F. Ways the evidence is obtained that ad swapping occurred between Your1040Return.com and Amazon.com and the accounting issues arising when Internet based companies swap ad services and identify relevant authoritative literature :
- Your1040Return.com and Amazon should have come into formal agreement concerning the exchange of the advertising services on website of both the companies.
- The auditor would require obtaining copies of the contracts for the audit files to control the terms of the agreement and obligations every company has to deliver advertisements.
- The web site systems should be designed to keep track of the date and time advertisements which are planned to appear on the both the web sites.
- the information which is obtained from evaluation of the ad agreement , the auditor should also official visit both the web sites at those programmed time so as to regulate , if the ads essentially appear as specified in the agreement. The reason is because both the companies do not actually pay each other for the advertising services , and thus have entered into a non-monetary barter transaction.
- Your1040Return.com requires collecting the information so as to determining the fair market value of the revenues which are related to advertising delivered for Amazon.com.
- The management also requires collecting the information regarding the banner advertisements so as to determine if there are any related payables and receivables which should be reflected in the balance sheet of Your1040Return.com.