Testing the Completeness, Existence, and Rights and Obligations Assertions
Inventories received from valid suppliers in response to authorized purchase orders
constitute liabilities. In most systems, however, the trigger that causes the liability to be
recognized and recorded as an account payable (in our example, a disbursement
voucher) is the receipt of the supplier’s invoice, which often lags the receipt of the merchandise.
Normally, the time lag between liability realization and recognition does not
impact financial reporting. At period-end closing, however, it becomes an issue requiring
special attention. Items of inventory received at the end of the audit period, whose related
invoice is not received until early into the following period, may not be included
as an accounts payable. Management should have procedures for identifying invoices