Fundamentals of Auditing Financial Reports

Audits are independent examinations of the records of an organization to ascertain how far the financial statements present a true picture of the firm and that accounting systems are well controlled, legal, and accurate. Auditing has become such a ubiquitous phenomenon in the world that academics have chronicled the transition to “Audit Societies.” The early twentieth century saw the standardization of auditors’ tests and reporting. Statistical sampling and computer tools to conduct statistical samples and opinions based on them are an integral part of modern auditing. This chapter surveys the state of the profession and what the twenty-first century auditor needs to know.