Standards Based Decision Making

The qualified opinion report is similar in arrangement to the unqualified report with an additional paragraph dictating the reason the audit report is not unqualified. The third report although rare is an adverse opinion. An adverse opinion report is required when in the auditor’s opinion the financial statements as a whole do not conform to GAAP and are grossly misrepresented. The fourth and final report is a disclaimer of opinion. A disclaimer report is issued when the auditor is unable to gather sufficient information pertaining to the financial reports that an opinion cannot be determined. The auditor’s report has a direct impact on a company’s ability to obtain financing from a bank as the report lowers the cost of capital. The audit report also provides commercial value, meaning it’s an assurance the financial data is true and correct. The independent auditor for Verizon indicates an unqualified opinion in that Verizon’s

-To mitigate the risk about the valuation made by a valuation specialist AICPA disclosed in AU sec 328: Engaging a Specialist

According to an article in the CPA Journal, the accounting profession has long contended that an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) provides reasonable assurance that there are no material misstatements contained within financial statements. Suggest at least two (2) alternative methods that auditors can use to provide a more concrete level of assurance to investors. Provide support for your responses with examples of such methods in use.

This paper analyzes a fictional privately held company, Smackey Dog Foods, Inc. as well as its fictional auditor, Keller CPAs. The analysis is based on a Keller Graduate School of Management scenario and a series of questions developed to address concepts learned throughout the External Auditing course. Concepts include: SEC influence, audit planning, audit stages, internal controls, confirmations, sample size, obtaining evidence, inventory, warehousing cycles, Professional Rules of Conduct, and auditor’s legal liability. Each of these auditing concepts are explained and then applied to the scenario between Smackey Dog Foods, Inc. and Keller CPAs.

Some individuals assume that the usefulness of financial statements is to predict the future of a business with data from the past. Sometimes this can be true in respect for trends that have continued for many years, for at least the near future. The fact is financial

It is common industry knowledge that an audit plan provides the specific guidelines auditors must follow when conducting an external audit. External public accounting firms conduct external audits to ensure outside stakeholders that the company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) standards.

Going in the opposite direction were two liabilities. Long term debt went down from $1.91 billion during 2004FY to $1.57 billion in 2005FY while accrued expenses dropped from $1.67 billion to $1.52 billion over the same period.

Thus the Current Ratio would decrease as a result of the write-off. The Debt/Equity ratio will increase as a result of the write off, since Retained Earnings will reflect the expense. All profitability ratios, Return on Sales, Return on Assets, Return on Equity and EPS, will decline as a result of the lower net income.

The company lost money almost every year since its leveraged buyout by Coniston Partners in 1989. The income generated was not sufficient to service the interest expenses of the company which stood at $2.62B in 1996. From Exhibit 1, we can say that interest coverage ratio computed as EBIT / Interest Expense was 1.31 in 1989 and has been decreasing over years and currently stands at 0.59. This raises a question of how the company can meet its interest payments without raising cash or selling assets.

The chief executive of the company was closely working with the vendors whose confirmations were vital in the auditing work and hence they could have submitted false confirmations. The auditing firm established a national risk management program for its clients and so national reviews were done to identify the high risk items in the financial statement. The vendor allowances were particularly high but they were not documented. As such, the auditors were supposed to demand for the documentations and compare them with the real figures. It is however noted that most of the documentations received were non-standard and this could have led to a different audit report given that vendor allowances were earlier identified as a high risk area. Inventory management was found to be poor especially in the allowances for inventory reserves. The audit firm was therefore obliged to carry out a thorough evaluation of the inventory reserves and determine whether it was reasonable. The valuation was also supposed to include all classes of inventory but for the case of the company, the evaluation excluded instances where no sales had been made. Hence, this evaluation could not accurately represent the position of the inventory reserve in the company. (Waters,2003)

The auditors also report that they have evaluated the internal controls system of the company and according to them there is no material weakness in its system and hence they give an unqualified opinion.

Support: The Company’s revenues increased considerably (19%). However, the Accounts receivables also increased significantly (38%). Increase in revenues are generally associated with a proportional increase in the allowance for doubtful debts. By not reporting a significant ‘allowable for bad debt accounts’, the company is able to overstate its profits and could be a cause for concern in the long run, if the receivables turn out to be bad.

The case study General Mills Inc. - Understanding Financial Statements focuses on the most basic idea of finance analysis. This case is a brief look into the language that is used in the finance world and a start to interaction with auditors. In this case, KPMG LLP, the public accounting firm that was auditing their statements, had sent two opinion letters. The first letter was ensuring that both parties were aware that General Mills had internal control over financial reporting. The second opinion letter stated that to auditor’s knowledge, General Mills had correctly reported its financial statements. The statements given in this case study are known as the four general financial statements. Displayed in the case are the

Balance sheets and income statements are a snapshot of a company’s stability and financial situation. Combined the statements show the income, expenses, and stockholder’s equity in the company. These statements are often analyzed by financial institutions when a company comes to them needing a loan. Stockholders and other investors also look at these statements to make sure their investment will return a profit for them. This paper will look at four different companies and their balance sheets and income statements. The companies are Eastman Chemical Company, Covenant Transportation

An important function of the accounting field is to provide external users of financial statements with assurance that the financial information being presented is both reliable and accurate. This basic function of accounting is so important that there is an entire field of experts, called auditors, dedicated to assuring its proper performance. Throughout history there have been many instances in which the basic equilibrium between an institution and current/potential investor has been threatened due to a lack of accountability and trust between the two parties. This issue has been the catalyst for many discussions regarding the proper procedures a firm should follow in order to provide