悉尼大学-审计auditing-号称最全的学生总结版本3

AuditingIssuesSemester2,2006Page1of21春节特制卤水大拼盘一、IndependenceandRegulatoryreformsInmid-2004,CLERP9waspassedbytheAustralianSenate.ThisfollowedsimilarmajorcorporatelegislativereformsintroducedintheUSAinthe2002SarbanesOxleyAct.TheissueofindependencewasacriticalelementinthosereformsRequired:a)Discussionquestion.(9分)从legislative角度：TheCLERP9amendmentscreateageneraldutyfortheauditortobeindependentandavoidconflictsofinterestandtoprovideawrittendeclarationtodirectorsconfirmingcompliancewiththeauditorindependencerequirementsoftheCorporationsAct.几种影响independence的情况：independencedeclaration:professionalconductandtothebestofauditors’knowledge.conflictsofinterest:如果auditor应该了解而没有了解，属于违反independenceformerauditors：auditor需要披露原来在auditingfirm任职的现任client公司的officerrotationofauditpartners:人员更替non-auditservices：所有上市公司年报中必须披露本年度有哪些non-auditservice及其费用，和为什么这项服务没有impairindependence.auditors’appointment:CorporateAct要求auditor向membersofcompany而非management报告auditorsremovalorresignation：rightofaccesstorecordsrighttoreasonablefees从ethical角度：Independence:abilitytowithstandpressurefrommanagementinfluencewhenconductionanauditorprovidingaudit-relatedservices,sothatone’sprofessionalintegrityisnotcompromised.Toaddtruevaluetotheassurancefunction,thisrequiresbothindependenceinappearanceandindependenceofmind.Independenceinappearance:beliefoffinancialreportusersthatindependencehasbeenachievedbyauditors.(perceivedindependence)Independenceofmind:anauditor’sindependentattitudeofmindthatactualindependencehasbeenachieved.诸如：actualfreedomfrombias,personalinterest,priorcommitmenttoaninterest,susceptibilitytoundueinfluenceorpressure.3Factorscontributingtothisindependenceare*integrity*objectivity*strengthofcharacter.两者关系：Evenwhereactualindependencehasbeenmaintained,perceivedindependencemaynotbeachievedduetoconfusionoverthefactsofthesituationoralackofunderstandingbyusersoftheroleofauditing.Itisimportantforthecredibilityofthereportingfunctionthatfinancialreportusersaresatisfiedthatbothactualandperceivedindependencehasbeenachieved.（了解）Recentdevelopmentinauditindependence:1)RamsayReportOctober20012)IFACindependencerulesJune20003)CPCF.1May2002ThreatstoindependenceSelf-interestthreats:thepossibilitythatthefirmorindividualswithinitcouldbenefitfromafinancialinterestintheclient.Self-reviewthreats:thepossibilitythatthefirmorindividualswithinitwouldhavetoreevaluatetheirownworktoformajudgment.Advocacythreats:situationswherethefirmorindividualswithinitcouldpromotetheauditclient’spointofviewinamannerwhichcompromises(妨碍)objectivity.Familiaritythreats:thepossibilitythatthefirmorindividualswithinithavebecometoosympathetic(同情心)totheclient’sinterests.AuditingIssuesSemester2,2006Page2of21Intimidationthreats:thepossibilitythatthefirmorindividualswithinitmaybedeterred(阻止)fromactingobjectivelybyactualorperceivedthreatsfromtheclient※Safeguardsfailintothreebroadcategories.Foranauditor,thereare:Safeguardscreatedbytheprofession,legislationorregulation,suchaseducation,professionalstandards,monitoringanddisciplinaryprocesses,andinspectionsandreview;Safeguardswithintheauditclient,includingcompetentemployeesandrobustcorporategovernancestructures;andSafeguardswithintheauditfirm,includingpoliciesandprocedurestoimplementandmonitorindependenceandqualitycontrolTheprinciplesandrulessetoutinCPCF.1allowanauditortoevaluateanycircumstanceandtodeterminedproceduresandactionsnecessarytoavoidorresolvethosecircumstancesthatposethreatsorriskstoobjectivity.4)Sarbanes-OxleyAct2002(背)采取了三项举措：itrestrictsgreatlytheabilityofauditorstoprovidenon-auditservices,mandatesauditpartnerrotationandstrengthenstheroleoftheauditcommittee.总体要求：itrequiresmanagementtoprovideareportontheeffectivenessofinternalcontroloverfinancialreportingandtheauditortoprovideassurancethatthereportisappropriate.5)JointCommitteeofPublicAccountsandAudit:要求CEO和CFO交年报给ASIC关于公司怎么坚持INDEPENDENCE。6)HIHRoyalCommission:建议：increasedisclosureofthetypesofnon-auditservicesandtheirfees,increasedrestrictionsonemploymentrelationshipsbetweenanauditorandtheauditclient,andextendingauditorrotationrequirementstoseniorauditpersonnel.7)CorporateLawEconomicReformProgramb)Discussionquestionrelatedtodifferentargumentsabout‘independence’.(8分)※THREEMajorthreatstoauditorindependence:1.Auditoremploymentrelationships1)CPCF.1prohibitsauditorsbeingemployedbyaclient,orservingasanofficerofaclient,asitcreatestoogreataself–interest,self–review,familiarityandintimidationtreattoindependence.CASE应用：inAus,intheHIHInsurancecase,itwasnotedthattheChairmanandFinanceDirectorwereformerpartnersofHIH’sauditfirm,ArthurAndersen.而且,另一个director,也是formerpartnersofAA,waspreviouslytheauditorofFAIInsurancebeforeitbecameasubsidiaryofHIHInsurance.Inrelationtothetreattoindependencewhenaretiredauditpartnerjoinstheboardofanauditclient,theRamsayReportrecommendedthattherebeamandatoryperiodoftwoyearsfollowingresignationfromtheauditfirmbeforeaformerpartnerofanauditfirmwhoisdirectlyinvolvedintheauditofaclientcanbecomeadirectoroftheclient.2.Financialandbusinessrelationships(1)Investmentsinauditclients