Law and regulation

Audit | Woolf: goodwill write-off periods must be limited

As the collapse of Carillion and Thomas Cook have shown, auditing goodwill and impairments can represent insurmountable problems for auditors, so maximum write-off periods for these intangibles could be the only solution, argues Emile Woolf

10 Dec 2019

Audit

Auditing

Law and regulation

Columnists

Audit | Audit updates: November 2019

In this month’s audit updates, FRC fines leap 44%, MPs grill auditors over Thomas Cook, PwC in $7.9m independence fine, Kingman warns of reform drift while Brydon hits out at ‘shotgun’ approach, BDO predicts 25% audit fee hike, public demands ‘more teeth’ at regulator as new team take over and going concern audit standard is ‘toughened’

1 Nov 2019

Audit | FRC audit fines up 44% to £24.3m

There was a 44% hike in the value of fines issued by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to audit firms last year, following a global trend which sees its replacement regulator set to impose even tougher sanctions, according to analysis by Thomson Reuters

15 Oct 2019

Audit

Corporate governance

Law and regulation

Audit | Audit updates: October 2019

In this month’s audit updates, date set for Autonomy audit complaint hearing, charity regulator criticises audits, Grant Thornton loses FTSE 250 audit, FRC chair fears reforms will not address concerns while EY boss admits zero contingency planning, and NAO consults on local code update

1 Oct 2019

Audit | FRC strengthens going concern requirements for auditors

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has revised its going concern standard, ISA UK 570, in response to a string of corporate failures where auditors failed to warn that companies were on the brink of collapse

30 Sep 2019

Audit | Woolf: bring back auditors’ personal responsibility

After two decades of no change, the audit profession must become personally responsible and legally accountable if it is to provide the levels of assurance demanded by investors, argues Emile Woolf FCA

30 Sep 2019

Audit | FRC boss warns reforms ‘may not address expectations’

Audit watchdog increases enforcement team by 25% during preparations for move to more powerful Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority as outgoing chairman warns reviews may not address all stakeholder expectations

6 Sep 2019

Audit | Grant Thornton loses FTSE 250 Pantheon audit

Private equity investment trust parts ways with mid-tier audit firm after three decades following appointment of EY as new auditor from 2020

3 Sep 2019

Audit | Audit updates: September 2019

In this month’s audit updates, KPMG is hit with £3.5m BNY Mellon fine, FRC fines hit record levels, firms required to report staff misconduct, BEIS clarifies Sports Direct auditor position, PwC quits Staffline audit but wins IHG audit, IESBA aims to strengthen scepticism, FRC consults on client assets while NAO revises Code of Practice

2 Sep 2019

Audit | NAO consults on final stage of local audit code update

The National Audit Office (NAO) is seeking public feedback on proposed updates to its Code of Audit Practice, calling for greater focus on value for money in public bodies

2 Sep 2019

Audit

Auditing

Law and regulation

Audit | BEIS clarifies position over Sports Direct auditor

Lawyers from Sports Direct have approached the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to gain clarity on the role of BEIS following the resignation of auditor Grant Thornton

15 Aug 2019

Audit | FRC consults on limited revisions to CASS standard

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a consultation proposing limited revisions to the Client Assets Assurance Standard (CASS), which provides requirements and guidance for auditors who are have to report to the Financial Conduct Authority on an entity’s compliance with the CASS Rules

1 Aug 2019

Audit | Audit updates: August 2019

In this month’s audit updates, Deloitte hit with £6.5m fine over Serco, Ferrexpo swaps Big Four auditor for MHA, ‘complexities’ delay Sport Direct results, BEIS audit market reform consultation, MPs concerns over FRC chair appointment, ethical standards and local authority audits both up for review

1 Aug 2019

Audit | Two thirds of businesses say audit fails to meet needs of investors

PwC is calling for statutory audits to provide more information about companies’ risks and future prospects following research into audit effectiveness which found that the majority of businesses and investors criticise the current audit process

23 Jul 2019

Audit | FRC revises Practice Note 19 for bank audits

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has issued a revision of Practice Note 19: The audit of banks and building societies, to reflect changes to auditing standards, and a significant rewrite to reflect the latest ISA 540 on disclosures

4 Jul 2019

Audit | Audit updates: July 2019

In this month’s audit updates, fines for PwC over Redcentric, KPMG refuses to retender $2.2m Cineworld audit, ICAEW finds one in four audits sub-standard, Gama Aviation ditches Grant Thornton and the Financial Reporting Council gets a new head of audit inspections on loan from the Bank of England

1 Jul 2019