Clarifying Clarified Auditing Standards on Group Audits

As I promised in my blog post “3 Things You Need to Know About Clarified Standards,” here’s an analysis on the changes wrought by the new clarified auditing standards on group audits.  

As I said previously, the key point here is to realize when this section, AU-C 600, Special Considerations--Audits of Group Financial Statements (including the Work of Component Auditors) applies. It applies not only when other auditors perform part of the audit, but whenever the financial statements include financial information of components, such as equity investees, subsidiaries or other business entities and activities that are included in the group financial statements. Even if you are the only auditor, if the financial statements include financial information that is consolidated, combined or aggregated from a separate financial accounting system, the provisions of AU-C 600 apply.

3 Things You Need to Know About Clarified Standards

With only one AU section left to clarify, the Auditing Standard Board’s Clarity Project is substantially complete. During the past year, I have been traveling around the country talking about the 47 “AU-C” sections that have been clarified and converged with corresponding International Standards on Auditing. Here are some of the major points that you need to know about these standards and their impact:

ASB Reaches Major Milestone in Clarity Project

In 2004, the AICPA Auditing Standards Board began work to clarify Statements on Auditing Standards, Statements on Quality Control Standards and Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements to make them easier to read, understand and apply. At the same time, the ASB undertook a project to converge its standards with those issued by the International Audit and Attestation Standards Board.

Last week, the ASB announced it has achieved a major milestone in the Clarity Project with the issuance of SASs Nos. 122–124. Together with the issuance of SASs Nos. 117-120, 44 (out of 47) clarified SASs have been completed and issued.

Most Clarified SASs become effective for periods ending on or after Dec. 15, 2012. For exceptions to this effective date, view the AICPA’s resource which highlights those standards with a different effective date. This is the first complete recodification of U.S. generally accepted auditing standards since 1972.

While the main goal of the Clarity Project is make U.S. GAAS easier to read, understand and apply, another goal was to converge with international standards while avoiding unnecessary differences with the auditing standards issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Some differences are necessary as the auditing standards are used for audits of public companies while the SASs apply to audits of private companies.

So what does the Clarity Project mean for you?