Tag Archives: PCAOB

PCAOB staff guidance for new requirements on auditing accounting estimates (AS 2501), and auditor’s use of the work of specialists

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On August 22, 2019, the PCAOB staff released four staff guidance documents to raise awareness and assist auditors in advance of the effective date of new estimates and specialists audit requirements. The requirements are effective for audits of financial statements for fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2020.

Here is a link to the news release, Click Here

Focusing on the auditing of accounting estimates, the PCAOB has adopted AS 2501. The PCAOB adopted AS 2501 because, in the PCAOB’s own words:

“Why did the PCAOB adopt this standard?

The use of complex accounting estimates and fair value measurements continues to grow in financial reporting. As a result, the use of the work of specialists continues to increase in both frequency and significance. Estimates often have a significant impact on a company’s reported financial position and results of operations.

Accounting estimates are often some of the areas of greatest risk in an audit, requiring additional audit attention and appropriate application of professional skepticism.

The Board’s oversight activities have revealed a recurring pattern of deficiencies in this area. Over the years, PCAOB staff has provided guidance for auditors related to auditing accounting estimates, but this area remains challenging and practices among firms vary.”

Here is a link to AS 2501:  https://pcaobus.org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AS2501.aspx

You might ask, why am I blogging about AS 2501 and the auditing of accounting estimates? Because these issues are important for management, and are or can become important for audit committees and/or boards, these can be challenging and complex issues, the PCAOB indicates that accounting estimates can be areas of greatest risk in an audit and has noted patterns of deficiencies, and these issue can present or can develop into Critical Audit Matters or CAMs. If you are involved in the accounting or auditing function, or in the oversight of an entity’s accounting or auditing (such the board or audit committee), I recommend that you click on the link above to AS 2501 and that you read the materials to get a feel for the new standard before then really diving into the detail. And the following are links to the four blog posts that I have written about CAMs (in order from the most recent post to oldest/earliest post: https://wp.me/p75iWX-im, https://wp.me/p75iWX-g4, https://wp.me/p75iWX-fr, and https://wp.me/p75iWX-df.

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Remember, every case and situation is different. It is important to obtain and evaluate all of the evidence that is available, and to apply that evidence to the applicable standards and laws. You do need to consult with an attorney and other professionals about your particular situation. This post is not a solicitation for legal or other services inside of or outside of California, and, of course, this post only is a summary of information that changes from time to time, and does not apply to any particular situation or to your specific situation. So . . . you cannot rely on this post for your situation or as legal or other professional advice or representation.

Thank you for reading this website. I ask that you also pass it along to other people who would be interested as it is through collaboration that great things and success occur more quickly.

Best to you, David Tate, Esq. (and inactive California CPA) – practicing in California only.

I am also the Chair of the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Blogs: Trust, estate/probate, power of attorney, conservatorship, elder and dependent adult abuse, nursing home and care, disability, discrimination, personal injury, responsibilities and rights, and other related litigation, and contentious administrations http://californiaestatetrust.com; Business, D&O, board, director, audit committee, shareholder, founder, owner, and investor litigation, governance, responsibilities and rights, compliance, investigations, and risk management  http://auditcommitteeupdate.com

The following are copies of the tables of contents of three of the more formal materials that I have written over the years about accounting/auditing, audit committees, and related legal topics – Accounting and Its Legal Implications was my first formal effort, which resulted in a published book that had more of an accounting and auditing focus; Chapter 5A, Audit Committee Functions and Responsibilities, for the California Continuing Education of the Bar has a more legal focus; and the most recent Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide (February 2017) also has a more legal focus:

Accounting and Its Legal Implications

Chapter 5A, Audit Committee Functions and Responsibilities, CEB Advising and Defending Corporate Directors and Officers

Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide

The following are other summary materials that you might find useful:

OVERVIEW OF A RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS THAT YOU CAN USE 03162018

Audit Committee 5 Lines of Success, Diligence, and Defense - David Tate, Esq, 05052018

COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework ERM Components and Principles

From a prior blog post which you can find at https://wp.me/p75iWX-dk if the below scan is too difficult to read:

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New July 11, 2019, PCAOB CAM Guidance For Audit Committees – Is A Matter A CAM (See Chart); And Responses To FAQs

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On July 11, 2019, the PCAOB published additional guidance for audit committees about CAMs (Critical Audit Matters). I have provided a link below to the additional guidance. From the additional guidance, I am also providing immediately below a snapshot to the PCAOB’s chart to help determine whether a matter is a CAM, plus four of the PCAOB’s responses to frequently asked questions that I found interesting. This is my fourth relatively recent post in which I have commented about CAMs.

Immediately below is a snapshot to the PCAOB’s chart to determine whether a matter is a CAM:

The following are snapshots of four of the PCAOB’s responses to frequently asked questions that I found to be interesting. While the responses are useful and helpful, I don’t find that they simplify the matter. The response in the first snapshot below also could be confusing – I expect that audit committees will want to have a significant role in, or at least significant input in or comments about, CAMs and certain specific CAMs and proposed CAMs in particular. Whereas the auditor might have ultimate say about how a CAM is worded (because it is the auditor’s report), I expect that audit committees will be directly involved in and vocal about whether or not a matter is a CAM, and how the CAM is communicated. And I expect that in some circumstances there might be or will be disagreement, at which point the audit committee, or the board, or the company might be put the position of having to evaluate whether to communicate or respond further about the CAM, and the manner of doing so.

The following are snapshots of four of the PCAOB’s responses to frequently asked questions that I found to be interesting:

Click on the following link to be taken to the PCAOB’s page with the new July 11, 2019, PCAOB guidance for audit committees about CAMs:

Click to access Audit-Committee-Resource-CAMs.pdf

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Remember, every case and situation is different. It is important to obtain and evaluate all of the evidence that is available, and to apply that evidence to the applicable standards and laws. You do need to consult with an attorney and other professionals about your particular situation. This post is not a solicitation for legal or other services inside of or outside of California, and, of course, this post only is a summary of information that changes from time to time, and does not apply to any particular situation or to your specific situation. So . . . you cannot rely on this post for your situation or as legal or other professional advice or representation.

Thank you for reading this website. I ask that you also pass it along to other people who would be interested as it is through collaboration that great things and success occur more quickly.

Best to you, David Tate, Esq. (and inactive California CPA) – practicing in California only.

I am also the new Chair of the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Blogs: Trust, estate/probate, power of attorney, conservatorship, elder and dependent adult abuse, nursing home and care, disability, discrimination, personal injury, responsibilities and rights, and other related litigation, and contentious administrations http://californiaestatetrust.com; Business, D&O, board, director, audit committee, shareholder, founder, owner, and investor litigation, governance, responsibilities and rights, compliance, investigations, and risk management  http://auditcommitteeupdate.com

The following are copies of the tables of contents of three of the more formal materials that I have written over the years about accounting/auditing, audit committees, and related legal topics – Accounting and Its Legal Implications was my first formal effort, which resulted in a published book that had more of an accounting and auditing focus; Chapter 5A, Audit Committee Functions and Responsibilities, for the California Continuing Education of the Bar has a more legal focus; and the most recent Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide (February 2017) also has a more legal focus:

Accounting and Its Legal Implications

Chapter 5A, Audit Committee Functions and Responsibilities, CEB Advising and Defending Corporate Directors and Officers

Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide

The following are other summary materials that you might find useful:

OVERVIEW OF A RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS THAT YOU CAN USE 03162018

Audit Committee 5 Lines of Success, Diligence, and Defense - David Tate, Esq, 05052018

COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework ERM Components and Principles

From a prior blog post which you can find at https://wp.me/p75iWX-dk if the below scan is too difficult to read:

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New PCAOB Guidance Re Auditor Communications With Audit Committee Concerning Independence – These Are Serious Discussions That Require Careful Analysis And Decision Making

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On May 31, 2019, the PCAOB Staff issued Guidance entitled “Rule 3526(b) Communications with Audit Committees Concerning Independence.” The Guidance is written to help auditors with communications pertaining to the auditor’s independence or lack thereof; however, audit committee members also need to know what to expect and require from the organization’s auditor. The Staff also states that its Guidance might be useful to investors.

The following is a link to the Staff Guidance https://pcaobus.org/Standards/Documents/Staff-Guidance-Rule-3526(b)-Communications-Audit-Committee-Concerning-Independence.pdf, and the following is a link to the Staff Guidance with yellow and green highlights that I added plus two short comments Staff-Guidance-Rule-3526(b)-Communications-Audit-Committee-Concerning-Independence with Tate highlights-2. I added yellow highlights to the auditor’s primary responsibilities, which audit committee members also need to know and understand, and I added green highlights to certain provisions that pertain more to specific audit committee member requirements and matters that may also pertain to SEC or legal considerations.

As you know, the auditor’s independence is a key prerequisite underlying the audit. An audit committee oversees the appropriateness and engagement of the auditor and the performance of the audit. An audit committee member needs to know that the auditor is independent, and needs to know that prior to auditor engagement, during the audit planning, and throughout the audit. As the Guidance indicates, even if the Rule 3526 requirements are satisfied, that does not necessarily mean that the SEC or that the PCAOB or that a reasonable investor with knowledge of all relevant facts and circumstances would conclude that the auditor was capable of exercising objective and impartial judgment on all issues encompassed within the auditor’s engagement. Thus, depending on the circumstances, also consider whether consultation with the SEC or PCAOB is appropriate.

An audit committee member needs to discuss the auditor’s independence with the auditor, evaluate the auditor’s independence, and satisfy herself or himself that the auditor is appropriately independent (consider also, e.g., the business judgment rule). If an audit committee member has any concerns, uncertainties or unknowns, red flags, or doubts about the auditor’s independence, the committee member should consider seeking professional including legal help, advice and representation. Ultimately, the issue is whether under the circumstances it is appropriate to engage the auditor or to continue engaging the auditor, or to engage a new auditor.

Every case and situation is different. You do need to consult with an attorney and other professionals about your particular situation. This post is not a solicitation for legal or other services inside of or outside of California, and, of course, this post only is a summary of information that changes from time to time, and does not apply to any particular situation or to your specific situation. So . . . you cannot rely on this post for your situation or as legal or other professional advice or representation.

Thank you for reading this website. I ask that you also pass it along to other people who would be interested as it is through collaboration that great things and success occur more quickly.

Best to you, David Tate, Esq. (and inactive California CPA) – practicing in California only.

I am also the new Chair of the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Blogs: Trust, estate/probate, power of attorney, conservatorship, elder and dependent adult abuse, nursing home and care, disability, discrimination, personal injury, responsibilities and rights, and other related litigation, and contentious administrations http://californiaestatetrust.com; Business, D&O, board, director, audit committee, shareholder, founder, owner, and investor litigation, governance, responsibilities and rights, compliance, investigations, and risk management  http://auditcommitteeupdate.com

The following are copies of the tables of contents of three of the more formal materials that I have written over the years about accounting/auditing, audit committees, and related legal topics – Accounting and Its Legal Implications was my first formal effort, which resulted in a published book that had more of an accounting and auditing focus; Chapter 5A, Audit Committee Functions and Responsibilities, for the California Continuing Education of the Bar has a more legal focus; and the most recent Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide (February 2017) also has a more legal focus:

Accounting and Its Legal Implications

Chapter 5A, Audit Committee Functions and Responsibilities, CEB Advising and Defending Corporate Directors and Officers

Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide

 

OVERVIEW OF A RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS THAT YOU CAN USE 03162018

Audit Committee 5 Lines of Success, Diligence, and Defense - David Tate, Esq, 05052018

COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework ERM Components and Principles

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Auditor Inclusion of Critical Audit Matters in Audit Opinion – Center for Audit Quality Release to Help Understanding

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You might be aware that external auditors are required to include a discussion of critical audit matters in their audit opinion reports for large accelerated filers for audits of fiscal years ending on or after June 30, 2019, and for other public companies for audits of fiscal years ending on or after December 31, 2020. I expect that CAMs will in some instances present or cause contentions between the external auditor on the one hand, and the audit committee, board, and executive officers on the other hand.

A Critical Audit Matter or CAM is defined as:

Any matter arising from the audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee: and that:

  1. Relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements; and
  2. Involved especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment.

Thus, based on the above definition, simply determining whether a matter is a CAM could be a challenging issue.

For example, in any given audit situation consider:

-What matters were communicated, or were required to be communicated to the audit committee;

-Relating to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements; and

-Involved especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment?

I will be discussing the good, the bad, the ugly, and the confusing as this upcoming new area of audit opinion report continues to develop. Auditors and audit committees will need to carefully evaluate what to communicate and what is required to be communicated, materiality (qualitative and quantitative), and whether a matter involves especially challenging, subjective, or complex audit judgment.

For additional help with these issues, the following is a link to a June 24, 2018, release by the Center for Audit Quality entitled Critical Audit Matters: Key Concepts and FAQs for Audit Committees, Investors, and other Users of Financial Statements – click on the following link https://www.thecaq.org/critical-audit-matters-key-concepts-and-faqs-audit-committees-investors-and-other-users-financial

Best to you, David Tate, Esq. (and California inactive CPA)

 

 

 

 

PCAOB Adopts New Audit Report-Should Be Interesting-Still Has To Be Adopted By The SEC

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The following is a link to the PCAOB website page discussing the PCAOB’s June 2017 adoption of a new audit report which in part requires the disclosure of critical audit matters (CAM) for certain audits conducted under PCAOB standards. Here’s the link to the PCAOB page CLICK HERE

The new report standard still must be adopted by the SEC. If adopted, some of the new report standards will first apply to annual audits for years ending on or after December 15, 2017; however, the critical audit matter reporting would not apply until 2019 at the earliest for certain entities.

As the PCAOB notes, there is a need to make the audit report more relevant. In fact, there is a need to make both external and internal audit and auditors more relevant.

More will follow on this; however, I usually don’t spend signification time on new laws, statutes, regulations, rules and standards until (1) they are in fact enacted or adopted, and (2) it is near the time of actual use or requirement.

I do note, however, that this new report and the CAM provision is an interesting development, which perhaps should have occurred years ago. If you click on the above link, and then on the actual standard itself, you will also see that the standard contains worthwhile discussions about critical audit matters, materiality and other topics that are relevant to the standard.

Best, David Tate, Esq. (and CPA, California inactive). Royse Law Firm, Menlo Park Office, California.

Royse Law Firm – Practice Area Overview – San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles Basin

  • Corporate and Securities, Financing and Formation
  • Corporate Governance, D&O, Boards and Committees, Audit Committees, Etc.
  • Intellectual Property – Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets
  • International
  • Immigration
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Labor and Employment
  • Litigation (I broke out the litigation because this is my primary area of practice)
  •             Business
  •             Intellectual Property – Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets
  •             Trade Secrets, NDA, Financial & Accounting Issues, Fraud, Lost Income, Royalties, Etc.
  •             Privacy, Internet, Hacking, Speech, Etc.
  •             Labor and Employment
  •             Mergers & Acquisitions
  •             Real Estate
  •             Owner, Founder, Investor, Board & Committee, Shareholder, D&O, Lender/Debtor, Etc.
  •             Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith
  •             Investigations
  •             Trust, Estate, Conservatorship, Elder Abuse, Etc., and Contentious Administrations
  • Real Estate
  • Tax (US and International) and Tax Litigation
  • Technology Companies and Transactions Including AgTech, HealthTech, etc.
  • Wealth and Estate Planning, Trust and Estate Administration, and Disputes and Litigation

 

Updated Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide – Attached – Use It – Pass It Along – Free

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Below is a link to my updated Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide (updated October 20, 2016). Please use it, and pass it to other people who would be interested, such as audit committee members, directors, officers, accountants, internal and external auditors, in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and other people.

I do note that as I was updating these materials, and going through the entire Guide, it definitely hit me that all of the specifically enacted statutes, regulations, rules and pronouncements definitely could cause an audit committee member to not be able to see the forest for the tress. So let’s also not forget to look at the situation as a whole.

Although the Guide is 186 pages, I do expect some significant updates soon, and perhaps prior to the end of 2016. Many of the updates will be posted to this blog first, and then to the Guide. I am looking forward to the COSO enterprise risk management (ERM) updated framework.

Best to you. Dave Tate, Esq., San Francisco and California.

Here is a link to the updated Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide (updated October 20, 2016), tates-excellent-audit-committee-guide-10202016-final-with-appendix-a

Audit Committee 5 Lines of Defense 07182016

The business judgment rule – an animated video:

 

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Sustainability Disclosures – From PWC – Audit Committee Need to Know?

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I’m forwarding this along – sustainability disclosure guidance from PWC – click on the following link for the materials and the discussion, CLICK HERE

And I am thinking that there could be a need for increasing audit committee member expertise in the sustainability disclosure area.

Below is a snapshot from the PWC website, followed by a link to Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide (updated January 2016), followed by the Audit Committee 5 Lines of Diligence and Defense. Thank you. Dave Tate, Esq., San Francisco and California.

PWC Sustainability Disclosure Guidance

 

See also my Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide, updated January 2016, Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide 01032016 with Appendix A Final

Audit Committee 5 Lines of Defense 07182016

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New PCAOB Guidance On Form AP – Yes, To My Surprise, Some Of This Is Interesting

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I have previously commented briefly about the new audit partner disclosure requirement – essentially, my comment was that I did not really see what the big deal is about this. But on June 28, 2016, the PCAOB issued staff guidance for Form AP, and as a result, I have to step back a little my initial comments. The following is a link to the PCAOB guidance, and Form AP, CLICK HERE

I still don’t believe in the broad view that it is a big deal to name the audit partner, however, I am now seeing that it might be possible to do a tally on how many audits a particular person (identified by a specific numeric code for that particular person) is listed as the audit partner, and it would not surprise me if someone in the future, or even the PCAOB, or the SEC, or plaintiffs’ counsel in a litigation case for auditor liability, questions the number of audits on which someone can effectively perform as the primary audit partner?

Further, if my reading of the Form AP, and the guidance, are correct, it appears that the Form requires the auditor/auditing firm to provide the numbers of hours spent performing the audit, and it appears that to some extent those hours need to be further divided or broken down into some of the different important audit areas or programs.  This information could be useful for a number of purposes. It would allow a comparison of audit fee to hours spent between different entities and industries (and how much is being charged per hour). It gives the regulatory entities, such as the PCAOB and the SEC useful information to evaluate audit effectiveness. If admissible in court, it could be used to argue in particular cases whether the auditor spent enough time on a particular audit area or program. And the information about the different audit firms involved in the audit and their time spent might be similarly interesting.

And all of this might be of interest to the audit committee in its hiring, evaluation and retention of the audit firm, assuming, of course, that someone or some entity compiles and reports this information in a useful format.

Best, Dave Tate, Esq., San Francisco and California

Click on the following for my Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide, Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide 01032016 with Appendix A Final

See also my trust, estate, conservatorship, power of attorney, and elder abuse litigation blog at http://californiaestatetrust.com

Audit Committee 5 Lines of Defense 07182016

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Really Massive Changes in Accounting, Auditing, Reporting and Communicating – The End Of Accounting?

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Although I practice as an attorney, I previously practiced as a CPA and I have experienced several times over the years when there were significant changes occurring in the accounting practice and profession. But right now, I believe that I am witnessing multiple massive changes that have been long in the making. The following is a link to an Accounting Today article which does a pretty good job of discussing some of the changes, and also includes a question whether this is the end of accounting – click on the following link, CLICK HERE

It’s not like these changes are screaming at you in the headlines, but the cumulative effect is significant, new changes are continuing and will continue, and perhaps more important, the reasons for the changes are permanent.

For a long, long time the value of the audit and of the audit report have been questioned.

For a long, long time, the value of the information provided by an accounting that is prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles has been questioned.

Different stakeholders also have different needs, and speed at which the flow of information is needed and expected is ever-increasing. Audited financial statements, for example, don’t tell you very much about the future investment or business generating value of the entity or of the transactions reported, or of the risks that are associated.

So now, for example, in addition to GAAP accounting we have non-GAAP accounting and reporting, we are seeing an increased ability to audit all transactions by computer software, GAAP is moving from the more detailed and specific rules based approach back to the more principles based approach that was in place when I first became a CPA, and non-GAAP measurements or criteria are becoming or should become more important such as some of the governance criteria (integrity, tone-at-the-top, culture, etc.), sustainability, transparency, risk management, and more emphasis on internal controls such as COSO.

However, I don’t agree with the suggestion or question in the title to the above linked article – it’s not the end of accounting. Traditional accounting serves a useful purpose – can you imagine what a free for all it would be without traditional accounting? There would be absolutely no checks or balances. There would be a “zero” reliability factor, and no comparability between different entities or industries.

But there is no question that the changes that have occurred and that continue to occur in accounting and auditing create both opportunities and risks for investors, financial institutions and other stakeholders, executive, financial, accounting and audit officers and professionals, boards, and audit and risk committees. The people who will excel are the people who will embrace and become expert in these changes. It’s a lifetime of learning to stay ahead and relevant.

Best to you. Dave Tate, Esq.

The following is a link to my Tate’s Excellent Audit Committee Guide, updated January 2016, CLICK HERE