Corey is the auditor for Arthur Inc. When a customer pays Arthur Inc. by check and mails the check to Arthur Inc., Carol, the secretary, gathers the customer checks from their envelopes. For good internal control, what should Carol NOT have the authority to do?I. Deposit the customer checks into Arthur Inc.’s bank accountII. Prepare a listing of the checks receivedIII. Post the credits to the individual customer’s accounts

AUD evidence gathering focuses on obtaining sufficient, appropriate evidence (SAE) to support audit opinions, prioritized by reliability (external > internal, documentary > oral, direct > indirect). Auditors test transaction cycles (Revenue, Expenditure, Payroll, etc.) by evaluating internal controls (tests of controls) and performing substantive procedures to verify assertions like completeness, existence, and accuracy.  Audit Evidence Gathering Fundamentals (SAE) Sufficient (Quantity): Based on risk assessment and materiality. Appropriate (Quality): Relevance and... Show more

AUD evidence gathering focuses on obtaining sufficient, appropriate evidence (SAE) to support audit opinions, prioritized by reliability (external > internal, documentary > oral, direct > indirect). Auditors test transaction cycles (Revenue, Expenditure, Payroll, etc.) by evaluating internal controls (tests of controls) and performing substantive procedures to verify assertions like completeness, existence, and accuracy. 

Audit Evidence Gathering Fundamentals (SAE)
Sufficient (Quantity): Based on risk assessment and materiality.
Appropriate (Quality): Relevance and reliability.
Procedures: Inspection, observation, inquiry, confirmation, recalculation, reperformance, and analytical procedures. 

Key Transaction Cycles & Assertions
Revenue Cycle (Sales & Cash Receipts): Often tested for existence (sales actually occurred) and occurrence. Key documents include customer purchase orders, shipping documents (bill of lading), and sales invoices.
Expenditure Cycle (Purchases & Cash Disbursements): Often tested for completeness (all expenses recorded). Key procedures include reviewing purchasing, receiving, and cash disbursement controls.
Payroll Cycle: Focuses on authorization, timekeeping, and processing.
Cash Cycle: Includes bank reconciliations and testing for kiting (overstating cash). 

Evidence Gathering Techniques by Cycle
Testing Cutoff: Examining transactions immediately before/after year-end to ensure proper period recording.
Existence vs. Completeness: Vouching (from journal to source documents) tests existence; tracing (from source documents to journal) tests completeness.
Segregation of Duties: Ensuring different personnel handle authorization, custody, and recording (e.g., shipping department should be separate from billing). 

Evidence Reliability Hierarchy
Highest: External evidence (confirmations).
Medium: Internal evidence with strong controls.
Lowest: Internal evidence with weak controls; oral evidence. 

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