External auditor: Difference between revisions
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An '''external auditor''' is an [[financial audit|audit]] [[professional]] who performs an audit on the [[financial statements]] of a [[Company (law)|company]], [[government]], [[Person|individual]], or any other [[Juristic person|legal entity]] or [[organization]], and who is independent of the entity being audited. Users of these entities' financial information, such as investors, government agencies, and the general public, rely on the external auditor to present an unbiased and independent evaluation on such entities. They are distinguished from [[internal audit|internal auditors]] for two main reasons: (1) the internal auditor's primary responsibility is appraising an entity's risk management strategy and practices, management (including IT) control frameworks and governance processes, and (2) they do not express an opinion on the entity's financial statements. Beside providing audit services, external auditors also provide different other kind of services. Most common of them are reviews of financial statements and compilation. In review auditors are generally required to tick and tie numbers to general ledger and make inquiries of management. In compilation auditors are required to take a look at financial statement to make sure they are free of obvious misstatements and errors. |
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The primary role of external auditors is to express an opinion on whether an entity's financial statements are free of material misstatements. Some people confuse auditors with people who detect fraud but auditors have nothing to do with fraud detection exclusively. Auditors just want to make sure that company's financial statements are true and fair representation of its actual position. If they come across any fraud related information, it is their responsibility to bring it to the management's attention and consider withdrawing from the engagement if management does not take appropriate actions. Normally, external auditors review the entity's [[information technology]] control procedures when assessing its overall internal controls. They must also investigate any material issues raised by inquiries from professional or [[regulation|regulatory]] authorities, such as the local taxing authority. For [[Public company|public companies]] listed on stock exchanges in the [[United States]], the [[Sarbanes-Oxley Act]] (SOX) has imposed stringent requirements on external auditors in their evaluation of internal controls and financial reporting. |
The primary role of external auditors is to express an opinion on whether an entity's financial statements are free of material misstatements. Some people confuse auditors with people who detect fraud but auditors have nothing to do with fraud detection exclusively. Auditors just want to make sure that company's financial statements are true and fair representation of its actual position. If they come across any fraud related information, it is their responsibility to bring it to the management's attention and consider withdrawing from the engagement if management does not take appropriate actions. Normally, external auditors review the entity's [[information technology]] control procedures when assessing its overall internal controls. They must also investigate any material issues raised by inquiries from professional or [[regulation|regulatory]] authorities, such as the local taxing authority. For [[Public company|public companies]] listed on stock exchanges in the [[United States]], the [[Sarbanes-Oxley Act]] (SOX) has imposed stringent requirements on external auditors in their evaluation of internal controls and financial reporting. |
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Revision as of 19:27, 21 March 2009
 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. |
An external auditor is an audit professional who performs an audit on the financial statements of a company, government, individual, or any other legal entity or organization, and who is independent of the entity being audited. Users of these entities' financial information, such as investors, government agencies, and the general public, rely on the external auditor to present an unbiased and independent evaluation on such entities. They are distinguished from internal auditors for two main reasons: (1) the internal auditor's primary responsibility is appraising an entity's risk management strategy and practices, management (including IT) control frameworks and governance processes, and (2) they do not express an opinion on the entity's financial statements. Beside providing audit services, external auditors also provide different other kind of services. Most common of them are reviews of financial statements and compilation. In review auditors are generally required to tick and tie numbers to general ledger and make inquiries of management. In compilation auditors are required to take a look at financial statement to make sure they are free of obvious misstatements and errors.
The primary role of external auditors is to express an opinion on whether an entity's financial statements are free of material misstatements. Some people confuse auditors with people who detect fraud but auditors have nothing to do with fraud detection exclusively. Auditors just want to make sure that company's financial statements are true and fair representation of its actual position. If they come across any fraud related information, it is their responsibility to bring it to the management's attention and consider withdrawing from the engagement if management does not take appropriate actions. Normally, external auditors review the entity's information technology control procedures when assessing its overall internal controls. They must also investigate any material issues raised by inquiries from professional or regulatory authorities, such as the local taxing authority. For public companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has imposed stringent requirements on external auditors in their evaluation of internal controls and financial reporting.
The independence of external auditors is crucial to a correct and thorough appraisal of an entity's financial controls and statements. Any relationship between the external auditors and the entity, other than retention for the audit itself, must be disclosed in the external auditor's reports. These rules also prohibit the auditor from owning a stake in public clients and severely limits the types of non-audit services they can provide.
In the United States, certified public accountants are the only authorized non-governmental type of external auditors who may perform audits and attestations on an entity's financial statements and provide reports on such audits for public review. In the UK, Canada and other Commonwealth nations Chartered Accountants have served this role.