Audit and Assurance news

Following public consultation, IAASA has today (21 December) issued: International Standard on Quality Management (‘ISQM’) (Ireland) 1, Quality Management for Firms that Perform Audits or Reviews of Financial Statements, or Other Assurance or Related Services Engagements; International Standard on Quality Management (Ireland) 2, Engagement Quality Reviews; and International Standard on Auditing (‘ISA’) (Ireland) 220 (Revised December 2021), Quality Management for an Audit of Financial Statements. They will replace International Standard on Quality Control (Ireland) 1 (Revised November 2020) and ISA (Ireland) 220 (Revised November 2020). These standards introduce a new quality management approach that is focused on proactively identifying and responding to risks to quality. The new approach requires a firm to customise the design, implementation and operation of its system of quality management based on the nature and circumstances of the firm and the engagements it performs. It also requires firms to transition to an integrated approach that reflects upon the system of quality management as a whole, rather than individual elements. The benefits of this new approach include: A system that is tailored to the nature and circumstances of the firm and the engagements it performs; A proactive response by the firm to changing circumstances and proactively managing or mitigating risks, and promoting continual improvement and responsiveness; Increased emphasis on monitoring the system as a whole and timely and effective remediation; and Improved integration of the components of the system of quality management. The new standards are effective as of 15 December 2022 and apply as follows: ISQM (Ireland)1 must be designed and implemented by 15 December 2022. The evaluation of the system of quality management required by paragraphs 53-54 must be performed within one year following 15 December 2022 ISQM (Ireland) 2 Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2022 and other assurance or related services engagements beginning on or after 15 December 2022 ISA (Ireland) 220 Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2022 The standards are on IAASA's website. 

Following public consultation, IAASA has updated the definition of ‘’listed entity’ in its Glossary of Terms. The amendment will align the definition of ‘listed entity’ in the Irish auditing framework more closely with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) definition. It will also provide additional clarity to auditors about the entities classified as listed entities in Ireland. The revised definition applies to audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2021. The revised Glossary of Terms is available here. The feedback paper is available here. Responses received are available here.

  IFAC has released its Vision for High-Quality Sustainability Assurance, in which it describes sustainability-related disclosure as "finally taking its rightful place within the corporate reporting ecosystem, through global and jurisdiction-specific initiatives". In order to be trusted, sustainability disclosure must be subject to high-quality, independent, external assurance. This vision addresses the importance of global standards, regulation that supports decision-useful disclosure, and the value of an interconnected approach to sustainability and financial information reporting and assurance. IFAC explored these issues further in a video The State of Play in Sustainability Assurance – in which IFAC staff detail the global benchmarking study that captures and analyzes the extent to which companies are reporting and obtaining assurance over their sustainability disclosures, which assurance standards are being used, and which companies are providing the assurance service.  About IFAC IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 180 members and associates in 135 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce. In October 2021, Chartered Accountants Ireland co-published Climate Essentials for Accountants, a short glossary explaining common climate terms and jargon associated with climate.  

The FRC has published a revised Audit Enforcement Procedure (“AEP”) and feedback statement. This follows consideration of the responses received to the consultation launched on 22 July 2021 regarding proposed amendments to the AEP.   The FRC welcomes the constructive and helpful engagement from stakeholders and has carefully considered respondents’ feedback and comments. The AEP has been further amended to reflect those responses.   The revised AEP will come into force on 5 January 2022. Current guidance will be amended to reflect the amendments to the AEP and will be made available on 5 January. A link to the revised AEP is available here.  A link to the feedback statement is available here. 

IAASA has published a thematic paper discussing the use of data analytics in Ireland’s statutory audit market, available here. IAASA’s paper provides an overview of the areas where auditors perform data analytical audit procedures and supports in place for auditors in using data analysis tools. IAASA’s paper also discusses challenges faced by auditors when using data analytics and looks at plans for further development and roll out of data analytics in audit. IAASA’s paper identifies key considerations for audit committees and sets out the focus of audit regulators with regard to data analytics, both from an international and an Irish perspective. The appendices to IAASA’s paper provide some examples of data analysis supports and the use of data analysis in audit areas. IAASA’s YouTube channel also now includes a video that shares key observations set out in the paper, available here. IAASA has also published some factsheets summarising insights from this paper. The factsheets on data analytics are available here.

Updated 28 February 2022 to include the response from chartered Accountants Ireland.  Corporate reporting by listed companies is the bedrock of capital markets as it gives investors the essential information they need to make sound investment decisions such as information about the financial situation of companies. Moreover, it enables stakeholders to hold companies accountable on, for instance, sustainability issues. The quality and reliability of public reporting by listed companies rely on three main mutually reinforcing pillars: (i) corporate governance in these companies; (ii) statutory audit; and (iii) supervision and enforcement by public authorities. Several recent failures of companies in Europe (e.g. Wirecard, Carillion) suggest that the three pillars that underpin the quality and reliability of corporate reporting by listed companies have not fully played their intended role. European Commission has initiated a broad review on the three core pillars of corporate reporting for large companies. This review will directly feed into an impact assessment that the Commission will prepare in 2022 with a view to: assessing problems with the quality of corporate reporting; and comparing possible options to remedy these problems. Five-part consultation The consultation is divided into five parts seeking views about the overall impact of the existing EU framework for the three pillars of high-quality and reliable corporate reporting: corporate governance, statutory audit and supervision. It also seeks views about the interaction between the three pillars: The first part seeks views about the overall impact of the EU framework on the three pillars of high quality and reliable corporate reporting - corporate governance, statutory audit and supervision. It also seeks views about the interaction between the three pillars. The second part of the questionnaire focuses on the corporate governance pillar, as far as relevant for corporate reporting. It aims to get your feedback in particular on the functioning of company boards, audit committees and your views on how to improve their functioning. The third part focuses on the statutory audit pillar. The first questions in this part aim at getting views on the effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of the EU audit framework. It focuses in particular on the changes brought by the 2014 audit reform. Subsequently, the questions aim to seek views on how to improve the functioning of statutory audit. The fourth part asks questions about the supervision of PIE statutory auditors and audit firms. Finally, the consultation will ask questions about the supervision of corporate reporting and how to improve it This consultation, which runs until 4 February 2022, will directly feed into an impact assessment that the Commission will prepare in 2022 with a view to possibly amend and strengthen the current EU rules. What the Institute is doing A working party from the Institute's committees will be reviewing the consultation, debating the issues and submitting a consultation.  We welcome comments from members interested in the project. Please send any comments to us via email. UPDATE: You can read the Institute's response here.  The three pillars of corporate reporting Corporate governance The consultation questionnaire seeks feedback on the effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of key features of the EU corporate governance framework relevant to corporate reporting. These include board responsibilities for reporting; internal control, fraud prevention obligation to establish an audit committee. Statutory audit The bulk of the consultation document is centred on audit, in particular the impact of the changes brought about by the 2014 EU audit reform package, focused on public interest entities (PIEs). The Commission’s last market monitoring report issued earlier this year had already revealed a number of deficiencies with audit quality (based also on inspection reports) and divergent use of the country options allowed under EU audit rules. General questions are raised on independence, firm rotation, the content of the audit and audit reporting, the provision of non-audit services, transparency rules and the internal governance of firms. Specific questions also ask for feedback on whether joint audits for PIEs should be incentivised or mandated; whether caps on auditor liability should be increased or removed; and whether a passporting system should be established to ease the cross-border provision of audit services.  Supervision Reflecting a number of concerns with the supervision of corporate reporting – the third pillar of the consultation document – feedback is also sought on deficiencies in the EU’s supervisory framework. These address the roles and responsibilities of national authorities, the exchange of information between authorities, the need for greater enforcement powers, as well as the role of the European Securities and Markets Authority.   Background High quality and reliable corporate reporting are of key importance for healthy financial markets, business investment and economic growth. The EU corporate reporting framework should ensure that companies publish the right quantity and quality of relevant information allowing investors and other interested stakeholders to assess the company’s performance and governance and to take decisions based on it. High quality reporting is also indispensable for cross-border investments and the development of the capital markets union. In the context of this consultation, corporate reporting comprises the financial statements of companies, their management report that includes the non-financial and corporate governance statements, and sustainability information pursuant to the proposed Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The consultation takes into account the outcomes of the 2018 consultation on the EU framework for public reporting by companies and the 2021 Fitness Check on the EU framework for public reporting by companies. This current consultation focuses on companies listed on EU regulated markets that is a subset of the companies subject to public reporting requirements under EU law. Find out more Commission consultation page and questionnaire ESMA letter to Ms Mairead McGuinness Commissioner in charge of Financial services, financial stability, and Capital Markets Union following Wirecard: Microsoft Word - ESMA32-51-818 Letter to EC on next steps following Wirecard (europa.eu) The European Commission’s second audit market monitoring report which takes stock of changes to the European audit market several years after the implementation of the 2014 audit reform package.