A Summary of What an External Audit Includes: Questions and Answers

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Q: What does the process of an external audit for your business entail?

A: Basically, an external audit occurs once a year and focuses on the company’s performance and compliance. Accounting records are commonly examined in an external audit to make sure no errors exist in the financial statement, which is important for investors and regulatory requirements.

External auditors have no affiliation with the company, which offers the company an unbiased examination.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:

• Q: What is a Typical Audit Time-Frame?
  
  A: An external audit does not have a standard length. The audit goes on until the external auditors have finished. Generally, an external audit begins at the end of the company’s fiscal year, since that is when the accounting books are closed and financial statements for the year are prepared. The external auditors may communicate with internal auditors when any questions arise during the process, but the external auditors are not influenced by the internal auditors.
  
• Q: Is There any Pre-Audit Planning Needed?
  
  A: Before the external auditor begins, certain activities must be completed. The auditor must meet with management of the company to determine if any internal changes in control, procedures or other factors have affected company record keeping and reporting. Such factors can include changes in industry regulations, legal matters or changes in company structure and operations.
  
• Q: What Goes on for the Duration of the Audit?
  
  A: The reporting phase is the main part of the external audit, which is done on site at the company being audited. In this phase, auditors examine the company’s ability to record and process data accurately in reports, such as in financial statements. This is done by going through the records used to create the statement, or other documents, and re-creating them to see if they were created correctly by the company. During this phase, the auditors may request additional files or documentation from the company’s internal auditors or ask questions about how conclusions were drawn.
  
• Q: What Outcome Should be Expected as a Result?
  
  A: At the end of the audit, the external auditors prepare and deliver a summary report to the company. The summary report details all of the findings from the audit. This includes discrepancies found in the reporting and non-compliance of rules and regulations. The auditor findings offer the company a way to correct any discrepancies and become compliant before a regulatory body notices.

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READ MORE>> smallbusiness.chron.com: What Does the Process of Performing an External Audit Include?

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