Assurance updates

An external audit provides reasonable (but not absolute) assurance that the financial statements of the entity being audited are free from material misstatement. However, external auditing is often seen as costly and of no practical value to businesses. This is particularly prevalent in small to medium-sized businesses.

There are many legal, and practical, reasons why companies may be structured in groups, branches, etc. as opposed to just one reporting unit. 

Users of financial statements are often surprised at the extent of estimation involved in the preparation of financial statements.  One would think that accounting is more of an art than a science and that the world of reporting consisted of measurables – prices, percentages, debits, credits, etc.   Sadly, that is not the case anymore.  As business has become more

Previously, only Sectional Title Schemes with ten or more units were required to have their annual financial statements audited.

Auditors, especially in South Africa with its “Reportable irregularities” requirements, are painfully aware of their duties to report irregularities. These duties are well defined in the Auditing Professions Act, International Standards on Auditing, etc.

Independence is the cornerstone of the auditing profession.  Independence is just another, slightly stronger, word for objectivity. If an auditor is to add any value to the client, investors, lenders, the economy or even the world, he/she must be objective, or “independent” of the information and the entity being audited.

The new auditor reporting requirements are not just going to affect the audits of listed entities. This article highlights some of the considerations for smaller entities in terms of the requirements applicable to all entities and those that may be applied on a voluntary basis.

So many articles have been written on the Companies Act, 2008 starting years before its implementation in May 2011, and still continuing up to this day.  When our clients read these articles or consult with us on the “new” Act we are often asked what the purpose of all of this is and where all of this regulation is going. 

Let’s start by looking at the provision of Section 45, as to who the section applies to. Section 45 of the Companies Act No 71 of 2008 applies to direct or indirect assistance to:

Before 2008, all companies had to be audited – irrespective of size, shareholding, etc. The new (or actually not so new anymore) Companies Act 2008 is more flexible.