Reporting on Group Audits and International Engagements
General Considerations
24.135 The inability to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence may arise from restrictions imposed during the audit by component management or component audit teams (e.g., inability to be sufficiently involved in the component auditor’s risk assessment process or the inability to review the component audit team’s workpapers). The lead partner of the group should:
• determine whether sufficient appropriate audit evidence to accept responsibility for the audit opinion of the group was obtained
• evaluate whether the group audit team was involved in the work of component auditors to the extent necessary
24.136 The opinion should be modified when the group auditor is not able to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence or otherwise was not able to meet the requirements of the professional standards. An example worth emphasizing is when an equity-method investment is a significant component and restrictions are such that the group audit team is not able to comply with the requirements of ISA 600.
24.137 Firms may be asked by management to report on audited financial statements in a registration statement or similar filing with a regulatory organization such as the SEC, or other bodies performing similar functions in the US or other countries. The firm in the country where the regulatory filing is to be made (the “home firm”) typically has knowledge about the specialized rules and regulations for which the filings may be subject. If the filing is to be made with the SEC, GTI adopted certain specific policies and procedures to comply with SEC rules. These policies and rules are discussed below (see Gatekeeping Procedures) and must be followed, even when the work has not been referred by GTUS.