{"id":"F2024L00057","name":"Australian National Audit Office Auditing Standards 2024","slug":"australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":105060,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2024L00057-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Australian National Audit Office Auditing Standards 2024","content":"[![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.png)](https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjztN-ZzYrYAhVIspQKHbSiCaQQjRwIBw&url=https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms&psig=AOvVaw1FfqnktxUBMEDGeJ_ZyUUu&ust=1513378716736676)\n\nAustralian National Audit Office Auditing Standards 2024\n\nI, Grant Hehir, Auditor-General, make the following instrument.\n\nDated 9 January 2024\n\nGrant Hehir\n\nAuditor-General\n\n \n\nName\n\n This instrument is the Australian National Audit Office Auditing Standards 2024.\n\nCommencement\n\n 2. This instrument commences as follows:\n\n```html\n

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\n```\n\nAuthority\n\n 3. As required by section 24 of the Auditor-General Act 1997 (the Act), I hereby set auditing standards that are to be complied with by persons performing any of the following functions:\n (a) an audit or review referred to in Division 1 (Annual financial statement audits), Division 1A (Annual performance statement audits), Division 2 (Performance audits) or Division 2A (Assurance reviews) of Part 4 of the Act;\n\n (b) an audit under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Act (Audit of the Australian National Audit Office); and\n\n (c) an audit under section 49 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (audit of the annual consolidated financial statements of the Australian Government).\n\nDefinitions\n\n 4. In this instrument:\n ethics means the performance principle relating to the extent to which the proposed use of public resources is consistent with the core beliefs and values of society. Where a person behaves in an ethical manner it could be expected that a person in a similar situation would undertake a similar course of action. For the approval of proposed commitments of relevant money, an ethical use of resources involves managing conflicts of interests, and approving the commitment based on the facts without being influenced by personal bias. Ethical considerations must be balanced with whether the use will also be efficient, effective and economical.\n\nAuditing Standards\n\n 5. The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) Auditing Standards comprise the standards referred to below, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with requirements of the Act or other relevant legislation, and to the extent that they apply to the relevant audit or review activity:\n (a) Standards made by the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) pursuant to paragraph 227B(1)(a) of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (ASIC Act) and section 336 of the Corporations Act 2001, that are current from time to time.\n\n (b) The standards listed in the following table that are issued by the AUASB pursuant to paragraph 227B(1)(b) of the ASIC Act.\n\n| Standard Number | Title | Issue Date |\n| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------- |\n| ASA 805 | Special Considerations – Audits of Single Financial Statements and Specific Elements, Accounts or Items of a Financial Statement | May 2017 |\n| ASRE 2400 | Review of a Financial Report Performed by an Assurance Practitioner Who is Not the Auditor of the Entity | September 2022 |\n| ASRE 2405 | Review of Historical Financial Information Other than a Financial Report | September 2022 |\n| ASAE 3000 | Assurance Engagements Other than Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information | September 2022 |\n| ASAE 3100 | Compliance Engagements | September 2022 |\n| ASAE 3150 | Assurance Engagements on Controls | September 2022 |\n| ASRS 4400 | Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements | September 2022 |\n\n 6. In respect of a performance audit under Division 2 of Part 4 of the Act or a performance audit of the Australian National Audit Office under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Act the ANAO Auditing Standards comprise the standards referred to below, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with requirements of the Act or other relevant legislation, and to the extent that they apply to the relevant audit or review activity:\n\n (a) Standard on Assurance Engagements ASAE 3500 Performance Engagements issued on 6 September 2022 by the AUASB pursuant to paragraph 227B(1)(b) of the ASIC Act, except that ‘economy, efficiency, effectiveness and/or ethics’ is substituted for all instances of ‘economy, efficiency and/or effectiveness’, and except for the following requirements paragraphs:\n\n Paragraph 33 relating to obtaining an understanding of internal controls relevant to the evaluation of the activity’s performance against the identified criteria;\n\n ii. Paragraph 34 relating to procedures relating to non-compliance with laws and regulations; and\n\n iii. Paragraph 45 relating to the assurance report content.\n\n (b) The reporting requirements of the International Standard of Supreme Audit Institutions ISSAI 3000 Performance Audit Standard, endorsed 2019, by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) contained in paragraphs 116, 122, 124 and 126.\n\n 7. Notwithstanding clause 6 of this instrument, in respect of a performance audit under Division 2 of Part 4 of the Act which the Auditor-General elects to wholly or in part conduct as a compliance engagement and a performance audit of the Australian National Audit Office under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Act which the Independent Auditor elects to wholly or in part conduct as a compliance engagement, the ANAO Auditing Standards also comprise the standards referred to below, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with requirements of the Act or other relevant legislation, and to the extent that they apply to the relevant audit or review activity:\n\n (a) Standard on Assurance Engagements ASAE 3100 Compliance Engagements issued on 6 September 2022 by the AUASB pursuant to paragraph 227B(1)(b) of the ASIC Act, except for the requirements in paragraph 56 relating to the assurance report content.\n\n (b) The reporting requirements of the International Standard of Supreme Audit Institutions ISSAI 4000 Compliance Audit Standard, endorsed 2019, by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) contained in paragraphs 202, 210 and 218.\n\n 8. These ANAO Auditing Standards revoke all previous auditing standards set under section 24 of the Act.\n\n 9. Notwithstanding clause 8 of this instrument, the auditing standards which apply in respect of an audit or review are:\n\n (a) In respect of an audit conducted under:\n\n Division 1 or Division 1A of Part 4 of the Act;\n\n ii. section 44 of the Act; or\n\n iii. section 49 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 –\n\n the ANAO Auditing Standards in force during the reporting period to which the subject matter of the audit relates; or\n\n (b) In respect of an audit or review conducted under:\n\n Division 2 or Division 2A of Part 4 of the Act; or\n\n ii. section 45 of the Act –\n\n the ANAO Auditing Standards in force at the commencement of the audit or review.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation maintains its original purpose of setting auditing standards for the ANAO. While it incorporates updated external standards and adds the 'ethics' dimension to performance audits, this represents evolution within the established framework rather than scope creep. The instrument remains tightly focused on its statutory mandate under section 24 of the Auditor-General Act 1997."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive cross-referencing to external standards (AUASB standards, INTOSAI ISSAIs, and multiple Acts) without reproducing their content","Conditional application clauses with multiple exceptions and substitutions (e.g., clause 6's substitution of 'economy, efficiency, effectiveness and/or ethics' for standard wording)","Nested hierarchy of applicability: general standards in clause 5, performance audit exceptions in clause 6, compliance engagement exceptions to those exceptions in clause 7","Grandfathering provisions in clause 9 creating two different timing rules depending on audit type","Dense legislative citations (Auditor-General Act 1997, ASIC Act, Corporations Act 2001, PGPA Act) requiring knowledge of multiple statutes"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the Auditor‑General’s official rules for how government financial, performance and assurance audits — including audits of the Auditor‑General’s own office — must be conducted, and it applies to ANAO staff, contractors and the agencies being audited. \n\nIt adopts AUASB professional standards, layers international INTOSAI guidance for performance audits, adds “ethics” as a fourth audit principle, and grandfather‑protects ongoing engagements — ensuring Parliament’s findings about waste, mismanagement or conflict of interest rest on rigorous, recognised methods."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument consolidates and updates which external standards apply to ANAO and related Commonwealth audits (cl.5–7), revokes prior ANAO standards (cl.8) and sets transitional rules about which version applies to specific audits (cl.9). It does not expand or narrow the categories of audits the Auditor‑General is authorised to require standards for; those functions remain those listed under section 24 of the Auditor‑General Act and are reproduced in clause 3."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive cross-references to external standards (AUASB standards, INTOSAI ISSAIs) requiring users to read multiple external documents to determine obligations (cl.5, cl.6(b), cl.7(b)).","Targeted substitutions and carve-outs within adopted standards (e.g. substitution of ‘economy, efficiency, effectiveness and/or ethics’ and exclusions of specific paragraphs in ASAE 3500) creating interpretive work for auditors (cl.6(a)).","Transitional and application timing rules that differ by audit type (standards in force during reporting period for some audits; standards at commencement of audit for others), adding procedural complexity (cl.9(a)–(b)).","Broad list of audit functions captured by the instrument tied to statutory divisions and other Acts, requiring cross-checking with the Auditor‑General Act and PGPA Act to identify applicability (cl.3).","Revocation of prior ANAO standards combined with the continuity rules (revocation plus transitional application) creates potential overlap and uncertainty about which historical standards govern particular audits (cl.8–9).","A bespoke definition of ‘ethics’ in the instrument that differs from typical professional codes, which auditors must reconcile with adopted external ethics requirements (cl.4)."],"plain_english_summary":"Sets which professional auditing standards auditors must use for ANAO and Commonwealth audits and reviews. It adopts AUASB standards and specific AUASB/INTOSAI performance and compliance standards (with some substitutions and exclusions), revokes previous ANAO auditing standards, and prescribes which version applies to different audit types. Auditors performing audits under the Auditor‑General Act and the PGPA Act must follow these standards; compliance and implementation costs fall on the ANAO, its independent auditor and persons performing the listed audits."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024","history":"/api/acts/australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024/history","analysis":"/api/acts/australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/australian-national-audit-office-auditing-standards-2024/documents"}}