Smith & Jones Audit Firm Is Determining Whether to Accept

question 26

Essay

Smith & Jones audit firm is determining whether to accept an audit engagement with Simple Things Ltd. As this would be a new engagement the audit firm sought the client's permission to contact the current auditor. The client did not give their permission, explaining that they did not want the current auditors to know they were thinking of changing.
Recently Simple Things Ltd had been in the media for management not disclosing an environmental disaster that occurred at one of their plant sites. The incident is still under investigation but if the company is found to be at fault then they may be subject to numerous lawsuits from the many private landholders near the plant.
From the information provided above, identify any reasons for not accepting the audit engagement with Simple Things Ltd.

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Definitions:

Hedge Funds

Investment funds that employ diverse, and often more complex, strategies than traditional mutual funds, including the use of leverage, derivatives, and short selling to generate returns.

Mutual Funds

Investment programs funded by shareholders that trade in diversified holdings and are professionally managed.

Maintenance Margin

The minimum equity an investor must maintain in a margin account after the purchase has been made, to keep the position open.

Initial Margin

The minimum amount of funds required to open a position in the securities market, used as a deposit to cover some of the credit risk of the counterparty.