Assignment 1 Auditing

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Purdue Global University *

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410

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Accounting

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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3

Uploaded by ChiefGrasshopper1989

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Assignment 1 Chapter 1 In late 2001 through 2002, the accounting profession faced a “crisis of credibility.” Describe the events that led up to this crisis. In 2001, Enron filed for Bankruptcy and admitted to accounting “irregularities,” which inflated their financial records. This means that on paper, it looked as though Enron had more money and assets than they did. After Enron, WorldCom was caught committing fraud on its reports by overstating its income (Whittington, 20210111). After two companies were caught many other companies were either caught or just investigated. By the beginning of 2002, the crisis was in full swing. Investors were very skeptical of how effective the audits that were being done in businesses were. Public accounting firms are sometimes grouped into categories of local firms, regional firms, national firms, and international firms. Explain briefly the characteristics of each. Include in your answer the types of services stressed in each group. 1. The Local group will usually only have up to a few CPAs who are all partners. They also have one or two offices in a town or small area. They mainly work with small businesses and usually emphasize accounting, consulting, and tax preparation. They will only do a small amount of auditing if the small business needs the audit for a bank loan. 2. The Regional group could be where a local group opens more offices in bigger towns or cities. They will also need more than a couple of CPAs, so more staffing is necessary. The Regional group will still do the accounting, consulting, and tax preparation on a bigger scale. However, they will also increase the amount of auditing they will do. 3. National firms have offices in all major cities and can have offices internationally. They will do the CPA work but spend most of their time doing audits. 4. International firms have offices worldwide. They provide a wide range of services; however, as with national firms, international firms spend most of their time on audits. Chapter 2 Evaluate the following quotation: “If a CPA firm completes a nonpublic company audit of Adam Company’s financial statements following AICPA generally accepted auditing standards and is satisfied with the audit results, an unmodified audit report may be issued. On the other hand, if no audit is performed of the current year’s financial statements, but the CPA firm has performed satisfactory audits in prior years, has confidence in the management of the company, and makes a quick review of the current year’s financial statements, a qualified report may be issued.” Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
I'm afraid I have to disagree. You cannot base your audit on the prior year's findings. So many factors can go into making mistakes in the current year's financial statements. When you sign your name to the audit, that is almost like signing a contract. Various organizations develop standards for audits and regulate CPA firms. Compare and contrast the roles of the AICPA, the PCAOB, and the state boards of accountancy along the following dimensions: A. Standard setting. b. Regulation of CPA firms. c. Source of authority. Dimensions AICPA PCAOB State Board Standard Setting Sets standards relevant to the audits of nonpublic companies PCAOB adopted the AICPA standards in 2003 and started setting their standards, AKA Auditing Standards States use the AICPA and PCAOB standards but will supplement their standards Regulation of CPA Firms Doesn’t have direct authority over firms but does provide guidelines, quality control resources, and a code of conduct. It is a federally regulated authority to protect investors and the public’s best interests. Oversees audits of CPA firms that handle publicly traded companies. Have the authority to regulate CPAs and CPA firms in their states. Can issue licenses and set licensing requirements Source Of Authority A professional association of CPAs has No legal authority, but their standards carry weight because the CPA community relies on the association's standards. It is a non-profit committee established with the SOX Act of 2002. To oversee Audits of publicly traded companies State laws grant this board the power to grant licenses and revoke licenses. Generally, they are appointed by the Governor but can get input from the state senate.
References Whittington, R. (20210111). Principles of Auditing & Other Assurance Services, 22nd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9781264111879
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