Tests of High Value Items (Individually Significant)
12.08 In certain situations, the audit team may test high value items (other than in connection with sampling). In Horizon, “individually significant” is the term used to describe high value items.
12.09 When testing a population that includes individually significant items, the audit team is separating the population into two populations: one comprised of individually significant items and the other comprised of items less than individually significant. Detailed audit procedures will be performed on 100% of the population of individually significant items. The population of items less than individually significant must also be considered for testing. The nature and extent of testing should respond to the risks present.
12.10 Ordinarily, the response is a combination of tests of controls and substantive analytical procedures. However, in some circumstances, the risk of material misstatement and the value of the untested population are low and no further testing is necessary. In other circumstances, the risk of material misstatements is so high that control tests and analytical procedures alone do not provide sufficient evidence and additional substantive procedures must be performed.
12.11 The appropriate response is always a matter of judgment, but the audit team can only conclude on the population tested. Therefore, if the appropriate response is to perform no audit procedures on the items in the population that are less than individually significant, the audit team can only conclude on the population of individually significant items.
12.12 When the population to be tested is available in electronic form, the use of IDEA is recommended to identify the individually significant items to be tested.
12.13 Individually significant items should be tested often in conjunction with testing other key items discussed in the next section. Moreover, it may be efficient to extend tests of significant items to include additional items that may be large, but not individually significant if this will provide evidence about a sizeable portion of the total population.
12.14 For example, suppose for a population totaling $500,000, there are two individually significant items (defined as those over $100,000) totaling $250,000. If there were three additional items over $50,000 totaling $200,000, it would clearly be efficient to test all five. If the value of the remaining items is less than tolerable error and presents no significant risks, the audit team may decide to base audit conclusions on testing 90% of a population's value.