Question Tag: Management Representations

Oliso Private Company Ltd has been operating in the manufacturing sector for over a decade. One of its major products is manufacturing equipment, which can reduce toxic emissions in the production of chemicals. The company recently employed a new marketing manager who introduced a series of marketing initiatives. This has resulted in significant growth of the company since the appointment of the marketing manager. One of the initiatives is the warranties that the company gives to its customers. The company guarantees its products for three years, and if problems arise within the period, it undertakes to fix them or provide a replacement for the product.

You are the Senior Manager recently engaged by Integrity Audit Consult responsible for Oliso Private Company Ltd’s audit. You are performing the final review as required by ISA 520 Analytical procedures for the audit and have come across the following issues.

Receivable balance due from Obey Company Ltd: Oliso Private Company Ltd has a material receivable balance due from a customer named Obey Company Ltd. During the year-end audit, your team reviewed the ageing of this balance and found that no payments had been received from Obey Company Ltd for over eight months. Oliso Private Company Ltd however would not allow this balance to be included in the list of balances to be circulated. Instead, management has assured your team that they will provide a written representation confirming that the balance is recoverable.

Warranty provision: The warranty provision included in the statement of financial position is material. The audit team has performed testing over the calculations and assumptions, which are consistent with prior years. The team has requested a written representation from management confirming the basis and amount of the provision. Management is yet to confirm acceptance of the need to issue this representation.

Required:

a) Recommend THREE (3) audit procedures to validate the accounting estimates. (5 marks)

b) For each of the two issues above:

i) Evaluate the appropriateness of written representations as a form of audit evidence. (4 marks)

ii) Describe TWO (2) additional procedures the auditor should perform to conclude on the balances to be included in the financial statements. (6 marks)

c) The directors of Oliso Private Company Ltd have decided not to provide the audit firm with the written representation for the warranty provision as they feel it is unnecessary.

Required:

Explain the steps the auditor of Oliso Private Company Ltd should take to assess the impact of management’s refusal to provide a written representation on the auditor’s report. (5 marks)