Auditing and Assurance Standards and Guidance

Auditing Standards (Ireland)

FRC ISAs (UK and Ireland) applicable for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2010 but before 17 June 2016

ISA (UK and Ireland) 540 Auditing, accounting estimates, including fair value accounting estimates, and related disclosures

Application and Other Explanatory Material

Responses to the Assessed Risks of Material Misstatement (Ref: Para. 12 )

Responses to the Assessed Risks of Material Misstatements (Ref: Para. 13 )

Narrowing a Range (Ref: Para. 13(d)(ii) )

When the auditor concludes that it is appropriate to use a range to evaluate the reasonableness of management's point estimate (the auditor's range), paragraph 13(d)(ii) requires that range to encompass all "reasonable outcomes" rather than all possible outcomes. The range cannot be one that comprises all possible outcomes if it is to be useful, as such a range would be too wide to be effective for purposes of the audit. The auditor's range is useful and effective when it is sufficiently narrow to enable the auditor to conclude whether the accounting estimate is misstated.

A94.

Ordinarily, a range that has been narrowed to be equal to or less than performance materiality is adequate for the purposes of evaluating the reasonableness of management's point estimate. However, particularly in certain industries, it may not be possible to narrow the range to below such an amount. This does not necessarily preclude recognition of the accounting estimate. It may indicate, however, that the estimation uncertainty associated with the accounting estimate is such that it gives rise to a significant risk. Additional responses to significant risks are described in paragraphs A102-A115.

A95.	Narrowing the range to a position where all outcomes within the range are considered reasonable may be achieved by:

(a)

Eliminating from the range those outcomes at the extremities of the range judged by the auditor to be unlikely to occur; and

(b)

Continuing to narrow the range, based on audit evidence available, until the auditor concludes that all outcomes within the range are considered reasonable. In some rare cases, the auditor may be able to narrow the range until the audit evidence indicates a point estimate.