Audit of Inventories : a Joint Study; Auditing Procedure Study; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
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University of Mississippi eGrove American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Guides, Handbooks and Manuals (AICPA) Historical Collection 1986 Audit of inventories : a joint study; Auditing procedure study; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides Part of the Accounting Commons, and the Taxation Commons Recommended Citation American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, "Audit of inventories : a joint study; Auditing procedure study;" (1986). Guides, Handbooks and Manuals. 37. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/37 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Historical Collection at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Guides, Handbooks and Manuals by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Auditing Procedure Study Audit of Inventories American institute of Certified Public Accountants Statement o f Policy Auditing Procedure Studies are issued by the Auditing Standards Division and are part of the AICPA’s research program. Each study is designed to inform auditors of developments and advances in auditing procedures. The studies express the views of the author or study group. Auditing Procedure Studies are intended to provide practitioners with nonau thoritative practical assistance concerning auditing procedures. Comments on this study should be addressed to the Institute’s director of audit research. Comments will be treated as public information unless a writer requests that his comments be kept confidential. This Auditing Procedure Study has not been approved, disapproved, or otherwise acted on by the Auditing Standards Board, the membership, or the governing body of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Therefore, the contents of this study, including the recommendations, are not official pronouncements of the Institute. Audit o f Inventories A Joint Study by: American Institute o f Certified Public Accountants Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants Copyright © 1986 by the American Institute o f Certified Public Accountants, Inc. Published by the AICPA on behalf of the participating organizations American Institute o f Certified Public Accountants, Inc. 1211 Avenue o f the Americas, N ew York, N.Y. 10036-8775 The Canadian Institute o f Chartered Accountants 150 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2Y2 1234567890 AudS 8 9 8 7 6 Contents Foreword vii Introduction ix Significance o f Inventories ix Purpose o f Study ix Selection of Audit Procedures x Definition of Inventories x Emphasis o f Study x 1 Auditor’s Objective and Initial Planning Considerations 1 Auditor’s Objective 1 Existence 1 Completeness 2 Ownership 2 Valuation (Including Condition) 2 Presentation and Disclosure 2 Initial Planning Considerations 2 General Familiarization 2 Materiality 3 Audit Risk 3 Sampling 7 Use of Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques 8 Use o f Specialists 8 Use of Internal Auditors 9 Conclusion 9 2 Existence, Ownership, and Completeness— Planning Considerations 11 Auditor’s Objective 11 Historical Perspective 11 Interrelationship of Assertions 12 Planning 13 Introduction 13 General Familiarization 13 Potential Errors 13 Compliance Approach vs. Substantive Approach 14 iii Other Client Routines and Internal Control Considerations 17 Identification of Responsible Client Personnel 20 Tour of Client Premises 20 Multilocation Inventories 21 Inventories Held by or for Others 21 Using the Work of a Specialist 22 Precount Finalization 22 Summary of Planning Procedures 22 3 Existence, Ownership, and Completeness— Count Attendance and Postattendance Considerations 25 Inventory Count Attendance Considerations 25 Observing the Count 25 Performance o f Test Counts 26 Work-in-Process Considerations 27 Cutoff Procedures 27 Confirmation Procedures 29 Documentation 30 Alternative Procedures When Attendance Is Not Practicable 30 Postinventory Count Attendance Considerations 31 Testing Quantities on Final Inventory Listings 31 Following up Confirmations 33 Testing Cutoff 33 Documentation 35 4 Valuation 37 Auditor’s Objective 37 Planning 37 Introduction 37 Potential Errors 38 Assessment of Client’s Valuation Methods 38 Use o f Specialists 40 Cost Verification Considerations 40 Raw Materials and Goods Purchased for Resale 40 Work in Process and Manufactured Finished Goods 42 Other Considerations 46 Market Verification Considerations 47 Testing Condition of the Inventory 48 Testing Replacement Cost 49 Testing Net Realizable Value 50 Other Considerations 51 LIFO Inventories 51 Retail Inventories 51 Hedged Inventories 52 Construction Contracts 52 iv 5 Other Procedures 55 Analytical Review Procedures 55 Clerical Accuracy 56 Reconciling the Physical Inventory to the Book Amounts 56 Roll-Forward/Back Analysis 57 Inventory Count a Few Days From Year-End 57 Inventory Count Is a Longer Period From Year-End 57 Year-End Cutoff Procedures 58 6 Financial Statement Presentation and Disclosure 61 Auditor’s Objective 61 Inventory Aggregation and Classification 61 Presentation 62 Review of Pledges and Commitments 62 Intercompany Profit Eliminations 62 Related Party Transactions 62 Letter of Representation 63 Errors and Adjusting Entries 63 Audit Conclusion 63 Appendixes A Examples of Internal Control Considerations for Inventories 65 B Sample Inventory Attendance Planning Questionnaire 69 C Sample Confirmation— Inventories Held by Others 73 D Sample Confirmation— Inventories Held by Client on Behalf o f Others 75 E Sample Audit Program 77 F Sample Representation Letter for Inventories 91 G Examples of Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques 93 V Study Group Michael R . Van Every, CA, Chairman John C. Corkill, CA Coopers & Lybrand Price Waterhouse Mississauga, Ontario Toronto John C. Broderick, CPA Leonard L. Mortenson, CPA Arthur Young Yohalem, Gillman, Field and Agler New York New York Peter J. Carroll, FCA Belverd E. Needles, Jr., CPA Spicer MacGillivray D e Paul University Mississauga, Ontario School of Accountancy Chicago vi Foreword This study is designed to provide a discussion of suggested auditing pro cedures and the problems auditors may encounter in obtaining satisfaction about their clients’ representations regarding the physical existence, com pleteness, ownership, valuation and condition, and financial presentation and disclosure of inventories. The study is part o f the Auditing Procedure Study series o f the American Institute o f Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Audit Technique Study series o f the Canadian Institute o f Chartered Accountants (CICA). It was prepared by a study group consisting of AICPA and CICA members. The study group compared generally accepted auditing standards in the United States and Canada and found them to be similar as they relate to the audit o f inventories. This study embodies examination standards contained in the AICPA Statements on Auditing Standards and in the auditing section o f the CICA Handbook as they apply to the audit of inventories. It was not part o f the study group’s mandate to consider the appropriate ness of the various methods of inventory accounting permitted under gen erally accepted accounting principles in the United States and Canada. Appreciation is expressed to the members of the study group for their efforts in producing this study. The participation of Donald E. Sheehy, CA, CICA Research Manager, who, at the direction of the study group, undertook the research and drafting of the study, is also appreciated. Don Pallais, CPA David J. Moore, CA Director, Audit and Accounting Research Studies Director Guides Canadian Institute o f Chartered American Institute o f Certified Accountants, Toronto Public Accountants, New York January 1986 Introduction SIGNIFICANCE OF INVENTORIES Generally, inventories reflect the characteristics o f a business m ore than any other asset does. Significant to manufacturing, wholesale, and retail organi zations, inventories frequently are also material to the financial statements of service organizations. It has been estimated that, for some types of busi nesses, inventories constitute 20 to 25 percent o f total assets1 and represent the largest current asset. A material inventory misstatement usually has a direct effect on current assets, working capital, total assets, cost o f sales, gross margin, and net in come. It can also have an indirect effect on items such as profit sharing and income taxes. Many complex and significant problems in an audit are related to inven tories. Inventories, production, and cost of sales constitute perhaps the most pervasive, significant, and difficult subject in accounting and auditing and, indeed, in business management generally.2 PURPOSE OF STUDY Except for some general guidance on physical inspection, little authoritative guidance exists for auditing inventories. This study discusses the circum stances that might be encountered and the types o f procedures that an auditor considers in obtaining assurance about client representations re garding existence, completeness, ownership, valuation (including condi tion), and financial statement presentation and disclosure o f inventories. The study emphasizes the need for proper planning, including a proper assess ment o f audit risk, to ensure that sufficient appropriate audit evidence about inventories is obtained. 1. James