The internal auditor and the auditee should agree on the terms of the engagement before commencement. The agreed terms would need to be recorded in an engagement letter.
An audit engagement is an agreement between a client and an independent third-party auditor to perform an audit of some element of the client's business, such as accounting records, financial statements, internal controls, regulatory compliance, information systems, operational processes, etc.
An engagement letter is a written agreement that describes the business relationship to be entered into by a client and a company. The letter details the scope of the agreement, its terms, and costs. The purpose of an engagement letter is to set expectations on both sides of the agreement.
When should the engagement letter be sent and signed? The audit engagement letter should be sent after verbal confirmation of the appointment of you as the auditor and ideally signed before the start of any audit work.
The Standard on Auditing (SA) 210, “Terms of Audit Engagement” was issued with a view to establish standards on: (a) agreeing the terms of the engagement with the client; and (b) the auditor's response to a request by a client to change the terms of an engagement to one that provides a lower level of assurance.
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.
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.
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.