Compare the primary auditor objectives in auditing historical financial statements to auditing internal controls over financial reporting

1. “Auditor’s Role and Responsibilities” Please respond to the following:

Compare the primary auditor objectives in auditing historical financial statements to auditing internal controls over financial reporting. Identify at least two (2) objectives that are the most significant in reducing the risk of reporting errors or misstatements in financial statements. Provide a rationale for your response.
Create a scenario where it would be acceptable for an external auditor to accept an audit engagement without having knowledge of a client’s business environment. Ascertain the key legal ramifications and risk mitigation strategies associated with an auditor performing the audit. Support your position.

2. “Auditor Accountability” Please respond to the following:

From the e-Activity, discuss the departures from generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) that you have researched, and give your opinion as to whether or not the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) should levy sanctions against the CPA firm for issuing the unqualified report. Identify the sanctions and section of the report the company should have modified to address departures from GAAP. Support your position.
Compare the code of professional conduct for CPAs to the code of professional conduct for accountants who are non-CPAs. Determine the major ethical issues created by the mergers of public accounting firms with non-CPA firms that perform accounting services. Explain your rationale.

3. “Audit Risks” Please respond to the following:

From the e-Activity, analyze whether or not investors who were misled by relying on financial statements could hold the audit firm liable for audit failure either by common or securities laws. Provide a rationale for your response.
According to an article in the CPA Journal, the accounting profession has long contended that an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) provides reasonable assurance that there are no material misstatements contained within financial statements. Suggest at least two (2) alternative methods that auditors can use to provide a more concrete level of assurance to investors. Provide support for your responses with examples of such methods in use.

4. “Equity Method of Accounting” Please respond to the following:

Determine the fundamental reasons why Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requires a company to use the equity method of accounting for investments. Next, propose two (2) theoretical problems of recognizing equity income that the opponents of the equity method would consider. Provide a rationale for your response.
In the role of chief executive officer (CEO) for a midsized company, propose the type of managerial incentives that could influence the company’s percentage ownership in another company. Provide a rationale for your response.

5. “Consolidation of Financial Information” Please respond to the following:

Per the FASB, there is a presumption that consolidated financial statements are more meaningful (e.g., provide the most relevant information) than separate financial statements for the end users. Take a position on whether you agree or disagree with this presumption. Provide support for your rationale.
Analyze the main differences in the definition of control between U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) prepared consolidated financial statements and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) prepared financial statements. Determine which definition of control provides the most useful information to the end users. Provide support for your rationale.

6. “Push-down Accounting and the Recording of Both Tangible Assets and Intangible Assets” Please respond to the following:

Per the textbook, the FASB has not taken a position on the use of push-down accounting. Take a position on whether push-down accounting provides the most relevant information for both internal and external financial statement users. Provide support for your rationale.
Compare the key differences between U.S. GAAP and IFRS’s position on both intangible research and development costs and tangible depreciable assets. Indicate the key benefits and drawbacks to financial statement users of each method (i.e., U.S. GAAP and IFRS). Next, determine the method that provides the most relevant information to financial statement users. Provide support for your rationale.

We're the ideal place for homework help. If you are looking for affordable, custom-written, high-quality and non-plagiarized papers, your student life just became easier with us. Click either of the buttons below to place your order.