Write answers to each of the five (5) situations
described below addressing the required criteria
(i.e. 1 & 2) in each independent case. You may use a tabulated format if helpful having
“Threats”, “Safeguards” and “Objective Assessment” as column headings.
You have just been employed as a junior auditor at the chartered accountant firm of AFG. Upon
joining the firm; the partners requested that you re
view the firm’s audit clients to ensure that the
independence requirements of APES 110 are being met for the financial year ending June 2017.
Your review has revealed the following:
(a)
Other than the provision of audit services, AFG is also reputable for the quality of its
non-assurance services. The non-assurance service department of AFG is highly
regarded because they have several experienced and qualified members. AFG’s strict
policy does not allow the members of the non-assurance department to participate in any
of their assurance services. AFG has provided Silver Fabricators Ltd (SFL), a listed
company, audit services for the last 3 years. This year AFG has decided to provide some
bookkeeping services to three major subsidiaries out of the four subsidiaries owned by
SFL.
(b)
Billie Jean, a senior auditor at AFG, has b
een on the audit team of Alliance Ltd for a
number of years. She was recently thinking of buying a land outside Perth to build a
summer house and she has already spoken to her bankers for loan. As the CFO of
Alliance has known Billie for a number of years now, he decided to help Billie by
seeking the approval of the board in order for Alliance to act as a guarantor for her loan.
(c)
Sandy Adnan, one of the senior partners of AFG responsible for the Sunbeam Ltd’s audit
team for the financial year ending June 2017
, recently came back from a 6 nights and 7
days cruise with her partner. It was an expensive trip but she received a 65% discount.
The CEO of Sunbeam Ltd arranged this concession for her as a gesture of his
appreciation for a job well done.
(d)
Aaron Parker is the current senior manager on the audit of Resources Techno Ltd.
Resources specializes in the production of electronic equipment and they have
showrooms only in Melbourne and NSW. Besides working for AFG, Aaron also owns a
car showroom in Perth (a family business). The business is not doing very well at the
moment. After having a brief conversation with CEO of Resources, he decided that he is
going to display and promote Resources’s equipment here in WA. Aaron has informed
you that this is not going to be a problem si
nce he is just going to promote Resources’s
product.
(e)
Larry Miller, the current senior manager on the audit team of Admiralty Ltd, the newest
client of AFG. Admiralty specialises in the production of mining equipment. Larry used
to work for Admiralty Ltd, as one of their senior accountants. He left Admiralty during
the end of 2013 and joined AFG on March 2016.
Required (
10 marks)
For each of the independent situations above, and using the conceptual framework in APES 110
(Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants), answer the following questions:
1.
Identify potential threat(s) to independence & recommend safeguards (if any) to reduce
the independence threat(s) identified.
(5 marks)
2.
Provide an objective assessment of whether audit independence can be achieved.
(5 marks)
