The design of a confirmation request may directly affect the confirmation response rate, and the reliability and the nature of the audit evidence obtained from …

Factors to consider when designing confirmation requests include:  The assertions being addressed.   Specific identified risks of material misstatement, including fraud risks.   The layout and presentation of the confirmation request.   Prior experience …

A positive external confirmation request asks the confirming party to reply to the auditor in all cases, either by indicating the confirming party’s agreement with the given information, or by asking the confirming party to provide information.  A …

Determining that requests are properly addressed includes testing the validity of some or all of the addresses on confirmation requests before they are sent …

The auditor may send an additional confirmation request when a reply to a previous request has not been received within a reasonable time.  For example, the auditor may, having re-verified the accuracy of the original address, send an additional or …

A refusal by management to allow the auditor to send a confirmation request is a limitation on the audit evidence the auditor may wish to obtain.  The auditor is therefore required to enquire as to the reasons for the limitation.  A common reason advanced …

The auditor may conclude from the evaluation in paragraph 8(b) that it would be appropriate to revise the assessment of the risks of material misstatement at the assertion level and modify planned audit procedures in accordance with ASA 315.  [14] For …

The alternative audit procedures performed may be similar to those appropriate for a non-response as set out in paragraphs A18-A19 of this Auditing Standard. Such procedures also would take account of the results of the auditor’s evaluation in …

ASA 500 indicates that even when audit evidence is obtained from sources external to the entity, circumstances may exist that affect its reliability. [16] All responses carry some risk of interception, alteration or fraud. Such risk exists regardless of …

Responses received electronically, for example by facsimile or electronic mail, involve risks as to reliability because proof of origin and authority of the respondent may be difficult to establish, and alterations may be difficult to detect.  A process …