Main changes from AUS 516 (October 1995)Main changes from AUS 516 (October 1995) Audit of Accounting Estimates

Main changes from AUS 516 (October 1995) Audit of Accounting Estimates

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 516 (October 1995) Audit of Accounting Estimates, are that in this Auditing Standard:

1. 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 516 by the word ‘should’.
2. The explanatory guidance paragraphs provide guidance and illustrative examples to assist the auditor in fulfilling the mandatory requirements, whereas in AUS 516 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.
3. The following specific mandatory requirement, not in AUS 516, has been included:

(a) the auditor shall endeavour to obtain written representations from management regarding the reasonableness of significant assumptions used by them in making accounting estimates (paragraph 32).

4. Explanatory guidance on management representations has been included at paragraphs 33 and 34.

5. Appendix 1 of AUS 516 has been removed and additional examples of accounting estimates have been included at paragraph 6.

AUTHORITY STATEMENT

The Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) makes Auditing Standard ASA 540 Audit of Accounting Estimates as set out in paragraphs 1 to 35 and Appendix 1, 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.

Dated 28 April 2006 M H Kelsall
Chairman - AUASB