
12/ If misstatements are identified in the selected items, see paragraphs and paragraphs of Auditing Standard No. 14. 11/ AU sec. 329, Substantive Analytical Procedures, establishes requirements on performing analytical procedures as substantive procedures. 9/ AU sec. 333, Management Representations, establishes requirements regarding written management representations, including confirmation of management responses to oral inquiries.
Auditing Procedures for Testing Assertions
This trial balance calls to ensure that inventory is only recorded as lower cost or net realizable value. In the same manner, the part of the obligation also validates that the organization accepts that it is supposed to abide by the obligations and accept them as its liabilities. For instance, the format of the Income Statement and theBalance Sheet should reflect the standards that are provided in the system thatthe corporation follows. However, it is important to ensure that all the salaries and wages are of the authorized personnel. There should be no unauthorized payroll expenses included in the wages and salaries. For example, an organization might have shown wages and salaries over a given financial period.
What are the five financial statement assertions?
For example, the management assertions costs of the payroll department only include the costs which are relevant to the current year. Previously incurred costs should not be a part of the current year’s payroll expense. Click here if you would like more information on SOC reports from the AICPA’s website.
How Are Management Assertions Evaluated?
- All the financial data shown in the financial statements have been reported properly and at their respective amounts, according to the claims.
- The assertion of completeness also states that a company’s inventory, including inventory that may be temporarily in the possession of a third party, is included in the total inventory figure appearing on a financial statement.
- Financial statement assertions are statements or claims companies make about the fundamental accuracy of the information in their financial statements, like the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.
- Audit Assertions are also referred to as Financial Statement Assertions and Management Assertions.
- Assertions are the backbone of auditing, allowing auditors to evaluate the reliability of financial statements.
- It assists auditors to know the area where the statements may have been misstated.
Independent auditors use these representations as the foundation from which they design and perform procedures to test management’s assertions and form an opinion to which they attest to the public. A lot of work is required for an organization to support the assertions that a management team makes. Often controls related to financial reporting extend beyond the immediate company to service organizations supporting its operations.
#4 – Accuracy & Valuation

This is essential for stakeholders to have confidence in the financial reports, as they rely on these statements to make informed decisions about the organization’s performance and future prospects. Audit evidence is all the information, whether obtained from audit procedures or other sources, that is used by the auditor in arriving at the conclusions on which the auditor’s opinion is based. All the rights and obligations that have been revealed are connected to the reporting company.


Completeness double declining balance depreciation method is a crucial audit assertion since it relates to the balance sheet and income statement. For example, they must ensure companies have recognized all items in fixed assets that they must have. For that, auditors may use various tests and audit procedures to ascertain the completeness of those assets.

Presentation and Disclosure Assertions
- These assertions serve as key guidelines for management to follow when preparing financial statements and reports.
- Hence, the financial statements contain management’s assertions about the transactions, events and account balances and related disclosures that are required by the applicable accounting standards such as US GAAP or IFRS.
- In other words, audit assertions are sometimes called financial statements Assertions or management assertions.
- This includes statements about the company’s assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses.
- If a small company has been reviewed, the auditor may want verification that the cash amount in the checking account is the property of the company.
- Management assertions are claims made by members of management regarding certain aspects of a business.
- Management assertions or financial statement assertions are the implicit or explicit assertions that the preparer of financial statements (management) is making to its users.
They use those assertions to guide their work and ensure they meet their objectives. While audit assertions apply to the balance sheet and income statement, they may have a wider scope. Overall, audit assertions represent claims made by management when preparing financial statements. Financial statement assertions guide auditors in designing audit procedures and evaluating the results of those procedures. Assertions help auditors focus on specific risks of material misstatement and ensure that all aspects of the financial statements are addressed.