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ISA (UK and Ireland) 501 (October 2009)

International Standard on Auditing (UK and Ireland) (ISA (UK and Ireland)) 501, “Audit Evidence—Specific Considerations for Selected Items" should be read in conjunction with ISA (UK and Ireland) 200, “Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland)."

Contents

Introduction

Scope of this ISA (UK and Ireland)

1This International Standard on Auditing (UK and Ireland) (ISA (UK and Ireland)) deals with specific considerations by the auditor in obtaining sufficient appropriate audit evidence in accordance with ISA (UK and Ireland) 330, 1 ISA (UK and Ireland) 500 2 and other relevant ISAs (UK and Ireland), with respect to certain aspects of inventory, litigation and claims involving the entity, and segment information in an audit of financial statements.

Effective Date

2This ISA (UK and Ireland) is effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after 15 December 2010.

Objective

3The objective of the auditor is to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the:

  1. Existence and condition of inventory;
  2. Completeness of litigation and claims involving the entity; and
  3. Presentation and disclosure of segment information in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

Requirements

Inventory

4If inventory is material to the financial statements, the auditor shall obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the existence and condition of inventory by:

  1. Attendance at physical inventory counting, unless impracticable, to: (Ref: Para. A1-A3)
    1. Evaluate management's instructions and procedures for recording and controlling the results of the entity's physical inventory counting; (Ref: Para. A4)
    2. Observe the performance of management's count procedures; (Ref: Para. A5)
    3. Inspect the inventory; and (Ref: Para. A6)
    4. Perform test counts; and (Ref: Para. A7-A8)
  2. Performing audit procedures over the entity's final inventory records to determine whether they accurately reflect actual inventory count results.

5If physical inventory counting is conducted at a date other than the date of the financial statements, the auditor shall, in addition to the procedures required by paragraph 4, perform audit procedures to obtain audit evidence about whether changes in inventory between the count date and the date of the financial statements are properly recorded. (Ref: Para. A9-A11)

6If the auditor is unable to attend physical inventory counting due to unforeseen circumstances, the auditor shall make or observe some physical counts on an alternative date, and perform audit procedures on intervening transactions.

7If attendance at physical inventory counting is impracticable, the auditor shall perform alternative audit procedures to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the existence and condition of inventory. If it is not possible to do so, the auditor shall modify the opinion in the auditor's report in accordance with ISA (UK and Ireland) 705. 3 (Ref: Para. A12-A14)

8If inventory under the custody and control of a third party is material to the financial statements, the auditor shall obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the existence and condition of that inventory by performing one or both of the following:

  1. Request confirmation from the third party as to the quantities and condition of inventory held on behalf of the entity. (Ref: Para. A15)
  2. Perform inspection or other audit procedures appropriate in the circumstances. (Ref: Para. A16)

Litigation and Claims

9The auditor shall design and perform audit procedures in order to identify litigation and claims involving the entity which may give rise to a risk of material misstatement, including: (Ref: Para. A17-A19)

  1. Inquiry of management 4 and, where applicable, others within the entity, including in-house legal counsel;
  2. Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance and correspondence between the entity and its external legal counsel; and
  3. Reviewing legal expense accounts. (Ref: Para. A20)

10If the auditor assesses a risk of material misstatement regarding litigation or claims that have been identified, or when audit procedures performed indicate that other material litigation or claims may exist, the auditor shall, in addition to the procedures required by other ISAs (UK and Ireland), seek direct communication with the entity's external legal counsel. The auditor shall do so through a letter of inquiry, prepared by management 5 and sent by the auditor, requesting the entity's external legal counsel to communicate directly with the auditor. If law, regulation or the respective legal professional body prohibits the entity's external legal counsel from communicating directly with the auditor, the auditor shall perform alternative audit procedures. (Ref: Para. A21-A25)

11If:

  1. management refuses to give the auditor permission to communicate or meet with the entity's external legal counsel, or the entity's external legal counsel refuses to respond appropriately to the letter of inquiry, or is prohibited from responding; 6 and
  2. the auditor is unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence by performing alternative audit procedures,

the auditor shall modify the opinion in the auditor's report in accordance with ISA (UK and Ireland) 705.

Written Representations

12The auditor shall request management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance to provide written representations that all known actual or possible litigation and claims whose effects should be considered when preparing the financial statements have been disclosed to the auditor and accounted for and disclosed in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

Segment Information

13The auditor shall obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the presentation and disclosure of segment information in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework by: (Ref: Para. A26)

  1. Obtaining an understanding of the methods used by management in determining segment information, and: (Ref: Para. A27)
    1. Evaluating whether such methods are likely to result in disclosure in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; and
    2. Where appropriate, testing the application of such methods; and
  2. Performing analytical procedures or other audit procedures appropriate in the circumstances.

Application and Other Explanatory Material

Inventory 7

Attendance at Physical Inventory Counting (Ref: Para. 4(a))

A1Management ordinarily establishes procedures under which inventory is physically counted at least once a year to serve as a basis for the preparation of the financial statements and, if applicable, to ascertain the reliability of the entity's perpetual inventory system.

A2Attendance at physical inventory counting involves:

  • Inspecting the inventory to ascertain its existence and evaluate its condition, and performing test counts;
  • Observing compliance with management's instructions and the performance of procedures for recording and controlling the results of the physical inventory count; and
  • Obtaining audit evidence as to the reliability of management's count procedures.

These procedures may serve as test of controls or substantive procedures depending on the auditor's risk assessment, planned approach and the specific procedures carried out.

A3Matters relevant in planning attendance at physical inventory counting (or in designing and performing audit procedures pursuant to paragraphs 4-8 of this ISA (UK and Ireland)) include, for example:

  • The risks of material misstatement related to inventory.
  • The nature of the internal control related to inventory.
  • Whether adequate procedures are expected to be established and proper instructions issued for physical inventory counting.
  • The timing of physical inventory counting.
  • Whether the entity maintains a perpetual inventory system.
  • The locations at which inventory is held, including the materiality of the inventory and the risks of material misstatement at different locations, in deciding at which locations attendance is appropriate. ISA (UK and Ireland) 600 8 deals with the involvement of other auditors and accordingly may be relevant if such involvement is with regards to attendance of physical inventory counting at a remote location.
  • Whether the assistance of an auditor's expert is needed. ISA (UK and Ireland) 620 9 deals with the use of an auditor's expert to assist the auditor to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence.

Evaluate Management's Instructions and Procedures (Ref: Para. 4(a)(i))

A4Matters relevant in evaluating management's instructions and procedures for recording and controlling the physical inventory counting include whether they address, for example:

  • The application of appropriate control activities, for example, collection of used physical inventory count records, accounting for unused physical inventory count records, and count and re-count procedures.
  • The accurate identification of the stage of completion of work in progress, of slow moving, obsolete or damaged items and of inventory owned by a third party, for example, on consignment.
  • The procedures used to estimate physical quantities, where applicable, such as may be needed in estimating the physical quantity of a coal pile.
  • Control over the movement of inventory between areas and the shipping and receipt of inventory before and after the cutoff date.

Observe the Performance of Management's Count Procedures (Ref: Para. 4(a)(ii))

A5Observing the performance of management's count procedures, for example those relating to control over the movement of inventory before, during and after the count, assists the auditor in obtaining audit evidence that management's instructions and count procedures are adequately designed and implemented. In addition, the auditor may obtain copies of cutoff information, such as details of the movement of inventory, to assist the auditor in performing audit procedures over the accounting for such movements at a later date.

Inspect the Inventory (Ref: Para. 4(a)(iii))

A6Inspecting inventory when attending physical inventory counting assists the auditor in ascertaining the existence of the inventory (though not necessarily its ownership), and in identifying, for example, obsolete, damaged or ageing inventory.

Perform Test Counts (Ref: Para. 4(a)(iv))

A7Performing test counts, for example by tracing items selected from management's count records to the physical inventory and tracing items selected from the physical inventory to management's count records, provides audit evidence about the completeness and the accuracy of those records.

A8In addition to recording the auditor's test counts, obtaining copies of management's completed physical inventory count records assists the auditor in performing subsequent audit procedures to determine whether the entity's final inventory records accurately reflect actual inventory count results.

Physical Inventory Counting Conducted Other than At the Date of the Financial Statements (Ref: Para. 5)

A9For practical reasons, the physical inventory counting may be conducted at a date, or dates, other than the date of the financial statements. This may be done irrespective of whether management determines inventory quantities by an annual physical inventory counting or maintains a perpetual inventory system. In either case, the effectiveness of the design, implementation and maintenance of controls over changes in inventory determines whether the conduct of physical inventory counting at a date, or dates, other than the date of the financial statements is appropriate for audit purposes. ISA (UK and Ireland) 330 establishes requirements and provides guidance on substantive procedures performed at an interim date. 10

A10Where a perpetual inventory system is maintained, management may perform physical counts or other tests to ascertain the reliability of inventory quantity information included in the entity's perpetual inventory records. In some cases, management or the auditor may identify differences between the perpetual inventory records and actual physical inventory quantities on hand; this may indicate that the controls over changes in inventory are not operating effectively.

A11Relevant matters for consideration when designing audit procedures to obtain audit evidence about whether changes in inventory amounts between the count date, or dates, and the final inventory records are properly recorded include:

  • Whether the perpetual inventory records are properly adjusted.
  • Reliability of the entity's perpetual inventory records.
  • Reasons for significant differences between the information obtained during the physical count and the perpetual inventory records.

Attendance at Physical Inventory Counting Is Impracticable (Ref: Para. 7)

A12In some cases, attendance at physical inventory counting may be impracticable. This may be due to factors such as the nature and location of the inventory, for example, where inventory is held in a location that may pose threats to the safety of the auditor. The matter of general inconvenience to the auditor, however, is not sufficient to support a decision by the auditor that attendance is impracticable. Further, as explained in ISA (UK and Ireland) 200, 11 the matter of difficulty, time, or cost involved is not in itself a valid basis for the auditor to omit an audit procedure for which there is no alternative or to be satisfied with audit evidence that is less than persuasive.

A13In some cases where attendance is impracticable, alternative audit procedures, for example inspection of documentation of the subsequent sale of specific inventory items acquired or purchased prior to the physical inventory counting, may provide sufficient appropriate audit evidence about the existence and condition of inventory.

A14In other cases, however, it may not be possible to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the existence and condition of inventory by performing alternative audit procedures. In such cases, ISA (UK and Ireland) 705 requires the auditor to modify the opinion in the auditor's report as a result of the scope limitation. 12

Inventory under the Custody and Control of a Third Party

Confirmation (Ref: Para. 8(a))

A15ISA (UK and Ireland) 505 13 establishes requirements and provides guidance for performing external confirmation procedures.

Other Audit Procedures (Ref: Para. 8(b))

A16Depending on the circumstances, for example where information is obtained that raises doubt about the integrity and objectivity of the third party, the auditor may consider it appropriate to perform other audit procedures instead of, or in addition to, confirmation with the third party. Examples of other audit procedures include:

  • Attending, or arranging for another auditor to attend, the third party's physical counting of inventory, if practicable.
  • Obtaining another auditor's report, or a service auditor's report, on the adequacy of the third party's internal control for ensuring that inventory is properly counted and adequately safeguarded.
  • Inspecting documentation regarding inventory held by third parties, for example, warehouse receipts.
  • Requesting confirmation from other parties when inventory has been pledged as collateral.

Litigation and Claims

Completeness of Litigations and Claims (Ref: Para. 9)

A17Litigation and claims involving the entity may have a material effect on the financial statements and thus may be required to be disclosed or accounted for in the financial statements.

A18In addition to the procedures identified in paragraph 9, other relevant procedures include, for example, using information obtained through risk assessment procedures carried out as part of obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment to assist the auditor to become aware of litigation and claims involving the entity.

A19Audit evidence obtained for purposes of identifying litigation and claims that may give rise to a risk of material misstatement also may provide audit evidence regarding other relevant considerations, such as valuation or measurement, regarding litigation and claims. ISA (UK and Ireland) 540 14 establishes requirements and provides guidance relevant to the auditor's consideration of litigation and claims requiring accounting estimates or related disclosures in the financial statements.

A20Depending on the circumstances, the auditor may judge it appropriate to examine related source documents, such as invoices for legal expenses, as part of the auditor's review of legal expense accounts.

A21Direct communication with the entity's external legal counsel assists the auditor in obtaining sufficient appropriate audit evidence as to whether potentially material litigation and claims are known and management's estimates of the financial implications, including costs, are reasonable.

A22In some cases, the auditor may seek direct communication with the entity's external legal counsel through a letter of general inquiry. For this purpose, a letter of general inquiry requests the entity's external legal counsel to inform the auditor of any litigation and claims that the counsel is aware of, together with an assessment of the outcome of the litigation and claims, and an estimate of the financial implications, including costs involved.

A23If it is considered unlikely that the entity's external legal counsel will respond appropriately to a letter of general inquiry, for example if the professional body to which the external legal counsel belongs prohibits response to such a letter 15, the auditor may seek direct communication through a letter of specific inquiry. For this purpose, a letter of specific inquiry includes:

  1. A list of litigation and claims;
  2. Where available, management's assessment of the outcome of each of the identified litigation and claims and its estimate of the financial implications, including costs involved; and
  3. A request that the entity's external legal counsel confirm the reasonableness of management's assessments and provide the auditor with further information if the list is considered by the entity's external legal counsel to be incomplete or incorrect.

A24In certain circumstances, the auditor also may judge it necessary to meet with the entity's external legal counsel to discuss the likely outcome of the litigation or claims. This may be the case, for example, where:

  • The auditor determines that the matter is a significant risk.
  • The matter is complex.
  • There is disagreement between management and the entity's external legal counsel.

Ordinarily, such meetings require management's permission 12 and are held with a representative of management in attendance.

A25In accordance with ISA (UK and Ireland) 700, 16 the auditor is required to date the auditor's report no earlier than the date on which the auditor has obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence on which to base the auditor's opinion on the financial statements. Audit evidence about the status of litigation and claims up to the date of the auditor's report may be obtained by inquiry of management, including in-house legal counsel, responsible for dealing with the relevant matters. In some instances, the auditor may need to obtain updated information from the entity's external legal counsel.

Segment Information (Ref: Para. 13)

A26Depending on the applicable financial reporting framework, the entity may be required or permitted to disclose segment information in the financial statements. The auditor's responsibility regarding the presentation and disclosure of segment information is in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, the auditor is not required to perform audit procedures that would be necessary to express an opinion on the segment information presented on a stand alone basis.

Understanding of the Methods Used by Management (Ref: Para. 13(a))

A27Depending on the circumstances, example of matters that may be relevant when obtaining an understanding of the methods used by management in determining segment information and whether such methods are likely to result in disclosure in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework include:

  • Sales, transfers and charges between segments, and elimination of inter-segment amounts.
  • Comparisons with budgets and other expected results, for example, operating profits as a percentage of sales.
  • The allocation of assets and costs among segments.
  • Consistency with prior periods, and the adequacy of the disclosures with respect to inconsistencies.

The APB has not promulgated ISA 700 as issued by the IAASB for application in the UK and Ireland. In the UK and Ireland the applicable auditing standard is ISA (UK and Ireland) 700, “The Auditor's Report on Financial Statements." Paragraphs 23 and 24 of ISA (UK and Ireland) 700 establish requirements regarding dating of the auditor's report.

NOTICE TO READERS

The Auditing Practices Board

This document has been obtained from the website of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and its operating Boards, which includes the Auditing Practices Board (APB). Use of the website is subject to the WEBSITE TERMS OF USE, which may be viewed in a separate section of the website. Readers should be aware that although the FRC and its Boards seek to ensure the accuracy of information on the website, no guarantee or warranty is given or implied that such information is free from error or suitable for any given purpose: the published hard copy alone constitutes the definitive text.

The International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) (ISAs (UK and Ireland)) are based on International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) of the same titles that have been issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), published by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in 2009, and are used with the permission of IFAC.

THE AUDITING PRACTICES BOARD

The Auditing Practices Board (APB), which is part of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), prepares for use within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland:

  • Standards and guidance for auditing;
  • Standards and guidance for reviews of interim financial information performed by the auditor of the entity;
  • Standards and guidance for the work of reporting accountants in connection with investment circulars; and
  • Standards and guidance for auditors' and reporting accountant's integrity, objectivity and independence

with the objective of enhancing public confidence in the audit process and the quality and relevance of audit services in the public interest.

The APB comprises individuals who are not eligible for appointment as company auditors, as well as those who are so eligible. Those who are eligible for appointment as company auditors may not exceed 40% of the APB by number.

Neither the APB nor the FRC accepts any liability to any party for any loss, damage or costs howsoever arising, whether directly or indirectly, whether in contract, tort or otherwise from any action or decision taken (or not taken) as a result of any person relying on or otherwise using this document or arising from an omission from it.

Footnotes

  1. ISA (UK and Ireland) 330, “The Auditor's Responses to Assessed Risks." ↩

  2. ISA (UK and Ireland) 500, "Audit Evidence." ↩

  3. ISA (UK and Ireland) 705, “Modifications to the Opinion in the Independent Auditor's Report." ↩

  4. In the UK and Ireland the auditor also makes appropriate inquiry of those charged with governance. ↩

  5. In the UK and Ireland the letter may need to be prepared by those charged with governance. ↩

  6. In the UK and Ireland permission may be denied by those charged with governance. ↩

  7. For auditors in the UK and Ireland further guidance has been promulgated by the APB in Practice Note 25, "Attendance at Stocktaking." ↩

  8. ISA (UK and Ireland) 600, “Special Considerations—Audits of Group Financial Statements (Including the Work of Component Auditors)." ↩

  9. ISA (UK and Ireland) 620, “Using the Work of an Auditor's Expert." ↩

  10. ISA (UK and Ireland) 330, paragraphs 22-23. ↩

  11. ISA (UK and Ireland) 200, “Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland)," paragraph A48. ↩

  12. ISA (UK and Ireland) 705, paragraph 13. ↩↩

  13. ISA (UK and Ireland) 505, "External Confirmations." ↩

  14. ISA (UK and Ireland) 540, “Auditing Accounting Estimates, Including Fair Value Accounting Estimates, And Related Disclosures." ↩

  15. In the UK, the Council of the Law Society has advised solicitors that it is unable to recommend them to comply with non-specific requests for information. ↩

  16. ISA 700, “Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements,” paragraph 41. ↩

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Name ISA (UK and Ireland) 501 (October 2009)
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