...Copyright © 2004 Information Systems Audit and Control Association. All rights reserved. www.isaca.org. How to Use a New Computer Audit Fraud Prevention and Detection Tool By Richard B. Lanza, CPA, PMP W hile occupational fraud takes various forms, the result is always the same: the numbers generated by fraud cannot hold up to the unfailing logic of the accounting equation. If executives add false sales and accounts receivable to increase the organization’s revenue, profits and cash will be out of kilter. The advancement of technology has allowed for this “accounting equation” to be systematized into computer logic and applied to company data.1 Results of this logic could take the form of a simple matching of the human resource file to the accounts payable vendor master file. On the other side of the coin, it could be an advanced neural network application focused on detecting money laundering schemes. Whether it is simple or advanced, data analysis provides many benefits in the prevention and detection of fraud. On one hand, the fraud examiner gains insight on 100 percent of an organization’s transaction data vs. more limited manual methods of selection. Further, this approach can generally be completed in less time than manual procedures, given the automation of the work. Examiners also gain improved business intelligence as the generated reports often lead to conclusions beyond whether just fraud occurred. Such new insights can lead to suggested process improvements...
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...1666 K Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20006 Telephone: (202) 207-9100 Facsimile: (202) 862-8430 www.pcaobus.org ) CONCEPT RELEASE ON AUDITOR ) INDEPENDENCE AND AUDIT FIRM ) ROTATION; ) ) NOTICE OF ROUNDTABLE ) ) PCAOB Release No. 2011-006 August 16, 2011 PCAOB Rulemaking Docket Matter No. 37 Summary: The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB" or "Board") is issuing a concept release to solicit public comment on ways that auditor independence, objectivity and professional skepticism could be enhanced. One possible approach on which the Board is seeking comment is mandatory audit firm rotation, which is explored in detail in this release. However, the Board seeks advice and comment on other approaches as well. The Board will also convene a public roundtable meeting in March 2012, at which interested persons will present their views. Additional details about the roundtable will be announced at a later date. Public Comment: Interested persons may submit written comments to the Board. Such comments should be sent to the Office of the Secretary, PCAOB, 1666 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-2803. Comments also may be submitted by e-mail to comments@pcaobus.org or through the Board's Web site at www.pcaobus.org. All comments should refer to PCAOB Rulemaking Docket Matter No. 37 in the subject or reference line. Comments should be received by the Board no later than 5:00 PM EST on December 14, 2011. Board Contacts: Martin F. Baumann, Chief Auditor...
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...“Audit” is defined as an independent evaluation implementation by an independent expert of a particular activity or event. There are many types of audits such as financial, operational, technological etc. The most popular reference to audits, however; are the ones that examine financial statements. Auditing is the examination and systematic structural evaluation of an organized business. The evaluation is made up of operations within the business organization and the products and developments of production occurring within the business system. An investigation into past history of a business is involved in auditing. Records and data about a company are also involved, in order to measure and discover the legality of the business's transactions operations, tax reporting, and thorough handling of finances. To be blunt, audits test the financial legitimacy claimed by a business entity. According to R. Gene Brown’s “Changing Audit Objectives and Techniques”, (The Accounting Review, Vol. 37, No. 4), reviewing the history of auditing helps to provide a basis for analyzing and interpreting the changes which have occured in audit objectives and procedures over the years. Fundamentally, this review shows a recent significant correlation between expanded reliance on internal controls and a decrease in detailed testing. The future of auditing will probably consist primarily of a procedural or systematic review, with the analysis of effectiveness of internal controls providing the major...
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...AUDIT CRUNCH: REFORMING AUDITING 3 Fundamental Flaws in Current Audit Practice 1st point From this journal, it mainly focuses on the debating of three issues which are deeply embedded in the current auditing practices. Firstly, auditing model is one of the fundamental issues that exist in the auditing practices. It makes auditors’ financially dependent upon companies and persuades them to prioritize their own economic interest at the expense of other parties which may have an interest in audits. This is because auditors are remunerated by the client company rather than by an independent body and resulting the auditors are not able to retain sufficient distance in delivering independent audit. Auditing firms used their control of the auditing markets to colonies adjacent a market to sell consultancy services to audit clients where it causes the auditing model in practice is further complicated. With this, it will increase the auditor fee dependency upon companies and hence cause impairment in the independence of an auditor. The current auditing model is flawed and cannot be repair as auditors are generally banned from selling consultancy services to audit clients. Potential Solution The legislators should be allowed to appoint auditors of major companies. Auditors will not fear of losing the job as they don’t have to socialize their client. Although the fees could come from client but legislator or government are the one selecting auditors for work. This is to segregate...
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...documentation, such as history and physical exam not completed timely, lack of documentation pertinent to functional assessment, plan of care documentation outdated, and the lack of pain assessment documentation following medication administration. I have elected to address the patient care issue of documentation since many elements of the patient tracer revealed documentation to be a concern. The old motto goes, “if it is not documented, it was not done”, therefore, appropriate documentation is critical not only for successful patient care, but also for the delivery of safe and quality health care. Documentation is always a high risk item and often there will be deficiencies noted on audits and surveys due to the large number of requirements for same. Continued focus audits, random audits, and training will be necessary to continually improve on documentation. Training must focus not only on...
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...------------------------------------------------- MCCG : 2007 Part II. Best Practices in Corporate Governance This entry was posted on May 16, 2012. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment The principles are divided into 4 parts as shown below: 1. Directors 2. Directors’ Remuneration 3. Shareholders 4. Accountability and Audit Below are the guideline set for Directors. 1. DIRECTORS I The Board Every listed company should be headed by an effective board which should lead and control the company. II Board Balance The board should include a balance of executive directors and non-executive directors (including independent non-executives) such that no individual or small group of individuals can dominate the board’s decision making. III Supply of Information The board should be supplied in a timely fashion with information in a form and of a quality appropriate to enable it to discharge its duties. IV Appointments to the Board There should be a formal and transparent procedure for the appointment of new directors to the board. V Re-election All directors should be required to submit themselves for re-election at regular interval and at least every three years. 2. DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION I The Level and Make-up of Remuneration Levels of remuneration should be sufficient to attract and retain the directors needed to run the company successfully. The component parts of remuneration should be structured so as to link rewards to corporate and individual...
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...DQP 29 & 31 Case 6-32 a. A review provides limited assurance about the fair presentation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles but far less assurance than an audit. Presumably, the bank decided that the assurances provided by a review were needed before a loan could be approved, but an audit was not necessary. A review includes a CPA firm performing analytical procedures, making inquiries about the fair presentation of the statements, and examining the information for reasonableness. Because of a CPA firm’s expertise in accounting, the accountant from the CPA firm can often identify incorrect presentations in the financial statements that have been overlooked by the accountant of the company. Reviews are common for smaller privately-held companies with relatively small amounts of debt. The bank probably did not require an audit because the additional cost of an audit was greater than the benefit the bank perceived. In many cases, the decision as to whether to have a review or an audit is negotiated between the company seeking a loan and the bank loan officer. Both the company and the bank have options in negotiating such things as the amount of the loan, the rate of interest, and whether to require an audit or a review. The bank can reject the loan request and the company can go to other banks that want to make loans. Frequently, banks have a list of CPA firms in which they have considerable confidence due to their reputation...
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...Determinants Of Audit Fees: Empirical Evidence From Emerging Economy Kamal Naser* Hamed Abdullhameed** & Rana Nuseibeh*** Abstract This study investigates the structure of audit fees in an emerging economy, Jordan. Data were collected from a sample of companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange that forms 90% of the total population and fairly presents all industrial sectors within the economy. Consistent with previous research, the results of the analysis revealed that corporate size, status of the audit firm, industry type, degree of corporate complexity and risk are the main determinants of audit fees in the Jordanian environment. Unlike previous studies, however, variables such as corporate profitability, corporate accounting year-end and time lag between year-end and the audit report date appeared to be insignificant determinants of audit fees in the sampled companies. Key Words: * Audit fees, Emerging Economy, Jordan. S S cientific Journal of Administrative Development Vol.5 I.A.D. 2007 Dean College of Business Administration, Al-Ain University of Science and Technology, UAE. ** Freelance Financial Analyst, Jordan. *** Link Officer, National Health Service (NHS), UK. 84 Determinants Of Audit Fees: Empirical Evidence From Emerging Economy Introduction Although a number of studies have provided empirical evidence on the relationship between audit fees and the attributes of audited companies, most have tended to focus on developed economies...
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...Crazy Eddie, Inc. Question 1 Key ratios and other financial measures: |Pro Forma Balance Sheet Ratio |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 | | |Account Receivable |7.12% |4.18% |1.77% |3.68% | | |Merchandise Inventories |63.83% |40.51% |47.16% |36.99% | | |Account Payable |54.98% |35.22% |40.74% |16.96% | | |Accrued Expenses |16.62% |13.33% |13.49% |1.90% | | | | | | | | |Pro Forma Income Statement Ratio |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 | | |Cost of Good Sold |77.89% |75.87% |74.11% |77.23% | | | | | | | | | |Liquidity & Activity Ratios |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 | | |Current |0.93 |1.56 |1.40 |2.41 | ...
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...Exercises, Problems and Simulations | 1. List and describe the activities auditors undertake before beginning an engagement. | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 53, 54, 55, 62, 66 | 2. Identify the procedures and sources of information auditors can use to obtain knowledge of a client’s business and industry. | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 | 52, 56, 59, 65 | 3. Perform analytical procedures to identify potential problems. | 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 | 47, 48, 49, 51, 58, 63, 64 | 4. List and discuss matters of planning auditors should consider for clients who use computers and describe how a computer can be used as an audit tool. | 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 | 57, 60 | 5. Review audit documentation for proper form and content. | 23, 24, 25 | 50, 61 | SOLUTIONS FOR REVIEW CHECKPOINTS 4.1 A CPA can use the following sources of information to help decide whether to accept a new audit client. Financial information prepared by the prospective client: * Annual reports to shareholders * Interim financial statements * Securities registration statements * Annual report on SEC Form 10K * Reports to regulatory agencies Inquiries directed to the prospect's business associates: * Banker * Legal counsel * Underwriter * Other persons, e.g., customers, suppliers Predecessor auditor, if any, communication, re: integrity of management, disagreements with management ...
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...response to several major corporate and accounting scandals; two of the most infamous cases are Enron and WorldCom. This research paper will focus on the analysis of four issues and discuss how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act affected the following subjects: A. 1. Audit committees of public company board of directors responsibilities since SOX 2. Sarbanes-Oxley section 404 on internal control 3. The accuracy of public company financial statements and the cost of capital for public companies 4. The main advantages and disadvantages of Sarbanes-Oxley Act B. Can legislation guarantee the accuracy of public company financial statements? Why have previous laws failed? Why CEOs and CFOs are paying so much attention to this law? Audit Committees of Public Company Board of Directors Responsibilities since Sarbanes-Oxley Act Since its enactment, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has significantly increased the authority and responsibilities of audit committees and the board of directors in overseeing their companies’ financial reporting processes (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA], 2005). The board of directors and its audit committee are responsible for overseeing the actions of management. A proactive audit committee and board of directors promotes the likelihood of preventing, deterring, and detecting fraudulent financial reporting (2005)....
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...Student ID: 213-851-407 Section: B Individual Assignment Beaumont Limited A. Provide 2 causes of information risk relating to the financial statements of BL and explain how the conduct of an audit reduces each Information risk is the likelihood of improperly record information which end up being provided to decision makers. In this case I was able to identify two possible causes of information risk at Beaumont Limited: i. Not adopting proper internal control and formal accounting policies to prepare financial statements. An audit will reduce this risk by evaluating the management assessment of internal controls, make sure they are presented in accordance with applicable accounting standards and whether the error is material or not ii. Lack of task diversification, Kevin Bastian (BL’s shareholder) was in charge of 3 complex aspects of the business which are accounting, finance and administration which usually involve large amounts of data. An audit will detect any material error that might have occurred for handling too much information by one person B. Describe a management responsibility relating to the financial statements of BL that has not been properly completed. Explain why management responsibility is important Pierre Timmons, the new Chief Financial Officer, found out that appropriate internal control was not in place. In addition to this he found that BL have not adopted proper accounting policies in preparing their financial statements...
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...Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed into law by the United States Congress. After a series of high profile corporate scandals, such as Enron and WorldCom, the Congress of the United States passed this legislation “to improve and maintain investor confidence. The law requires companies to have more independent board directors (not just company insiders), to adhere strictly to accounting rules, and to have senior managers personally sign off on financial results.” (Bateman, 173). Before the fall of corporations like Enron and WorldCom, there was also far too much corporate fraud during the Internet bubble. According to Stanley Block and his co-authors, “The major accounting firms had failed to detect fraud in their accounting audits, and outside directors were often not provided with the kind of information that would allow them to detect fraud and mismanagement.” (Block, 12). What is the definition, in a nutshell, of the Sabarnes-Oxley Act? This is something that needs to be defined and understood before examining the positive and negative impacts of this law upon corporate America. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act “establishes strict accounting and reporting rules in order to make senior managers more accountable and to improve and maintain investor confidence.” (Bateman, 173). In their book, Foundations of Financial Management, the co-authors go into some more detail about this important law concerning accounting rules and procedures. “The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 set...
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...Anderson, Olds, & Watershed, CPAs August 13, 2012 Larry Lancaster Apollo Shoes, President 444 Primrose St New York, New York 12345 Dear Mr. Lancaster: Greetings! This letter is to confirm our understanding of our engagement of the approaching auditing process for Apollo Shoes, Inc. Our firm is delighted to carry on the work with Apollo Shoes, Inc. and complete the assessment for the year ending on December 31, 2011. Our team associates would like to attest the audit objectives, terms, limitations, and various services provided for this engagement. Our services will include auditing financial statements such as income statement, balance sheets, statement of retained earnings, and the statement of cash flows. The financial audits will make sure that financial statements are in accordance to General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). As we all know, investors, creditors, managers, and government agencies use these statements. Additionally, our team checks and evaluate the operational performance by learning particular areas of the organization, its significance and effectiveness. Anderson, Olds, & Watershed will provide sensible, but not complete, assurance services that are being carry out by professional auditors to enhance the reliability of internal controls, IT systems, financial statements, compliance with regulation, and human resources practices. Our auditors...
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...CASE 1.8 CRAZY EDDIE, INC. Synopsis Eddie Antar opened his first retail consumer electronics store in 1969 near Coney Island in New York City. By 1987, Antar's firm, Crazy Eddie, Inc., was a public company with annual sales exceeding $350 million. The rapid growth of the company's revenues and profits after it went public in 1984 caused Crazy Eddie's stock to be labeled as a "can't miss" investment by prominent Wall Street financial analysts. Unfortunately, the rags-to-riches story of Eddie Antar unraveled in the late 1980s following a hostile takeover of Crazy Eddie, Inc. After assuming control of the company, the new owners discovered a massive overstatement of inventory that wiped out the cumulative profits reported by the company since it went public in 1984. Subsequent investigations by various regulatory authorities, including the SEC, resulted in numerous civil lawsuits and criminal indictments being filed against Antar and his former associates. Following the collapse of Crazy Eddie, Inc., in the late 1980s, regulatory authorities and the business press criticized the company's auditors for failing to discover that the company's financial statements had been grossly misstated. This case focuses on the accounting frauds perpetrated by Antar and his associates and the related auditing issues. Among...
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