Question: Describe the various levels or positions of

> In what organizational forms may CPAs practice public accounting?

> What are the two major types of constraints on decisions that involve ethical issues? Provide examples of each type.

> Laura Clark, wife of Jon Clark, CPA, is a life insurance agent. May Jon Clark refer audit clients needing officer life insurance to Laura Clark or to another life insurance agent who will share a commission with Laura Clark? Explain.

> Sandy Schultz, CPA, has performed a consulting services job in which she made recommendations that ultimately resulted in one of her audit clients purchasing a computer manufactured by the AMZ Computer Corporation. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Schultz was sur

> Jian Zhang is a CPA who often serves as an expert witness in court cases. Is it proper for Zhang to receive compensation in a damage suit based on the amount awarded to the plaintiff? Discuss.

> Use the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct (available at pub.aicpa.org/code of conduct) to identify the circumstances under which a CPA may not perform professional services on a contingent fee basis. Cut and paste the most directly relevant rule from th

> Why are the prior year’s audit working papers a useful reference to staff assistants during the current audit?

> Comment on the following: In performing a consulting engagement for a client, a CPA may perform any services that the client requests.

> Which rules of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct recognize the PCAOB as a body authorized to issue technical standards?

> In late 2001 through 2002, the accounting profession faced a “crisis of credibility.” Describe the events that led up to this crisis.

> How do the rules for the audit of public versus nonpublic companies differ with respect to the independence of a CPA who performs routine accounting services for a client?

> Describe what is meant by the term “covered member.”

> With respect to ethics, what are the responsibilities of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board? What is the source of the Board’s authority?

> Sara Kole, CPA, has been requested by the president of Noyes Company, a closely held corporation and audit client, to cosign Noyes Company checks with the Noyes treasurer when the president is away on business trips. Use the Code of Professional Conduct

> What is meant by the term ethical dilemma? Describe an ethical dilemma that you have faced.

> Draft the standard form of audit report commonly issued after a satisfactory audit of a public client’s financial statements. Assume that the auditors issued a separate report on internal control and that the company is not required to present critical a

> Pike Company has had an annual audit performed by the same firm of certified public accountants for many years. The financial statements and copies of the audit report are distributed to stockholders each year shortly after completion of the audit. Who i

> What are the major functions of audit working papers?

> Evaluate the following quotation: “If a CPA firm completes a nonpublic company audit of Adam Company’s financial statements following AICPA generally accepted auditing standards and is satisfied with the results of the audit, an unmodified audit report m

> Explain briefly the auditors’ responsibility for detecting noncompliance with laws by clients.

> In the context of an audit of financial statements, explain what is meant by professional skepticism.

> You are the partner on the audit of Datasave, Inc., a small publicly held corporation that manufactures high-speed disk drives for the computer industry. The audit of Datasave had been progressing satisfactorily until you were about a month away from iss

> What relationship exists between AICPA generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) and the Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs)?

> What is a financial reporting framework? Why is a financial reporting framework important to a financial statement audit?

> Comment on the following: The SEC's acceptance of the use of International Financial Reporting Standards in filings replaces use of PCAOB Auditing Standards for audits of international companies.

> Distinguish between the system review and the engagement review types of peer reviews.

> What are the duties and responsibilities of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board?

> Do the AICPA’s Statements on Quality Control Standards require every CPA firm to implement similar quality control procedures? Explain.

> Evaluate the following statement: “Identifying related parties and obtaining a client representation letter are two required audit procedures normally performed on the last day of fieldwork.”

> Explain the basic objective of establishing quality control procedures in the following areas. a. Engagement performance. b. Human resources. c. Monitoring.

> What is the difference between generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and AICPA generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS)?

> What is the meaning of quality control and peer review as these terms relate to the operation of a CPA firm? Is peer review mandatory? Explain.

> Do the AICPA attestation standards supersede any of the AICPA generally accepted auditing standards? Explain.

> The International Bank of Commerce (IBC) is an audit client of your public accounting firm. IBC is a multinational financial institution that operates in 23 countries. During the current year’s audit, you have discovered the following problems: a. Improp

> Explain how the auditors determine whether a client’s accounting is appropriate when the FASB Codification includes no specific guidance with respect to accounting for a particular type of transaction.

> What is a “material” amount from the perspective of auditors? Give an example of how that amount may differ based on the nature of the item.

> Harris Fell, CPA and member of the AICPA, was engaged to audit the financial statements of Wilson Corporation. Fell had half-completed the audit when he had a dispute with the management of Wilson Corporation and was discharged. Hal Compton, CPA, was pro

> If a CPA firm has performed a thorough professional audit of a client’s financial statements, should it not be able to issue a report dealing with facts rather than the mere expression of an opinion? Explain.

> A CPA firm does not guarantee the financial soundness of a client when it renders an opinion on financial statements, nor does the CPA firm guarantee the absolute accuracy of the statements. Yet the CPA firm’s opinion is respected and accepted. What is e

> What disclosures should be made in the financial statements regarding material related party transactions?

> When a CPA firm completes an audit of a nonpublic business and issues a report, does it express an opinion on the client’s accounting records, financial statements, or both? Give reasons.

> Alan Weston, CPA, completed an audit of Kirsten Manufacturing Company and issued a standard audit report. What does this tell us about the extent of the auditing procedures included in the audit?

> State the principal assertions made by the auditors in the “Opinion on the Financial Statements” section of the PCAOB auditors’ standard report. Assume that the auditors issued a separate report on internal control.

> Davis & Co., Certified Public Accountants, after completing an audit of Samson Company, decided that it would be unable to issue an unmodified opinion. What circumstances might explain this decision?

> Contrast the roles of the AICPA and the PCAOB in the development of auditing standards.

> You are a partner in the Denver office of a national public accounting firm. During the audit of Mountain Resources, you learn that this audit client is negotiating to sell some of its unproved oil and gas properties to SuperFund, a large investment comp

> What is the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board? What is the purpose of its pronouncements? Do these pronouncements establish standards that override a member nation’s auditing standards?

> What characteristics make an accounting association an accounting network?

> List three of the more important responsibilities of a partner in a public accounting firm.

> Identify and describe the two components of the risk of material misstatement.

> Public accounting firms are sometimes grouped into categories of local firms, regional firms, national firms, and international firms. Explain briefly the characteristics of each. Include in your answer the types of services stressed in each group.

> How does a professional corporation differ from a traditional corporation?

> Will Williams, a college senior, has begun the interviewing process. He has discovered a great variety of organizations in search of “accounting majors.” He finds that various public accounting firms, corporations, the GAO, and the IRS are all interviewi

> What are the advantages of organizing a public accounting firm as a partnership rather than a sole proprietorship?

> Hide-It (HI), a family-owned business based in Tombstone, Arizona, builds custom homes with special features, such as hidden rooms and hidden wall safes. Hide-It has been an audit client for three years. You are about to sign off on a “clean” opinion on

> Houseco, an audit client of Jones, CPA, for the past five years, is a manufacturer of various household products. Approximately four years ago, Houseco developed a better toaster than had been available and sales took off, especially during the most rece

> You are the partner-in-charge of a large metropolitan office of a regional public accounting firm. Two members of your professional staff have come to you to discuss problems that may affect the firm’s independence. Neither of these situations has been s

> The issue of whether the performance of nonattest (consulting) services for audit clients impairs independence of the auditors has been widely debated within the public accounting profession. Restrictions on the performance of consulting are a major aspe

> The following appeared in a brief article in a major business newspaper: A local court is in the process of ruling on whether the public accounting firm of James Willis and Co., CPAs, PC, should be required to pay all or part of $16 million in damages re

> Bart James, a partner in the CPA firm of James and Day, received the following memorandum from John Gray, president of Gray Manufacturing Corporation, an audit client of many years. Dear Bart: I have a new type of engagement for you. You are familiar wit

> What are related party transactions?

> In a discussion between Peters and Ferrel, two auditing students, Peters made the following statement: “A CPA is a professional person who is licensed by the state for the purpose of providing an independent expert opinion on the fairness of financial st

> Feller, the sole owner of a small hardware business, has been told that the business should have its financial statements audited by an independent CPA. Feller, having some bookkeeping experience, has personally prepared the company’s financial statement

> Joe Rezzo, a college student majoring in accounting, helped finance his education with a parttime job maintaining all accounting records for a small business, White Company, located near the campus. Upon graduation, Rezzo passed the CPA examination and j

> Meglow Corporation, a closely held manufacturer of dresses and blouses, sought a loan from Busch Factors. Busch had previously extended $50,000 credit to Meglow but refused to lend any additional money without obtaining copies of Meglow’s audited financi

> Apart from auditing, what other professional services are offered by public accounting firms?

> Risk Capital Limited, a publicly held Delaware corporation, was considering the purchase of a substantial amount of the treasury stock held by Florida Sunshine Corporation, a closely held corporation. Initial discussions with the Florida Sunshine Corpora

> Audit risk should be considered when planning and performing an audit of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Required: a. Define audit risk. b. Describe its components of inherent risk, control risk, and detect

> Marilyn Terrill is the senior auditor for the audit of Uden Supply Company for the year ended December 31, 20X4. In planning the audit, Marilyn is attempting to develop expectations for planning analytical procedures based on the financial information fo

> Criticize the following working paper that you are reviewing as senior auditor on the December 31 audit of Pratt Company. Pratt Company Cash Per bank $44,874.50v Deposit In transit 5,843.100 Bank charges (2.80y2 Outstanding checks 1,246.40v 3,412.7

> Included in the financial statements are a variety of accounting estimates (e.g., allowance for doubtful accounts, obsolete inventory, warranty liability). Audit procedures should be designed to obtain evidence about the assertions of management related

> Explain the following statement: One contribution of the independent auditor is to lend credibility to financial statements.

> Trend analysis, common-size financial statements, and ratios are presented for the Brody Corporation in Figure 5.4. Assume that you are auditing Brody’s financial statements for the year ended 12/31/X8. You have performed tests of contr

> During your examination of the accounts receivable of Hope Ranch, a new client, you notice that one account is much larger than the rest, and you therefore decide to examine the evidence supporting this customer’s account. Comment on the relative reliabi

> Assume that the auditors find serious weaknesses in the internal control of Oak Canyon, Inc., a producer and distributor of fine wines. Would these internal control weaknesses cause the auditors to rely more or less upon each of the following types of ev

> Mark Williams, CPA, was engaged by Jackson Financial Development Company to audit the financial statements of Apex Construction Company, a small closely held corporation. Williams was told when he was engaged that Jackson Financial needed reliable finan

> The limitations on professional responsibilities of CPAs when they are associated with unaudited financial statements are often misunderstood. These misunderstandings can be reduced substantially if CPAs carefully follow professional pronouncements in th

> How does the role of the SEC differ from that of the AICPA?

> Use the Code of Professional Conduct (available at pub.aicpa.org/codeofconduct) to research each of the circumstances presented in Problem 3-40 and address whether Bell & Greer’s independence is impaired. Provide the section of the Independence Rule and

> Use the Code of Professional Conduct (available at pub.aicpa.org/codeofconduct) to research each of the circumstances presented in Problem 3-39 and address whether Daleiden would violate the Code. Provide the Rule of the Code of Professional Conduct invo

> This problem requires access to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct at pub.aicpa.org/ codeofconduct. Sandra Singer is the partner in charge of the Minneapolis office of Wellsley and Associates, CPAs. Sandra asked you to research several issues related

> Thomas Gilbert and Susan Bradley formed a professional corporation called “Financial Services Inc.—A Professional Corporation,” each taking 50 percent of the authorized common stock. Gilbert is a CPA and a member of the AICPA. Bradley is a CPCU (Chartere

> When auditing a client’s asset that is valued at fair value, would the auditors expect that asset to be valued at the price to purchase the asset as of the measurement date or the price that would be received to sell it? Explain.

> Roland Company, a retail store, has utilized your services as independent auditor for several years. During the current year, the company opened a new store, and in the course of your annual audit, you verify the cost of the fixtures installed in the new

> Gary Watson, a graduating business student at a small college, is currently interviewing for a job. Gary was invited by both Tilly Manufacturing Co. and Watson Supply Company to travel to a nearby city for an interview. Both companies have offered to pay

> Charles Worthington, the founding and senior partner of a successful and respected public accounting firm, was a highly competent practitioner who always emphasized high professional standards. One of the policies of the firm was that all reports by memb

> After Commuter Airlines was forced into bankruptcy, the company’s stockholders brought suit against Thomas & Ross, the company’s independent auditors. Three independent assumptions concerning this litigation are listed below: a. Commuter Airlines is not

> Cragsmore & Company, a medium-sized partnership of CPAs, was engaged by Marlowe Manufacturing, Inc., a closely held corporation, to audit its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 20X3. Before preparing the audit report, William Cragsmore,

> Match the following definitions (or partial definitions) of the various types of services to the appropriate term. Each term may be used once or not at all. Definition (or Partial Definition) Service a. A government agency authorized to regulate co

> What is meant by a peer review in public accounting?

> Smith & Co., a local Dallas public accounting firm, is incorporated as a professional corporation, with three shareholders, all CPAs. The shareholders have developed a combination of marketing, software, and professional expertise that has allowed them t

> Match the following definitions (or partial definitions) of the various types of services to the appropriate service. Each service may be used once or not at all. Definition (or Partial Definition) Service a. An attest engagement In which the CPAS

> CPAs become involved in a variety of types of engagements. For each of the following statements, indicate whether it relates to an examination (E), review (R), or agreed-upon procedures (A) engagement. If the statement does not relate to examinations, re

> In deciding upon the type of evidence to be gathered in support of a given item on the financial statements, the auditors should not be influenced by the differences in cost of obtaining alternative forms of evidence.” Do you agree? Explain.

> Each auditing term (or organizational name) in Column 1 below bears a close relationship to a term in Column 2. Required: Identify the most closely related terms in Columns 1 and 2. Organize your answer in a two-column format by copying the numbers an

> Auditors should be familiar with available professional literature from a variety of sources. Listed next are 11 publications in the fields of auditing and accounting. 1. Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs). 2. The Journal of Accountancy. 3. Regulati

> The role of the auditor in the American economy has changed over the years in response to changes in our economic and political institutions. Consequently, the nature of an audit today is quite different from that of an audit performed in the year 1900.

> Select the best answer for each of the following items and give reasons for your choice. a. Which of the following best describes the relationship between assurance services and attest services? (1) While attest services involve financial data, assurance

> Select the best answer for each of the following questions and explain the reasons for your choice. a. If a CPA performs an audit recklessly, the CPA will be liable to third parties who were unknown and not foreseeable to the CPA for: (1) Strict liabilit

> During the audit of a dealership selling only new luxury automobiles, the auditors calculated the year 2 and year 1 ratios in the table below. Select the most reasonable explanation the controller will provide relating to year 2 for each change. An ex