AU-C 200 Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards

AU-C Original Pronouncements

Technical Alert

In October 2015, the Auditing Standards Board (ASB) issued Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 130. SAS No. 130 contains amendments to this section. Any relevant changes are incorporated into the information that follows.

AU-C 200 Definitions of Terms

Source: AU-C 200.14

1. Applicable financial reporting framework. The financial reporting framework adopted by management and, when appropriate, those charged with governance in the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements that is acceptable in view of the nature of the entity and the objective of the financial statements, or that is required by law or regulation.
2. Audit evidence. Information used by the auditor in arriving at the conclusions on which the auditor's opinion is based. Audit evidence includes both information contained in the accounting records underlying the financial statements and other information. Sufficiency of audit evidence is the measure of the quantity of audit evidence. The quantity of the audit evidence needed is affected by the auditor's assessment of the risks of material misstatement and also by the quality of such audit evidence. Appropriateness of audit evidence is the measure of the quality of audit evidence; that is, its relevance and its reliability in providing support for the conclusions on which the auditor's opinion is based.
3. Audit risk. The risk that the auditor expresses an inappropriate audit opinion when the financial statements are materially misstated. Audit risk is a function of the risk of material misstatement and detection risk.
4. Auditor. The term used to refer to the person or persons conducting the audit, usually the engagement partner or other members of the engagement team or, as applicable, the firm. When an AU-C section expressly intends that a requirement or responsibility be fulfilled by the engagement partner, the term engagement partner rather than auditor is used. Engagement partner and firm are to be read as referring to their governmental equivalents when relevant.
5. Detection risk. The risk that the procedures performed by the auditor to reduce audit risk to an acceptably low level will not detect a misstatement that exists and that could be material, either individually or when aggregated with other misstatements.
6. Financial reporting framework. A set of criteria used to determine measurement, recognition, presentation, and disclosure of all material items appearing in the financial statements; for example, US generally accepted accounting principles, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) promulgated by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), or a special purpose framework.

The term fair presentation framework is used to refer to a financial reporting framework that requires compliance with the requirements of the framework and:

1. Acknowledges explicitly or implicitly that, to achieve fair presentation of the financial statements, it may be necessary for management to provide disclosures beyond those specifically required by the framework; or
2. Acknowledges explicitly that it may be necessary for management to depart from a requirement of the framework to achieve fair presentation of the financial statements. Such departures are expected to be necessary only in extremely rare circumstances.

A financial reporting framework that requires compliance with the requirements of the framework but does not contain the acknowledgments in 1 or 2 is not a fair presentation framework.

1. Financial statements. A structured representation of historical financial information, including related notes, intended to communicate an entity's economic resources and obligations at a point in time or the changes therein for a period of time in accordance with a financial reporting framework. The related notes ordinarily comprise a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. The term financial statements ordinarily refers to a complete set of financial statements as determined by the requirements of the applicable financial reporting framework, but can also refer to a single financial statement.
2. Historical financial information. Information expressed in financial terms regarding a particular entity, derived primarily from that entity's accounting system, about economic events occurring in past time periods or about economic conditions or circumstances at points in time in the past.
3. Interpretive publications. Auditing interpretations of generally accepted accounting standards (GAAS), exhibits to GAAS, auditing guidance included in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Audit and Accounting Guides, and the AICPA Auditing Statements of Position (SOPs).
4. Management. The person(s) with executive responsibility for the conduct of the entity's operations. For some entities, management includes some or all of those charged with governance; for example, executive members of a governance board or an owner-manager.
5. Misstatement. A difference between the amount, classification, presentation, or disclosure of a reported financial statement item and the amount, classification, presentation, or disclosure that is required for the item to be presented fairly in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error.
6. Other auditing publications. Publications other than interpretive publications; these include AICPA auditing publications not defined as interpretive publications; auditing articles in the Journal of Accountancy and other professional journals; continuing professional education programs and other instruction materials, textbooks, guidebooks, audit programs, and checklists; and other auditing publications from state certified public accountant (CPA) societies, other organizations, and individuals.
7. Premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, when appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit is conducted (the premise). Management and, when appropriate, those charged with governance have acknowledged and understand that they have the following responsibilities that are fundamental to the conduct of an audit in accordance with GAAS; that is, responsibility:
   1. For the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework;
   2. For the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; and
   3. To provide the auditor with:
      1. Access to all information of which management and, when appropriate, those charged with governance are aware that is relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements, such as records, documentation, and other matters;
      2. Additional information that the auditor may request from management and, when appropriate, those charged with governance for the purpose of the audit; and
      3. Unrestricted access to persons within the entity from whom the auditor determines it necessary to obtain audit evidence.

The premise, relating to the responsibilities of management and, when appropriate, those charged with governance, on which an audit is conducted may also be referred to as the premise.

1. Professional judgment. The application of relevant training, knowledge, and experience within the context provided by auditing, accounting, and ethical standards in making informed decisions about the courses of action that are appropriate in the circumstances of the audit engagement.
2. Professional skepticism. An attitude that includes a questioning mind, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement due to fraud or error, and a critical assessment of audit evidence.
3. Reasonable assurance. In the context of an audit of financial statements, a high, but not absolute, level of assurance.
4. Risk of material misstatement. The risk that the financial statements are materially misstated prior to the audit. This consists of two components, described as follows at the assertion level:
   • Inherent risk. The susceptibility of an assertion about a class of transaction, account balance, or disclosure to a misstatement that could be material, either individually or when aggregated with other misstatements, before consideration of any related controls.
   • Control risk. The risk that a misstatement that could occur in an assertion about a class of transaction, account balance, or disclosure and that could be material, either individually or when aggregated with other misstatements, will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis by the entity's internal control.
5. Those charged with governance.The person(s) or organization(s) (for example, a corporate trustee) with responsibility for overseeing the strategic direction of the entity and the...