To help you protect yourself and mitigate risk, these eight critical elements should be included in every engagement letter. CLIENT NAME. SCOPE OF SERVICES. CPA FIRM RESPONSIBILITIES. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES. DELIVERABLES. ENGAGEMENT TIMING. TERMINATION AND WITHDRAWAL. BILLING AND FEES.
Engagement letters set the terms of the agreement between two parties and include details such as the scope, fees, and responsibilities, among others. Some of the benefits of engagement letters are that they are legally binding documents, they reduce misunderstandings, and they set clear expectations.
An engagement letter is drafted by the company rendering the service, often with the help of a lawyer. It is than presented to the client, and both parties must sign in order for it to be legally binding.
The engagement letter is a legally binding document and the purpose of the engagement letter is to: Specify the parties of the audit engagement. Define the scope of the audit, including the in-scope services and systems.
An audit engagement letter is typically prepared by the auditor or audit firm conducting the audit. It is a formal document that outlines the terms of the audit engagement, including the scope of the audit, the responsibilities of the auditor and the auditee, and any other relevant terms and conditions.
8 Critical Elements of an Effective Engagement Letter CLIENT NAME. The first critical element may seem obvious—the identities of the parties involved in the engagement. SCOPE OF SERVICES. CPA FIRM RESPONSIBILITIES. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES. DELIVERABLES. ENGAGEMENT TIMING. TERMINATION AND WITHDRAWAL. BILLING AND FEES.
An auditor's engagement letter most likely would include: management's acknowledgment of its responsibility for maintaining effective internal control. the auditor's preliminary assessment of the risk factors relating to misstatements arising from fraudulent financial reporting.
Your designated audit firm will prepare the specific terms of engagement using the appropriate AICPA-issued engagement letter template. It should be noted that there are many terms for audit engagements that are deemed required by the AICPA and therefore unable to be negotiated.
1. ​ We are pleased to accept the instruction to act as auditor for your company and are writing to confirm the terms of our appointment. 2. ​ The purpose of this letter, together with the attached terms and conditions, is to set out our terms for carrying out the work and to clarify our respective responsibilities.