On a High Level,the Accounting Processes of a Business Consist

question 17

Essay

On a high level,the accounting processes of a business consist of internal controls,individual transactions,and account balances.
Required:
A. A company implements internal controls as a safeguard to ensure appropriate capturing and recording of individual transactions, which are then collected into ending account balances. Ending account balances are then used to prepare the financial statements. The auditor expresses an opinion on the financial statements, which are made up of ending account balances and disclosures.
A. Describe the relationship between internal controls, individual transactions, and account balances.
B. Discuss how evidence regarding each of these three areas can help an auditor determine if the financial statements are fairly stated.
B. The auditor can obtain evidence from all three steps of the accounting process. For instance, an auditor can directly test the account balance (e.g., by examining a bank statement reconciliation). This evidence is usually the highest-quality but costliest evidence. Alternatively, the auditor can obtain indirect information by testing the individual transactions that make up an account balance. If transactions are handled properly, this provides indirect evidence that the ending balances are more likely to be fairly stated. The least direct method of obtaining evidence is to evaluate and test the company's internal controls, which are implemented to ensure that transactions are handled properly. If a client's system of internal control is effective, transactions are more likely to be handled properly, and thus the ending balances making up a set of financial statements are more likely to be fairly stated. Auditors usually collect evidence relating to all three areas: internal control, transactions, and ending balances.

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Definitions:

Environmental Stress

Stress arising from factors in one's environment, such as noise, crowding, or pollution.

Role Incompatibility

A situation where the demands of one's roles conflict with each other, creating difficulty in fulfilling them.

Cooperativeness

The willingness to work together towards common goals or interests.

Assertiveness

The quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive, capable of standing up for one's own rights in a respectful manner.