approach or a check-the-box exercise. The framework
provides audit teams with a concise, practical process
for making important judgments on accounting and
auditing matters.
30
To reinforce the importance of a EQR, we required

all partners who perform EQRs to attend a
specific classroom training event on their roles
and responsibilities. This program expands on
the materials issued when the PCAOBs Auditing
Standard No. 7, Engagement Quality Review,
was issued.
Partner evaluation and compensation process
The partner evaluation process has been enhanced
to provide more explicit consideration of quality in
the goal-setting and review process. This increased
accountability includes explicit consideration of
quality occurrences (i.e., material inspection findings,
restatements and certain independence compliance
matters) and inspections where the AQR review team
concludes that the engagement has more than minor
but less than material findings.
We have re-emphasized the role and responsibilities
of audit partners as they relate to the provision of
any non-audit services by EY to audit clients. While
we continue to believe that providing permissible
non-audit services enhances audit quality, we are
clear in communications and practice that no audit
partner compensation is tied to the provision of such
services by EY. Finally, with respect to accountability
of assurance leadership, the QCCs feedback on the
Sub-Areas audit quality performance is an element
of the Assurance Managing Partners performance
evaluation.
Timely evaluation of effectiveness of new guidance
As mentioned above, with respect to new guidance
for valuation of certain financial instruments, we
developed a more focused process to evaluate the
effectiveness of our various quality initiatives by
performing periodic reviews outside of the AQR
process to determine whether the revised guidance
was being executed properly. We have performed

similar reviews to assess our initiatives in the
internal control and EQR areas.
All of these activities are part of our efforts to
continuously improve our performance and the
quality of our audits. These actions demonstrate our
commitment to critically evaluating our system of
quality control and actively addressing on a timely
basis matters that come to our attention.
Peer review
The Firm participates in the AICPA peer review
program that requires a triennial review of our
system of quality control for our accounting and
auditing practice for entities other than SEC issuers.
This program serves as a bridge between the
PCAOBs inspection program and state licensing
and other federal regulatory practice monitoring
requirements.
Our last peer review was conducted in 2010. The
peer review firms report concluded that our system
of quality control for our non-public company audits
had been suitably designed and complied with
during the peer review year to provide the Firm with
reasonable assurance of performing and reporting
in conformity with applicable professional standards
in all material respects. Our next peer review is
scheduled for 2013 (reviewing primarily 2012
year-end audits).
Overall inspection trends
the processes are complementary and that it is

instructive to consider the totality of such programs
in concluding on the overall effectiveness of our
system of quality control.
The activity from our internal AQR program, the
PCAOBs annual inspection process and our triennial
peer review (if applicable) involves evaluating
more than 300 US audit engagements per year
(approximately 8% of our US audit engagement
base) and covers the work of about one-third of
our client-serving audit partners each year.
Overall, we believe that our audit quality control
systems are designed appropriately and operate
effectively. That said, we recognize we must continue
to work to improve our performance in certain areas
and believe we have taken necessary actions, or have
plans and investments under way, that will permit us
to achieve progress in these areas.
In the decade since the enactment of the SOX
legislation, we have undertaken significant reforms.
Our investments in structure, people, methodology
and various processes have been substantial and,
at the same time, have been required to meet
the increasing challenges of todays business and
regulatory environment.
We believe that audit quality today is higher as a
result of our continuous focus and improvement.
We commit to sustain this path because that is
what is right, what the investing public demands
and what all of our stakeholders deserve.
Each year, we look for and evaluate inspection

trends across our entire audit practice. The Firms
Assurance leadership and PPD groups evaluate all
audit quality issues identified by the AQR program,
regulatory inspections and peer reviews and develop
and implement measures to address such matters.
The inspection results and corrective action plans are
shared with the Firms Board. The actions are then
monitored to provide feedback for continuing quality
improvement efforts.
While the three inspection processes share many of
the same objectives, work programs and procedures,
they are different. Each process is conducted by
a separate organization with different scopes and
selection criteria and different reporting models
for inspection findings. However, we believe
31
Empowered and independent

audit committees play a vital
role on behalf of shareholders
in promoting audit quality,
protecting independence and
preventing conflicts of interest.
The global Ernst & Young
organization is committed
to robust and transparent
communication with audit
committees.
Stephen R. Howe, Jr.
Managing Partner
Ernst & Young LLP
32
Appendix A: Glossary
AAC
Accounting and Auditing Committee
GIS
Global Independence System
AICPA
American Institute of Certified

Public Accountants
GPPM
Global Partner Performance Management
AQR
Assurance Quality Review
GTAC
Global Tool for Acceptance and

Continuance
ASB
Auditing Standards Board
IASB
International Accounting Standards Board
BRET
Business Relationship Evaluation Tool
IMS
Independence Monitoring System
CAML
Control and Methodology Leader
INE
Independent Non-Executive
representatives
CPA
Certified Public Accountant
ISA
International Standards on Auditing
EITF
Emerging Issues Task Force
PCAOB
Public Company Accounting Oversight

Board
EMEIA
Europe, Middle East, India and Africa
PCIP
Public Company Independence Procedures
EQR
Engagement Quality Review
PMDP
Performance Management and

Development Process
EY
Ernst & Young LLP
PPD
Professional Practice Director
EYG
Ernst & Young Global Limited
PWT
Partner Workload Template
EY GAM
Ernst & Young Global Audit

Methodology
QCC
Quality Control Committee
EYU
Ernst & Young and You
QIL
Quality Implementation Leader
FASB
Financial Accounting Standards

Board
SEC
Securities and Exchange Commission
Firm
Ernst & Young LLP
SORT
Service Offering Reference Tool
FSI
Financial Services Industry
SOX
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
GAC
Global Advisory Council
SubArea
AMP
Sub-Area Assurance Managing Partner
GEP
Global Exchange Program
33
Ernst & Young

Assurance | Tax | Transactions | Advisory
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax,
transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our
167,000 people are united by our shared values and
an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a
difference by helping our people, our clients and our
wider communities achieve their potential.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of
member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of
which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global
Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not
provide services to clients. For more information about
our organization, please visit www.ey.com.
Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of
Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US.
2012 Ernst & Young LLP.
All Rights Reserved.
SCORE No. BB2424
1209-1389896 | CLE
This publication contains information in summary form and is therefore
intended for general guidance only. It is not intended to be a substitute
for detailed research or the exercise of professional judgment. Neither
Ernst & Young LLP nor any other member of the global Ernst & Young
organization can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any
person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this
publication. On any specific matter, reference should be made to the
appropriate advisor.
www.ey.com
ED 0113

Materialidad en Auditoria

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Materialidad en Auditoria

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Our commitment to

executing quality audits

Auditors play a vital role

Our commitment to executing quality audits

The importance of communication

Global integration and how it supports audit quality

The Firms quality control system

Instilling professional values across the organization

Our audit quality support structure

How we work to perform quality audits

Integrated multidisciplinary service delivery

Our accounting and auditing review and consultation process

Our client acceptance and continuance procedures

Our recruiting and professional development objectives

Our compliance with legal requirements

Our independence procedures and monitoring efforts

Our practices related to evaluating and compensating our audit partners

Our internal and external inspection programs

Document title Additional text

Audit committee chairs and members

Stephen R. Howe, Jr.

Ernst brothers in 1903

Making sure we have an appropriate complement of audit professionals in the field,

Our commitment to executing quality audits

A top-down emphasis on audit quality The actions of the Firms leadership

Our commitment to executing

From an office opened in Cleveland, Ohio, by the

The importance of the audit practice to EY

Our commitment to executing quality audits

The importance of communication

We interact with audit committees on

of communication matters described in the

We support various audit committee networks

Also in August 2012, the PCAOB issued

These different interactions help inform us on

Global integration and how it supports audit quality

Ernst & Youngs global approach and organization

confidence in the public interest aspects of

What global integration means to you:

Our commitment to executing quality audits

The Firms quality control system

Our system of quality control

organization continue to invest heavily in

Our role as auditors is to provide assurance

The global Ernst & Young organization

Each year, we evaluate whether our system

Instilling professional values across the organization

We operate under a comprehensive set of

on the importance of consultation in

frequent communications, we strive to

Our values who we are:

Our commitment to executing quality audits

Our audit quality support structure

The Firm operates in seven Sub-Areas, primarily

The CAML works with the Sub-Area AMP, QIL,

Our Assurance service line is led by our Vice Chair

Professional Practice organization

The Sub-Area Assurance Managing Partner

Professional Practice consists of the National

and other technical matters, including Accounting

Practice organization, evaluates practice monitoring

Our commitment to executing quality audits

FSI Professional Practice