Standard on Related Services (SRS) 4410, “Engagements to Compile Financial Information” should be read in the context of the “Preface to the Standards on Quality Control, Auditing, Review, Other Assurance and Related Services”1, which sets out the authority of the Engagement Standards.
The content of an engagement letter often includes important details such as the scope of services to be provided, fees or billing arrangements, confidentiality clauses, dispute resolution mechanisms, and any other relevant terms agreed upon by both parties.
Preparation Process The audit engagement letter is typically prepared by the auditor conducting the audit. It serves as a crucial document outlining the terms and responsibilities involved in the audit process.
15 A management representation letter would ordinarily be signed by the members of management who have primary responsibility for the entity and its financial aspects, (ordinarily the senior executive officer and the senior financial officer), based on the best of their knowledge and belief.
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.
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.
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.
Engagement letters set expectations for both the client and the party providing the service, it specifies the exact service or task to be performed by the firm and the information to be provided by the client. All engagement letters also generally contain various deadlines for each sub-task.
The auditor may decide not to send a new engagement letter each period. However, the following factors may make it appropriate to send a new letter: Any indication that the client misunderstands the objective and scope of the audit. Any revised or special terms of the engagement.
The basics of an audit agreement An audit agreement is a legally binding document that outlines the terms and conditions of an audit. It establishes a framework for how an audit will be conducted and provides clarity on the roles, responsibilities, and rights of each party involved.