Following are some of the tests of controls and substantivetests of transactions procedures often performed in the payroll andpersonnel cycle. (Each procedure is to be done on a sample basis orusing audit software.)
1. Reconcile the monthly payroll total for direct manufacturinglabor with the labor cost distribution.
2. Examine the time card for the approval of a foreman.
3. Recompute hours on the time card and compare the total withthe total hours for which the employee has been paid.
4. Perform a surprise payroll payoff and observe employeespicking up and signing for their checks.
5. Compare the employee name, date, check number, and amounts oncancelled checks with the payroll journal.
6. Trace the hours from the employee time cards to job ticketsto make sure that the total reconciles, and trace each job ticketto the job-cost record.
7. Use audit software to account for the sequence of payrollchecks in the payroll journal.
Required
a. Identify whether each of the procedures is primarilya test of control or a substantive test oftransactions.
b. Identify the transaction-related audit objective(s)of each of the procedures.
Following are some of the tests of controls and substantivetests of transactions procedures often performed in the payroll andpersonnel cycle. (Each procedure is to be done on a sample basis orusing audit software.)
1. Reconcile the monthly payroll total for direct manufacturinglabor with the labor cost distribution.
2. Examine the time card for the approval of a foreman.
3. Recompute hours on the time card and compare the total withthe total hours for which the employee has been paid.
4. Perform a surprise payroll payoff and observe employeespicking up and signing for their checks.
5. Compare the employee name, date, check number, and amounts oncancelled checks with the payroll journal.
6. Trace the hours from the employee time cards to job ticketsto make sure that the total reconciles, and trace each job ticketto the job-cost record.
7. Use audit software to account for the sequence of payrollchecks in the payroll journal.
Required
a. Identify whether each of the procedures is primarilya test of control or a substantive test oftransactions.
b. Identify the transaction-related audit objective(s)of each of the procedures.
Related questions
Management assertions for the financial statements referenced inPCAOB Auditing Standards are:
Existence, occurrence
Completeness
Rights, obligations
Valuation, allocation
Presentation and disclosure
The purpose of tests of controls is to permit the auditor toassess whether properly designed controls operate effectivelyenough to prevent or detect material misstatements that would makethese managements assertions wrong.
Required:
For each of the following audit procedures identify whether theprocedure is:
(a) directed at a control or at an amount ordisclosure, or both, and
(b) what assertion (or assertions) is (are)targeted.
Accounts, Classes of Transactions | Audit Procedure | Directed at: | Assertion: |
|---|---|---|---|
All | Inquire who controls passwords for IT access. | ||
Sales, Receivables, Inventory | Examine document packages for items that have been shipped forinclusion of a customer order, credit approval, and shippingdocument. Make sure the documents are properly matched andcomplete, with all required signatures and trace amounts to thesales journal, accounts receivable subsidiary ledger, and inventoryfiles. | ||
Payroll | For the Hourly Payroll Expense account, multiply the averagenumber of workers times the average number of hours worked per yeartimes the average hourly rate. Compare to the total posted annualamount. | ||
Cash | Inspect the client-prepared bank reconciliation for each monthof the year, recalculate the amounts, examine the supporting bankstatements, and trace the cash amount to the general ledger. | ||
Fixed assets | Obtain a list of fixed assets and physically look at theassets. | ||
Long-term debt | Read the contract related to each of the companyâs long-termborrowings and agree the terms of the contracts to the financialstatements notes. | ||
Cash, Long-term debt | For each item of long-term debt that existed both at thebeginning and end of the year, inspect the debt contracts and thecompanyâs analysis of the discounted debt amount and its analysisof violation of debt covenants and look for whether the detailsagree. Recalculate the amounts, and examine recorded entries andbank statements for cash disbursements for debt repayments. Usingthat information, determine whether the company has been inviolation of any debt covenants during the year. | ||
Prepaid rent | Using the beginning financial statement amount, cash receiptsand cash disbursements evidence, and the lease agreement, calculateyear-end prepaid rent and agree that amount to what is shown in thegeneral ledger. | ||
Inventory | At the end of the last day in the fiscal year, go to theclientâs shipping area and record the last shipment; trace theshipment into the clientâs |
Management assertions for the financial statements referenced inPCAOB Auditing Standards are:
Existence, occurrence
Completeness
Rights, obligations
Valuation, allocation
Presentation and disclosure
The purpose of tests of controls is to permit the auditor toassess whether properly designed controls operate effectivelyenough to prevent or detect material misstatements that would makethese managements assertions wrong.
Required:
For each of the following audit procedures identify whether theprocedure is:
(a) directed at a control or at an amount ordisclosure, or both, and
(b) what assertion (or assertions) is (are)targeted.
Accounts, Classes of Transactions | Audit Procedure | Directed at: | Assertion: |
|---|---|---|---|
All | Inquire who controls passwords for IT access. | ||
Sales, Receivables, Inventory | Examine document packages for items that have been shipped forinclusion of a customer order, credit approval, and shippingdocument. Make sure the documents are properly matched andcomplete, with all required signatures and trace amounts to thesales journal, accounts receivable subsidiary ledger, and inventoryfiles. | ||
Payroll | For the Hourly Payroll Expense account, multiply the averagenumber of workers times the average number of hours worked per yeartimes the average hourly rate. Compare to the total posted annualamount. | ||
Cash | Inspect the client-prepared bank reconciliation for each monthof the year, recalculate the amounts, examine the supporting bankstatements, and trace the cash amount to the general ledger. | ||
Fixed assets | Obtain a list of fixed assets and physically look at theassets. | ||
Long-term debt | Read the contract related to each of the companyâs long-termborrowings and agree the terms of the contracts to the financialstatements notes. | ||
Cash, Long-term debt | For each item of long-term debt that existed both at thebeginning and end of the year, inspect the debt contracts and thecompanyâs analysis of the discounted debt amount and its analysisof violation of debt covenants and look for whether the detailsagree. Recalculate the amounts, and examine recorded entries andbank statements for cash disbursements for debt repayments. Usingthat information, determine whether the company has been inviolation of any debt covenants during the year. | ||
Prepaid rent | Using the beginning financial statement amount, cash receiptsand cash disbursements evidence, and the lease agreement, calculateyear-end prepaid rent and agree that amount to what is shown in thegeneral ledger. | ||
Inventory | At the end of the last day in the fiscal year, go to theclientâs shipping area and record the last shipment; trace theshipment into the clientâs records. |
Management assertions for the financial statements referenced inPCAOB Auditing Standards are:
Existence, occurrence
Completeness
Rights, obligations
Valuation, allocation
Presentation and disclosure
The purpose of tests of controls is to permit the auditor toassess whether properly designed controls operate effectivelyenough to prevent or detect material misstatements that would makethese managements assertions wrong.
Required:
For each of the following audit procedures identify whether theprocedure is:
(a) directed at a control or at an amount ordisclosure, or both, and
(b) what assertion (or assertions) is (are)targeted.
Accounts, Classes of Transactions | Audit Procedure | Directed at: | Assertion: |
|---|---|---|---|
All | Inquire who controls passwords for IT access. | ||
Sales, Receivables, Inventory | Examine document packages for items that have been shipped forinclusion of a customer order, credit approval, and shippingdocument. Make sure the documents are properly matched andcomplete, with all required signatures and trace amounts to thesales journal, accounts receivable subsidiary ledger, and inventoryfiles. | ||
Payroll | For the Hourly Payroll Expense account, multiply the averagenumber of workers times the average number of hours worked per yeartimes the average hourly rate. Compare to the total posted annualamount. | ||
Cash | Inspect the client-prepared bank reconciliation for each monthof the year, recalculate the amounts, examine the supporting bankstatements, and trace the cash amount to the general ledger. | ||
Fixed assets | Obtain a list of fixed assets and physically look at theassets. | ||
Long-term debt | Read the contract related to each of the companyâs long-termborrowings and agree the terms of the contracts to the financialstatements notes. | ||
Cash, Long-term debt | For each item of long-term debt that existed both at thebeginning and end of the year, inspect the debt contracts and thecompanyâs analysis of the discounted debt amount and its analysisof violation of debt covenants and look for whether the detailsagree. Recalculate the amounts, and examine recorded entries andbank statements for cash disbursements for debt repayments. Usingthat information, determine whether the company has been inviolation of any debt covenants during the year. | ||
Prepaid rent | Using the beginning financial statement amount, cash receiptsand cash disbursements evidence, and the lease agreement, calculateyear-end prepaid rent and agree that amount to what is shown in thegeneral ledger. | ||
Inventory | At the end of the last day in the fiscal year, go to theclientâs shipping area and record the last shipment; trace theshipment into the clientâs records. |
