ASA 220 - Quality Control for Audits of Historical Financial Information - April 2006
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Preface
Reasons for Issuing Auditing Standard ASA 220 Quality Control for Audits of Historical Financial Information
The Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) issues Auditing Standard ASA 220 Quality Control for Audits of Historical Financial Information due to the requirements of the legislative provisions explained below.
The Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Act 2004 (the CLERP 9 Act) established the AUASB as an independent statutory body under section 227A of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, as from 1 July 2004. Under section 336 of the Corporations Act 2001, the AUASB may make Auditing Standards for the purposes of the corporations legislation. These Auditing Standards are legislative instruments under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
Main Features
This Auditing Standard establishes mandatory requirements and provides explanatory guidance on specific responsibilities of firm personnel regarding quality control procedures for an audit of a financial report. This Auditing Standard:
(a) requires the engagement team to implement quality control procedures that are applicable to the individual audit engagement;
(b) emphasises the engagement partner’s leadership responsibilities in relation to the quality of audits;
(c) explains the ethical requirements, including independence, of the engagement team in relation to the audit engagements;
(d) emphasises the engagement partner’s responsibility regarding acceptance and continuance of client relationships and specific audit engagements;
(e) requires the appropriate assignment of engagement teams;
(f) explains the requirements of the engagement team regarding engagement performance, including appropriate consultation and policies and procedures to follow when differences of opinions arise;
(g) emphasises the requirement for an engagement quality control review; and
(h) requires the engagement partner to consider information circulated by the firm on its monitoring process, and whether any deficiencies noted and rectifying measures taken by the firm have implications for the audit engagement.
Operative Date
This Auditing Standard is operative for financial reporting periods commencing on or after 1 July 2006.
Main changes from AUS 206 (June 2004) Quality Control for Audits of Historical Financial Information
The main differences between this Auditing Standard and the Auditing Standard issued by the Auditing & Assurance Standards Board of the Australian Accounting Research Foundation, AUS 206 (June 2004) Quality Control for Audits of Historical Financial Information, are that in this Auditing Standard:
The word ‘shall’, in the bold-type paragraphs, is the terminology used to describe an auditor’s mandatory requirements, whereas an auditor’s degree of responsibility is described in AUS 206 by the word ‘should’.
The explanatory guidance paragraphs provide guidance and illustrative examples to assist the auditor in fulfilling the mandatory requirements, whereas in AUS 206 some obligations are implied within certain explanatory paragraphs. Accordingly, such paragraphs have been redrafted to clarify that the matter forms part of the explanatory guidance.
The following implied obligation in AUS 206 has been elevated and re-stated as a specific mandatory requirement:
(a) for other audit engagements, where an engagement quality control review is performed, the engagement partner shall follow the requirements set out in subparagraphs (a) to (c) (paragraph 40).
AUTHORITY STATEMENT
The Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) makes Auditing Standard ASA 220 Quality Control for Audits of Historical Financial Information as set out in paragraphs 1 to 47, pursuant to section 227B of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 and section 336 of the Corporations Act 2001.
This Auditing Standard is to be read in conjunction with the Preamble to AUASB Standards which sets out the intentions of the AUASB on how the Auditing Standards are to be understood, interpreted and applied.
The mandatory requirements of this Auditing Standard are set out in bold-type paragraphs.