CORRIGENDUM
Standard on Auditing (SA) 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements.
1. Attention of the readers is invited to Standard on Auditing (SA) 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements published on pages 1327 – 1338 of the February 2010 issue of The Chartered Accountant. Readers are requested to read paragraph A36 of the said Standard as follows:
“A36. The report is signed by the auditor in his personal name. Where the firm is appointed as the auditor, the report is signed in the personal name of the auditor and in the name of the audit firm. The partner/proprietor signing the audit report also needs to mention the membership number assigned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. They also include the registration number of the firm, wherever applicable, as allotted by ICAI, in the audit reports signed by them 25.”
2. The newly inserted footnote 25 reads as under:
“25. The attention of the members is drawn to the decision relating to inclusion of the firm's registration number, wherever applicable, in the audit report, taken by the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India at its 292nd meeting held on January 13, 2010 and the related Announcement is published in February 2010 issue of the Journal.”
3. The corrected text of the SA 700 is available on ICAI's website at the following URL: http://www.icai.org/resource_file/17874sa700annx1.pdf
Standard on Auditing-705 (SA-705)- “Modifications to the Opinion in the Independent Auditor’s Report”
Standard on Auditing (SA) 705, “Modifications to the Opinion in the Independent Auditor’s Report” should be read in the context of the “Preface to the Standards on Quality Control, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance and Related Services”, which sets out the authority of SAs and SA 200(Revised), “Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with Standards on Auditing”.
Limited Revisions Consequential to issuance of the Standard on Auditing (SA) 520 (Revised), “Analytical Procedures”
The amendments to SA 315 have been shown in Track Changed mode.
SA 315, “Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement Through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment”
Analytical Procedures
A6a. Analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures may identify aspects of the entity of which the auditor was unaware and may assist in assessing the risks of material misstatement in order to provide a basis for designing and implementing responses to the assessed risks*. Analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures may include both financial and non-financial informa-tion, for example, the relationship between sales and square footage of selling space or volume of goods sold.
A7. Analytical procedures may help identify the existence of unusual transactions or events, and amounts, ratios, and trends that might indicate matters that have audit implications. Unusual or unexpected relationships that are identified may assist the auditor in identifying risks of material misstatement, especially risks of material misstatement due to fraud.
A8. However, when such analytical procedures use data aggregated at a high level (which may be the situation with analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures), the results of those analytical procedures only provide a broad initial indication about whether a material misstatement may exist. Accordingly, in such cases, consideration
of other information that has been gathered when identifying the risks of material misstatement together with the results of such analytical procedures may assist the auditor in understanding and evaluating the results of the analytical procedures . [Proposed] ISA 520 (Redrafted) establishes requirements and provides guidance on the use of analytical procedures.
Considerations Specific to Smaller Entities
A8a. Some smaller entities may not have interim or monthly financial information that can be used for purposes of analytical procedures. In these circumstances, although the auditor may be able to perform limited analytical procedures for purposes of planning the audit or obtain some information through inquiry, the auditor may need to plan to perform analytical procedures to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement when an early draft of the entity’s financial statements is available.
[When the consequential limited revisions are included in SA 315, paragraph A6a will become paragraph A7 and the SA will be renumbered accordingly.]
* SA 520 (Revised), “Analytical Procedures”, paragraphs A1-A3 describes the nature of analytical procedures.
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Introduction
Scope of this SA
1. This Standard on Auditing (SA) deals with the auditor’s responsibility to form an opinion on the financial statements. It also deals with the form and content of the auditor’s report issued as a result of an audit of financial statements.
2. SA 705 and SA 706 deal with how the form and content of the auditor’s report are affected when the auditor expresses a modified opinion or includes an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter paragraph in the auditor’s report.
3. This SA is written in the context of a complete set of general purpose financial statements. SA 800 deals with special considerations when financial statements are prepared in accordance with a special purpose framework. SA 805 deals with special considerations relevant to an audit of a single financial statement or of a specific element, account or item of a financial statement.
4. This SA promotes consistency in the auditor’s report. Consistency in the auditor’s report, when the audit has been conducted in accordance with SAs, promotes credibility in the global marketplace by making more readily identifiable those audits that have been conducted in accordance with globally recognised standards. It also helps to promote the user’s understanding and to identify unusual circumstances when they occur.
Effective Date
5. This SA is effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after April 1, 2011.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Requirements
Forming an Opinion on the Financial Statements
10. The auditor shall form an opinion on whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.
11. In order to form that opinion, the auditor shall conclude as to whether the auditor has obtained reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. That conclusion shall take into account:
(a) The auditor’s conclusion, in accordance with SA 330, whether sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained;
(b) The auditor’s conclusion, in accordance with SA 450, whether uncorrected misstatements are material, individually or in aggregate;and
(c) The evaluations required by paragraphs 12-15.
12. The auditor shall evaluate whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework. This evaluation shall include consideration of the qualitative aspects of the entity’s accounting practices, including indicators of possible bias in management’s judgments. (Ref: Para. A1-A3)
13. In particular, the auditor shall evaluate whether, in view of the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework: .
(a) The financial statements adequately disclose the significant accounting policies selected and applied;
(b) The accounting policies selected and applied are consistent with the applicable financial reporting framework and are appropriate;
(c) The accounting estimates made by management are reasonable;
(d) The information presented in the financial statements is relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable;
(e) The financial statements provide adequate disclosures to enable the intended users to understand the effect of material transactions and events on the information conveyed in the financial statements; and (Ref: Para. A4)
(f) The terminology used in the financial statements, including the title of each financial statement, is appropriate.
14. When the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the evaluation required by paragraphs 12-13 shall also include whether the financial statements achieve fair presentation. The auditor’s evaluation as to whether the financial statements achieve fair presentation shall include consideration of:
(a) The overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements; and
(b) Whether the financial statements, including the related notes, represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
15. The auditor shall evaluate whether the financial statements adequately refer to or describe the applicable financial reporting framework. (Ref: Para. A5-A10)
Form of Opinion
16. The auditor shall express an unmodified opinion when the auditor concludes that the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.
17. If the auditor:
(a) concludes that, based on the audit evidence obtained, the financial statements as a whole are not free from material misstatement; or
(b) is unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to conclude that the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, the auditor shall modify the opinion in the auditor’s report in accordance with SA 705.
18. If financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements of a fair presentation framework do not achieve fair presentation, the auditor shall discuss the matter with management and, depending on the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework and how the matter is resolved, shall determine whether it is necessary to modify the opinion in the auditor’s report in accordance with SA 705. (Ref: Para. A11)
19. When the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a compliance framework, the auditor is not required to evaluate whether the financial statements achieve fair presentation. However, if in extremely rare circumstances the auditor concludes that such financial statements are misleading, the auditor shall discuss the matter with management and, depending on how it is resolved, shall determine whether, and how, to communicate it in the auditor’s report. (Ref: Para. A12)
Auditor’s Report
20. The auditor’s report shall be in writing. (Ref: Para. A13-A14)
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Standards on Auditing
Title
21. The auditor’s report shall have a title that clearly indicates that it is the report of an independent auditor. (Ref: Para. A15)
Addressee
22. The auditor’s report shall be addressed as required by the circumstances of the engagement. (Ref: Para. A16)
Introductory Paragraph
23. The introductory paragraph in the auditor’s report shall: (Ref: Para. A17-A19)
(a) Identify the entity whose financial statements have been audited;
(b) State that the financial statements have been audited;
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
(c) Identify the title of each statement that comprises the financial statements;
(d) Refer to the summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information; and
(e) Specify the date or period covered by each financial statement comprising the financial statements.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
24. This section of the auditor’s report describes the responsibilities of those in the organisation that are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The auditor’s report need not refer specifically to “management”, but shall use the term that is appropriate in the context of the legal and/or regulatory framework applicable to the entity. In case of some entities, the appropriate reference may be to those charged with governance*.
25. The auditor’s report shall include a section with the heading “Management’s [or other appropriate term] Responsibility for the Financial Statements”.
26. The auditor’s report shall describe management’s responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements in the manner in which that responsibility is described in the terms of the audit engagement. The description shall include an explanation that management is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; this responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. (Ref: Para. A20-A22)
27. Where the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the explanation of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in the auditor’s report shall refer to “the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements” or “the preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view”, as appropriate in the circumstances.
Auditor’s Responsibility
28. The auditor’s report shall include a section with the heading “Auditor’s Responsibility”.
29. The auditor’s report shall state that the responsibility of the auditor is to
* For example, the Board of Directors under the Companies Act, 1956.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
express an opinion on the financial statements based on the audit. (Ref: Para. A23)
30. The auditor’s report shall state that the audit was conducted in accordance with Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The auditor’s report shall also explain that those Standards require that the auditor comply with ethical requirements and that the auditor plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. (Ref: Para. A24-A25)
31. The auditor’s report shall describe an audit by stating that:
(a) An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements;
(b) The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. In circumstances when the auditor also has a responsibility to express an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control in conjunction with the audit of the financial statements, the auditor shall omit the phrase that the auditor’s consideration of internal control is not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control; and
(c) An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of the accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as the overall presentation of the financial statements.
32. Where the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the description of the audit in the auditor’s report shall refer to “the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements” or “the entity’s preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view”, as appropriate in the circumstances.
33. The auditor’s report shall state whether the auditor believes that the audit evidence the auditor has obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for the auditor’s opinion.
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Auditor’s Opinion
34. The auditor’s report shall include a section with the heading “Opinion”.
35. When expressing an unmodified opinion on financial statements prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the auditor’s opinion shall, unless otherwise required by law or regulation, use one of the following phrases, which are regarded as being equivalent: (Ref: Para. A26-A32)
(a) The financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with [the applicable financial reporting framework]; or
(b) The financial statements give a true and fair view of in accordance with [the applicable financial reporting framework].
36. When expressing an unmodified opinion on financial statements prepared in accordance with a compliance framework, the auditor’s opinion shall be that the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with [the applicable financial reporting framework]. (Ref: Para. A26, A28-A32)
37. If the reference to the applicable financial reporting framework, in the auditor’s opinion, is not to the Accounting Standards promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or Accounting Standards, notified by the Central Government by publishing the same as the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006, or the Accounting Standards for Local Bodies promulgated by the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, as may be applicable, the auditor’s opinion shall identify the jurisdiction of origin of the framework.
Other Reporting Responsibilities
38. If the auditor addresses other reporting responsibilities in the auditor’s report on the financial statements that are in addition to the auditor’s responsibility under the SAs to report on the financial statements, these other reporting responsibilities shall be addressed in a separate section in the auditor’s report that shall be sub-titled “Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements,” or otherwise as appropriate to the content of the section. (Ref: Para. A33-A34)
39. If the auditor’s report contains a separate section on other reporting
responsibilities, the headings, statements and explanations referred to in
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Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
paragraphs 23-37 shall be under the sub-title “Report on the Financial Statements.” The “Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements” shall follow the “Report on the Financial Statements.” (Ref: Para. A35)
Signature of the Auditor
40. The auditor’s report shall be signed. (Ref: Para. A36)
Date of the Auditor’s Report
41. The auditor’s report shall be dated no earlier than the date on which the auditor has obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements, including evidence that: (Ref: Para. A37-A40)
(a) All the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared; and
(b) Those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements.
Place of Signature
42. The auditor’s report shall name specific location, which is ordinarily the city where the audit report is signed.
Auditor’s Report Prescribed by Law or Regulation
43. If the auditor is required by any law or regulation to use a specific layout or wording of the auditor’s report, the auditor’s report shall refer to Standards on Auditing only if the auditor’s report includes, at a minimum, each of the following elements: (Ref: Para. A41)
(a) A title;
(b) An addressee, as required by the circumstances of the engagement;
(c) An introductory paragraph that identifies the financial statements audited;
(d) A description of the responsibility of management (or other appropriate term, see paragraph 24) for the preparation of the financial statements;
(e) A description of the auditor’s responsibility to express an opinion on the financial statements and the scope of the audit, that includes:
· A reference to Standards on Auditing and the law or regulation; and
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
· A description of an audit in accordance with those Standards;
(g) An opinion paragraph containing an expression of opinion on the financial statements and a reference to the applicable financial reporting framework used to prepare the financial statements (including identifying the jurisdiction of origin of the financial reporting framework, see paragraph 37);
(h) The auditor’s signature;
(i) The date of the auditor’s report; and
(j) The place of signature.
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Both Auditing Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and International Standards on Auditing
44. An auditor may be required to conduct an audit in accordance with the auditing Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (the “national auditing standards”), but may additionally have complied with the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) in the conduct of the audit. If this is the case, the auditor’s report may refer to International Standards on Auditing in addition to the national auditing standards, but the auditor shall do so only if: (Ref: Para. A42-A43)
(a) There is no conflict between the requirements in the national auditing standards and those in ISAs that would lead the auditor (i) to form a different opinion, or (ii) not to include an Emphasis of Matter paragraph that, in the particular circumstances, is required by ISAs; and
(b) The auditor’s report includes, at a minimum, each of the elements set out in paragraph 43(a)-(i) when the auditor uses the layout or wording specified by the national auditing standards. Reference to law or regulation in paragraph 43(e) shall be read as reference to the national auditing standards. The auditor’s report shall thereby identify such national auditing standards.
45. When the auditor’s report refers to both the national auditing standards and International Standards on Auditing, the auditor’s report shall identify the national auditing standards being the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Supplementary Information Presented with the Financial Statements
(Ref: Para. A44-A50)
46. If supplementary information that is not required by the applicable financial reporting framework is presented with the audited financial statements, the auditor shall evaluate whether such supplementary information is clearly differentiated from the audited financial statements. If such supplementary information is not clearly differentiated from the audited financial statements, the auditor shall ask management to change how the unaudited supplementary information is presented. If management refuses to do so, the auditor shall explain in the auditor’s report that such supplementary information has not been audited.
47. Supplementary information that is not required by the applicable financial reporting framework but is nevertheless an integral part of the financial statements because it cannot be clearly differentiated from the audited financial statements due to its nature and how it is presented shall be covered by the auditor’s opinion.
***
Application and Other Explanatory Material
Qualitative Aspects of the Entity’s Accounting Practices (Ref: Para. 12)
A1. Management makes a number of judgments about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
A2. SA 260 (Revised) contains a discussion of the qualitative aspects of accounting practices14. In considering the qualitative aspects of the entity’s accounting practices, the auditor may become aware of possible bias in management’s judgments. The auditor may conclude that the cumulative effect of a lack of neutrality, together with the effect of uncorrected misstatements, causes the financial statements as a whole to be materially misstated. Indicators of a lack of neutrality that may affect the auditor’s evaluation of whether the financial statements as a whole are materially misstated include the following:
· The selective correction of misstatements brought to management’s attention during the audit (e.g., correcting misstatements with the effect of increasing reported earnings, but not correcting misstatements that have the effect of decreasing reported earnings).
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
· Possible management bias in the making of accounting estimates.
A3. SA 540 (Revised) addresses possible management bias in making accounting estimates15. Indicators of possible management bias do not constitute misstatements for purposes of drawing conclusions on the reasonableness of individual accounting estimates. They may, however, affect the auditor’s evaluation of whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement.
Disclosure of the Effect of Material Transactions and Events on the Information Conveyed in the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 13(e))
A4. It is common for financial statements prepared in accordance with a general purpose framework to present an entity’s Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss and Cash Flow Statement. In such circumstances, the auditor evaluates whether the financial statements provide adequate disclosures to enable the intended users to understand the effect of material transactions and events on the entity’s state of affairs, results of operations and cash flows.
Description of the Applicable Financial Reporting Framework (Ref: Para. 15)
A5. As explained in SA 200 (Revised), management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework and for an adequate description of that framework in the financial statements16. That description is important because it advises users of the
15 SA 540 (Revised), “Auditing Accounting Estimates, Including Fair Value Accounting Estimates, and Related Disclosures”, paragraph 21.
16 SA 200 (Revised), paragraphs A2-A3 state as follows:
“A2. An audit in accordance with SAs is conducted on the premise that management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have responsibility:
(a) For the preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; this includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; and
(b) To provide the auditor with:
(i) All information, such as records and documentation, and other matters that are relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements;
(ii) Any additional information that the auditor may request from management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance; and
(iii) Unrestricted access to those within the entity from whom the auditor determines it necessary to obtain audit evidence.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
financial statements of the framework on which the financial statements are based.
A6. A description that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a particular applicable financial reporting framework is appropriate only if the financial statements comply with all the requirements of that framework that are effective during the period covered by the financial statements.
A7. A description of the applicable financial reporting framework that contains imprecise qualifying or limiting language (e.g., “the financial statements are in substantial compliance with Financial Reporting Standards17”) is not an adequate description of that framework as it may mislead users of the financial statements.
Reference to More than One Financial Reporting Framework
A8. In some cases, the financial statements may represent that they are prepared in accordance with two financial reporting frameworks (e.g., the national framework and International Financial Reporting Standards). This may be because management is required, or has chosen, to prepare the financial statements in accordance with both frameworks, in which case both are applicable financial reporting frameworks. Such description is appropriate only if the financial statements comply with each of the frameworks individually. To be regarded as being prepared in accordance with both frameworks, the financial statements need to comply with both frameworks simultaneously and without any need for reconciling statements. In practice, simultaneous compliance is unlikely unless the jurisdiction has adopted the other framework (e.g., International
A3. As part of their responsibility for the preparation and presentation of the financial statements, management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance are responsible for:
· The identification of the applicable financial reporting framework, in the context of any relevant laws or regulations.
· The preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with that framework.
· An adequate description of that framework in the financial statements.
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to exercise judgment in making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances, as well as to select and apply appropriate accounting policies. These judgments are made in the context of the applicable financial reporting framework”.
17 Accounting Standards promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or Accounting Standards, notified by the Central Government by publishing the same as the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006, or the Accounting Standards for Local Bodies promulgated by the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, as may be applicable.
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Financial Reporting Standards) as its own national framework, or has eliminated all barriers to compliance with it.
A9. Financial statements that are prepared in accordance with one financial reporting framework and that contain a note or supplementary statement reconciling the results to those that would be shown under another framework, are not prepared in accordance with that other framework. This is because the financial statements do not include all the information in the manner required by that other framework.
A10. The financial statements may, however, be prepared in accordance with one applicable financial reporting framework and, in addition, describe in the notes to the financial statements the extent to which the financial statements comply with another framework (e.g., financial statements prepared in accordance with the national framework that also describe the extent to which they comply with International Financial Reporting Standards). Such description is supplementary financial information and, as discussed in paragraph 47, is considered an integral part of the financial statements and, accordingly, is covered by the auditor’s opinion.
Form of Opinion (Ref: Para. 18-19)
A11. There may be cases where the financial statements, although prepared in accordance with the requirements of a fair presentation framework, do not achieve fair presentation. Where this is the case, it may be possible for management to include additional disclosures in the financial statements beyond those specifically required by the framework or, in extremely rare circumstances, to depart from a requirement in the framework in order to achieve fair presentation of the financial statements.
A12. It will be extremely rare for the auditor to consider financial statements that are prepared in accordance with a compliance framework to be misleading if, in accordance with SA 210 (Revised), the auditor determined that the framework is acceptable18.
Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 20)
A13. A written report encompasses reports issued in hard copy format and those using an electronic medium.
18 SA 210 (Revised), “Agreeing the Terms of Audit Engagements”, paragraph 6(a).
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A14. The Appendix contains illustrations of auditors’ reports on financial statements, incorporating the elements set forth in paragraphs 21-42.
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Standards on Auditing
Title (Ref: Para. 21)
A15. A title indicating the report is the report of an independent auditor, for example, “Independent Auditor’s Report”, affirms that the auditor has met all of the relevant ethical requirements regarding independence and, therefore, distinguishes the independent auditor’s report from reports issued by others.
Addressee (Ref: Para. 22)
A16. The law or regulation applicable to the entity often specifies to whom the auditor’s report is to be addressed. The auditor’s report is normally addressed to those for whom the report is prepared, often either to the shareholders or to those charged with governance of the entity whose financial statements are being audited.
Introductory Paragraph (Ref: Para. 23)
A17. The introductory paragraph states, for example, that the auditor has audited the accompanying financial statements of the entity, which comprise [state the title of each financial statement comprising the complete set of financial statements required by the applicable financial reporting framework, specifying the date or period covered by each financial statement] and referring to the summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
A18. When the auditor is aware that the audited financial statements will be included in a document that contains other information, such as an annual report, the auditor may consider, if the form of presentation allows, identifying the page numbers on which the audited financial statements are presented. This helps users to identify the financial statements to which the auditor’s report relates.
A19. The auditor’s opinion covers the complete set of financial statements as defined by the applicable financial reporting framework. For example, in the case of many general purpose frameworks, the financial statements include: a Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss, a Cash Flow Statement, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. In case of some entities, additional information might also be considered to be an integral part of the financial statements.
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 26)
A20. SA 200 (Revised) explains the premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit in accordance with SAs is conducted19. Management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. For example, in the case of many general purpose frameworks, management is responsible for the preparation of financial statements that fairly present the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the entity in accordance with those frameworks. This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In some cases, law or regulation prescribing management’s responsibilities may specifically refer to a responsibility for the adequacy of accounting books and records, or accounting system. As books, records and
19 SA 200 (Revised), paragraph 13(j) states as follows:
“(j) Premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit is conducted – That management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have the following responsibilities that are fundamental to the conduct of an audit in accordance with SAs. That is, responsibility:
(i) For the preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; this includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; and
(ii)To provide the auditor with:
a. All information, such as records and documentation, and other matters that are relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements;
b. Any additional information that the auditor may request from management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance; and
c. Unrestricted access to those within the entity from whom the auditor determines it necessary to obtain audit evidence.
In the case of a fair presentation framework, the responsibility is for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the financial reporting framework; or the preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view in accordance with the financial reporting framework. This applies to all references to “preparation and presentation of the financial statements” in the SAs.
The “premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit is conducted” may also be referred to as the “premise”.
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systems are an integral part of internal control (as defined in SA 31520) no specific reference is made to them in paragraph 26 for the description of management’s responsibilities.
A21. There may be circumstances when it is appropriate for the auditor to add to the description of management’s responsibility in paragraph 26 to reflect additional responsibilities that are relevant to the preparation of the financial statements in the context of the particular jurisdiction or the nature of the entity.
A22. SA 210 (Revised) explains that, if law or regulation prescribes the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance in relation to financial reporting, the auditor may determine that the law or regulation includes responsibilities that are equivalent in effect to those set out in SA 210 (Revised). For such responsibilities that are equivalent, the auditor may use the wording of the law or regulation to describe them in the engagement letter or other suitable form of written agreement. For those that are not prescribed by law or regulation such that their effect is equivalent, the engagement letter or other suitable form of written agreement reflects the description in SA 210 (Revised)21.
Auditor’s Responsibility (Ref: Para. 29-30)
A23. The auditor’s report states that the auditor’s responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statements based on the audit in order to contrast it to management’s responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements.
A24. The reference to the Standards used conveys to the users of the auditor’s report that the audit has been conducted in accordance with established Standards.
A25. In accordance with SA 200 (Revised), the auditor does not represent compliance with SAs in the auditor’s report unless the auditor has complied with the requirements of the SA 200 (Revised) and all other SAs relevant to the audit22.
20 SA 315, “Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatements Through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment”, paragraph 4(c).
21 SA 210 (Revised), paragraph 6(b).
22 SA 200 (Revised), paragraph 20 states as follows:
“The auditor shall not represent compliance with SAs in the auditor’s report unless the auditor has complied with the requirements of this SA and all other SAs relevant to the audit.”
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Auditor’s Opinion (Ref: Para. 35-37)
Wording of the auditor’s opinion prescribed by law or regulation
A26. SA 210 (Revised) explains that, in some cases, law or regulation prescribes the wording of the auditor’s report (which in particular includes the auditor’s opinion) in terms that are significantly different from the requirements of SAs. In these circumstances, SA 210 (Revised) requires the auditor to evaluate:
(a) Whether users might misunderstand the assurance obtained from the audit of the financial statements and, if so,
(b) Whether additional explanation in the auditor’s report can mitigate possible misunderstanding.
If the auditor concludes that additional explanation in the auditor’s report cannot mitigate possible misunderstanding, SA 210 (Revised) requires the auditor not to accept the audit engagement, unless required by law or regulation to do so. In accordance with SA 210 (Revised), an audit conducted in accordance with such law or regulation does not comply with SAs. Accordingly, the auditor does not include any reference in the auditor’s report to the audit having been conducted in accordance with Standards on Auditing23.
“Present fairly, in all material respects” or “give a true and fair view”
A27. Whether the phrase “present fairly, in all material respects,” or the phrase “give a true and fair view” is used in any particular jurisdiction is determined by the law or regulation governing the audit of financial statements in that jurisdiction, or by generally accepted practice in that jurisdiction. Where law or regulation requires the use of different wording, this does not affect the requirement in paragraph 14 of this SA for the auditor to evaluate the fair presentation of financial statements prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework.
Description of information that the financial statements present
A28. In the case of financial statements prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the auditor’s opinion states that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, or give a true and fair view of the information that the financial statements are designed to present, for example, in
23 SA 210 (Revised), paragraph 21.
21
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
the case of many general purpose frameworks, the financial position of the entity as at the end of the period and the entity’s financial performance and cash flows for the period then ended.
Description of the applicable financial reporting framework and how it may affect the auditor’s opinion
A29. The identification of the applicable financial reporting framework in the auditor’s opinion is intended to advise users of the auditor’s report of the context in which the auditor’s opinion is expressed; it is not intended to limit the evaluation required in paragraph 14. The applicable financial reporting framework is identified in such terms as:
“… in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards” or
“… in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in India…”
A30. When the applicable financial reporting framework encompasses financial reporting standards and legal or regulatory requirements, the framework is identified in such terms as “……….. the information required by the Companies Act, 1956, in the manner so required and (give a true and fair view) in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India”. SA 210 (Revised) deals with circumstances where there are conflicts between the financial reporting standards and the legislative or regulatory requirements24.
A31. As indicated in paragraph A8, the financial statements may be prepared in accordance with two financial reporting frameworks, which are therefore both applicable financial reporting frameworks. Accordingly, each framework is considered separately when forming the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements, and the auditor’s opinion in accordance with paragraphs 35-36 refers to both frameworks as follows:
(a) If the financial statements comply with each of the frameworks individually, two opinions are expressed: that is, that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with one of the applicable financial reporting frameworks (e.g., the national framework) and an opinion that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the other applicable financial reporting framework (e.g., International Financial Reporting Standards). These opinions may be expressed separately or in a single sentence (e.g., the financial statements are presented fairly, in all
24 SA 210 (Revised), paragraph 18.
22
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
material respects, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in India and with International Financial Reporting Standards).
(b) If the financial statements comply with one of the frameworks but fail to comply with the other framework, an unmodified opinion can be given that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the one framework (e.g., the national framework) but a modified opinion given with regard to the other framework (e.g., International Financial Reporting Standards) in accordance with SA 705.
A32. As indicated in paragraph A10, the financial statements may represent compliance with the applicable financial reporting framework and, in addition, disclose the extent of compliance with another financial reporting framework. As explained in paragraph A45, such supplementary information is covered by the auditor’s opinion as it cannot be clearly differentiated from the financial statements.
(a) If the disclosure as to the compliance with the other framework is misleading, a modified opinion is expressed in accordance with SA 705.
(b) If the disclosure is not misleading, but the auditor judges it to be of such importance that it is fundamental to the users’ understanding of the financial statements, an Emphasis of Matter paragraph is added in accordance with SA 706, drawing attention to the disclosure.
A32a. There can be situations where an entity or a class of entities obtains written permission from the Central Government of India or a regulator or by order of a court of law having jurisdiction to make such an order, to prepare its financial statements without meeting specific recognition, measurement, presentation or disclosure requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework. Such a change shall be treated as a modification of the financial reporting framework and not as inability of the auditor to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence. If the effect of this is material, the auditor shall describe in sufficient detail the resultant deviation from the financial reporting framework in an Emphasis of Matter paragraph in accordance with the SA 706.
Other Reporting Responsibilities (Ref: Para. 38-39)
A33. In case of some entities, the auditor may have additional responsibilities to report on other matters that are supplementary to the auditor’s responsibility under the SAs to report on the financial statements. For example, the auditor
23
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
may be asked to report certain matters if they come to the auditor’s attention during the course of the audit of the financial statements. Alternatively, the auditor may be asked to perform and report on additional specified procedures, or to express an opinion on specific matters, such as the adequacy of accounting books and records. Auditing standards often provide guidance on the auditor’s responsibilities with respect to specific additional reporting responsibilities in such situations.
A34. In some cases, the relevant law or regulation may require or permit the auditor to report on these other responsibilities within the auditor’s report on the financial statements. In other cases, the auditor may be required or permitted to report on them in a separate report.
A35. These other reporting responsibilities are addressed in a separate section of the auditor’s report in order to clearly distinguish them from the auditor’s responsibility under the SAs to report on the financial statements. Where relevant, this section may contain sub- heading(s) that describe(s) the content of the other reporting responsibility paragraph(s).
Signature of the Auditor (Ref: Para. 40)
A36. The report is signed by the auditor in his personal name. Where the firm is appointed as the auditor, the report is signed in the personal name of the auditor and in the name of the audit firm. The partner/proprietor signing the audit report also needs to mention the membership number assigned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. They also include the registration number of the firm, wherever applicable, as allotted by ICAI, in the audit reports signed by them25.
Date of the Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 41)
A37. The date of the auditor’s report informs the user of the auditor’s report that the auditor has considered the effect of events and transactions of which the auditor became aware and that occurred up to that date. The auditor’s responsibility for events and transactions after the date of the auditor’s report is addressed in SA 56026.
A38. Since the auditor’s opinion is provided on the financial statements and the
25 The attention of the members is drawn to the decision relating to inclusion of the firm’s registration number, wherever applicable, in the audit report, taken by the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India at its 292nd meeting held on January 13, 2010 and the related Announcement is published in February 2010 issue of the Journal.
26 SA 560 (Revised), “Subsequent Events,” paragraphs 10-17.
24
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
financial statements are the responsibility of management, the auditor is not in a position to conclude that sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained until evidence is obtained that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and management has accepted responsibility for them.
A39. In case of some entities, the applicable law or regulation identifies the individuals or bodies (e.g., the directors) that are responsible for concluding that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared, and specifies the necessary approval process. In such cases, evidence is obtained of that approval before dating the report on the financial statements. In case of some other entities, however, the approval process is not prescribed in law or regulation. In such cases, the procedures the entity follows in preparing and finalising its financial statements in view of its management and governance structures is considered in order to identify the individuals or body with the authority to conclude that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared. In some cases, law or regulation identifies the point in the financial statement reporting process at which the audit is expected to be complete.
A40. In some entities, final approval of the financial statements by shareholders is required before the financial statements are issued publicly. In these entities, final approval by shareholders is not necessary for the auditor to conclude that sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained. The date of approval of the financial statements for purposes of SAs is the earlier date on which those with the recognised authority determine that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and that those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for them.
Auditor’s Report Prescribed by Law or Regulation (Ref: Para. 43)
A41. SA 200 (Revised) explains that the auditor may be required to comply with legal or regulatory requirements in addition to SAs27. Where this is the case, the auditor may be obliged to use a layout or wording in the auditor’s report that
27 SA 200 (Revised), paragraph A55 states as follows:
“In performing an audit, the auditor may be required to comply with legal or regulatory requirements in addition to the SAs. The SAs do not override laws and regulations that govern an audit of financial statements. In the event that those laws and regulations differ from the SAs, an audit conducted only in accordance with laws and regulations will not automatically comply with SAs”.
25
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
differs from that described in this SA. As explained in paragraph 4, consistency in the auditor’s report, when the audit has been conducted in accordance with SAs, promotes credibility in the global marketplace by making more readily identifiable those audits that have been conducted in accordance with globally recognised standards. When the differences between the legal or regulatory requirements and SAs relate only to the layout and wording of the auditor’s report and, at a minimum, each of the elements identified in paragraph 43(a)-(i) are included in the auditor’s report, the auditor’s report may refer to Standards on Auditing. Accordingly, in such circumstances the auditor is considered to have complied with the requirements of SAs, even when the layout and wording used in the auditor’s report are specified by legal or regulatory reporting requirements. Where specific requirements in a particular law or regulation do not conflict with SAs, adoption of the layout and wording used in this SA assists users of the auditor’s report more readily to recognise the auditor’s report as a report on an audit conducted in accordance with SAs. (SA 210 (Revised) deals with circumstances where law or regulation prescribes the layout or wording of the auditor’s report in terms that are significantly different from the requirements of SAs).
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Both Auditing Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (national auditing standards) and International Standards on Auditing (Ref: Para. 44)
A42. The auditor may refer in the auditor’s report to the audit having been conducted in accordance with both International Standards on Auditing as well as the national auditing standards, i.e., the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India when, in addition to complying with the national auditing standards, the auditor complies with each of the ISAs relevant to the audit.
A43. A reference to both International Standards on Auditing and the national auditing standards is not appropriate if there is a conflict between the requirements in ISAs and those in the national auditing standards that would lead the auditor to form a different opinion or not to include an Emphasis of Matter paragraph that, in the particular circumstances, is required by ISAs. In such a case, the auditor’s report refers only to the auditing standards (either International Standards on Auditing or the national auditing standards) in accordance with which the auditor’s report has been prepared.
26
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Supplementary Information Presented with the Financial Statements
(Ref: Para. 46-47)
A44. In some circumstances, the entity may be required by law, regulation or Standards, or may voluntarily choose, to present together with the financial statements supplementary information that is not required by the applicable financial reporting framework. For example, supplementary information might be presented to enhance a user’s understanding of the applicable financial reporting framework or to provide further explanation of specific financial statement items. Such information is normally presented in either supplementary schedules or as additional notes.
A45. The auditor’s opinion covers supplementary information that cannot be clearly differentiated from the financial statements because of its nature and how it is presented. For example, this would be the case when the notes to the financial statements include an explanation of the extent to which the financial statements comply with another financial reporting framework. The auditor’s opinion would also cover notes or supplementary schedules that are cross-referenced from the financial statements.
A46. Supplementary information that is covered by the auditor’s opinion does not need to be specifically referred to in the introductory paragraph of the auditor’s report when the reference to the notes in the description of the statements that comprise the financial statements in the introductory paragraph is sufficient.
A47. The law or regulation applicable to the entity may not require that the supplementary information be audited, and management may decide not to ask the auditor to include the supplementary information within the scope of the audit of the financial statements.
A48. The auditor’s evaluation whether unaudited supplementary information is presented in a manner that could be construed as being covered by the auditor’s opinion includes, for example, where that information is presented in relation to the financial statements and any audited supplementary information, and whether it is clearly labeled as “unaudited”.
A49. Management could change the presentation of unaudited supplementary information that could be construed as being covered by the auditor’s opinion, for example, by:
· Removing any cross references from the financial statements to unaudited supplementary schedules or unaudited notes so that the demarcation between the audited and unaudited information is sufficiently clear.
27
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
· Placing the unaudited supplementary information outside of the financial statements or, if that is not possible in the circumstances, at a minimum, place the unaudited notes together at the end of the required notes to the financial statements and clearly label them as unaudited. Unaudited notes that are intermingled with the audited notes can be misinterpreted as being audited.
A50. The fact that supplementary information is unaudited does not relieve the auditor of the responsibility to read that information to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements. The auditor’s responsibilities with respect to unaudited supplementary information are consistent with those described in SA 72028.
Material Modifications vis-a-vis ISA 700, “Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements”
Additions
1. Paragraph 9 of ISA 700 explains what constitutes the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the ISA 700. Since in India, financial reporting standards, used for the preparation and presentation of financial statements, can be ‘Accounting Standards promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or Accounting Standards, notified by the Central
Government by publishing the same as Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006’ or ‘Accounting Standards for Local Bodies promulgated by
the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)’, the paragraph 9 has accordingly been changed. Corresponding changes have also been made at the relevant places of the Standard.
2. Paragraph 42 of ISA 700 states that the auditor’s report shall name the location in the jurisdiction where the auditor practices. Since the practices prevailing in India requires the auditor to mention the “Place of Signature” instead of the “Auditor’s Address” in the auditor’s report, the requirement of mentioning the auditor’s address has been replaced with the place of signature, which is the name of specific location, which is ordinarily the city
28 SA 720, “The Auditor’s Responsibility in Relation to Other Information in Documents Containing Audited Financial Statements”.
28
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
where the audit report is signed. Corresponding changes have also been made at the relevant places of the Standard.
3. Paragraph A36 of ISA 700 explains who is eligible for signing the auditor’s report in the different situations. Since in India, audit report may be signed by the auditor in his personal name in case of sole practitioner and where the firm is appointed as the auditor, the report may be signed in the personal name of the auditor and in the name of the audit firm, the paragraph has accordingly been changed. Since as per the Indian practice, the partner/proprietor signing the audit report also needs to mention the firm registration number, wherever applicable, and the membership number assigned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the said requirement has also been incorporated in the paragraph A36 of SA 700 (Revised).
29
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Appendix
(Ref: Para. A14)
Illustrative Formats of Auditors’ Reports on Financial Statements
Illustration 1:
C ircum stances include the following:
· Audit of a complete set of separate general purpose financial statements of a company prepared under the Companies Act, 1956 financial reporting framework, which is a fair presentation framework.
· The terms of the audit engagement reflect description of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in SA 210 (Revised).
· The report is unmodified and does not include either an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter(s) paragraph.
· In addition to the audit of financial statements, the auditor has other reporting responsibilities required under the Companies Act, 1956 and/or other regulatory requirements.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
To the Members of ABC Com pany Lim ited Report on the Financial Statem ents
W e have audited the accompanying financial statements of ABC Company Limited (“the Company”), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 20XX, and the Statement of Profit and Loss and Cash Flow Statement for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
M anagem ent is responsible for the preparation of these financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the Accounting Standards referred to in sub-section (3C) of section 211 of the Companies Act, 1956 (“the
30
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Act”). This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. W e conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
W e
believe
that
the
audit
evidence
we
have
obtained
is
sufficient
and
appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the financial statements give the information required by the Act in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India:
(a) in the case of the Balance Sheet, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 20XX;
(b) in the case of the Profit and Loss Account, of the profit/ loss for the year ended on that date; and
(c) in the case of the Cash Flow Statem ent, of the cash flows for the year
ended on that date.
31
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Report on O ther Legal and Reg ulatory Requirements
1. As required by the Companies (Auditor’s Report) O rder, 2003 (“the Order”) issued by the Central Government of India in terms of sub-section (4A) of section 227 of the Act, we give in the Annexure a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Order.
2. As required by section 227(3) of the Act, we report that:
a. we have obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purpose of our audit;
b. in our opinion proper books of account as required by law have been kept
by the Com pany so far as appears from our examination of those books
[and proper returns adequate for the purposes of our audit have been
received from branches not visited by us]29;
c. the Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss, and Cash Flow
Statement dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of
account [and with the returns received from branches not visited by us]30;
d. in our opinion, the Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss, and Cash Flow Statement comply with the Accounting Standards referred to in sub-section (3C) of section 211 of the Companies Act, 1956;
e. on the basis of written representations received from the directors as on March 31, 20XX, and taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on March 31, 20XX, from being appointed as a director in terms of clause (g) of sub-section (1) of section 274 of the Companies Act, 1956.
f. Since the Central Government has not issued any notification as to the rate at which the cess is to be paid under section 441A of the Companies Act, 1956 nor has it issued any Rules under the said section, prescribing the manner in which such cess is to be paid, no cess is due and payable by the Company.
29 To be included if relevant.
30 To be included if relevant.
32
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
For XYZ and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration Number31
Signature
(Name of the Member Signing the Audit Report)
(Designation32)
Membership Number
Place of Signature
Date
31 See footnote 25.
32 Partner or Proprietor, as the case may be.
33
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Illustration 2:
Circumstances include the following:
· Audit of a complete set of consolidated general purpose financial statements of a parent company prepared under accounting principles generally accepted in India, as required for compliance with SEBI’s regulatory requirement, which is a fair presentation framework.
· The terms of the group audit engagement reflect description of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in SA 210 (Revised).
· The report is unmodified and does not include either an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter(s) paragraph.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
To the Board of Directors of ABC Company Limited
We33 have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of ABC Company Limited (“the Company”) and its subsidiaries, which comprise the consolidated Balance Sheet as at March 31, 20XX, and the consolidated Statement of Profit and Loss and the consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Consolidated Financial Statements
M anagem ent is responsible for the preparation of these consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view of the consolidated financial position, consolidated financial performance and consolidated cash flows of the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in India. This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of the consolidated financial
33 As there is no reporting on ‘Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements’, there is no necessity of including the heading ‘Report on the Financial Statements’ above the introductory paragraph.
34
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and presentation of the consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India:
(a) in the case of the consolidated Balance Sheet, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 20XX;
(b) in the case of the consolidated Profit and Loss Account, of the profit/ loss for the year ended on that date; and
(c) in the case of the consolidated Cash Flow Statem ent, of the cash flows for the year ended on that date.
35
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
For XYZ and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration Number34
Signature
(Name of the Member Signing the Audit Report)
(Designation35)
Membership Number
Place of Signature
Date
34 See footnote 25.
35 Partner or Proprietor, as the case may be.
36
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Illustration 3:
Circumstances include the following:
· Audit of a complete set of separate general purpose financial statements of an entity prepared in accordance with the requirements of XYZ Law of India under a compliance framework.
· The terms of the audit engagement reflect the description of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in SA 210 (Revised).
· The report is unmodified and does not include either an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter(s) paragraph.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT [Appropriate Addressee]
We36 have audited the accompanying financial statements of ABC and Associates, which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 20XX, and the Profit and Loss Account37 for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation of these financial statements in accordance with XYZ Law of India. This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation of the financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.
36 As there is no reporting on ‘Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements’, there is no necessity of including the heading ‘Report on the Financial Statements’ above the introductory paragraph.
37 Provide titles of all financial statements that comprise a full set of financial statements required by XYZ Law of India.
37
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion38
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the financial statements of ABC and Associates for the year ended March 31, 20XX are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with XYZ Law of India.
For XYZ and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration Number39
Signature
(Name of the Member Signing the Audit Report)
(Designation40)
Membership Number
Place of Signature
Date
38 Note that the opinion excludes the words ‘true and fair’ as this report is not under a fair presentation framework.
39 See footnote 25.
40 Partner or Proprietor, as the case may be.
38
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Limited Revision Consequential to issuance of the Standard on Auditing (SA) 700 (Revised), “Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements”
The amendments to the Standard on Auditing (SA) 560 (Revised) have been shown in track change mode.
SA 560 (Revised), “Subsequent Events”
5(b). Date of approval of the financial statements – The date on which all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements.
Date of Approval of the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 5(b))
A2. In some entities, the applicable law or regulation identifies the individuals or bodies (for example, management or those charged with governance) that are responsible for concluding that all the statements that comprise comprising the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared, and specifies the necessary approval process. In some other entities, the approval process is not prescribed in law or regulation and the entity follows its own procedures in preparing and finalising its financial statements in view of its management and governance structures. In some cases, final approval of the financial statements by shareholders is required. In such cases, final approval by shareholders is not necessary for the auditor to conclude that sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements has been obtained. The date of approval of the financial statements for purposes of the SAs is the earlier date on which those with the recognised authority determine have asserted that all the statements that comprise comprising the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and that those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements.
Date of the Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 5(c))
A3. The auditor’s report cannot be dated earlier than the date on which the auditor has obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the
39
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
opinion on the financial statements,.1 Sufficient appropriate audit evidence includinges evidence that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and that those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements….
COLLECTED BY CA GIRISH KULKARNI, AURANGABAD
Standard on Auditing (SA) 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements.
1. Attention of the readers is invited to Standard on Auditing (SA) 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements published on pages 1327 – 1338 of the February 2010 issue of The Chartered Accountant. Readers are requested to read paragraph A36 of the said Standard as follows:
“A36. The report is signed by the auditor in his personal name. Where the firm is appointed as the auditor, the report is signed in the personal name of the auditor and in the name of the audit firm. The partner/proprietor signing the audit report also needs to mention the membership number assigned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. They also include the registration number of the firm, wherever applicable, as allotted by ICAI, in the audit reports signed by them 25.”
2. The newly inserted footnote 25 reads as under:
“25. The attention of the members is drawn to the decision relating to inclusion of the firm's registration number, wherever applicable, in the audit report, taken by the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India at its 292nd meeting held on January 13, 2010 and the related Announcement is published in February 2010 issue of the Journal.”
3. The corrected text of the SA 700 is available on ICAI's website at the following URL: http://www.icai.org/resource_file/17874sa700annx1.pdf
Standard on Auditing-705 (SA-705)- “Modifications to the Opinion in the Independent Auditor’s Report”
Standard on Auditing (SA) 705, “Modifications to the Opinion in the Independent Auditor’s Report” should be read in the context of the “Preface to the Standards on Quality Control, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance and Related Services”, which sets out the authority of SAs and SA 200(Revised), “Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with Standards on Auditing”.
Limited Revisions Consequential to issuance of the Standard on Auditing (SA) 520 (Revised), “Analytical Procedures”
The amendments to SA 315 have been shown in Track Changed mode.
SA 315, “Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement Through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment”
Analytical Procedures
A6a. Analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures may identify aspects of the entity of which the auditor was unaware and may assist in assessing the risks of material misstatement in order to provide a basis for designing and implementing responses to the assessed risks*. Analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures may include both financial and non-financial informa-tion, for example, the relationship between sales and square footage of selling space or volume of goods sold.
A7. Analytical procedures may help identify the existence of unusual transactions or events, and amounts, ratios, and trends that might indicate matters that have audit implications. Unusual or unexpected relationships that are identified may assist the auditor in identifying risks of material misstatement, especially risks of material misstatement due to fraud.
A8. However, when such analytical procedures use data aggregated at a high level (which may be the situation with analytical procedures performed as risk assessment procedures), the results of those analytical procedures only provide a broad initial indication about whether a material misstatement may exist. Accordingly, in such cases, consideration
of other information that has been gathered when identifying the risks of material misstatement together with the results of such analytical procedures may assist the auditor in understanding and evaluating the results of the analytical procedures . [Proposed] ISA 520 (Redrafted) establishes requirements and provides guidance on the use of analytical procedures.
Considerations Specific to Smaller Entities
A8a. Some smaller entities may not have interim or monthly financial information that can be used for purposes of analytical procedures. In these circumstances, although the auditor may be able to perform limited analytical procedures for purposes of planning the audit or obtain some information through inquiry, the auditor may need to plan to perform analytical procedures to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement when an early draft of the entity’s financial statements is available.
[When the consequential limited revisions are included in SA 315, paragraph A6a will become paragraph A7 and the SA will be renumbered accordingly.]
* SA 520 (Revised), “Analytical Procedures”, paragraphs A1-A3 describes the nature of analytical procedures.
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Introduction
Scope of this SA
1. This Standard on Auditing (SA) deals with the auditor’s responsibility to form an opinion on the financial statements. It also deals with the form and content of the auditor’s report issued as a result of an audit of financial statements.
2. SA 705 and SA 706 deal with how the form and content of the auditor’s report are affected when the auditor expresses a modified opinion or includes an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter paragraph in the auditor’s report.
3. This SA is written in the context of a complete set of general purpose financial statements. SA 800 deals with special considerations when financial statements are prepared in accordance with a special purpose framework. SA 805 deals with special considerations relevant to an audit of a single financial statement or of a specific element, account or item of a financial statement.
4. This SA promotes consistency in the auditor’s report. Consistency in the auditor’s report, when the audit has been conducted in accordance with SAs, promotes credibility in the global marketplace by making more readily identifiable those audits that have been conducted in accordance with globally recognised standards. It also helps to promote the user’s understanding and to identify unusual circumstances when they occur.
Effective Date
5. This SA is effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after April 1, 2011.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Requirements
Forming an Opinion on the Financial Statements
10. The auditor shall form an opinion on whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.
11. In order to form that opinion, the auditor shall conclude as to whether the auditor has obtained reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. That conclusion shall take into account:
(a) The auditor’s conclusion, in accordance with SA 330, whether sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained;
(b) The auditor’s conclusion, in accordance with SA 450, whether uncorrected misstatements are material, individually or in aggregate;and
(c) The evaluations required by paragraphs 12-15.
12. The auditor shall evaluate whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework. This evaluation shall include consideration of the qualitative aspects of the entity’s accounting practices, including indicators of possible bias in management’s judgments. (Ref: Para. A1-A3)
13. In particular, the auditor shall evaluate whether, in view of the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework: .
(a) The financial statements adequately disclose the significant accounting policies selected and applied;
(b) The accounting policies selected and applied are consistent with the applicable financial reporting framework and are appropriate;
(c) The accounting estimates made by management are reasonable;
(d) The information presented in the financial statements is relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable;
(e) The financial statements provide adequate disclosures to enable the intended users to understand the effect of material transactions and events on the information conveyed in the financial statements; and (Ref: Para. A4)
(f) The terminology used in the financial statements, including the title of each financial statement, is appropriate.
14. When the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the evaluation required by paragraphs 12-13 shall also include whether the financial statements achieve fair presentation. The auditor’s evaluation as to whether the financial statements achieve fair presentation shall include consideration of:
(a) The overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements; and
(b) Whether the financial statements, including the related notes, represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
15. The auditor shall evaluate whether the financial statements adequately refer to or describe the applicable financial reporting framework. (Ref: Para. A5-A10)
Form of Opinion
16. The auditor shall express an unmodified opinion when the auditor concludes that the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.
17. If the auditor:
(a) concludes that, based on the audit evidence obtained, the financial statements as a whole are not free from material misstatement; or
(b) is unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to conclude that the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, the auditor shall modify the opinion in the auditor’s report in accordance with SA 705.
18. If financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements of a fair presentation framework do not achieve fair presentation, the auditor shall discuss the matter with management and, depending on the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework and how the matter is resolved, shall determine whether it is necessary to modify the opinion in the auditor’s report in accordance with SA 705. (Ref: Para. A11)
19. When the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a compliance framework, the auditor is not required to evaluate whether the financial statements achieve fair presentation. However, if in extremely rare circumstances the auditor concludes that such financial statements are misleading, the auditor shall discuss the matter with management and, depending on how it is resolved, shall determine whether, and how, to communicate it in the auditor’s report. (Ref: Para. A12)
Auditor’s Report
20. The auditor’s report shall be in writing. (Ref: Para. A13-A14)
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Standards on Auditing
Title
21. The auditor’s report shall have a title that clearly indicates that it is the report of an independent auditor. (Ref: Para. A15)
Addressee
22. The auditor’s report shall be addressed as required by the circumstances of the engagement. (Ref: Para. A16)
Introductory Paragraph
23. The introductory paragraph in the auditor’s report shall: (Ref: Para. A17-A19)
(a) Identify the entity whose financial statements have been audited;
(b) State that the financial statements have been audited;
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
(c) Identify the title of each statement that comprises the financial statements;
(d) Refer to the summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information; and
(e) Specify the date or period covered by each financial statement comprising the financial statements.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
24. This section of the auditor’s report describes the responsibilities of those in the organisation that are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The auditor’s report need not refer specifically to “management”, but shall use the term that is appropriate in the context of the legal and/or regulatory framework applicable to the entity. In case of some entities, the appropriate reference may be to those charged with governance*.
25. The auditor’s report shall include a section with the heading “Management’s [or other appropriate term] Responsibility for the Financial Statements”.
26. The auditor’s report shall describe management’s responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements in the manner in which that responsibility is described in the terms of the audit engagement. The description shall include an explanation that management is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; this responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. (Ref: Para. A20-A22)
27. Where the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the explanation of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in the auditor’s report shall refer to “the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements” or “the preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view”, as appropriate in the circumstances.
Auditor’s Responsibility
28. The auditor’s report shall include a section with the heading “Auditor’s Responsibility”.
29. The auditor’s report shall state that the responsibility of the auditor is to
* For example, the Board of Directors under the Companies Act, 1956.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
express an opinion on the financial statements based on the audit. (Ref: Para. A23)
30. The auditor’s report shall state that the audit was conducted in accordance with Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The auditor’s report shall also explain that those Standards require that the auditor comply with ethical requirements and that the auditor plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. (Ref: Para. A24-A25)
31. The auditor’s report shall describe an audit by stating that:
(a) An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements;
(b) The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. In circumstances when the auditor also has a responsibility to express an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control in conjunction with the audit of the financial statements, the auditor shall omit the phrase that the auditor’s consideration of internal control is not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control; and
(c) An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of the accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as the overall presentation of the financial statements.
32. Where the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the description of the audit in the auditor’s report shall refer to “the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements” or “the entity’s preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view”, as appropriate in the circumstances.
33. The auditor’s report shall state whether the auditor believes that the audit evidence the auditor has obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for the auditor’s opinion.
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Auditor’s Opinion
34. The auditor’s report shall include a section with the heading “Opinion”.
35. When expressing an unmodified opinion on financial statements prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the auditor’s opinion shall, unless otherwise required by law or regulation, use one of the following phrases, which are regarded as being equivalent: (Ref: Para. A26-A32)
(a) The financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with [the applicable financial reporting framework]; or
(b) The financial statements give a true and fair view of in accordance with [the applicable financial reporting framework].
36. When expressing an unmodified opinion on financial statements prepared in accordance with a compliance framework, the auditor’s opinion shall be that the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with [the applicable financial reporting framework]. (Ref: Para. A26, A28-A32)
37. If the reference to the applicable financial reporting framework, in the auditor’s opinion, is not to the Accounting Standards promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or Accounting Standards, notified by the Central Government by publishing the same as the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006, or the Accounting Standards for Local Bodies promulgated by the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, as may be applicable, the auditor’s opinion shall identify the jurisdiction of origin of the framework.
Other Reporting Responsibilities
38. If the auditor addresses other reporting responsibilities in the auditor’s report on the financial statements that are in addition to the auditor’s responsibility under the SAs to report on the financial statements, these other reporting responsibilities shall be addressed in a separate section in the auditor’s report that shall be sub-titled “Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements,” or otherwise as appropriate to the content of the section. (Ref: Para. A33-A34)
39. If the auditor’s report contains a separate section on other reporting
responsibilities, the headings, statements and explanations referred to in
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paragraphs 23-37 shall be under the sub-title “Report on the Financial Statements.” The “Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements” shall follow the “Report on the Financial Statements.” (Ref: Para. A35)
Signature of the Auditor
40. The auditor’s report shall be signed. (Ref: Para. A36)
Date of the Auditor’s Report
41. The auditor’s report shall be dated no earlier than the date on which the auditor has obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements, including evidence that: (Ref: Para. A37-A40)
(a) All the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared; and
(b) Those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements.
Place of Signature
42. The auditor’s report shall name specific location, which is ordinarily the city where the audit report is signed.
Auditor’s Report Prescribed by Law or Regulation
43. If the auditor is required by any law or regulation to use a specific layout or wording of the auditor’s report, the auditor’s report shall refer to Standards on Auditing only if the auditor’s report includes, at a minimum, each of the following elements: (Ref: Para. A41)
(a) A title;
(b) An addressee, as required by the circumstances of the engagement;
(c) An introductory paragraph that identifies the financial statements audited;
(d) A description of the responsibility of management (or other appropriate term, see paragraph 24) for the preparation of the financial statements;
(e) A description of the auditor’s responsibility to express an opinion on the financial statements and the scope of the audit, that includes:
· A reference to Standards on Auditing and the law or regulation; and
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
· A description of an audit in accordance with those Standards;
(g) An opinion paragraph containing an expression of opinion on the financial statements and a reference to the applicable financial reporting framework used to prepare the financial statements (including identifying the jurisdiction of origin of the financial reporting framework, see paragraph 37);
(h) The auditor’s signature;
(i) The date of the auditor’s report; and
(j) The place of signature.
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Both Auditing Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and International Standards on Auditing
44. An auditor may be required to conduct an audit in accordance with the auditing Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (the “national auditing standards”), but may additionally have complied with the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) in the conduct of the audit. If this is the case, the auditor’s report may refer to International Standards on Auditing in addition to the national auditing standards, but the auditor shall do so only if: (Ref: Para. A42-A43)
(a) There is no conflict between the requirements in the national auditing standards and those in ISAs that would lead the auditor (i) to form a different opinion, or (ii) not to include an Emphasis of Matter paragraph that, in the particular circumstances, is required by ISAs; and
(b) The auditor’s report includes, at a minimum, each of the elements set out in paragraph 43(a)-(i) when the auditor uses the layout or wording specified by the national auditing standards. Reference to law or regulation in paragraph 43(e) shall be read as reference to the national auditing standards. The auditor’s report shall thereby identify such national auditing standards.
45. When the auditor’s report refers to both the national auditing standards and International Standards on Auditing, the auditor’s report shall identify the national auditing standards being the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Supplementary Information Presented with the Financial Statements
(Ref: Para. A44-A50)
46. If supplementary information that is not required by the applicable financial reporting framework is presented with the audited financial statements, the auditor shall evaluate whether such supplementary information is clearly differentiated from the audited financial statements. If such supplementary information is not clearly differentiated from the audited financial statements, the auditor shall ask management to change how the unaudited supplementary information is presented. If management refuses to do so, the auditor shall explain in the auditor’s report that such supplementary information has not been audited.
47. Supplementary information that is not required by the applicable financial reporting framework but is nevertheless an integral part of the financial statements because it cannot be clearly differentiated from the audited financial statements due to its nature and how it is presented shall be covered by the auditor’s opinion.
***
Application and Other Explanatory Material
Qualitative Aspects of the Entity’s Accounting Practices (Ref: Para. 12)
A1. Management makes a number of judgments about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
A2. SA 260 (Revised) contains a discussion of the qualitative aspects of accounting practices14. In considering the qualitative aspects of the entity’s accounting practices, the auditor may become aware of possible bias in management’s judgments. The auditor may conclude that the cumulative effect of a lack of neutrality, together with the effect of uncorrected misstatements, causes the financial statements as a whole to be materially misstated. Indicators of a lack of neutrality that may affect the auditor’s evaluation of whether the financial statements as a whole are materially misstated include the following:
· The selective correction of misstatements brought to management’s attention during the audit (e.g., correcting misstatements with the effect of increasing reported earnings, but not correcting misstatements that have the effect of decreasing reported earnings).
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
· Possible management bias in the making of accounting estimates.
A3. SA 540 (Revised) addresses possible management bias in making accounting estimates15. Indicators of possible management bias do not constitute misstatements for purposes of drawing conclusions on the reasonableness of individual accounting estimates. They may, however, affect the auditor’s evaluation of whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement.
Disclosure of the Effect of Material Transactions and Events on the Information Conveyed in the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 13(e))
A4. It is common for financial statements prepared in accordance with a general purpose framework to present an entity’s Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss and Cash Flow Statement. In such circumstances, the auditor evaluates whether the financial statements provide adequate disclosures to enable the intended users to understand the effect of material transactions and events on the entity’s state of affairs, results of operations and cash flows.
Description of the Applicable Financial Reporting Framework (Ref: Para. 15)
A5. As explained in SA 200 (Revised), management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework and for an adequate description of that framework in the financial statements16. That description is important because it advises users of the
15 SA 540 (Revised), “Auditing Accounting Estimates, Including Fair Value Accounting Estimates, and Related Disclosures”, paragraph 21.
16 SA 200 (Revised), paragraphs A2-A3 state as follows:
“A2. An audit in accordance with SAs is conducted on the premise that management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have responsibility:
(a) For the preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; this includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; and
(b) To provide the auditor with:
(i) All information, such as records and documentation, and other matters that are relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements;
(ii) Any additional information that the auditor may request from management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance; and
(iii) Unrestricted access to those within the entity from whom the auditor determines it necessary to obtain audit evidence.
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
financial statements of the framework on which the financial statements are based.
A6. A description that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with a particular applicable financial reporting framework is appropriate only if the financial statements comply with all the requirements of that framework that are effective during the period covered by the financial statements.
A7. A description of the applicable financial reporting framework that contains imprecise qualifying or limiting language (e.g., “the financial statements are in substantial compliance with Financial Reporting Standards17”) is not an adequate description of that framework as it may mislead users of the financial statements.
Reference to More than One Financial Reporting Framework
A8. In some cases, the financial statements may represent that they are prepared in accordance with two financial reporting frameworks (e.g., the national framework and International Financial Reporting Standards). This may be because management is required, or has chosen, to prepare the financial statements in accordance with both frameworks, in which case both are applicable financial reporting frameworks. Such description is appropriate only if the financial statements comply with each of the frameworks individually. To be regarded as being prepared in accordance with both frameworks, the financial statements need to comply with both frameworks simultaneously and without any need for reconciling statements. In practice, simultaneous compliance is unlikely unless the jurisdiction has adopted the other framework (e.g., International
A3. As part of their responsibility for the preparation and presentation of the financial statements, management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance are responsible for:
· The identification of the applicable financial reporting framework, in the context of any relevant laws or regulations.
· The preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with that framework.
· An adequate description of that framework in the financial statements.
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to exercise judgment in making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances, as well as to select and apply appropriate accounting policies. These judgments are made in the context of the applicable financial reporting framework”.
17 Accounting Standards promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or Accounting Standards, notified by the Central Government by publishing the same as the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006, or the Accounting Standards for Local Bodies promulgated by the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, as may be applicable.
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Financial Reporting Standards) as its own national framework, or has eliminated all barriers to compliance with it.
A9. Financial statements that are prepared in accordance with one financial reporting framework and that contain a note or supplementary statement reconciling the results to those that would be shown under another framework, are not prepared in accordance with that other framework. This is because the financial statements do not include all the information in the manner required by that other framework.
A10. The financial statements may, however, be prepared in accordance with one applicable financial reporting framework and, in addition, describe in the notes to the financial statements the extent to which the financial statements comply with another framework (e.g., financial statements prepared in accordance with the national framework that also describe the extent to which they comply with International Financial Reporting Standards). Such description is supplementary financial information and, as discussed in paragraph 47, is considered an integral part of the financial statements and, accordingly, is covered by the auditor’s opinion.
Form of Opinion (Ref: Para. 18-19)
A11. There may be cases where the financial statements, although prepared in accordance with the requirements of a fair presentation framework, do not achieve fair presentation. Where this is the case, it may be possible for management to include additional disclosures in the financial statements beyond those specifically required by the framework or, in extremely rare circumstances, to depart from a requirement in the framework in order to achieve fair presentation of the financial statements.
A12. It will be extremely rare for the auditor to consider financial statements that are prepared in accordance with a compliance framework to be misleading if, in accordance with SA 210 (Revised), the auditor determined that the framework is acceptable18.
Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 20)
A13. A written report encompasses reports issued in hard copy format and those using an electronic medium.
18 SA 210 (Revised), “Agreeing the Terms of Audit Engagements”, paragraph 6(a).
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A14. The Appendix contains illustrations of auditors’ reports on financial statements, incorporating the elements set forth in paragraphs 21-42.
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Standards on Auditing
Title (Ref: Para. 21)
A15. A title indicating the report is the report of an independent auditor, for example, “Independent Auditor’s Report”, affirms that the auditor has met all of the relevant ethical requirements regarding independence and, therefore, distinguishes the independent auditor’s report from reports issued by others.
Addressee (Ref: Para. 22)
A16. The law or regulation applicable to the entity often specifies to whom the auditor’s report is to be addressed. The auditor’s report is normally addressed to those for whom the report is prepared, often either to the shareholders or to those charged with governance of the entity whose financial statements are being audited.
Introductory Paragraph (Ref: Para. 23)
A17. The introductory paragraph states, for example, that the auditor has audited the accompanying financial statements of the entity, which comprise [state the title of each financial statement comprising the complete set of financial statements required by the applicable financial reporting framework, specifying the date or period covered by each financial statement] and referring to the summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
A18. When the auditor is aware that the audited financial statements will be included in a document that contains other information, such as an annual report, the auditor may consider, if the form of presentation allows, identifying the page numbers on which the audited financial statements are presented. This helps users to identify the financial statements to which the auditor’s report relates.
A19. The auditor’s opinion covers the complete set of financial statements as defined by the applicable financial reporting framework. For example, in the case of many general purpose frameworks, the financial statements include: a Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss, a Cash Flow Statement, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. In case of some entities, additional information might also be considered to be an integral part of the financial statements.
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Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 26)
A20. SA 200 (Revised) explains the premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit in accordance with SAs is conducted19. Management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. For example, in the case of many general purpose frameworks, management is responsible for the preparation of financial statements that fairly present the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the entity in accordance with those frameworks. This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In some cases, law or regulation prescribing management’s responsibilities may specifically refer to a responsibility for the adequacy of accounting books and records, or accounting system. As books, records and
19 SA 200 (Revised), paragraph 13(j) states as follows:
“(j) Premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit is conducted – That management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance have the following responsibilities that are fundamental to the conduct of an audit in accordance with SAs. That is, responsibility:
(i) For the preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; this includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; and
(ii)To provide the auditor with:
a. All information, such as records and documentation, and other matters that are relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements;
b. Any additional information that the auditor may request from management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance; and
c. Unrestricted access to those within the entity from whom the auditor determines it necessary to obtain audit evidence.
In the case of a fair presentation framework, the responsibility is for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the financial reporting framework; or the preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view in accordance with the financial reporting framework. This applies to all references to “preparation and presentation of the financial statements” in the SAs.
The “premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit is conducted” may also be referred to as the “premise”.
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systems are an integral part of internal control (as defined in SA 31520) no specific reference is made to them in paragraph 26 for the description of management’s responsibilities.
A21. There may be circumstances when it is appropriate for the auditor to add to the description of management’s responsibility in paragraph 26 to reflect additional responsibilities that are relevant to the preparation of the financial statements in the context of the particular jurisdiction or the nature of the entity.
A22. SA 210 (Revised) explains that, if law or regulation prescribes the responsibilities of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance in relation to financial reporting, the auditor may determine that the law or regulation includes responsibilities that are equivalent in effect to those set out in SA 210 (Revised). For such responsibilities that are equivalent, the auditor may use the wording of the law or regulation to describe them in the engagement letter or other suitable form of written agreement. For those that are not prescribed by law or regulation such that their effect is equivalent, the engagement letter or other suitable form of written agreement reflects the description in SA 210 (Revised)21.
Auditor’s Responsibility (Ref: Para. 29-30)
A23. The auditor’s report states that the auditor’s responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statements based on the audit in order to contrast it to management’s responsibility for the preparation of the financial statements.
A24. The reference to the Standards used conveys to the users of the auditor’s report that the audit has been conducted in accordance with established Standards.
A25. In accordance with SA 200 (Revised), the auditor does not represent compliance with SAs in the auditor’s report unless the auditor has complied with the requirements of the SA 200 (Revised) and all other SAs relevant to the audit22.
20 SA 315, “Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatements Through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment”, paragraph 4(c).
21 SA 210 (Revised), paragraph 6(b).
22 SA 200 (Revised), paragraph 20 states as follows:
“The auditor shall not represent compliance with SAs in the auditor’s report unless the auditor has complied with the requirements of this SA and all other SAs relevant to the audit.”
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Auditor’s Opinion (Ref: Para. 35-37)
Wording of the auditor’s opinion prescribed by law or regulation
A26. SA 210 (Revised) explains that, in some cases, law or regulation prescribes the wording of the auditor’s report (which in particular includes the auditor’s opinion) in terms that are significantly different from the requirements of SAs. In these circumstances, SA 210 (Revised) requires the auditor to evaluate:
(a) Whether users might misunderstand the assurance obtained from the audit of the financial statements and, if so,
(b) Whether additional explanation in the auditor’s report can mitigate possible misunderstanding.
If the auditor concludes that additional explanation in the auditor’s report cannot mitigate possible misunderstanding, SA 210 (Revised) requires the auditor not to accept the audit engagement, unless required by law or regulation to do so. In accordance with SA 210 (Revised), an audit conducted in accordance with such law or regulation does not comply with SAs. Accordingly, the auditor does not include any reference in the auditor’s report to the audit having been conducted in accordance with Standards on Auditing23.
“Present fairly, in all material respects” or “give a true and fair view”
A27. Whether the phrase “present fairly, in all material respects,” or the phrase “give a true and fair view” is used in any particular jurisdiction is determined by the law or regulation governing the audit of financial statements in that jurisdiction, or by generally accepted practice in that jurisdiction. Where law or regulation requires the use of different wording, this does not affect the requirement in paragraph 14 of this SA for the auditor to evaluate the fair presentation of financial statements prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework.
Description of information that the financial statements present
A28. In the case of financial statements prepared in accordance with a fair presentation framework, the auditor’s opinion states that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, or give a true and fair view of the information that the financial statements are designed to present, for example, in
23 SA 210 (Revised), paragraph 21.
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the case of many general purpose frameworks, the financial position of the entity as at the end of the period and the entity’s financial performance and cash flows for the period then ended.
Description of the applicable financial reporting framework and how it may affect the auditor’s opinion
A29. The identification of the applicable financial reporting framework in the auditor’s opinion is intended to advise users of the auditor’s report of the context in which the auditor’s opinion is expressed; it is not intended to limit the evaluation required in paragraph 14. The applicable financial reporting framework is identified in such terms as:
“… in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards” or
“… in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in India…”
A30. When the applicable financial reporting framework encompasses financial reporting standards and legal or regulatory requirements, the framework is identified in such terms as “……….. the information required by the Companies Act, 1956, in the manner so required and (give a true and fair view) in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India”. SA 210 (Revised) deals with circumstances where there are conflicts between the financial reporting standards and the legislative or regulatory requirements24.
A31. As indicated in paragraph A8, the financial statements may be prepared in accordance with two financial reporting frameworks, which are therefore both applicable financial reporting frameworks. Accordingly, each framework is considered separately when forming the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements, and the auditor’s opinion in accordance with paragraphs 35-36 refers to both frameworks as follows:
(a) If the financial statements comply with each of the frameworks individually, two opinions are expressed: that is, that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with one of the applicable financial reporting frameworks (e.g., the national framework) and an opinion that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the other applicable financial reporting framework (e.g., International Financial Reporting Standards). These opinions may be expressed separately or in a single sentence (e.g., the financial statements are presented fairly, in all
24 SA 210 (Revised), paragraph 18.
22
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
material respects, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in India and with International Financial Reporting Standards).
(b) If the financial statements comply with one of the frameworks but fail to comply with the other framework, an unmodified opinion can be given that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the one framework (e.g., the national framework) but a modified opinion given with regard to the other framework (e.g., International Financial Reporting Standards) in accordance with SA 705.
A32. As indicated in paragraph A10, the financial statements may represent compliance with the applicable financial reporting framework and, in addition, disclose the extent of compliance with another financial reporting framework. As explained in paragraph A45, such supplementary information is covered by the auditor’s opinion as it cannot be clearly differentiated from the financial statements.
(a) If the disclosure as to the compliance with the other framework is misleading, a modified opinion is expressed in accordance with SA 705.
(b) If the disclosure is not misleading, but the auditor judges it to be of such importance that it is fundamental to the users’ understanding of the financial statements, an Emphasis of Matter paragraph is added in accordance with SA 706, drawing attention to the disclosure.
A32a. There can be situations where an entity or a class of entities obtains written permission from the Central Government of India or a regulator or by order of a court of law having jurisdiction to make such an order, to prepare its financial statements without meeting specific recognition, measurement, presentation or disclosure requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework. Such a change shall be treated as a modification of the financial reporting framework and not as inability of the auditor to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence. If the effect of this is material, the auditor shall describe in sufficient detail the resultant deviation from the financial reporting framework in an Emphasis of Matter paragraph in accordance with the SA 706.
Other Reporting Responsibilities (Ref: Para. 38-39)
A33. In case of some entities, the auditor may have additional responsibilities to report on other matters that are supplementary to the auditor’s responsibility under the SAs to report on the financial statements. For example, the auditor
23
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
may be asked to report certain matters if they come to the auditor’s attention during the course of the audit of the financial statements. Alternatively, the auditor may be asked to perform and report on additional specified procedures, or to express an opinion on specific matters, such as the adequacy of accounting books and records. Auditing standards often provide guidance on the auditor’s responsibilities with respect to specific additional reporting responsibilities in such situations.
A34. In some cases, the relevant law or regulation may require or permit the auditor to report on these other responsibilities within the auditor’s report on the financial statements. In other cases, the auditor may be required or permitted to report on them in a separate report.
A35. These other reporting responsibilities are addressed in a separate section of the auditor’s report in order to clearly distinguish them from the auditor’s responsibility under the SAs to report on the financial statements. Where relevant, this section may contain sub- heading(s) that describe(s) the content of the other reporting responsibility paragraph(s).
Signature of the Auditor (Ref: Para. 40)
A36. The report is signed by the auditor in his personal name. Where the firm is appointed as the auditor, the report is signed in the personal name of the auditor and in the name of the audit firm. The partner/proprietor signing the audit report also needs to mention the membership number assigned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. They also include the registration number of the firm, wherever applicable, as allotted by ICAI, in the audit reports signed by them25.
Date of the Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 41)
A37. The date of the auditor’s report informs the user of the auditor’s report that the auditor has considered the effect of events and transactions of which the auditor became aware and that occurred up to that date. The auditor’s responsibility for events and transactions after the date of the auditor’s report is addressed in SA 56026.
A38. Since the auditor’s opinion is provided on the financial statements and the
25 The attention of the members is drawn to the decision relating to inclusion of the firm’s registration number, wherever applicable, in the audit report, taken by the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India at its 292nd meeting held on January 13, 2010 and the related Announcement is published in February 2010 issue of the Journal.
26 SA 560 (Revised), “Subsequent Events,” paragraphs 10-17.
24
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
financial statements are the responsibility of management, the auditor is not in a position to conclude that sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained until evidence is obtained that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and management has accepted responsibility for them.
A39. In case of some entities, the applicable law or regulation identifies the individuals or bodies (e.g., the directors) that are responsible for concluding that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared, and specifies the necessary approval process. In such cases, evidence is obtained of that approval before dating the report on the financial statements. In case of some other entities, however, the approval process is not prescribed in law or regulation. In such cases, the procedures the entity follows in preparing and finalising its financial statements in view of its management and governance structures is considered in order to identify the individuals or body with the authority to conclude that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared. In some cases, law or regulation identifies the point in the financial statement reporting process at which the audit is expected to be complete.
A40. In some entities, final approval of the financial statements by shareholders is required before the financial statements are issued publicly. In these entities, final approval by shareholders is not necessary for the auditor to conclude that sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained. The date of approval of the financial statements for purposes of SAs is the earlier date on which those with the recognised authority determine that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and that those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for them.
Auditor’s Report Prescribed by Law or Regulation (Ref: Para. 43)
A41. SA 200 (Revised) explains that the auditor may be required to comply with legal or regulatory requirements in addition to SAs27. Where this is the case, the auditor may be obliged to use a layout or wording in the auditor’s report that
27 SA 200 (Revised), paragraph A55 states as follows:
“In performing an audit, the auditor may be required to comply with legal or regulatory requirements in addition to the SAs. The SAs do not override laws and regulations that govern an audit of financial statements. In the event that those laws and regulations differ from the SAs, an audit conducted only in accordance with laws and regulations will not automatically comply with SAs”.
25
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
differs from that described in this SA. As explained in paragraph 4, consistency in the auditor’s report, when the audit has been conducted in accordance with SAs, promotes credibility in the global marketplace by making more readily identifiable those audits that have been conducted in accordance with globally recognised standards. When the differences between the legal or regulatory requirements and SAs relate only to the layout and wording of the auditor’s report and, at a minimum, each of the elements identified in paragraph 43(a)-(i) are included in the auditor’s report, the auditor’s report may refer to Standards on Auditing. Accordingly, in such circumstances the auditor is considered to have complied with the requirements of SAs, even when the layout and wording used in the auditor’s report are specified by legal or regulatory reporting requirements. Where specific requirements in a particular law or regulation do not conflict with SAs, adoption of the layout and wording used in this SA assists users of the auditor’s report more readily to recognise the auditor’s report as a report on an audit conducted in accordance with SAs. (SA 210 (Revised) deals with circumstances where law or regulation prescribes the layout or wording of the auditor’s report in terms that are significantly different from the requirements of SAs).
Auditor’s Report for Audits Conducted in Accordance with Both Auditing Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (national auditing standards) and International Standards on Auditing (Ref: Para. 44)
A42. The auditor may refer in the auditor’s report to the audit having been conducted in accordance with both International Standards on Auditing as well as the national auditing standards, i.e., the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India when, in addition to complying with the national auditing standards, the auditor complies with each of the ISAs relevant to the audit.
A43. A reference to both International Standards on Auditing and the national auditing standards is not appropriate if there is a conflict between the requirements in ISAs and those in the national auditing standards that would lead the auditor to form a different opinion or not to include an Emphasis of Matter paragraph that, in the particular circumstances, is required by ISAs. In such a case, the auditor’s report refers only to the auditing standards (either International Standards on Auditing or the national auditing standards) in accordance with which the auditor’s report has been prepared.
26
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Supplementary Information Presented with the Financial Statements
(Ref: Para. 46-47)
A44. In some circumstances, the entity may be required by law, regulation or Standards, or may voluntarily choose, to present together with the financial statements supplementary information that is not required by the applicable financial reporting framework. For example, supplementary information might be presented to enhance a user’s understanding of the applicable financial reporting framework or to provide further explanation of specific financial statement items. Such information is normally presented in either supplementary schedules or as additional notes.
A45. The auditor’s opinion covers supplementary information that cannot be clearly differentiated from the financial statements because of its nature and how it is presented. For example, this would be the case when the notes to the financial statements include an explanation of the extent to which the financial statements comply with another financial reporting framework. The auditor’s opinion would also cover notes or supplementary schedules that are cross-referenced from the financial statements.
A46. Supplementary information that is covered by the auditor’s opinion does not need to be specifically referred to in the introductory paragraph of the auditor’s report when the reference to the notes in the description of the statements that comprise the financial statements in the introductory paragraph is sufficient.
A47. The law or regulation applicable to the entity may not require that the supplementary information be audited, and management may decide not to ask the auditor to include the supplementary information within the scope of the audit of the financial statements.
A48. The auditor’s evaluation whether unaudited supplementary information is presented in a manner that could be construed as being covered by the auditor’s opinion includes, for example, where that information is presented in relation to the financial statements and any audited supplementary information, and whether it is clearly labeled as “unaudited”.
A49. Management could change the presentation of unaudited supplementary information that could be construed as being covered by the auditor’s opinion, for example, by:
· Removing any cross references from the financial statements to unaudited supplementary schedules or unaudited notes so that the demarcation between the audited and unaudited information is sufficiently clear.
27
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
· Placing the unaudited supplementary information outside of the financial statements or, if that is not possible in the circumstances, at a minimum, place the unaudited notes together at the end of the required notes to the financial statements and clearly label them as unaudited. Unaudited notes that are intermingled with the audited notes can be misinterpreted as being audited.
A50. The fact that supplementary information is unaudited does not relieve the auditor of the responsibility to read that information to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements. The auditor’s responsibilities with respect to unaudited supplementary information are consistent with those described in SA 72028.
Material Modifications vis-a-vis ISA 700, “Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements”
Additions
1. Paragraph 9 of ISA 700 explains what constitutes the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the ISA 700. Since in India, financial reporting standards, used for the preparation and presentation of financial statements, can be ‘Accounting Standards promulgated by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or Accounting Standards, notified by the Central
Government by publishing the same as Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006’ or ‘Accounting Standards for Local Bodies promulgated by
the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)’, the paragraph 9 has accordingly been changed. Corresponding changes have also been made at the relevant places of the Standard.
2. Paragraph 42 of ISA 700 states that the auditor’s report shall name the location in the jurisdiction where the auditor practices. Since the practices prevailing in India requires the auditor to mention the “Place of Signature” instead of the “Auditor’s Address” in the auditor’s report, the requirement of mentioning the auditor’s address has been replaced with the place of signature, which is the name of specific location, which is ordinarily the city
28 SA 720, “The Auditor’s Responsibility in Relation to Other Information in Documents Containing Audited Financial Statements”.
28
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
where the audit report is signed. Corresponding changes have also been made at the relevant places of the Standard.
3. Paragraph A36 of ISA 700 explains who is eligible for signing the auditor’s report in the different situations. Since in India, audit report may be signed by the auditor in his personal name in case of sole practitioner and where the firm is appointed as the auditor, the report may be signed in the personal name of the auditor and in the name of the audit firm, the paragraph has accordingly been changed. Since as per the Indian practice, the partner/proprietor signing the audit report also needs to mention the firm registration number, wherever applicable, and the membership number assigned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the said requirement has also been incorporated in the paragraph A36 of SA 700 (Revised).
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Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Appendix
(Ref: Para. A14)
Illustrative Formats of Auditors’ Reports on Financial Statements
Illustration 1:
C ircum stances include the following:
· Audit of a complete set of separate general purpose financial statements of a company prepared under the Companies Act, 1956 financial reporting framework, which is a fair presentation framework.
· The terms of the audit engagement reflect description of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in SA 210 (Revised).
· The report is unmodified and does not include either an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter(s) paragraph.
· In addition to the audit of financial statements, the auditor has other reporting responsibilities required under the Companies Act, 1956 and/or other regulatory requirements.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
To the Members of ABC Com pany Lim ited Report on the Financial Statem ents
W e have audited the accompanying financial statements of ABC Company Limited (“the Company”), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 20XX, and the Statement of Profit and Loss and Cash Flow Statement for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
M anagem ent is responsible for the preparation of these financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the Accounting Standards referred to in sub-section (3C) of section 211 of the Companies Act, 1956 (“the
30
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Act”). This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. W e conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
W e
believe
that
the
audit
evidence
we
have
obtained
is
sufficient
and
appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the financial statements give the information required by the Act in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India:
(a) in the case of the Balance Sheet, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 20XX;
(b) in the case of the Profit and Loss Account, of the profit/ loss for the year ended on that date; and
(c) in the case of the Cash Flow Statem ent, of the cash flows for the year
ended on that date.
31
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Report on O ther Legal and Reg ulatory Requirements
1. As required by the Companies (Auditor’s Report) O rder, 2003 (“the Order”) issued by the Central Government of India in terms of sub-section (4A) of section 227 of the Act, we give in the Annexure a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Order.
2. As required by section 227(3) of the Act, we report that:
a. we have obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purpose of our audit;
b. in our opinion proper books of account as required by law have been kept
by the Com pany so far as appears from our examination of those books
[and proper returns adequate for the purposes of our audit have been
received from branches not visited by us]29;
c. the Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss, and Cash Flow
Statement dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of
account [and with the returns received from branches not visited by us]30;
d. in our opinion, the Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss, and Cash Flow Statement comply with the Accounting Standards referred to in sub-section (3C) of section 211 of the Companies Act, 1956;
e. on the basis of written representations received from the directors as on March 31, 20XX, and taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on March 31, 20XX, from being appointed as a director in terms of clause (g) of sub-section (1) of section 274 of the Companies Act, 1956.
f. Since the Central Government has not issued any notification as to the rate at which the cess is to be paid under section 441A of the Companies Act, 1956 nor has it issued any Rules under the said section, prescribing the manner in which such cess is to be paid, no cess is due and payable by the Company.
29 To be included if relevant.
30 To be included if relevant.
32
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
For XYZ and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration Number31
Signature
(Name of the Member Signing the Audit Report)
(Designation32)
Membership Number
Place of Signature
Date
31 See footnote 25.
32 Partner or Proprietor, as the case may be.
33
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
Illustration 2:
Circumstances include the following:
· Audit of a complete set of consolidated general purpose financial statements of a parent company prepared under accounting principles generally accepted in India, as required for compliance with SEBI’s regulatory requirement, which is a fair presentation framework.
· The terms of the group audit engagement reflect description of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in SA 210 (Revised).
· The report is unmodified and does not include either an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter(s) paragraph.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
To the Board of Directors of ABC Company Limited
We33 have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of ABC Company Limited (“the Company”) and its subsidiaries, which comprise the consolidated Balance Sheet as at March 31, 20XX, and the consolidated Statement of Profit and Loss and the consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Consolidated Financial Statements
M anagem ent is responsible for the preparation of these consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view of the consolidated financial position, consolidated financial performance and consolidated cash flows of the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in India. This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of the consolidated financial
33 As there is no reporting on ‘Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements’, there is no necessity of including the heading ‘Report on the Financial Statements’ above the introductory paragraph.
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Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and presentation of the consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India:
(a) in the case of the consolidated Balance Sheet, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 20XX;
(b) in the case of the consolidated Profit and Loss Account, of the profit/ loss for the year ended on that date; and
(c) in the case of the consolidated Cash Flow Statem ent, of the cash flows for the year ended on that date.
35
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
For XYZ and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration Number34
Signature
(Name of the Member Signing the Audit Report)
(Designation35)
Membership Number
Place of Signature
Date
34 See footnote 25.
35 Partner or Proprietor, as the case may be.
36
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Illustration 3:
Circumstances include the following:
· Audit of a complete set of separate general purpose financial statements of an entity prepared in accordance with the requirements of XYZ Law of India under a compliance framework.
· The terms of the audit engagement reflect the description of management’s responsibility for the financial statements in SA 210 (Revised).
· The report is unmodified and does not include either an Emphasis of Matter paragraph or an Other Matter(s) paragraph.
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT [Appropriate Addressee]
We36 have audited the accompanying financial statements of ABC and Associates, which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 20XX, and the Profit and Loss Account37 for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation of these financial statements in accordance with XYZ Law of India. This responsibility includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation of the financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.
36 As there is no reporting on ‘Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements’, there is no necessity of including the heading ‘Report on the Financial Statements’ above the introductory paragraph.
37 Provide titles of all financial statements that comprise a full set of financial statements required by XYZ Law of India.
37
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion38
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the financial statements of ABC and Associates for the year ended March 31, 20XX are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with XYZ Law of India.
For XYZ and Co.
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration Number39
Signature
(Name of the Member Signing the Audit Report)
(Designation40)
Membership Number
Place of Signature
Date
38 Note that the opinion excludes the words ‘true and fair’ as this report is not under a fair presentation framework.
39 See footnote 25.
40 Partner or Proprietor, as the case may be.
38
Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements
Limited Revision Consequential to issuance of the Standard on Auditing (SA) 700 (Revised), “Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements”
The amendments to the Standard on Auditing (SA) 560 (Revised) have been shown in track change mode.
SA 560 (Revised), “Subsequent Events”
5(b). Date of approval of the financial statements – The date on which all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements.
Date of Approval of the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 5(b))
A2. In some entities, the applicable law or regulation identifies the individuals or bodies (for example, management or those charged with governance) that are responsible for concluding that all the statements that comprise comprising the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared, and specifies the necessary approval process. In some other entities, the approval process is not prescribed in law or regulation and the entity follows its own procedures in preparing and finalising its financial statements in view of its management and governance structures. In some cases, final approval of the financial statements by shareholders is required. In such cases, final approval by shareholders is not necessary for the auditor to conclude that sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements has been obtained. The date of approval of the financial statements for purposes of the SAs is the earlier date on which those with the recognised authority determine have asserted that all the statements that comprise comprising the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and that those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements.
Date of the Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 5(c))
A3. The auditor’s report cannot be dated earlier than the date on which the auditor has obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the
39
Revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 700
opinion on the financial statements,.1 Sufficient appropriate audit evidence includinges evidence that all the statements that comprise the financial statements, including the related notes, have been prepared and that those with the recognised authority have asserted that they have taken responsibility for those financial statements….
COLLECTED BY CA GIRISH KULKARNI, AURANGABAD
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