Question Tag: Independence

Search 500 + past questions and counting.
  • Filter by Professional Bodies

  • Filter by Subject

  • Filter by Series

  • Filter by Topics

  • Filter by Levels

AAA – May 2021 – L3 – Q1a – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Discussion of ethical issues and professional challenges in the audit of Blackmart Plc, and recommendations for addressing them.

Blackmart Plc is one of your listed audit clients which offers property management, property financing, and mortgage services to its clients. During the audit of the company, the following matters came to your attention:

(i) Grace Sadiku, one of the audit team members, has provisionally agreed to take out a mortgage facility with a duration of 10 years using the facility of Blackmart Plc to finance her first residential property. In the area where the property is located, the first residential property gets a full tax waiver on the entire installments paid within the first 5 years, which is usually a significant tax incentive. The mortgage facility would be secured by the property and it has been defined as the best offer available in the market.

(ii) Also, during the period, the Human Resources (HR) Manager of Blackmart Plc resigned, and the company had reached out to your firm to provide a staff on secondment till a substantive HR Manager is appointed.

(iii) The management of Blackmart has also informed your audit team that the company maintains only two bank accounts and there will be no need to circularise the banks as the auditors can rely on the balances as generated from the bank’s portal as at the end of the year.

(iv) The audit committee has asked your firm to work with the internal audit team to design internal controls over the part of the accounting system which deals with revenue, and also evaluate the operating effectiveness of the internal controls.

Required:
Prepare a memo to your Manager, commenting on the professional and ethical issues arising from the audit of Blackmart Plc and also suggest to him/her on how to manage the identified issues. (15 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2013 – L3 – SB – Q1 – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Evaluate whether to comply with a former executive’s request for audit services while addressing confidentiality in auditor-client relationships.

Your firm acts as the auditors and advisers to Naija Seven Limited, and to its four directors. The company is owned 50% by Praise Caro, 25% by his wife Madame, and 10% by James Patrick. Braima is the Chief Executive, and Julius is the Finance Director. Julius’ sister, Mabel Mama, recently resigned from the executive board following a disagreement with Praise. Mabel Mama formed her own company, Nigeri Heaven, in competition with Naija Seven.

Currently, Mabel is negotiating with her former co-executives on the profit-related remuneration due to her and the sale of her 15% holding of shares in Naija Seven to one or all of them.

Mabel Mama has contacted you to find out Praise Caro’s current remuneration package since he refused to disclose it to her. She has also requested that your firm should continue to act as her personal adviser, financial adviser, and auditor to Nigeri Heaven.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2013 – L3 – A – Q14 – Regulatory Framework and Professional Standards

This question assesses knowledge of factors that weaken local auditing standards and identifies an unrelated factor.

Factors that contribute to the weaknesses of local auditing standards include the following EXCEPT:
A. Standard setters being subject to political pressures
B. Having inadequate resources
C. Being insufficiently timed in response to market needs
D. Loss of investment by stakeholders
E. Having sources of fund which raise questions about their independence

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2020 – L3 – Q6 – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Preparation of briefing notes on audit tendering, ICAN requirements for advertising, fees, and assessment of client suitability.

Nash Investigations Limited specializes in conducting investigations for corporate clients. It employs ex-police officers, security consultants, IT, and fraud specialists. Nash Investigations recently dropped its firm of auditors and has approached your firm to participate in a tender process for selecting the new auditor. You are a manager in the audit firm and will be working with a senior auditor on this assignment. The senior auditor has never been involved in a tender process or appointment of a new auditor. You have been provided with the following information:

  1. Nash Investigations is a major service provider to your firm, particularly in the provision of IT and fraud consultancy.
  2. Nash Investigations has acrimoniously dropped their previous auditors and is withholding fees, pending the resolution of a number of issues, particularly accusations concerning the auditors’ competence.
  3. Nash Investigations is currently facing a hostile takeover bid from Technical Investigations Group, a company also audited by your firm.
  4. Media reports of a fraud allegation have been leveled against one of the directors of Nash Investigations.
  5. One of the partners in the audit firm is also a director of Nash Investigations.

Required:

Prepare briefing notes to explain the following matters to the audit senior:

a. The audit tendering process in terms of the stages that the audit firm will go through should it decide to participate in the tender.
(5 Marks)

b. The requirements of the ICAN Code of Conduct on advertising and publicity.
(5 Marks)

c. The requirements of the ICAN Code of Conduct on fees.
(5 Marks)

d. The impact of each additional piece of information provided above and how this information would influence your decision to participate in the audit tender for Nash Investigations.
(5 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2011 – L3 – SA – Q19 – Use of Experts in Audits

Identifies an unnecessary factor when considering reliance on a specialist’s work in audits.

All the following are necessary when the auditor is considering whether to rely on the work of a specialist EXCEPT:

  • A. The independence of the specialist
  • B. The experience of the specialist
  • C. The fees charged by the specialist
  • D. The specialist’s relationship with the client
  • E. Compatibility of the data in preparing the financial statement

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – May 2018 – L3 – SB – Q4 – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Educate staff on IFAC’s Code of Ethics principles, types of independence, and general sources of ethical threats in accounting.

You are the HR partner in Ekemode & Company (Chartered Accountants). As part of the continuous training program of your firm, you are to organize an in-house seminar to educate the staff of your firm on Rules of Professional Conduct. You have decided to emphasize the IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants published by the International Ethics Standard Board for Accountants (IESBA), which was recently adopted by ICAN into their localized code called “The Professional Code of Conduct and Guide for Members.”

Required:

a. Explain briefly the FIVE fundamental principles of the IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. (7½ Marks)

b. Explain independence of mind and independence of appearance to the staff. (5 Marks)

c. Explain briefly THREE general sources of threat to the fundamental principles of the IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. (7½ Marks)

(Total 20 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2022 – L3 – SC – Q6 – Internal Audit and Corporate Governance

Discuss reasons for outsourcing internal audit, advantages/disadvantages, and functions that cannot be outsourced.

The Internal Audit Unit of Oluvia Bank Limited has been accused of collusion with staff in committing monumental fraud. The following types of fraud were found to be common:

  • Cheque suppression
  • Fraudulent bookkeeping to overstate income
  • Inflation of the worth of the company’s assets
  • Intercepting replaced customers’ cards
  • Fraudsters impersonating Senior Managers or Chief Executive Officer
  • Online banking fraud, such as phishing, malware attacks, and clone websites
  • Impersonating the owner of an account or using fake documents to open an account under someone else’s name (no proper Know Your Customer conducted)

The bank examiners came and were surprised at the level of fraud in the bank and requested management to address it urgently.

After the supervisory visit, the board of directors discussed the issue with the bank’s external auditors, who suggested that the bank could outsource the internal audit functions. The Board of Directors found this suggestion favorable and mandated the Managing Director to act swiftly and report back with details at the next board meeting.

Required:

a. Discuss the main reasons for outsourcing internal audit functions. (3 Marks)

b. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. (10 Marks)

c. Discuss which part of the internal audit function cannot be outsourced. (2 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

MGE – Nov 2014 – L2 – Q6 – Corporate Governance

Evaluating stakeholder impact and ethical principles in response to financial reporting manipulation.

Gloria Okeke is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magi and Magi Pharmaceuticals, which produces drugs for the Lagoona region of the country. Gloria is convinced that the company is doing quite well and the management is following due process in terms of structure and governance. She believes that this is the reason for the company’s steady growth in terms of revenue, profit, and earnings.

In 2013, Magi and Magi Pharmaceuticals made a profit of 70% over and above the 2012 results. Mr. Joeb, the Chief Accountant, is quite impressed and is of the opinion that the company should make full disclosure of its profits in the Financial Statements, thinking this would engender greater confidence and attract additional investment in the company.

However, Gloria, claiming to be the boss, instructed Joeb to increase her compensation and inflate the cost of production of pharmaceutical drugs to reduce the disclosed profit of the company.

Joeb outrightly disagreed with Gloria’s instruction, giving her a long talk about his duty to comply with his Institute’s professional rules of conduct. However, Gloria cut short the meeting, saying that she did not wish to entertain any further discussion about her decision. She advised Joeb, in his own interest, to implement her instructions.

Required:

a. As a chartered accountant, specify any THREE categories of stakeholders that Joeb should consider in taking any professional decision or action with regard to the instruction stated above and give reasons for your choice.
(7½ Marks)

b. Discuss the basic principles of ethics that Joeb, as a chartered accountant, should comply with in the course of carrying out his professional responsibilities.
(7½ Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AA – Nov 2014 – L2 – Q1 – Risk Assessment and Internal Control

Analyze audit risks and ethical considerations for a new audit engagement with a telecommunication firm.

You are the Principal Partner in charge of a four-partner firm of Chartered Accountants. Your firm has been invited to tender for the audit of Poles Apart Limited for the year ended 31 December 2013.

Poles Apart Limited was established two years ago and provides mobile phone service for individuals and businesses. The system established by the company comprises:

  1. Small portable mobile phones, which allow subscribers to contact or be contacted by any other telephone.
  2. The mobile phones can be used within the range of a local relay station that receives and sends calls to the mobile phone.
  3. The local relay stations are linked to a central computer that connects the calls to other users, often through a computer telephone network.
  4. Currently, the local relay stations cover one large city with a population of about 1,000,000. In the next year, the system will expand to all cities in Nigeria with populations over 250,000. By 2017, it will cover all motorways and cities with populations over 100,000, which will involve substantial capital expenditure and require additional borrowings.
  5. The cost of the relay stations and central computer is capitalized and amortized over six years.
  6. The mobile phones are manufactured by other companies and sold through retailers. Poles Apart Limited pays ₦2,000 to the retailer for each phone sold, which is capitalized and amortized over four years.
  7. Subscribers are invoiced monthly with a fixed line rental and a variable call charge. Charges for calls from other operators are also calculated by the company’s main computer.
  8. All shares are owned by three wealthy individuals who serve as non-executive directors. They receive a fixed allowance and do not plan further investment in the company.
  9. Establishing the network of relay stations and subscribers will result in losses for at least three years, with current borrowings at about 20% of shareholders’ funds. It is expected that the company will be highly geared by 2016.
  10. As the company will not be immediately profitable, executive directors receive a basic salary and a bonus based on the number of subscribers.
  11. The owners plan to float the company on the local Stock Exchange in 2016. The flotation will involve issuing new shares to the public and the three non-executive directors selling some of their shares.
  12. Poles Apart Limited has several large competitors, each with comprehensive coverage of over 90% of the population.

Required:

a. Consider the risks associated with the audit of Poles Apart Limited. (12 Marks)

b. Describe the ethical matters you should consider in deciding whether your audit firm should accept the audit engagement. This should include considering whether your firm has the technical and logistical ability to carry out the audit. (12 Marks)

c. Advise on whether you should accept or decline the audit assignment, giving your principal reasons for coming to this decision. (6 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AA – Nov 2016 – L2 – Q2b – The Role and Responsibilities of Auditors

This question explains the steps an incoming auditor must take after accepting an appointment when there is a change in professional auditors.

Explain in brief the measures to be taken by incoming Independent Auditors after accepting an appointment and when there is a change in professional appointment.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – May 2021 – L3 – Q1a – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Discussion of ethical issues and professional challenges in the audit of Blackmart Plc, and recommendations for addressing them.

Blackmart Plc is one of your listed audit clients which offers property management, property financing, and mortgage services to its clients. During the audit of the company, the following matters came to your attention:

(i) Grace Sadiku, one of the audit team members, has provisionally agreed to take out a mortgage facility with a duration of 10 years using the facility of Blackmart Plc to finance her first residential property. In the area where the property is located, the first residential property gets a full tax waiver on the entire installments paid within the first 5 years, which is usually a significant tax incentive. The mortgage facility would be secured by the property and it has been defined as the best offer available in the market.

(ii) Also, during the period, the Human Resources (HR) Manager of Blackmart Plc resigned, and the company had reached out to your firm to provide a staff on secondment till a substantive HR Manager is appointed.

(iii) The management of Blackmart has also informed your audit team that the company maintains only two bank accounts and there will be no need to circularise the banks as the auditors can rely on the balances as generated from the bank’s portal as at the end of the year.

(iv) The audit committee has asked your firm to work with the internal audit team to design internal controls over the part of the accounting system which deals with revenue, and also evaluate the operating effectiveness of the internal controls.

Required:
Prepare a memo to your Manager, commenting on the professional and ethical issues arising from the audit of Blackmart Plc and also suggest to him/her on how to manage the identified issues. (15 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2013 – L3 – SB – Q1 – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Evaluate whether to comply with a former executive’s request for audit services while addressing confidentiality in auditor-client relationships.

Your firm acts as the auditors and advisers to Naija Seven Limited, and to its four directors. The company is owned 50% by Praise Caro, 25% by his wife Madame, and 10% by James Patrick. Braima is the Chief Executive, and Julius is the Finance Director. Julius’ sister, Mabel Mama, recently resigned from the executive board following a disagreement with Praise. Mabel Mama formed her own company, Nigeri Heaven, in competition with Naija Seven.

Currently, Mabel is negotiating with her former co-executives on the profit-related remuneration due to her and the sale of her 15% holding of shares in Naija Seven to one or all of them.

Mabel Mama has contacted you to find out Praise Caro’s current remuneration package since he refused to disclose it to her. She has also requested that your firm should continue to act as her personal adviser, financial adviser, and auditor to Nigeri Heaven.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2013 – L3 – A – Q14 – Regulatory Framework and Professional Standards

This question assesses knowledge of factors that weaken local auditing standards and identifies an unrelated factor.

Factors that contribute to the weaknesses of local auditing standards include the following EXCEPT:
A. Standard setters being subject to political pressures
B. Having inadequate resources
C. Being insufficiently timed in response to market needs
D. Loss of investment by stakeholders
E. Having sources of fund which raise questions about their independence

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2020 – L3 – Q6 – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Preparation of briefing notes on audit tendering, ICAN requirements for advertising, fees, and assessment of client suitability.

Nash Investigations Limited specializes in conducting investigations for corporate clients. It employs ex-police officers, security consultants, IT, and fraud specialists. Nash Investigations recently dropped its firm of auditors and has approached your firm to participate in a tender process for selecting the new auditor. You are a manager in the audit firm and will be working with a senior auditor on this assignment. The senior auditor has never been involved in a tender process or appointment of a new auditor. You have been provided with the following information:

  1. Nash Investigations is a major service provider to your firm, particularly in the provision of IT and fraud consultancy.
  2. Nash Investigations has acrimoniously dropped their previous auditors and is withholding fees, pending the resolution of a number of issues, particularly accusations concerning the auditors’ competence.
  3. Nash Investigations is currently facing a hostile takeover bid from Technical Investigations Group, a company also audited by your firm.
  4. Media reports of a fraud allegation have been leveled against one of the directors of Nash Investigations.
  5. One of the partners in the audit firm is also a director of Nash Investigations.

Required:

Prepare briefing notes to explain the following matters to the audit senior:

a. The audit tendering process in terms of the stages that the audit firm will go through should it decide to participate in the tender.
(5 Marks)

b. The requirements of the ICAN Code of Conduct on advertising and publicity.
(5 Marks)

c. The requirements of the ICAN Code of Conduct on fees.
(5 Marks)

d. The impact of each additional piece of information provided above and how this information would influence your decision to participate in the audit tender for Nash Investigations.
(5 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2011 – L3 – SA – Q19 – Use of Experts in Audits

Identifies an unnecessary factor when considering reliance on a specialist’s work in audits.

All the following are necessary when the auditor is considering whether to rely on the work of a specialist EXCEPT:

  • A. The independence of the specialist
  • B. The experience of the specialist
  • C. The fees charged by the specialist
  • D. The specialist’s relationship with the client
  • E. Compatibility of the data in preparing the financial statement

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – May 2018 – L3 – SB – Q4 – Ethical Issues in Auditing

Educate staff on IFAC’s Code of Ethics principles, types of independence, and general sources of ethical threats in accounting.

You are the HR partner in Ekemode & Company (Chartered Accountants). As part of the continuous training program of your firm, you are to organize an in-house seminar to educate the staff of your firm on Rules of Professional Conduct. You have decided to emphasize the IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants published by the International Ethics Standard Board for Accountants (IESBA), which was recently adopted by ICAN into their localized code called “The Professional Code of Conduct and Guide for Members.”

Required:

a. Explain briefly the FIVE fundamental principles of the IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. (7½ Marks)

b. Explain independence of mind and independence of appearance to the staff. (5 Marks)

c. Explain briefly THREE general sources of threat to the fundamental principles of the IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. (7½ Marks)

(Total 20 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AAA – Nov 2022 – L3 – SC – Q6 – Internal Audit and Corporate Governance

Discuss reasons for outsourcing internal audit, advantages/disadvantages, and functions that cannot be outsourced.

The Internal Audit Unit of Oluvia Bank Limited has been accused of collusion with staff in committing monumental fraud. The following types of fraud were found to be common:

  • Cheque suppression
  • Fraudulent bookkeeping to overstate income
  • Inflation of the worth of the company’s assets
  • Intercepting replaced customers’ cards
  • Fraudsters impersonating Senior Managers or Chief Executive Officer
  • Online banking fraud, such as phishing, malware attacks, and clone websites
  • Impersonating the owner of an account or using fake documents to open an account under someone else’s name (no proper Know Your Customer conducted)

The bank examiners came and were surprised at the level of fraud in the bank and requested management to address it urgently.

After the supervisory visit, the board of directors discussed the issue with the bank’s external auditors, who suggested that the bank could outsource the internal audit functions. The Board of Directors found this suggestion favorable and mandated the Managing Director to act swiftly and report back with details at the next board meeting.

Required:

a. Discuss the main reasons for outsourcing internal audit functions. (3 Marks)

b. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. (10 Marks)

c. Discuss which part of the internal audit function cannot be outsourced. (2 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

MGE – Nov 2014 – L2 – Q6 – Corporate Governance

Evaluating stakeholder impact and ethical principles in response to financial reporting manipulation.

Gloria Okeke is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magi and Magi Pharmaceuticals, which produces drugs for the Lagoona region of the country. Gloria is convinced that the company is doing quite well and the management is following due process in terms of structure and governance. She believes that this is the reason for the company’s steady growth in terms of revenue, profit, and earnings.

In 2013, Magi and Magi Pharmaceuticals made a profit of 70% over and above the 2012 results. Mr. Joeb, the Chief Accountant, is quite impressed and is of the opinion that the company should make full disclosure of its profits in the Financial Statements, thinking this would engender greater confidence and attract additional investment in the company.

However, Gloria, claiming to be the boss, instructed Joeb to increase her compensation and inflate the cost of production of pharmaceutical drugs to reduce the disclosed profit of the company.

Joeb outrightly disagreed with Gloria’s instruction, giving her a long talk about his duty to comply with his Institute’s professional rules of conduct. However, Gloria cut short the meeting, saying that she did not wish to entertain any further discussion about her decision. She advised Joeb, in his own interest, to implement her instructions.

Required:

a. As a chartered accountant, specify any THREE categories of stakeholders that Joeb should consider in taking any professional decision or action with regard to the instruction stated above and give reasons for your choice.
(7½ Marks)

b. Discuss the basic principles of ethics that Joeb, as a chartered accountant, should comply with in the course of carrying out his professional responsibilities.
(7½ Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AA – Nov 2014 – L2 – Q1 – Risk Assessment and Internal Control

Analyze audit risks and ethical considerations for a new audit engagement with a telecommunication firm.

You are the Principal Partner in charge of a four-partner firm of Chartered Accountants. Your firm has been invited to tender for the audit of Poles Apart Limited for the year ended 31 December 2013.

Poles Apart Limited was established two years ago and provides mobile phone service for individuals and businesses. The system established by the company comprises:

  1. Small portable mobile phones, which allow subscribers to contact or be contacted by any other telephone.
  2. The mobile phones can be used within the range of a local relay station that receives and sends calls to the mobile phone.
  3. The local relay stations are linked to a central computer that connects the calls to other users, often through a computer telephone network.
  4. Currently, the local relay stations cover one large city with a population of about 1,000,000. In the next year, the system will expand to all cities in Nigeria with populations over 250,000. By 2017, it will cover all motorways and cities with populations over 100,000, which will involve substantial capital expenditure and require additional borrowings.
  5. The cost of the relay stations and central computer is capitalized and amortized over six years.
  6. The mobile phones are manufactured by other companies and sold through retailers. Poles Apart Limited pays ₦2,000 to the retailer for each phone sold, which is capitalized and amortized over four years.
  7. Subscribers are invoiced monthly with a fixed line rental and a variable call charge. Charges for calls from other operators are also calculated by the company’s main computer.
  8. All shares are owned by three wealthy individuals who serve as non-executive directors. They receive a fixed allowance and do not plan further investment in the company.
  9. Establishing the network of relay stations and subscribers will result in losses for at least three years, with current borrowings at about 20% of shareholders’ funds. It is expected that the company will be highly geared by 2016.
  10. As the company will not be immediately profitable, executive directors receive a basic salary and a bonus based on the number of subscribers.
  11. The owners plan to float the company on the local Stock Exchange in 2016. The flotation will involve issuing new shares to the public and the three non-executive directors selling some of their shares.
  12. Poles Apart Limited has several large competitors, each with comprehensive coverage of over 90% of the population.

Required:

a. Consider the risks associated with the audit of Poles Apart Limited. (12 Marks)

b. Describe the ethical matters you should consider in deciding whether your audit firm should accept the audit engagement. This should include considering whether your firm has the technical and logistical ability to carry out the audit. (12 Marks)

c. Advise on whether you should accept or decline the audit assignment, giving your principal reasons for coming to this decision. (6 Marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

AA – Nov 2016 – L2 – Q2b – The Role and Responsibilities of Auditors

This question explains the steps an incoming auditor must take after accepting an appointment when there is a change in professional auditors.

Explain in brief the measures to be taken by incoming Independent Auditors after accepting an appointment and when there is a change in professional appointment.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.