SOX 404(b) Audits: Evidence from Auditing the Financial Close Process of the Accounting System

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-103
Author(s):  
Diane J. Janvrin ◽  
Maureen Francis Mascha ◽  
Melvin A. Lamboy-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Financial Statement Audit ◽  
Multiple Method ◽  
Access Controls

ABSTRACT Auditing Standard No. 5 requires that auditors integrate their evaluation of large issuers' internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) into their financial statement audit process, but the PCAOB warns that auditors may not adequately test related manual and systems internal controls. We use a multiple method approach to examine how auditors evaluate one important component of ICFR, the financial close process, and whether they evaluate it differently when conducting a SOX 404(b) integrated versus a financial statement audit. Interviewees relied heavily on walkthroughs, and tended to perform only cursory reviews of entity-level controls related to the financial close process. In addition, they often failed to test the link between the general ledger and supporting systems, including evaluating related access controls. Financial statement-only auditors were more likely to re-perform key controls than rely on cursory walkthroughs. Auditors performing integrated audits appeared to over-rely on ICFR findings when conducting financial statement audits. Data Availability: Interview data are available from the first author. PCAOB inspection reports are publicly available.

scholarly journals Integration of Internal Control and Financial Statement Audits: Are Two Audits Better than One?

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Shefchik Bhaskar ◽  
Joseph H. Schroeder ◽  
Marcy L. Shepardson
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Auditor Judgment ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACT The quality of financial statement (FS) audits integrated with audits of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) depends upon the quality of ICFR information used in, and its integration into, FS audits. Recent research and PCAOB inspections find auditors underreport existing ICFR weaknesses and perform insufficient testing to address identified risks, suggesting integrated audits—in which substantial ICFR testing is required—may result in lower FS audit quality than FS-only audits. We compare a 2007–2013 sample of small U.S. public company firm-years receiving integrated audits (accelerated filers) to firm-years receiving FS-only audits (non-accelerated filers) and find integrated audits are associated with higher likelihood of material misstatements and discretionary accruals, consistent with lower FS audit quality. We also find evidence of (1) auditor judgment-based integration issues, and (2) low-quality ICFR audits harming FS audit quality. Overall, results suggest an important potential consequence of integrated audits is lower FS audit quality. Data Availability: Data are publicly available from the sources identified in the text.

Accelerated Filing Deadlines, Internal Controls, and Financial Statement Quality: The Case of Originating Misstatements

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 551-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Boland ◽  
Scott N. Bronson ◽  
Chris E. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Similar Increase ◽  
Section 404 ◽  
Regulatory Changes ◽  
Rule Change ◽  
Initial Decrease

SYNOPSIS We examine whether regulations requiring accelerated filing deadlines and internal control reporting and testing affect financial statement reliability. Unlike prior research, we examine whether these regulatory changes are associated with an increase in the likelihood that misstatements originate in the period following the respective change. If the implementation of these rules causes a misstatement, then the misstatement would most likely occur in the period immediately following the rule change. We provide evidence that accelerated filers (AFs) experience an increase in the likelihood of an originating misstatement following the acceleration of filing deadlines from 90 to 75 days. Large accelerated filers (LAFs), however, do not experience a similar increase following this acceleration or the subsequent acceleration from 75 to 60 days. After the implementation of the SOX Section 404 internal control requirements, we find that the likelihood of an originating misstatement declined for AFs but not for LAFs. Taken together, the findings suggest that, although AFs experienced an initial decrease in financial statement reliability, this decrease was temporary. Data Availability: Data are publicly available from the sources identified in the text.

The Influence of Audit Committee Expertise on Firms' Internal Controls: Evidence from Mergers and Acquisitions

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-211
Author(s):  
Mikhail Sterin
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
First Year ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
Indirect Path ◽  
Control Decision

SYNOPSIS This study examines how audit committee expertise influences firms' key internal control scoping decisions. Using a unique merger and acquisition (M&A) setting where the internal control audit is voluntary, I study whether audit committee expertise is associated with the deferral of internal control testing for acquired firms. I also examine whether this internal control decision provides a channel through which audit committee expertise leads to positive financial reporting outcomes. I find that audit committees with greater specialized expertise (industry and legal) are less likely to opt-out of first-year target internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) integration. In my second analysis, I find that target ICFR integration provides an indirect path through which industry and legal expertise reduce the likelihood of misstatement. This study contributes to the audit committee and internal controls literature by providing evidence on audit committee influence over firms' internal control decisions and related financial reporting outcomes. JEL Classifications: M41; M42; M48. Data Availability: The data are publicly available from the sources identified in the paper.

Determinants of the Persistence of Internal Control Weaknesses

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie K. Klamm ◽  
Kevin W. Kobelsky ◽  
Marcia Weidenmier Watson
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Material Weaknesses ◽  
Specific Control

SYNOPSIS This paper analyzes the degree to which material weaknesses (MWs) in internal control reported under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) affect the future reporting of MWs. Particularly, we examine information technology (IT) and non-IT MWs and their breakdown into specific IT-related entity-level, non-IT-related entity-level, and account-level deficiencies. Analysis reveals that most account-level and entity-level deficiencies occur at a significantly higher rate in SOX 404 reports with at least one IT MW than in MW reports with only non-IT MWs. Further, the presence and count of both types of MWs and all three types of deficiencies are associated with increased future MWs, as are lower profitability, non-Big 6 auditor, and firm complexity. Specific control deficiencies related to senior management, training, and IT control environment have the strongest impact on future MWs. These results indicate that effective corporate governance of both the IT and non-IT domains is pivotal in establishing and maintaining strong internal controls over financial reporting. Data Availability:  Data are available from the public sources identified in the paper.

scholarly journals Quality of Accounting System and Internal Control: How is the Implementation at PT. Nusantara Jaya Sentosa

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-92
Author(s):  
Inta Budi Setya Nusa
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Accounting Information Systems ◽  
Quality Of Accounting Information ◽  
Access Controls ◽  
Computerized System

This study aims to determine the quality of accounting information systems and internal controls at PT Nusantara Jaya Sentosa. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The data used are primary data and secondary data. Data analysis techniques are data reduction, data presentation and data verification. The results showed that the quality of PT Nusantara Jaya Sentosa's administrative system has changed from a manual system to a computerized system that produces useful output for each user of the information. This is evidenced by all the components needed to support a valid systems are owned by PT Nusantara Jaya Sentosa, and there is an element of internal control. The leadership of PT Nusantara Jaya Sentosa gave instructions that it was better to implement structured internal controls and develop access controls that were restricted by the use of a User and Password so that only specific units could perform internal access.

Management Reporting on Internal Control and Accruals Quality: Insights from a “Comply-or-Explain” Internal Control Regime

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrien Van de Poel ◽  
Ann Vanstraelen
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Control Regulation ◽  
Accruals Quality ◽  
Regulatory Regimes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Control Regime ◽  
Comply Or Explain

SUMMARY Internal control regulation remains the subject of an ongoing global debate among academics, regulators, and practitioners in terms of costs and effectiveness. This is reflected by different internal control regulations in different countries, resulting in varying management's incentives across regulatory regimes. Prior research, however, has primarily focused on the U.S. rules-based setting to study the relationship between internal control regulation and financial reporting. The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between internal control reporting and accruals quality in an alternative internal control regime based on the “comply-or-explain principle” in The Netherlands. We show that in this setting accruals quality is not associated with the description of the internal control system, while there is evidence of a positive association with an unaudited statement of effective internal controls. Further, we find that the noncompliance rate of providing a statement of effective internal controls is relatively high, and that companies give generic explanations for noncompliance or no explanation at all. Overall, insights from different internal control regulatory regimes may further advance our knowledge on internal control regulation effectiveness. Data Availability: All data are publicly available.

The Strategic Effects of Auditing Standard No. 5 in a Multi-Location Setting

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn R. Patterson ◽  
J. Reed Smith
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Private Information ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Control Strength ◽  
Financial Statement Audit ◽  
Financial Misstatement ◽  
Strategic Effects

SUMMARY Auditing Standard No. (AS) 5 provides guidance in the required audit of internal control over financial reporting and its integration into the financial statement audit. AS 5 advocates a “top-down” approach, in which control testing helps the auditor assess the risk of financial misstatement across multiple locations. We consider a manager who oversees two locations and who has private information about internal control strength in each location. Only when controls are weak can the manager commit fraud. We show how the manager's opportunity to commit fraud and informational characteristics of internal control tests impact the manager's probability choice of fraud and the auditor's choice of substantive test effort.

Business Strategy, Internal Control over Financial Reporting, and Audit Reporting Quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 49-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Bentley-Goode ◽  
Nathan J. Newton ◽  
Anne M. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Material Weaknesses ◽  
Jel Classifications

SUMMARY This study examines whether a company's business strategy is an underlying determinant of the strength of its internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) and auditors' internal control reporting quality. Organizational theory suggests that companies following an innovative “prospector” strategy are likely to have weaker internal controls than companies following an efficient “defender” strategy. Consistent with theory, we find that firms with greater prospector-like characteristics are more likely to report and less likely to remediate material weaknesses, incremental to known determinants of material weaknesses. We also find that auditors' internal control reporting quality is lower among clients with greater prospector-like characteristics when measured using the timeliness of reported material weaknesses. Our findings indicate that business strategy is a useful summary indicator for evaluating companies' internal control strength and suggest that internal control reporting is an important area for audit quality improvement among prospector-like clients. JEL Classifications: D21; 21; M41. Data Availability: Data are obtained from public sources as indicated in the text.

scholarly journals Essentiality of internal control in Audit process

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Ms. Afshan Younas ◽  
Dr Aza Azlina Md Kassim
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Management Decision Making ◽  
Goals And Objectives

Internal control in the audit process gains much attraction from the last few decades. One basic needs to understand the audit process is to understand the internal control of business organizations. Auditors cannot express and present their true opinion unless they do not understand the mechanism and system of internal control. The need to understand the system of internal control develops when audited financial statements used more for decision making for stakeholders. The main objective of this paper is to emphasize the concept of internal control and its significance to comprehend the audit process. Further, the history of internal control with the auditing framework is also in discussion. This paper is based on the theoretical approach where the concept of internal control discussed the external audit process. This paper does not cover internal audits in the discussion, the discussion and concepts are limited to external auditing. Analysis of internal control in the audit process is an important concern for auditors to express their opinion and provide assurance services. Good and strong internal controls are essential to assuring the accomplishments of goals and objectives. They provide reliable financial reporting for management decision making. They ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations to avoid the risk of public scandals. Poor or excessive internal controls reduce productivity, increase the complexity of the transaction and finally add no value to certain activities. Good internal controls help ensure efficient operations and protect organization image. This paper concluded the essentiality of the internal control system in the audit process as well as its urgency for meeting organization goals and objectives. It is recommended that internal controls should be proactive, and value-added. It plays a significant role in the auditing process and the report of external auditors based on the understanding of the internal control mechanism. The report of external auditors’ further guides to stakeholders in their decision-making process. If it does not depict the true picture, then it damages the integrity of financial reporting.

scholarly journals A Task-Centered, Multiple Method Approach To Teaching Fraud Risk Assessment

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie W. Morris ◽  
Ann B. Pushkin ◽  
William E. Spangler
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Occurrence Rate ◽  
Fraudulent Financial Reporting ◽  
Fraud Risk ◽  
Financial Statement Audit ◽  
Multiple Method ◽  
Approach To Teaching ◽  
Research In Education

This manuscript provides an approach to teaching fraud risk assessment that is based on an analysis of the task and relevant research in education, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. Fraud risk assessment (FRA) in financial reporting is an important and difficult task that must be performed in every financial statement audit. When auditors fail to detect fraudulent financial reporting (FFR), they are likely to become targets of shareholder and creditor litigation. Although FFR has a low occurrence rate considering the large number of financial statement audits conducted, it has a devastating impact on the investors, creditors and the profession.

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