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Compilations, Reviews
and Agreed-Upon Procedures
Audits are not for everyone.
Perhaps you have no outside lenders or regulators that require
audited financial statements. Or, perhaps a lower level of service
would be acceptable to them. Are you able to explain the various
levels of service available in order to effectively negotiate
with the users of your financial information for a lower level
of service? Selden Fox can assist you in explaining the various
levels of service and perhaps save you money in the long run.
The following briefly describes the services that give less assurance
than an audited financial statement, but possibly could satisfactorily
fit your needs.
Compilations...Presented in the form of financial statements,
information that is the representation of management or owners
without performing any procedures in order to express any assurance
on the financial statements. Accordingly, no opinion is expressed
by Selden Fox on your financial statements should you decide
to have them compiled.
Reviews...In a review of your financial statement,
Selden Fox would perform inquiry and analytical procedures that
would provide us with limited assurance that there are
no material modifications that should be made to the financial
statements in order for them to be in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, or if applicable, in accordance
with another comprehensive basis of accounting such as the cash
or tax basis of accounting.
Difference
between reviews and audits...The
objective of a review differs significantly from the objective
of an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
The objective of an audit is to provide a reasonable basis for
expressing an opinion on the financial statements taken
as a whole. A review does not provide a basis for expressing
such an opinion because a review does not contemplate obtaining
an understanding of internal control or assessing control risk,
tests of accounting records, or obtaining corroborating evidential
matter through inspection, observation or confirmation, and certain
other procedures that are generally performed during an audit.
Agreed-Upon
Procedures...Here is
a level of service that can be totally customized to your
needs. This level of service does not have to encompass an
entire financial statement. Rather, you can engage Selden Fox
to perform specified procedures on any element, item or account
of a financial statement. Because specified parties' needs vary
widely, the nature, timing, and extent of the agreed-upon procedures
may vary as well. Consequently, the specified parties assume
responsibility for the sufficiency of the procedures since they
best understand their own needs.
Let's say that six months into
your fiscal year, you lose your key inventory control employee.
Perhaps at that time, you would like certain procedures to be
performed on the perpetual inventory records. The type and extent
of the procedures you would want performed is totally up to you.
We can certainly provide advice
regarding types of procedures that you could choose from. However,
in an agreed-upon procedures engagement, the users of the report
take full responsibility for the nature and extent of the procedures
performed on any financial statement element. Under an agreed-upon
procedures engagement, we would not express an opinion or negative
assurance relating to the fair presentation of the specified
element, item or account. Instead, our report to you would describe
the nature and extent of procedures performed, and our findings
and recommendations.
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