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Monthly Archives: October 2015

The Game Plan of an Audit

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by Steve Schulzhistory-telecom-audit

Last week while talking to my brother on the phone he asked me what I did as an auditor. I began explaining what the purpose of an audit was, what some basic procedures were, and what different issues raised during an audit when he stopped me and said he had no idea what I was talking about. I sat there in silence for a second and realized there has to be a better way to explain to someone with no knowledge of accounting what I did day in and day out; then it hit me. As huge football fans, I could compare the two with ease – the players/team were the entity, each play was like a new transaction, and the officials were like the auditors. I called him back and went on to explain the following:

Having the necessary personnel – Having the necessary personnel is essential for both the engagement team and the entity. First and foremost, the audit staff must be independent and possess the proper level of training and knowledge to carry out the engagement(s) at hand. The entity also needs to have the appropriate staff able to handle daily processes that oversee the internal controls and maintain records of transactions. In comparison to football, officials must be unbiased, knowledgeable, and properly trained to work their assigned position. Each side of the ball will need the correct number of players and the offense will need to be in the proper formation before any play can be run. In all respects, failure to have the proper personnel may result in unfavorable conditions that gather insufficient audit evidence used to determine an opinion.

Building off of a strong pre-season – During the pre-season, teams, officials, and the league must prepare efficiently and effectively in order for things to run smoothly during the year. In audit this is similar to the planning stages. When planning the engagement, the audit team will come up with a strategy to understand the scope, timing, and direction of the audit; much like a team devises a game plan going into each game.

The players and the officials – Officials monitor each play just like auditors test the transactions of entities. During fieldwork, auditors will examine different accounts, test controls, and perform other procedures required to meet the needs of the game plan formulated during planning. If the results of the auditor’s test dictate that more testing is necessary, the auditor will need to carry out further procedures to get a better look into the area being tested. In comparison, officials on the field will use their training, judgement, and experience to call plays as accurately as possible however, sometimes they will need to investigate the issue further and will go to the replay system for help. This gives the referee the opportunity to get a closer look at the play and make a more accurate ruling, similar to further audit procedures.

whistleMaking the right call – Understanding that not all transactions are perfect, auditors must determine what differences or errors are material and force the auditor to alter their opinion on either the controls or financial statements. Likewise, officials are tasked to make sure that every game is played fairly. Some things, like a holding penalty, will not determine whether a game was played, as a whole, fairly or not  but major issues might. An example of this would be like playing with deflated footballs. This would cause an unfair advantage and may cause the contest to come under question and possibly a forfeit. In short, a holding penalty would be the equivalent of a five dollar difference between the receipt and what was recorded in the books while playing with deflated footballs would be the equivalent of a material misstatement.

Langdon & Company LLP has lots of professionals and football fans alike that would be happy to answer any of your audit questions.  Please contact our office for more information.

Steve ([email protected]) is a staff auditor with Langdon & Company LLP.  He focuses primarily on healthcare and nonprofit organizations.

 

10 Frighteningly Simple Ways to Improve Fraud Prevention

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by Josh Bryantpumpkin

 

Fall has finally arrived!

With the departure of summer, the hot and humid days are gone, and one of the most widely celebrated holidays among America’s youth- Halloween, quickly approaches.  Soon enough ghouls and goblins will be aimlessly wondering the streets in search of sugary-sweets.

However scary, nothing is more frightening to both consumers and business-owners alike than fraud. Forget running to your local costume emporium for disguises, leave the garlic and silver bullets, this shadowy presence is constantly lurking and has no home-remedies for expulsion.

  • Understanding why and how fraud is perpetrated in the minds of those around you is the first and most imperative step. One simple way is to keep the Fraud Triangle in mind. The Fraud Triangle presents the three elements every person has in common when perpetrating fraud: (1) Pressure– Financial or Career Pressure, for example, (2) Rationalization– a way for the person to rationalize their action as being okay, and (3) Opportunity– the ability or perceived ability to commit and hide fraud.
  • Communication: by clearly stating, both orally and in a written statement, employees within your organization have a clear understanding of expectations.
  • “Tone at the top,” or Modeling: first and foremost, executives in an organization must be constantly aware of how they portray the importance of honesty and character.
  • Segregation of duties: in order to stop fraudulent transactions before they happen- having the proper organizational duties prescribed to each individual in the hierarchy is paramount. For example, those who write checks should not be able to book the entry into accounts payable (more on this topic here).
  • Effective security, both physical and logical access safeguards to protect information or tangible assets.
  • Thorough background checks on employees.
  • Keep adequate documentation for an audit trail to catch those that get through the system.
  • Hire a CPA to conduct internal audits regularly.
  • Have a consistent review process for all employees.
  • Stay on your toes, the threat is constantly lurking!josh's cartoon

Josh ([email protected]) is a staff auditor who works primarily on non-profit organizations.  Please contact our office if we can be of service to you!

Why Hire a CPA?

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by Brittany Spragins

When looking to hire an accountant to prepare your taxes or perform an audit, you want to ensure that you select a CPA for several reasons.  When you see the CPA designation, you are assured a level of quality that surpasses the average accountant. CPA seal

Every state maintains its own standards and criteria for becoming a CPA.  According to the NC State Board of Accountancy, the use of the CPA designation is granted only to individuals “who meet the statutory requirements” of NCGS 93-12.  These requirements include passing all four sections of the CPA exam, receiving a minimum level of college education with an emphasis in accounting, an accounting law course that covers ethics, professionalism, and professional responsibility, and appropriate work experience.  When the CPA submits his or her application, it must be accompanied by 3 letters of recommendation to indicate “good moral character.”

When selecting a CPA, you are assured that,

“a CPA should at all times maintain independence of thought and action, hold the affairs of clients in strict confidence, strive continuously to improve professional skills, observe generally accepted principles and standards, promote sound and informative financial reporting, uphold the dignity and honor of the accounting profession, and maintain high standards of personal conduct.” -www.NCCPABoard.gov

In North Carolina, it is against the law to use the CPA title without the state’s approval that you meet its qualifications.  Part of the benefits to the client is that the NC CPA Board establishes consumer confidence since it instills peer reviews of the CPA’s work.  It also provides enforcement of professional ethics and code of conduct to ensure client confidence.

Whether you hire Langdon and Company LLP to assist you on a personal or corporate level, you can have the confidence that you are hiring a CPA firm that upholds the highest levels of professional and ethical standards, maintains excellent working knowledge of the tax and assurance current events, and is a focused on a personal relationship with the client.

For more information on CPA’s, you can visit the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) website www.aicpa.org or the NC State Board of Accountancy website www.nccpaboard.gov

Brittany ([email protected]) is a staff member of Langdon & Company LLP’s tax practice.  She focuses primarily on high net-wealth individual returns and their closely-held companies.

Adult Care Home News

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by Rachel Owensdhhs

We now have some clarity when it comes to DHHS compliance for Adult Care Homes (ACH).  Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly passed General Statute 131 D-4.1-4.3. It was under this statute, that the Adult Care Cost Report requirement returned.  These cost reports are mandatory for facilities receiving State/County Special Assistance Program funds. Types of facilities subject to this requirement include nursing home combination facilities with adult care beds, mental health supervised living facilities, and all other  adult care homes (Licensed under general Statute Chapters 131E, 122C, and 131D, respectively).

In addition to these cost reports, any of these facilities that are licensed for 7 or more beds, are to be audited.  This audit is of the cost report information in the form of Agreed-Upon-Procedures (AUPs), that must be done by a certified public accountant (CPA)/independent accountant.

The requirements for the combination facilities are slightly different since they are based on the Medicare’s requirements of Skilled Nursing facilities.  Combined nursing facilities should submit a cost report and related AUPs based on their last completed Medicare cost report, which in most cases covers October 2013 through September 2014.

Important Dates:  For the mental health facilities, the reporting period is July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.  The reporting period for adult care home facilities is October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015.

The due date is December 31, 2015 for all facilities.

All facilities that do not receive any funds through the State/County Special Assistance Program are considered exempt and an exemption form must be completed.  This form can be found on the DHHS Office of the Controller’s website at www.ncdhhs.gov/control.

Nursing-homeThe ACH cost report software is also available online, here.  All questions related to the AUPs can be addressed to [email protected].  If you have questions about cost report and AUP preparation, please contact our office.