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This Question Consists of an Item Pertaining to Possible Deficiencies

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This question consists of an item pertaining to possible deficiencies in an accountant's review report. Jordan & Stone, CPAs, audited the financial statements of Tech Co., a nonissuer, for the year ended December 31, 20X1, and expressed an unqualified opinion. For the year ended December 31, 20X2, Tech issued comparative financial statements. Jordan & Stone reviewed Tech's 20X2 financial statements and Kent, an assistant on the engagement, drafted the accountants' review report below. Land, the engagement supervisor, decided not to reissue the prior year's auditors' report, but instructed Kent to include a separate paragraph in the current year's review report describing the responsibility assumed for the prior year's audited financial statements. This is an appropriate reporting procedure. Land reviewed Kent's draft and indicated in the Supervisor's Review Notes below that there were several deficiencies in Kent's draft. Accountant's Review Report We have reviewed and audited the accompanying balance sheets of Tech Co. as of December 31, 20X2 and 20X1, and the related statements of income, retained earnings, and cash flows for the years then ended, in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and generally accepted auditing standards. All information included in these financial statements is the representation of the management of Tech Co. A review consists principally of inquiries of company personnel and analytical procedures applied to financial data. It is substantially less in scope than an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying financial statements. Because of the inherent limitations of a review engagement, this report is intended for the information of management and should not be used for any other purpose. The financial statements for the year ended December 31, 20X1, were audited by us and our report was dated March 2, 20X2. We have no responsibility for updating that report for events and circumstances occurring after that date. Jordan and Stone, CPAs March 1, 20X3 Supervisor's Review Notes There should be an indication of the type of opinion expressed on the prior year's audited financial statements in the fourth (separate) paragraph.

Definitions:

Profit Maximization

The process or strategy businesses employ to ensure the highest possible profit is achieved, typically by increasing revenue, reducing costs, or both.

Demand Schedule

A demand schedule is a table that shows the amount of a product or service consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices during a specified period.

Profit-Maximizing Price

The price level at which a firm can achieve the highest possible profit on its product, based on its cost structure and the demand curve it faces.

Herfindahl Index

A measure of the size of firms in relation to the industry and an indicator of the amount of competition among them. It squares and then sums the market shares of all firms in the industry.