Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Auditors Reports
17-2
Fourth Standard of Reporting
Fourth Standard of Reporting:
The auditor must either express an opinion regarding the financial statements,
taken as a whole, or state that an opinion cannot be expressed, in the auditor's
report. When the auditor cannot express an overall opinion, the auditor should
state the reasons therefore in the auditor's report. In all cases where an auditor's
name is associated with financial statements, the auditor should clearly indicate the
character of the auditor's work, if any, and the degree of responsibility the auditor is
taking, in the auditor's report.
17-3
Types of Reports
Reports on the financial statements ordinarily
include:
The financial statements themselves:
Balance sheet
Income statement
Statement of cash flows
Statement of retained earnings (equity)
Financial Statement Disclosures
The notes to the financial statements are considered an integral
part of the financial statements
17-4
Auditors Standard Report
Nonpublic Clients
Details
Title includes word independent
Addressed to person or audit committee who
retained the auditors
Signed with name of CPA firm not individual
partner unless sole practitioner
Dated last day of fieldwork or date on which
the auditors obtained sufficient appropriate
audit evidence to support their opinion
17-5
The AICPA Standard Auditors
Report--Introductory Paragraph
17-6
The AICPA Standard Auditors
Report--Scope Paragraph
17-7
The AICPA Standard Auditors
Report--Opinion Paragraph
17-8
Conditions Required for Issuance of
an Unqualified Report
17-9
Auditors Standard Report
Public Clients
Differences from nonpublic
Includes the words Registered and Independent in the title.
References standards of the PCAOB rather than generally
accepted auditing standards.
Includes the city and stateor city and country in the case of non
U.S. auditorswhere the auditors report has been issued.
(Historically, auditors have included this information, although it
was not required.)
Includes an additional paragraph indicating that the auditors have
also issued a report on the clients internal control over financial
reporting.
The report on internal control may either be presented separately or
combined with the report on the financial statements into one overall
report
17-10
Types of Opinions
1. An unqualified opinionstandard report. This report expresses a clean opinion
and may be issued only when the two conditions listed in the preceding section
have been met, and when no conditions requiring explanatory language exist.
2. An unqualified opinionwith explanatory language. In certain circumstances
explanatory language is added to the auditors report with no effect on the
auditors opinion.
3. A qualified opinion. A qualified opinion states that the financial statements are
presented fairly in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles
except for the effects of some matter.
4. An adverse opinion. An adverse opinion states that the financial statements are
not presented fairly in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
5. A disclaimer of opinion. A disclaimer of opinion means that due to a significant
scope limitation, the auditors were unable to form an opinion or did not form an
opinion on the financial statements.
17-11
Modifications of the Auditors Report--
Unqualified Opinions
Type of Report Introductory or Explanatory Opinion
Scope paragraph Paragraph Paragraph
17-12
Modifications of Auditors Report
Qualified Opinions
Type of Introductory or Explanatory Opinion
Report Scope Paragraph Paragraph
Paragraph
Describe except for the
Qualified None departure and effects of the
GAAP effects departure the
Departure financial
statements
17-13
Modifications of Auditors Report
Adverse Opinions and Disclaimers
Type of Report Introductory or Explanatory Opinion
Scope Paragraph Paragraph
Paragraph
17-14
Shared Responsibility Report
[Standard introductory paragraph language] We did not audit the
financial statements as and for the year ended December 31, 2001 of
Glendo, Inc., which statements reflect total sales constituting 27
percent of total consolidated sales for 2001. Those statements were
audited by other auditors whose reports have been furnished to us,
and our opinion, insofar as it relates to data included for Glendo, Inc.
for 2001, is based solely on the report of the other auditors.
In our opinion, based on our audits and the reports of other auditors,
17-15
Going concern
SAS 59
Auditor not required to perform procedures
17-16
Explanatory Paragraph--Going
Concern Problem
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that
[America West Airlines, Inc..] will continue as a going concern. As discussed
in note 1 to the financial statements, the Company filed a voluntary petition
seeking to reorganize under chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy laws. This
event and circumstances relating to this event, including the Companys
significant losses, accumulated deficit, and highly leveraged capital structure,
raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.
Although the Company is currently operating as debtor-in-possession under
the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court, the continuation of the business as a
going concern is contingent upon, among other things, the ability to (1)
formulate a Plan of Reorganization which will gain approval of the creditors
and stockholders and confirmation of the Bankruptcy Court, (2) maintain
compliance with all debt covenants under the debtor-in-possession financing
agreements, (3) achieve satisfactory levels of future operating results and
cash flows, and (4) obtain additional debt and equity. The accompanying
financial statements do not include and adjustments that might result from the
outcome of these uncertainties.
17-17
Explanatory Paragraphs--
Consistency
As discussed in the Notes to the consolidated financial statements,
effective January 1, 20X1, the Company changed its method for
accounting for derivative financial instruments to conform with SFAS
No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments
and Hedging Activities.
____________________________________
17-18
Qualified Opinion
Departure from GAAP
Immaterial unqualified
disclosures affected
Effect on financial statements taken as a whole
17-19
Example of a Qualified Report--
17-20
Qualified Opinion
Scope limitations
Auditor unable to perform an essential audit
procedure
Imposed by circumstances
Engaged too late in year to observe clients
beginning inventory
Imposed by client
Client refused to allow auditors to send
confirmations to customers
17-21
Example of a Qualified Report--
Scope Limitation
17-23
Adverse Opinion
17-24
Disclaimer of Opinion
Auditor has no opinion
Issued whenever unable to form an opinion
as to fairness of financial statements
Circumstances resulting in a disclaimer:
Substantial circumstance-imposed scope
restrictions
Scope restrictions imposed by the client
Uncertainties
Not an alternative to adverse opinion
17-25
Disclaimer of Opinion
We were engaged...
17-26
Placement of Explanatory Paragraphs
17-27
17-28
Two or More Report Modifications
17-29
Different Opinions on Different Statements
Fourth standard: Auditor shall express an
opinion on the financial statements taken as a
whole
Can apply to individual financial statements
It is acceptable to express an unqualified opinion on
one statement while expressing a qualified or adverse
on the others
Example: Auditors retained after client has taken its
beginning inventory. A disclaimer may be issue don
the income statement (the auditor doesn't know if
income is reasonably stated, but an unqualified
opinion on the year-end balance sheet.
17-30
Reporting on Comparative
Financial Statements
Report should cover current year as well as prior period
audited by their firm.
Can express different opinions on different years
Auditor should update report for all prior periods
presented for comparison
If prior period audited by another (predecessor) CPA firm
Current year opinion only covers years the CPA firm audited
For financial statements audited by predecessor auditors either:
Predecessor auditor reissues report with original date or
Current auditors refer to report of other auditors
17-31
Reports to SEC
Forms filed with SEC which include audited financial
statements
Forms S-1 through S-11 (registration statements)
businesses)
Form 8-K (current report)
17-32