Professional Documents
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By Liz Stamford FCA
Later this month, consultation on the IAASBs auditor reporting ED will close. The ED proposes some major changes
to the auditors report and is the next step in the move to improve auditor reporting following last years IAASB
invitation to comment (ITC) entitled Improving the Auditors Report. The feedback received by the Institute to the ITC
was discussed in A new look audit report the response (Charter, November 2012, p51).
Disclose key audit matters. The auditor will determine which of the matters communicated to those charged with governance
during the audit are key audit matters. The requirement is principles-based, and the auditor has to take into account areas of
significant auditor attention during the audit. This requirement applies to listed entities but may be extended by local law or
audits.
Make an explicit statement on the auditors independence.
Other proposed changes include plainer language explanations of the responsibilities of the auditor and those
charged with governance, inclusion of the auditors name (which is already required in Australia), and communication
of significant risks identified by the auditor to those charged with governance.
During the course of the audit, the auditor gains insights and knowledge of the company and its operations, which the
users of the financial report do not have access to. The current proposals accept the principle that the auditor should
not be providing original information about the entity, but recognise that there are options for reporting the work on
key aspects of the audit process.
International implications
Other regulators besides the IAASB are moving to expand the auditors report and, therefore, the auditors
responsibilities. In June, the United Kingdoms Financial Reporting Council (FRC) amended its auditor reporting
standard to include requirements for the auditor to provide an overview of the audit scope, describe key risks that
impacted the audit strategy and how the audit was performed and explain how materiality was applied. These
changes complement changes made in October 2012 to require audit committees to report to the board, for the work
of the audit committee to be described in the annual report (including significant matters they considered in relation to
the financial statements and how these were addressed) and for the auditor to report if the annual report disclosures
do not address matters communicated by them to the audit committee.
In August this year, the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) also issued proposed changes to
US Auditing Standards on Auditor Reporting and the Auditors Responsibilities regarding Other Information. The
proposals to change the auditor reporting standard include:
Communication of critical audit matters as determined by the auditor. Such matters relate to areas of significant judgment, areas
where obtaining sufficient audit evidence is difficult and areas which significantly impact the audit opinion.
The addition of new elements into the report related to auditor independence, auditor tenure, and the auditors responsibilities for,
and the results of, evaluating other information outside the financial statements
Enhancements to existing language in the auditors report related to the auditors responsibilities for fraud and notes to the
financial statements.
The proposed changes to the Other Information standard describe new procedures the auditor would be required to
perform on information outside the financial statements. This will include selected financial data and managements
discussion and analysis. Previously, auditors were only required to read and consider this information, with no
reporting requirements. The US proposals are open for comment until 4 December.
Impact in Australia
In Australia, there has been much debate on the proposals and valuable input into the IAASB consultations. This is
important because, in line with regulatory objectives, there would generally need to be a compelling reason for the
Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) to depart from final IAASB requirements. While in
Australia, changes such as naming the auditor and including an explicit statement on independence are common
practice and not controversial, there are still a number of different views on the two main proposals in relation to
going concern and key audit matters.
Going concern
Under the current ISAs, the auditors report includes commentary on going concern only if there is a material
uncertainty which may or may not be appropriately disclosed or when use of the going concern assumption is
inappropriate. Under the new proposals all auditors reports will contain a statement that the use of the going concern
assumption is appropriate, modified as necessary where there are material uncertainties or other issues. There has
been some concern expressed about user confusion. Currently it is argued that a user knows that if going concern is
mentioned in the auditors report, there is, at least, a material uncertainty that they should pay attention to. Under the
new proposals, there is a risk that users will become used to seeing a going concern paragraph and fail to notice
when the auditors report is flagging an issue with going concern.
The proposals for the auditor to comment on key audit matters continue to raise challenges but are recognised as
more valid than the previous ITC proposals for auditor commentary.
Whether there has been a clear articulation of user needs and what specific issues the proposals are trying to address. There have
been views expressed that the real issue is the complexity of financial reports and the fact that users struggle to understand the
issues being communicated by the company in the financial report. This issue, it is believed, should be addressed via
simplification of the disclosure requirements in the accounting standards.
Whether the auditors report is the right vehicle if there is a demand for different information about the entity and its risks. This
demand, it is argued, should be met by audit committee or board communication, for example via integrated reporting or further
operating and financial review style commentary.
Whether it is useful to increase the length of the auditors report when financial reports are already long and complex.
Whether it is realistic or possible to summarise complex risk areas to a paragraph or two in the auditors report.
Whether the text will become boilerplate and lose meaning over time.
Whether users have the ability to interpret changes in the key audit matters reported or the number of key audit matters reported.
Whether the spirit of transparency behind the proposals can survive regulatory or legal scrutiny and hindsight. Regulators in
different jurisdictions may interpret the requirements differently and even issue guidance on what they expect to see that goes
over and above the spirit of the requirements. This would further increase the level of documentation required on audit files to
support decisions on what constitutes a key audit matter. At what point does the cost outweigh any benefit?
Other commentators in the consultation, however, highlighted the value to companies of having the auditor
emphasise tricky areas and reporting that these have been dealt with approriately by the company.
The Institute will be making a submission to the IAASB on their ED. Comments for consideration can be emailed to
techsubmissions@charteredaccountants.com.au by 14 November.