How would you verify the Cash at hand and Bank
Cash provides
one of the most difficult and one of the most interesting verification problems
with which an auditor must deal. With regard to verification, the auditor
should review the internal control over cash. If for example, one person has
complete control over cash disbursements including approval of invoices for
payment writing and signing cheques, mailing cheques to creditors, and
reconciling the bank statement, the possibilities of errors – international or
un-international are much greater than they would be if those duties were all
separated or carefully reviewed by a superior. Here the extent of the
verification procedures necessary to satisfy an auditor that all was well would
be much greater than in a situation where such duties were sub-divided among
several people each of whom acted independently of the others.
Basic
requirements of Cash verification is that the auditor must satisfy himself:
a) What the
balance of cash actually is?
b) What the
records show the balance of cash should be?
c) Whether
transactions have been properly recorded?
Essentials of
verification Programme
A) To ascertain that all cash is there that
is Said to be there:
I) Count cash on
hand:
1) Count all cash on hand simultaneously;
2) Count each fund or other part of cash on hand in the present of
custodian and obtain acknowledgement;
3) Include in work papers adequate details of item counted to permit
subsequent investigation of peculiar items;
4) Control any un-deposited receipts until they are deposited in the
bank and obtain duplicate copy of bank deposit receipt;
5) Investigate any such means as seems satisfactory any unusual item
included in cash submitted for count.
II) Determine
cash in bank by reconciliation with bank statement:
1) Prepare own Bank Reconciliation, or if client has already
prepared one, review the same thoroughly:
i) Determine
outstanding cheques from a comparison of cancelled cheques returned by bank;
ii) Determine
deposits in transit from comparison of Cash Receipt Book with deposits shown on
bank statement;
iii)
Investigate, any other reconciling items until satisfied about their validity.
2) Obtain a confirmation from the bank covering the balance per bank
on the reconciliation date;
3) Obtain a “cut off” bank statement direct from the bank:
a) verify
outstanding cheques by comparison of cancelled cheques accompanying cut-off
statement with list of outstanding cheque on reconciliation date;
b) verify
deposits in transit by tracing in to deposits listed on cut off statement;
c) review all
cheques returned with cut off statement for unusual items and for cheques not
recorded at reconciliation date.
III) Compare
cash balances determined by cut and reconciliations with cash balances per
general ledger.
IV) Clear
non-cash items from the Cash account balances by adjusting journal entry.
B) To Ascertain that all cash is there that
Should be there:
1) Foot cash
books (including cross-footing);
2) Trace
postings into general ledge;
3) Foot and
balance cash account;
4) Investigate
and peculiar entry in Cash account;
5) Examine
documentary evidence in support of entries in cash record;
6) Review Bank
Reconciliations made during the year;
7) Reconcile
receipts per books with deposits per bank and disbursements per book with
cheques paid per bank;
8) Compare
detail of duplicate deposit tickets with detail of cash receipt record;
9) Account for
all cheque numbers;
10) Examine any outstanding cheques at previous
audit date which did not clear with cut-off statement obtained at that time.
Comments
Post a Comment