Audit Assurance/Accounting Services

Audit Assurance services
is an independent professional service, typically provided by licensed external auditors with the goal of improving the information or the context of the information so that decision makers can make better informed decisions. Assurance services provide independent and professional opinions that reduce the information risk (risk that comes from incorrect information).

External Audit
is a process via which an independent body examines the financial statements prepared by any business. In the majority of cases, an external audit will take place as a legal requirement. The difference between an internal and external audit is the identity of the people carrying out the analysis of the financial statements, with an internal audit, as the name suggests, being performed by individuals based within the business in question. The aims of an external audit

In simple terms, an external audit will seek to determine the condition of a business and its operations across a specific period. It will be carried out by a registered firm of accountants, and can take place as part of a standard annual review or during a special review. Auditors will be appointed at an annual general meeting (AGM) or by the board of trustees.

The independence of the auditors is vitally important, and means that they must in no way be personally connected to your business, and cannot have played any role in preparing the accounting records being audited.

What to look for when choosing auditors

As well as being independent, the auditors appointed to carry out an external audit need to hold the relevant professional qualifications and should be chosen on the basis of their reputation, their experience of auditing similar businesses, and the fee they will charge for carrying out the audit.

What an external audit involves

The limited time frame for any external audit means that the auditors cannot examine every small detail of the accounts they are looking over but instead will focus their attention on a carefully selected sample of results, figures, and transactions. Ideally, the audit should be treated as a positive process designed to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the way your business is run, rather than as a test that is looking for some form of wrongdoing.

An external audit report

Once the external audit has been completed, the auditors should provide a report that sets out the official “audit opinion”. This will establish whether the financial statements prepared give a true and fair picture of the operations and financial affairs of the businesses during the auditing period. If this is the case, then the report will state the fact, with “true” referring to the fact that all transactions listed occurred and all assets referred to exist, and “fair” confirming that assets and liabilities are fairly listed and that the value assigned to any transaction is fair.

Fair and true judgements

Although the above is the optimal result of any external audit, other opinions are possible, and could include the fair and true judgement being qualified in the following ways:

Disagreement – this could state that the accounts give a true and fair view aside from the impact of specific issues. These could include the existence of unsuitable accounting methods, the existence of debts that can’t be recovered, or a fraud that hasn’t been disclosed in the proper way.

Limited scope – this could state that the accounts are true and fair but with some aspects remaining uncertain. This could be because particular documents have not been made available to the external auditors, or due to the fact that the method for recording income is at fault.

Adverse – this states that there are so many issues with the accounts that they can’t be said to provide a true and fair view.

In some cases, the external auditors might state that they haven’t been provided with enough information for them to be able to reach a conclusion.

Design and Setting up of Accounting Systems
This involve a study of the operations of an organization and then designing an appropriate accounting system – manual or computerized to enable periodic accounts to be prepared in accordance with statutory requirements and for management information.
It could also include the design of sub – systems such as Stock Control Systems for recording of stores transactions. It could also include the design of document to be used within the system such as invoice, receipts, payment vouchers, accounting input voucher e. t. c.

Writing up Accounts for Clients
The firm also writes up accounts from source documents for clients who either cannot afford the cost of maintaining a full-fledged accounts department or whose accounts work have fallen into arrears and needs to be updated.
This will also include the preparation of financial statements and all the relevant schedules as may be required for audit purposes.

Installation of Budgetary Control System
This commences with the writing up of a budget manual, which is to guide operating managers in the preparation of operating budgets including the formation of the Budget Committee etc, design of the budget reports comparing budget with actual and then followed by training of personnel to operate the system and can be extended into actual implementation by participation in the process with management staff by way of inductive implementation.

Installation of Costing Systems
A reliable cost accounting system is inevitable for all manufacturing companies and jobbing concerns. This is particularly so for accurate product costing, for stock valuation and pricing as well as for effective cost control.
The firm studies the production process and design suitable cost accounting systems, designs the forms and documents to be used within the systems and writes a manual to guide management and staff in the operation of the system. The costing system could also be employed by non-manufacturing concerns over stocks to provide effective control against unwarranted stock shortages.

Financial Monitoring
There is a need for organizations with branch offices/donor beneficiary organizations to monitor the outlet budget with the actual performance. This service is intended to provide a cut-edge financial oversight. The goals are to ensure compliance with policy guidelines to confirm that remote locations are financially accountable for funds entrusted to them.

As these companies would not come under the requirement of a statutory audit they will need to be monitored outside the scope of audit. Under financial monitoring, budgets for income and expenditure are compared with actual results and a report is provided to the funders. This report will show the weaknesses identify in the areas of internal controls, procedural lapses, and recommendation for improvement.

Get in touch today and you may be surprised at how much you are losing to uncertified accounts and wrongful procedures.

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