Other Matter Paragraphs
21.113 Other matter paragraphs refer only to matters relevant to users’ understanding of the audit, the auditor’s responsibilities, or the audit report. Appendix 2 of ISA 706 lists the circumstances when the ISAs require an other matter paragraph.
21.114 Law, regulation, or generally accepted practice in a jurisdiction may require or permit the firm to elaborate on matters that provide further explanation about the audit. Explanations consisting of comments on detailed audit procedures should be limited solely to situations where such explanations are specifically required. In addition, the audit team should determine that:
• the wording does not imply that the audit procedures listed were the only ones performed. To avoid this inference, the procedures should be introduced by phrases such as:
• our audit included
• as part of our audit
• we present the following summary of our principal audit procedures
• certain phases of our audit are described as follows
• the procedures are stated in a positive manner so as not to imply that they are exceptions to the scope of the engagement
21.115 When the audit team includes an other matter paragraph in the auditor’s report, the audit team should:
• include it immediately after the opinion paragraph or any emphasis of matter paragraph. An other matter paragraph may also be included in a separate section of the auditor’s report.
• use the heading “Other Matter,” or other appropriate heading
• not reference the other matter paragraph in the opinion paragraph and therefore, phrases such as “with the following explanation” should not be used in the opinion paragraph