Internal auditors are usually appointed by the company’s Board of Directors. External auditors will be appointed by an external accountant or a law firm which is not connected to the company. The purpose of this is to protect the interests of the company and its shareholders by ensuring that the financial statements are free of material misstatements and omissions. Auditors will look for areas of weakness and problems within the organisation that could affect the effectiveness of the company and its ability to profit. The scope of auditing is extensive and includes all areas of the business that would potentially see the need for independent external financial reports.
When carrying out auditing, two types of internal audit are used: public and internal audit. Public auditing refers to a review that is done externally where the audit is done for the benefit of the public. An example of a public audit might be the preparation of financial reports or an annual general meeting where the outcome of the audit is made available to the shareholders. Internal auditing, on the other hand, is an internal assessment that an audit has been successfully completed and that the organisation has followed good practices during the audit process.
There are several reasons why companies conduct internal audits. One reason is to monitor and control the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. In addition, internal audits can also detect any potential fraud, errors or negligence in the organisation. These forms of internal audits are often carried out alongside a company’s external auditing. This is because it can sometimes be difficult for external auditors to verify whether an organisation’s internal controls and procedures are effective.
To help the organisation to determine whether they need to carry out internal audits, the CPA will create and deliver financial statements and performance reports that are objective, up-to-date and well documented. The CPA will conduct a number of standardised quality checks and will base their recommendations on the results of these checks. It is important for internal audits, to report to the CPA as soon as possible. Delays in reporting can result in penalties or at times even investigations.
The CPA offers many services to individuals and companies who require certified quality assurance. These services can include: auditing of the enterprise-wide processes of the organisation, certification of process improvements and enhancements, auditing of the technical processes of the organisation, certification of business procedures, requirements and code specifications, requirements for certification, training and education, regulatory risk management and audit support. The certification of business procedures helps ensure that the processes in place are appropriate and effective. Audits conducted under this program are designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These laws and regulations can include the Payment Card Act (PCA), Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SFA), US DoD/VA Office of Inspector General (OSIG), Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
The purpose of the auditing of financial statements and audit reports is to identify areas that may be of concern and require attention to the maintenance of the systems and procedures. The purpose of this examination is to help identify any problems that need to be corrected before the organisations large and small business can meet their goals and objectives. There are different types of examinations that can be undertaken in order to conduct an audit. The following are examples of these types of examinations that can be undertaken by Certified Public Accountants (CPA’s).
An internal audit is carried out by internal auditors who are not employed by the organisation but have responsibility for ensuring that it carries out its functions in a reliable way. This helps the organisation to maintain high standards in place of those that it provides to its customers. Internal auditors help to ensure that all of the organisation’s internal controls are effective and that the controls are properly reporting the information that they are designed to detect. For external auditors, they help to ensure that the controls are effective and report on the control activities that do not meet the criteria set by the organisation.