Solution Manual for Auditing Cases: An Interactive Learning Approach, 5th Edition

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Auditing Cases
f I f T h e D I T I o n
Instructor resource Manual
Mark S. Beasley
Frank A. Buckless
Steven M. Glover
Douglas F. Prawitt

T a b l e o f c o n T e n T s
i
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
client acceptances e c T I o n
1
1.1 Ocean Manufacturing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The New Client Acceptance Decision
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
Understanding the Client’s Business
and assessing risk
s e c T I o n
2
2.1 Your1040Return.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Evaluating eBusiness Revenue Recognition, Information Privacy,
and Electronic Evidence Issues
2.2 Dell Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Evaluation of Client Business Risk
2.3 Flash Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Risk Analysis
2.4 Asher Farms Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Understanding of Client’s Business Environment
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
professional and ethical Issuess e c T I o n
3
3.1 A Day in the Life of Brent Dorsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Staff Auditor Professional Pressures
3.2 Nathan Johnson’s Rental Car Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Should He Pocket the Cash?
3.3 The Anonymous Caller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Recognizing It’s a Fraud and Evaluating What to Do
3.4 WorldCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
The Story of a Whistleblower
3.5 Hollinger International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Realities of Audit-Related Litigation

T a b l e o f c o n T e n T s
ii
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
accounting fraud and auditor legal liabilitys e c T I o n
4
4.1 Enron Corporation and Andersen, LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Analyzing the Fall of Two Giants
4.2 Comptronix Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Identifying Inherent Risk and Control Risk Factors
4.3 Cendant Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Assessing the Control Environment and Evaluating Risk of
Financial Statement Fraud
4.4 Waste Management, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Manipulating Accounting Estimates
4.5 Xerox Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Evaluating Risk of Financial Statement Fraud
4.6 Phar-Mor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Accounting Fraud, Litigation, and Auditor Liability
4.7 Satyam Computer Services Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Controlling the Confirmation Process
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
Internal control over financial reportings e c T I o n
5
5.1 Simply Steam, Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Evaluation of Internal Control Environment
5.2 Easy Clean, Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Evaluation of Internal Control Environment
5.3 Red Bluff Inn & Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Establishing Effective Internal Control in a Small Business
5.4 St. James Clothiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Evaluation of Manual and IT-Based Sales Accounting System Risks
5.5 Collins Harp Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Recommending IT Systems Development Controls
5.6 Sarbox Scooter, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Scoping and Evaluation Judgments in the Audit of Internal
Control over Financial Reporting
5.7 Société Générale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
How a Low-Risk Trading Area Caused a $7.2 Billion Loss

T a b l e o f c o n T e n T s
iii
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
2.1 Your1040Return.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Evaluating eBusiness Revenue Recognition, Information Privacy,
and Electronic Evidence Issues
5.4 St. James Clothiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Evaluation of Manual and IT-Based Sales Accounting System Risks
5.5 Collins Harp Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Recommending IT Systems Development Controls
9.2 Henrico Retail, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Understanding the IT Accounting System and Identifying Audit
Evidence for Retail Sales
other Cases that disCuss topiCs related to this seCtion
The Impact of Information Technologys e c T I o n
6
6.1 Harley-Davidson, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Identifying eBusiness Risks and Related Assurance Services for
the eBusiness Marketplace
6.2 Jacksonville Jaguars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Evaluating IT Benefits and Risks and Identifying Trust Services
Opportunities
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
other Cases that disCuss topiCs related to this seCtion
planning Materialitys e c T I o n
7
7.1 Anne Aylor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Determination of Planning Materiality and Tolerable Misstatement
5.6 Sarbox Scooter, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Scoping and Evaluation Judgments in the Audit of Internal
Control over Financial Reporting
12.1 EyeMax Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Evaluation of Audit Differences
12.2 Auto Parts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Considering Materiality When Evaluating Accounting Policies
and Footnote Disclosures

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T a b l e o f c o n T e n T s
iv
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
other Cases that disCuss topiCs related to this seCtion
analytical proceduress e c T I o n
8
8.1 Laramie Wire Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Using Analytical Procedures in Audit Planning
8.2 Northwest Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Developing Expectations for Analytical Procedures
8.3 Burlingham Bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Using Analytical Procedures as Substantive Tests
1.1 Ocean Manufacturing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The New Client Acceptance Decision
2.3 Flash Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Risk Analysis
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
auditing cash, fair Value, and revenuess e c T I o n
9
9.1 Wally’s Billboard & Sign Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
The Audit of Cash
9.2 Henrico Retail, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Understanding the IT Accounting System and Identifying Audit
Evidence for Retail Sales
9.3 Longeta Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Auditing Revenue Contracts
9.4 Bud's Big Blue Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Accounts Receivable Confirmations
9.5 Morris Mining Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Auditing Fair Value
9.6 Hooplah, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Applying Audit Sampling Concepts to Tests of Controls and
Substantive Testing in the Revenue Cycle
other Cases that disCuss topiCs related to this seCtion
4.7 Satyam Computer Services Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Controlling the Confirmation Process
8.2 Northwest Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Developing Expectations for Analytical Procedures
8.3 Burlingham Bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Using Analytical Procedures as Substantive Tests

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T a b l e o f c o n T e n T s
v
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
planning and performing audit procedures
in the revenue and expenditure cycles
an audit simulation
s e c T I o n
10
10.1 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Identification of Tests of Controls for the Revenue Cycle
(Sales and Cash Receipts)
10.2 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Identification of Substantive Tests for the Revenue Cycle
(Sales and Cash Receipts)
10.3 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Selection of Audit Tests and Risk Assessment for the Revenue Cycle
(Sales and Cash Receipts)
10.4 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Performance of Tests of Transactions for the Expenditure Cycle
(Acquisitions and Cash Disbursements)
10.5 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Performance of Tests of Balances for the Expenditure Cycle
(Acquisitions and Cash Disbursements)
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
other Cases that disCuss topiCs related to this seCtion
Developing and evaluating
audit Documentation
s e c T I o n
11
11.1 The Runners Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Litigation Support Review of Audit Documentation
for Notes Payable
9.1-6 Section 9: Auditing Cash, Fair Value, and Revenues . . . . . . . . . 271
Various Cases
10.1-5 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
An Audit Simulation

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T a b l e o f c o n T e n T s
vi
Cases inCluded in this seCtion
completing the audit, reporting to
Management, and external reporting
s e c T I o n
12
12.1 EyeMax Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Evaluation of Audit Differences
12.2 Auto Parts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Considering Materiality When Evaluating Accounting Policies
and Footnote Disclosures
12.3 K&K Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Leveraging Audit Findings to Provide Value-Added Insights in a
Manufacturing Environment
12.4 Surfer Dude Duds, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Considering the Going-Concern Assumption
12.5 Murchison Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Evaluating an Attorney’s Response and Identifying the Proper
Audit Report
12.6 Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Sustainability and External Reporting

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vii
a l p h a b e T I c c a s e I n D e x
7.1 Anne Aylor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
3.3 Anonymous Caller, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
2.4 Asher Farms Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
12.2 Auto Parts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
9.4 Bud's Big Blue Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
8.3 Burlingham Bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
4.3 Cendant Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.5 Collins Harp Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
4.2 Comptronix Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
3.1 Day in the Life of Brent Dorsey, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
2.2 Dell Computer Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.2 Easy Clean, Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
4.1 Enron Corporation and Andersen, LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
12.1 EyeMax Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
2.3 Flash Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
12.6 Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
6.1 Harley-Davidson, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
9.2 Henrico Retail, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
3.5 Hollinger International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
9.6 Hooplah, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
6.2 Jacksonville Jaguars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
12.3 K&K Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
8.1 Laramie Wire Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
9.3 Longeta Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
9.5 Morris Mining Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
12.5 Murchison Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
3.2 Nathan Johnson’s Rental Car Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.2 Northwest Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
1.1 Ocean Manufacturing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.6 Phar-Mor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
5.3 Red Bluff Inn & Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
11.1 Runners Shop, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
5.6 Sarbox Scooter, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
4.7 Satyam Computer Services Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.1 Simply Steam, Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
5.7 Société Générale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
10.1 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc.: Tests of Controls for the Revenue Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
10.2 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc.: Substantive Tests for the Revenue Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
10.3 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc.: Audit Tests and Risk Assessment for the Revenue Cycle . . . . 347
10.4 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc.: Tests of Transactions for the Expenditure Cycle . . . . . . . . . 361
10.5 Southeast Shoe Distributor, Inc.: Tests of Balances for the Expenditure Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . 377
5.4 St. James Clothiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
12.4 Surfer Dude Duds, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
9.1 Wally’s Billboard & Sign Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
4.4 Waste Management, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
3.4 WorldCom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
4.5 Xerox Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
2.1 Your1040Return.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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a c k n o w l e D g e M e n T s
We would like to thank our families for their understanding and support while writing this case-
book. We would also like to thank Jonathan Liljegren for his excellent work in the design and layout
of this casebook as well as Christina Rumbaugh and Stephanie Wall for their editorial support.
We are grateful to the research assistants both past and present who have helped write,
revise, and review the cases in this edition. We especially thank Jace Garrett and Aaron Jacob for
their assistance with this latest edition.

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ix
p r e f a c e
Auditing educators continue to look for opportunities to increase their emphasis on the development
of students’ critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal relationship skills. Development
of these types of skills requires a shift from passive instruction to active involvement of students in
the learning process. Unfortunately, current course materials provided by many publishers are not
readily adaptable to this kind of active learning environment, or do not provide materials that address
each major part of the audit process. The purpose of this casebook is to give students hands-on
exposure to realistic auditing situations focusing specifically on each aspect of the audit process.
This casebook contains a collection of 48 auditing cases that allow the instructor to focus
and deepen students’ understanding in each of the major activities performed during the conduct
of an audit, from client acceptance to issuance of an audit report. The cases are designed to engage
the student’s interest through the use of lively narrative and the introduction of engaging issues. In
some cases, supporting material in the instructor notes allows the instructor to create a “surprise” or
“aha!” experience for the student, creating vivid and memorable learning experiences. Many of the
cases are based on actual companies, some involving financial reporting fraud. Several cases give
students hands-on experience with realistic audit evidence and documentation.
Each case contains a series of questions requiring student analysis, with numerous questions
related to the guidance contained in several new authoritative auditing standards, including the
PCAOB’s recently issued Risk Assessment Auditing Standards (up through AS No. 15, Audit
Evidence) and recent standards issued by the Auditing Standards Board (up through SAS No. 121,
Revised Applicability of SAS No. 100, Interim Financial Information). The instructor’s resource
manual also provides references in the solutions to many of the recently revised SASs that are part
of the ASB’s Clarity Project. Several cases require students to gain a clearer understanding of the
specific requirements contained in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Other cases provide additional
exposure to the role of information technology in today’s environment, including a focus on Trust
Services. One case incorporates actual excerpts from transcripts of testimony provided in court
related to a financial statement fraud to illustrate the importance of following audit principles and
procedures. Finally, cases new to this edition highlight the challenges of auditing fair value estimates,
audit decisions related to the use of sampling when performing tests of controls and substantive
testing, audit deficiencies in the highly publicized Satyam fraud, and opportunities for providing
assurance on sustainability reports.
The cases included in this book are suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students.
At the undergraduate level, the cases provide students with active learning experiences that reinforce
key audit concepts addressed by the instructor and textbook. At the graduate level, the cases provide
students with active learning experiences that expand the depth of their audit knowledge. Use of the
casebook will provide students with opportunities to develop a much richer understanding of the
essential underlying issues involved in auditing, while at the same time developing critical thinking,
communication, and interpersonal relationship skills.
The casebook provides a wide variety of cases to facilitate different learning and teaching
styles. For example, several of the cases can be used either as in-class exercises or out-of-class
assignments. This manual clearly illustrates the different instructional approaches available for
each case (e.g., examples of cooperative/active learning activities and/or out-of-class individual or
group assignments) and efficiently prepares the instructor for leading interactive discussions.
Please submit any corrections or suggestions to: auditingcases@byu.edu

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x
f I f T h e D I T I o n
updates to prior Cases
Cases from the prior edition have been updated to reflect changes in professional standards. Cases
based on events at real companies have been updated to reflect recent developments. Dates in the
hypothetical cases have been set in calendar year 2012 with audit procedures performed on the 2011
fiscal year information and/or interim procedures performed on the 2012 fiscal year information.
When appropriate, we have changed underlying data in the hypothetical cases so that the cases
differ from prior editions.
new to the fifth edition
The following cases have been added to the fifth edition to expand coverage of audit topics and
provide timely coverage of recent high profile accounting-related events.
4.7 Satyam Computer Services Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Controlling the Confirmation Process
This case highlights the accounting fraud at the Satyam Computer Services
Company based in Hyderabad, India whereby senior management manipulated
the company's IT-based accounting system to orchestrate a $1.1 billion fraud.
Students learn about techniques used by senior executives to manipulate
revenues and profitability and the importance of maintaining control of the entire
confirmation process.
9.5 Morris Mining Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Auditing Fair Value
In this case students research standards on auditing fair value and then have the
opportunity to consider the appropriateness of Morris Mining's fair value esti-
mate for a patent obtained in an acquisition. Students get hands-on practice at
considering sensitivity of the fair value estimate to changes in the model inputs.
Morris Mining Corporation is a hypothetical company.
9.6 Hooplah, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Applying Audit Sampling Concepts to Tests of Controls
and Substantive Testing in the Revenue Cycle
This case provides students the opportunity to apply audit sampling concepts in
determining the nature and extent of testing. Students evaluate and perform tests
of controls and tests of details on selected samples in an accounts receivable setting.
Students also consider the benefits of risk- and coverage-based substantive testing
prior to applying audit sampling. Hooplah, Inc. is a hypothetical company.
12.6 Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Sustainability and External Reporting
This case presents students with the opportunity to explore the emerging area of
sustainability reporting. Students gain knowledge of the Global Reporting Initiative
Framework for sustainability reporting and use it to evaluate the sustainability report
of an actual company. Students also gain knowledge of the AICPA Attestation Stan-
dards and International Standard on Assurance Engagements that would be used to
provide assurances on sustainability reports.

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3copyright © 2012 by pearson education, Inc., upper saddle river, nJ 07458
The case was prepared by Mark S. Beasley, Ph.D. and Frank A. Buckless, Ph.D. of North Carolina State University and Steven M. Glover, Ph.D. and
Douglas F. Prawitt, Ph.D. of Brigham Young University, as a basis for class discussion. Ocean Manufacturing is a fictitious company. All characters
and names represented are fictitious; any similarity to existing companies or persons is purely coincidental.
ocean Manufacturing, Inc.
The new client acceptance Decision
Mark S. Beasley · Frank A. Buckless · Steven M. Glover · Douglas F. Prawitt
To help students understand the process of[1]
considering a new prospective audit client and
the factors that auditors commonly consider in
making the acceptance decision.
To give students experience in computing and[2]
interpreting preliminary analytical procedures
commonly used in obtaining an understanding
of a prospective client during the client
acceptance decision process.
To raise issues relating to auditor independence[3]
in the context of client acceptance, both in terms
of financial interests and the provision of
non-audit services.
To illustrate the subjective and sometimes[4]
difficult nature of the judgments involved in the
client acceptance decision, and to give students
the opportunity to justify a recommendation on
client acceptance in the presence of both
significant positive and negative factors.
To help students understand how information[5]
gathered in the client acceptance process can
help the auditor in planning the audit if the
client is accepted.
instr uCtional objeCtives
KEY FACTS
The student takes on the role of a newly promoted audit manager recently given the task of
considering factors and making a recommendation with respect to the acceptance of a new
prospective client. The request to consider the engagement was received two weeks past the
client’s fiscal year-end.
The accounting firm, Barnes and Fischer, LLP, is a medium sized national firm with over 6,000
professionals on the payroll. The firm mainly provides auditing and tax services, but has been
trying with some success to build the information systems consulting side of the business over
the past few years. Most of the clients in the local office that is considering the acceptance of
Ocean Manufacturing, Inc. are in the healthcare services industry.
The prospective client, Ocean Manufacturing, is a medium-sized manufacturer of small home
appliances, and is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in the next two years. The company
has recently decided to terminate its relationship with its current auditor. The partner is intrigued
with the idea of having a client in the home appliance industry. She believes the engagement
may present an excellent opportunity for Barnes and Fischer to enter a new market.
The case gives brief background information on the home appliances industry and Ocean’s
business environment, management team, selected financial statement accounts, and internal
controls. Summary information is also provided on the predecessor auditor, independence
issues, and client background checks. Ocean’s financial statements are also included, together
with some industry ratios.
Ocean’s management reluctantly gives Barnes and Fischer permission to contact the predecessor
1.1c a s e

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4
section 1: client acceptance
auditor. The engagement partner at the predecessor firm indicates he had problems dealing
with Ocean’s new IT system and management’s tendency to become aggressive with financial
reporting issues (year-end accruals and revenue recognition) to meet creditor requirements for
relatively favorable interest rates. He also indicates there had been some disagreement over the
proposed audit fee.
Two independence issues are raised for research or discussion. These involve consulting services
and an immaterial indirect financial interest by a partner in another office.
Ocean has recently implemented a new IT system, and the transition has not gone smoothly. As
a result, some audit trails have not been successfully maintained. Risk of material misstatement
is high in 1) inventory tracking and cost accumulation, 2) receivables billing and aging, 3)
payroll deductions, 4) payables balances, and 5) balance sheet account classifications.
There has been significant management turnover in the past year. A client background check
reveals that the V.P. of finance was charged with illegal gambling five years ago, raising a
management integrity issue.
USE OF CASE
This case is designed to expose students to a client acceptance decision that includes consideration
of both significant positive and negative client acceptance issues. The case has been designed to
present a non-trivial acceptance decision, making class discussion more rich and interesting. The
case is intended to go beyond the standard textbook treatment of the client acceptance decision by
illustrating the subjective nature of the process and stimulating discussion of the issues affecting this
important decision. The case can be used in either an introductory or an advanced financial statement
auditing course. The case is short enough to be used as a stimulating in-class learning exercise,
but involved enough to be used as an out-of-class written assignment, including computation of
preliminary analytical procedures and preparation of recommendation and pre-planning memos.
If the case is to be used for an in-class discussion, we recommend having students read the
case as an out-of-class reading assignment prior to the in-class discussion. A useful cooperative
learning technique to use for the in-class discussion is “Roundtable.” The basic process for the
Roundtable activity is to have students meet in small groups to state aloud and write down on a
single sheet of paper ideas for each question. Once all students have had an opportunity to state
their ideas and arrive at a group consensus, the instructor can randomly call on individual students
to share their group’s answers with the class. The class time allocated to the group discussion can
be shortened by assigning groups responsibility for different case questions. Randomly calling on
individual students to share their group’s answers with the class helps to ensure that all students take
responsibility for learning the material.
If the case is going to be used as an out-of-class writing assignment, we recommend
discussing the case requirements with the students prior to having them complete the assignment.
A useful cooperative learning technique to use for the out-of-class writing assignment is “peer
editing.” With this approach students first meet in pairs to develop an outline for each memo. Once
the outlines are developed, one student individually drafts the recommendations memo while the
other student drafts the pre-planning memo based on the outlines. When the drafts are completed,
students exchange draft responses and prepare written suggestions on the grammar, organization,
and accuracy of the composition. Students then meet to discuss revisions for each draft. Finally,
students revise their responses based on the suggestions provided. To ensure the process is followed,
students should attach their final drafts to the outlines and critiqued drafts. The out-of-class activity
can be reviewed by having student pairs compare their answers with another student pair. Students
can then be selected to share their answers with the whole class. Again, randomly selecting students
to share their answers with the class helps to maintain individual student accountability for the
learning task.

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5
case 1.1: ocean Manufacturing, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
References to AU sections have been updated to reflect the new codification of ASB clarity standards.
PCAOB standards are referenced by standard number. Relevant professional standards for this
assignment are:
AICPA ASB Standards: AU 210, “Terms of Engagement,” AU 300, “Planning an Audit,” AU 510,
“Opening Balances --Initial Audit Engagements, Including Reaudit Engagements,” ET Section 101
“Independence,” ET Section 301, “Confidential Client Information,” and QC Section 10, “A Firm's
System of Quality Control.”
PCAOB Standards: AS9, "Audit Planning.”
Questions and suGGested solutions
NOTE: The underlying attendance, facts, numbers, and suggested solutions have changed in the
5th edition to address the availability of solutions of prior editions for sale on the internet.
The client acceptance process can be quite complex. Identify five procedures an auditor should[1]
perform in determining whether to accept a client. Which of these five are required by auditing
standards?
There are many activities that are reasonable for an auditor to perform in making the client
acceptance decision. Thus, students’ answers will vary greatly. Relevant standards (see
prior listing) require that the audit firm establish quality control procedures to determine
whether a client should be accepted. The audit firm also must determine its independence
with respect to the prospective client, evaluate its ability to adequately service the
prospective client, evaluate the integrity of management, and attempt to communicate with
the predecessor auditor after obtaining permission from the prospective client to discuss
confidential matters. Once these steps are taken the client and auditor must come to an
agreement on various issues such as the nature and limitations of the specific services to
be rendered, the expected cooperation of client personnel, the anticipated audit start and
end dates, and an estimated audit fee. Below are some of the more common and important
activities (those activities that are specifically required by relevant standards begin with an
asterisk):
Obtain and review client financial information such as annual reports and income taxa)
returns.
*Evaluate the integrity of client management.b)
*Communicate with the predecessor auditor after receiving permission from the client.c)
Topics discussed should include management integrity and any disagreements about
accounting or auditing issues.
*Determine the independence of your firm with respect to the client.d)
Inquire of third parties about the client (banks, attorneys, credit agencies, etc.).e)
*Take various steps to obtain an understanding of the client and its industry (e.g., on-sitef)
tour, reviewing industry publications), and determine if your firm has or can reasonably
expect to obtain the technical skills and industry knowledge needed to perform the audit
properly.
Consider whether the client has any unusual or special circumstances that will requireg)
special attention by your firm. Also consider whether issues such as litigation or going-
concern problems exist for the client.
Perform preliminary analytical procedures to obtain an understanding of the prospectiveh)
client and its industry.

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6
section 1: client acceptance
Evaluate the opportunities and business risks posed by the client to your auditing firm.i)
Obtain an agreement from management that it acknowledges and understands itsj)
responsibility for selecting the appropriate financial reporting framework, establishing
and maintaining internal control, and providing access and information to the auditor.
Determine whether the client is using an acceptable accounting framework.k)
Determine if management is going to impose a limitation on the scope of the auditor’sl)
work.
Using Ocean’s financial information, calculate relevant preliminary analytical procedures to[2]
obtain a better understanding of the prospective client and to determine how Ocean is doing
financially. Compare Ocean’s ratios to the industry ratios provided. Identify any major
differences and briefly list any concerns that arise from this analysis.
The following are various ratios computed from Ocean’s financial statements. This question
is intentionally vague so that students will have to refer to their auditing textbook for
guidance on the types of analytical procedures useful for gaining an understanding of the
client. The instructor can make the assignment more specific by requiring specific ratios
to be computed. The instructor could also require preparation of horizontal and vertical
analyses on the financial statements.
Several interesting trends should be noted in the ratios. Return ratios are improving,
as is inventory turnover (which is poor relative to the industry), but accounts receivable
turnover, while relatively good, is deteriorating.
2011 2010 2009
ROE 8.94% 7.11% 6.28%
ROA 4.54% 3.77% 3.39%
Asset to equity 1.97 1.88 1.85
Accounts Receivable Turnover 11.69 13.11 14.02
Average Collection Period 31.23 27.85 26.03
Inventory Turnover 6.08 4.51 3.48
Days in Inventory 59.98 80.89 104.99
Debt Ratio 0.49 0.47 0.46
Debt to Equity 0.97 0.88 0.85
Times interest earned 4.70 4.24 6.23
Current ratio 1.85 1.92 1.69
Profit Margin (on operating income) 5.5% 6.0% 4.7%
Industry Ratios for Comparison:
2011 2010
ROE 20.33% 26.22%
ROA 6.62% 8.10%
Asset to equity 3.30 2.82
Accounts Receivable Turnover 7.49 6.96
Average Collection Period 41.25 44.35
Inventory Turnover 8.09 6.90
Days in Inventory 38.16 43.86
Debt to Equity 2.38 1.90
Times interest earned 1.62 2.37
Current ratio 1.29 1.44
Profit Margin (on operating income) 10.58% 10.82%

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7
case 1.1: ocean Manufacturing, Inc.
Major Differences to be noted:
Ocean has a low return on equity relative to the industry.a)
Ocean has a low return on assets relative to the industry.b)
Ocean’s accounts receivable turnover is high relative to the industry.c)
Ocean’s inventory turnover is low relative to the industry.d)
Ocean’s profit margin is low relative to the industry.e)
What nonfinancial matters should be considered before accepting Ocean as a client? How[3]
important are these issues to the client acceptance decision? Why?
Relevant non-financial matters include the following:
Recent management turnover. This matter may or may not pose a potential problem toa)
the audit, but may be a sign of other problems that should be investigated. The controller
is very new and has little relevant experience, which may make audit work slower and
more difficult.
High auditor turnover rate. This should be a red flag to the auditors. The auditorsb)
should look into why Ocean has employed so many different auditors in so few years.
Complicated new computer system. The complicated system poses a couple of problemsc)
for the auditors. First, the auditors may have difficulty getting the information they
need from the system, and a question arises regarding auditability. Second, inadequate
controls over the new system may increase the amount of substantive testing required.
Client hesitant to allow new auditor to speak with previous auditor. Anytime a client isd)
hesitant or unwilling to allow new auditors to communicate with the previous auditor, a
red flag should be raised in the mind of the successor auditor, and a careful examination
of the issue, including consideration of management integrity, should ensue.
Illegal gambling incident. This is a matter of concern because it raises the managemente)
integrity issue. What the V.P. of finance did was definitely wrong, but the impact on
the overall integrity of management is a matter of judgment. This issue can be debated
among the students. Some will come down on one side saying that if a key member
of management is dishonest in one thing, he is likely to be dishonest in others. Other
students will argue that the incident has little to do with the business and its management,
especially since there are no other known incidents. At a minimum, this incident creates
an opportunity to raise and discuss the central role of management integrity in the client
acceptance decision.
Initial public offering. Ocean has plans to go public and aggressively expand into thef)
national market. If successful, these plans will make Ocean a more attractive client for
Barnes and Fischer, but they also serve to increase the auditor’s business risk (increased
reliance on the statements, increased litigation risk, etc.) and should be considered.
Management’s aggressiveness. There are some indications in the case that managementg)
is willing to manipulate the financial statements via year-end accruals and revenue
recognition to achieve relatively low interest rates from creditors. This raises a potential
management integrity issue, and should be heavily weighted in view of the fact that the
upcoming IPO may give management even greater incentive to manipulate the financial
statements.
Relationship with predecessor auditor. This issue is left intentionally debatable inh)
the case, but is certainly a concern that should be raised. The relationship with the
predecessor auditor has been negative, and this is cause for concern. On the other hand,
the poor relations may be present because the auditor did not have a sound understanding
of Ocean’s business and was not competent in helping Ocean with its new IT system.
Personality issues can also play a role. Further, the apparent differences over the current
year’s audit fee should be a concern to Barnes and Fischer from a business perspective.
Students should also raisei) positive non-financial issues, such as the opportunity to expand

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8
section 1: client acceptance
into a new industry and the opportunity to provide significant consulting services
relating to Ocean’s new IT system as well as to Ocean’s internal controls. The company
has a relatively long and stable history in the small appliances industry. Further, Ocean
is well positioned in the small appliances market. With its plans for going public and
expanding nationally, the company may become an even larger and more attractive
client. Some students will think the case represents a clear non-acceptance situation
due to the negative factors listed above. The instructor can provide some perspective
by pointing out that no prospective client comes without some concerns and problems.
Ocean certainly presents some issues and concerns, but would likely be accepted by most
auditing firms. (Two different partners from major firms commented in presenting this
case to graduate auditing courses that the level of risk presented by Ocean Mfg. was fairly
typical of many of the firm’s clients. In our experience, most students indicate that they
would not accept Ocean Mfg. as a client. This case provides an opportunity for students
to better understand the subjective issues and risks that auditors face in practice.).
[a][4] Ocean wants Barnes and Fischer to aid in developing and improving its IT system. What
are the advantages and disadvantages of having the same CPA firm provide both auditing and
consulting services? Given current auditor independence rules, will Barnes and Fischer be able
to help Ocean with its IT system and still provide a financial statement audit? Support your
conclusion with appropriate citations to authoritative standards if your instructor indicates
that you should do so.
The issue of providing both systems consulting and auditing services to the same client has
been a topic of considerable debate in the profession. Some parties argue that providing
both consulting and auditing services to the same client may impair auditor objectivity. On
the other hand, many in the profession argue that a great deal of efficiency is gained by the
same firm providing both kinds of services because the firm can leverage the auditor’s deep
understanding of the client and its information system in providing additional services. For
public companies, which are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the auditor is not
permitted to provide certain types of consulting services for clients. Financial information
systems design and implementation is not an approved consulting service under Sarbanes-
Oxley. Until it executes its planned initial public offering, Ocean is a privately-held company
and is thus subject to AICPA independence requirements. The AICPA Code of Professional
Conduct indicates that systems implementation is an acceptable nonattest service to
provide to audit clients under certain conditions. For example, while a CPA firm may
assist an audit client in implementing a computer software package, it may not “design” the
financial information system by creating or changing the computer source code underlying
the system. Students typically have strong views on this issue. Some argue that objectivity
would likely be impaired, and others argue that the objectivity issue can be dealt with and
that the efficiencies gained outweigh the potential costs.
[b] As indicated in the case, one of the partners in another office has invested in a venture capital
fund that owns shares of Ocean common stock. Would this situation constitute a violation of
independence according to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct? Why or why not?
According to Rule 101 of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, materiality is not to be
considered in the case of a direct financial interest—no direct financial interests on the part of
the auditor are tolerated. However, if the financial interest is indirect, as in the case of a mutual
fund or venture capital fund investment, materiality is considered. It is fairly clear from the
case that the partner’s indirect financial interest is immaterial and thus does not constitute a
violation of Rule 101. The instructor may wish to point out that no individual who is on the
engagement team, who is a partner or manager not on the attest engagement team but who
provides nonattest services to that client, who is a partner who works in the same office as the

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9
case 1.1: ocean Manufacturing, Inc.
attest engagement’s lead partner, or who is a position to influence the engagement, can hold a
direct financial interest in the client. However, even the partner in charge of the Ocean audit
would be permitted to hold an immaterial indirect financial interest in Ocean.
[a][5] Prepare a memo to the partner making a recommendation as to whether Barnes and Fischer
should or should not accept Ocean Manufacturing, Inc. as an audit client. Carefully justify
your position in light of the information in the case. Include consideration of reasons both for
and against acceptance and be sure to address both financial and nonfinancial issues to justify
your recommendation.
The memo should be professional in appearance and in substance, and should be well written.
The memo should include the points brought out in the preceding questions, which are
designed to help prepare the students to make reasoned and informed recommendations.
The memo should also include a clear recommendation as to whether the client should be
accepted. There is no right or wrong recommendation as long as a student demonstrates s/
he weighed the issues and made a reasonable decision based on the information provided.
However, in our experience, students tend to be much more negative about the prospect
of accepting Ocean as an audit client than are auditing professionals. Most of our students
tend to reject Ocean as a client; audit partners visiting our classrooms, especially those
partners from non-big 4 firms, often indicate that Ocean is similar to many of their own
clients. Students tend to want an ideal client; audit professionals have to make a living in
the real world, which includes dealing with clients that have some issues and that present
some risks. Emphasize that the client acceptance decision is a very subjective one that is
ultimately determined by professional judgment.
[b] Prepare a separate memo to the partner briefly listing and discussing the five or six most
important factors or risk areas that will likely affect how the audit is conducted if the Ocean
engagement is accepted. Be sure to indicate specific ways in which the audit firm should tailor
its approach based on the factors you identify.
This pre-planning memo should include many of the same issues considered in the acceptance
decision. However, this memo should then consider the implications of these issues for how
the audit will be conducted assuming the client is accepted. The case discusses many issues
that would have potentially important implications for conducting the audit. Some of the
more important implications are listed below.
As a result of Ocean’s recent IT implementation, some audit trails have not beena)
successfully maintained. The auditor will need to determine how to gain comfort on the
items for which traditional audit trails were not maintained. Depending on the nature
of the items, the auditor may be able to gather evidence by backing in to the missing
periods using the data from before and after the breakdown of the trails. Additionally,
analytical procedures to test for reasonableness may become more important due to the
audit trail breakdowns.
Also as a result of Ocean’s recent IT implementation, risk of material misstatement isb)
high in inventory tracking and cost accumulation, receivables billing and aging, payroll
deductions, payables balances, and balance sheet account classifications. Substantive
procedures with relatively large sample sizes will likely play an important role in these
areas, with particular emphasis on tests of details of balances.
Internal controls appear to be lacking. Thus, the auditor will likely have to rely heavilyc)
on substantive procedures. This will in turn have implications for staffing budgets and
the cost of the audit.
Accounts Receivable turnover, while good, is deteriorating. This suggests that thed)
auditor may want to pay special attention to the valuation of receivables.
Inventory turnover, while still poor relative to the industry, has improved rathere)

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10
section 1: client acceptance
dramatically over the past three years. This could be due to more effective inventory
management, but may also be due to misstatements in the inventory account. This
suggests the auditor may want to emphasize the completeness, valuation, and accuracy
objectives for inventory. Since the client is a manufacturer with relatively large inventory
balances, the audit of inventory will be a major focus of the audit.
Ocean’s profit margin percentage and return on equity are low relative to the industry.f)
The auditor should identify and corroborate a viable explanation. These factors are
likely related to Ocean’s cost structure or the competitiveness of Ocean’s region or
product set. However, the issue is worth investigating as these ratios may be seen as red
flags for fraud risk.
The predecessor auditor indicated that Ocean’s management tended to become aggressiveg)
in the treatment of accruals and revenue recognition toward the year-end. This is clearly
an area where the auditors will want to focus a great deal of attention, increasing the
extent of cut-off tests, reasonableness of accruals, etc. Frequent material fourth-quarter
adjustments are also considered a red flag for fraud, so the audit program should probably
take into account a heightened risk of fraud, in accordance with auditing standards.
Since the successor auditor will take on the audit subsequent to year-end, some cut-off andh)
inventory issues arise. For ending inventory in particular, the successor will either have
to rely on the work of the predecessor auditor (if the predecessor observed the client’s
ending inventory procedures) or gain comfort by “backing into” the ending inventory
balance via alternative procedures, such as roll-backs and tests of transactions.

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2s e c T I o n
understanding
the Client’s Business
and assessing risk
2.1 Your1040Return.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Evaluating eBusiness Revenue Recognition,
Information Privacy, and Electronic Evidence Issues
2.2 Dell Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Evaluation of Client Business Risk
2.3 Flash Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Risk Analysis
2.4 Asher Farms Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Understanding of Client’s Business Environment
Cases inCluded in this seCtion

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13copyright © 2012 by pearson education, Inc., upper saddle river, nJ 07458
The case was prepared by Mark S. Beasley, Ph.D. and Frank A. Buckless, Ph.D. of North Carolina State University and Steven M. Glover, Ph.D. and
Douglas F. Prawitt, Ph.D. of Brigham Young University, as a basis for class discussion. Your1040Return.com is a fictitious company. All characters
and names represented are fictitious; any similarity to existing companies or persons is purely coincidental.
your1040return.com
evaluating ebusiness revenue recognition,
Information privacy, and electronic evidence Issues
Mark S. Beasley · Frank A. Buckless · Steven M. Glover · Douglas F. Prawitt
To illustrate business risks for Internet-only[1]
business models.
To help students develop skills related to[2]
identifying internal control responses to
eBusiness risks.
To highlight revenue recognition issues related[3]
to eBusiness transactions.
To illustrate unique accounting issues associated[4]
with Internet web site banner advertisements.
To help students identify privacy issues[5]
associated with Internet-based business models.
To illustrate audit implications when transaction[6]
audit trails are solely electronic.
To help students recognize threats to eBusiness[7]
strategies.
instr uCtional objeCtives
KEY FACTS
Your1040Return.com is a leading provider of online income tax preparation and filing services
for individual taxpayers.
The company was founded two years ago by Steven Chicago who realized individuals may be
frustrated with the need to purchase tax preparation software upgrades each year to ensure their
tax software reflects recent changes in the tax code.
Your1040Return.com’s strategy is to provide up-to-date tax preparation software that can be
accessed through the Internet by individuals who pay membership fees for that access.
In essence, Your1040Return.com’s customers “rent” access to tax preparation software packages
that are continually kept up-to-date with the latest tax law changes. Customers can also use
Your1040Return.com’s services to electronically file an already prepared paper-based tax return.
Customers can use Your1040Return.com to file both state and federal tax returns.
Your1040Return.com customers select from one of three service packages: Silver, Gold, or
Platinum.
Silver package customers can access electronic copies of tax forms, schedules, and publications
and can enter tax return information directly onto those forms and schedules. Your1040Return.
com will also file the completed return electronically to the appropriate regulatory agency.
In addition to the Silver package services, Gold package customers have one-year access to a
commercially developed and continually maintained tax preparation software package that
assists customers in the preparation of their individual returns.
Platinum package customers have access to the premium level of services, which allow customers
to have multi-year access to the tax preparation software and personalized attention and real-
time tax support from qualified income tax specialists.
2.1c a s e

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14
Section 2: Understanding the Client’s Business and Assessing Risk
Revenue recognition differs for each product offered by Your1040Return.com.
Your1040Return.com’s business is seasonal with its highest demand from early February through
April 15 th each year. The company experiences peaks in demand during periods surrounding
extension deadlines.
Tax payments and refunds are not funded by Your1040Return.com. Rather, tax refunds are
remitted directly from the IRS or state agency to the individual. Tax payments are charged by
the IRS or state agency to the individual’s credit card account.
Your1040Return.com also engages in ad swapping with a number of major Internet companies.
In exchange for providing electronic advertisements on the Your1040Return.com web site, the
company receives free banner ads on other web sites.
Servers located at Your1040Return.com’s offices support the tax preparation software. The
servers are in facilities with physical access securities and are protected logically by firewalls
and access passwords.
The company hires several tax experts to monitor tax code changes and to help ensure the
underlying tax software is accurate. The company contracts with a software design firm to
develop the online tools. Two of Chicago's nephews oversee the operations of the IT platform;
each has less than 5 years of relevant work experience.
The company's CFO joined the company after three years of audit experience with a Big Four
international accounting firm.
The company does not have an official customer privacy policy. The company has been approached
by marketing executives who are interested in purchasing Your1040Return.com’s customer lists.
As part of a recent line of credit arrangement with the local bank, Your1040Return.com’s financial
statements must now be audited.
USE OF CASE
This case assignment provides students the opportunity to recognize that while the Internet and
related innovative uses of technology offer opportunities for new avenues for conducting business,
there are unique risks and related accounting issues that must be considered. This case exposes
students to issues associated with a relatively new eBusiness enterprise that provides tax-related
services via the Internet. This case explores several issues that arise with an Internet-based business
model.
First, the case highlights how the Internet provides innovative ways for businesses to deliver
value added services to consumers. As a result, this case exposes students to issues different from
those associated with traditional “brick and mortar” businesses. And, because the underlying
service relates to tax preparation software for customers, accounting students can easily understand
the main components of Your1040Return.com’s service offering to consumers.
Second, the structure of the three levels of product service offerings (Silver, Gold, and
Platinum) provides a nice opportunity to engage students in an analysis and class discussion of
the accounting implications related to revenue recognition. This analysis helps students see how
operational decisions about product and service offerings create different accounting issues for each
offering. In addition, the use of bartering for the ad banner transactions exposes students to a
unique accounting issue for many Internet based businesses.
Third, the case illustrates basic business decisions that start-up companies must make.
For example, the case highlights the practical aspects and related implications of attracting and
hiring affordable employees with the necessary job skills. It also highlights the difficult realities of
maintaining basic business operations with limited resources and talents, such as Your1040Return.
com’s limited IT system and lack of ideal data and system backups. Finally, the case illustrates
tradeoffs business owners must make by highlighting the ethical dilemmas associated with the
potential decision to sell private customer information to external marketing agencies.

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case 2.1: your1040return.com
This case could be used in either an undergraduate or graduate auditing or accounting
information systems course to highlight unique business risks, internal controls, and audit evidence
issues associated with Internet-based businesses. The questions related to revenue recognition may
be effective for use in an undergraduate intermediate accounting course.
Students can complete the case individually or in groups as an in-class or out-of-class
assignment. Because the case is relatively short, students can read the case during the class period
to prepare for an in-class discussion of several of the questions. Other questions, however, may be
better suited as an out-of-class assignment (e.g., see question 1.e and 1.g) that students complete
before an in-class discussion is held.
This assignment can be broken down into several sub-assignments that can be completed at
various points during a quarter or semester. Students should particularly enjoy this case, given that
it exposes them to broader business issues associated with Internet-based businesses.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
References to AU sections have been updated to reflect the new codification of ASB clarity standards.
PCAOB standards are referenced by standard number. Relevant professional standards for this
assignment are:
AICPA ASB Standards: Relevant professional standards for this assignment include AU Section 315
“Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement,”
AU Section 330, “Performing Audit Procedures in Response to Assessed Risks and Evaluating the
Audit Evidence Obtained,” and AU Section 540, “Auditing Accounting Estimates, Including Fair
Value Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures.”
PCAOB Standards: AS5, “An Audit of Internal Control over Financial Reporting That is Integrated
with an Audit of Financial Statements,” AS 8, “Audit Risk,” and AS12, "Identifying and Assessing
Risks of Material Misstatement.” (Note: PCAOB Standards are relevant from an informational
perspective, but are not required since Your1040Return.com is not a public company.)
Questions and suGGested solutions
You are an audit senior with Gooch & Brown CPA, LLP, a local accounting firm specializing in[1]
audits of information systems and financial statements. Your1040Return.com engaged your
firm to perform its financial statement audit. You have been asked by the partner to perform
the following tasks:
Describe to Stephen Chicago why it is important for your firm to have an understanding of[a]
Your1040Return.com’s business model.
The second standard of fieldwork in generally accepted auditing standards requires that
“The auditor must obtain a sufficient understanding of the entity and its environment, including
its internal control, to assess the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements whether
due to error or fraud, and to design the nature, timing , and extent of further audit procedures.”
A thorough understanding of the client’s business model is essential for doing an adequate
audit. The nature of the client’s business operations and industry directly affects client
business risks and the risk of material misstatements in the financial statements. The auditor
uses the knowledge about these risks to determine the appropriate extent of audit evidence
to be obtained through further audit procedures. Without an adequate understanding of the
underlying client business models, auditors may fail to adequately identify relevant business
risks. That failure will likely result in audit procedures inadequately designed to detect
material misstatements in the financial statements.

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Section 2: Understanding the Client’s Business and Assessing Risk
The auditor should understand factors such as major sources of revenue, key customers
and suppliers, sources of financing, and competitors, among other matters, related to the
client’s core business operations. Through such an understanding, the auditor may be more
likely to identify business risks arising from unique incentives and pressures or deficiencies
in internal controls created by that business model structure that increase opportunities
for misstatements in the financial statements. Additionally, knowledge about core business
models gives auditors a better understanding of the client’s business and industry to provide
value-added services to those clients.
Identify Your1040Return.com’s major business risks and describe how those risks may[b]
increase the likelihood of material misstatements in Your1040Return.com’s financial
statements.
Because Your1040Return.com’s main business model involves the provision of software
and other services accessed through the Internet, the company faces different issues from
traditional “brick and mortar” businesses. Here is an overview of several business risks that
Your1040Return.com faces:
Customer Demand. Because the business model is solely based on services delivered
through the Internet, there may be individuals who are uncomfortable using the Internet
to use the online tax services. Certain customers may be reluctant to submit personal
tax related financial information over the public Internet. As a result, the customer base
in the online marketplace may be limited. That may put pressure on management to
generate future revenues to maintain profitability goals and targets. That pressure may
provide incentives for management to aggressively account for revenue and expense
transactions to achieve those profitability goals. In some cases, management may select
options that are not in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Software Technical Accuracy. One of the main selling features for Your1040Return.
com is access to an up-to-date popular tax software package. There is some risk that
the tax preparation software contains errors in the interpretation and application of
the complicated federal and state tax codes, which in turn may cause customers to file
incorrect returns. If that risk is realized, Your1040Return.com may create contingencies
related to potential liabilities associated with litigation claims from customers. In
addition, as information about errors in the tax software packages becomes public,
customers may be reluctant to continue subscribing to the online services offered, which
will lead to decreased revenues. The revenue pressure may lead to incentives to engage
in aggressive accounting to maintain profitability goals.
Service Availability. Because Your1040Return.com’s core business is based on services
delivered via the Internet, the company faces the risk that customers may not be able to
access the tax preparation software if there is a failure in the Internet link to the services.
Any system failures with Your1040Return.com’s computer servers would prevent the
company from providing services for its customers, unless reliable and quick backup access
is consistently maintained. If the service access is unavailable for a significant amount of
time, the company may lose customers, which would create pressures for management to
maintain its profitability. In addition, the lack of access to services may create revenue
recognition problems given that the company has not fulfilled its service obligations for
customers who have already paid for unlimited access to the software services.
Inadequate Staff. Currently, key staff positions related to system support and the
accounting functions have limited experience. As Your1040Return.com’s business
continues to grow, the size and complexities associated with company growth may present

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case 2.1: your1040return.com
issues that the current staff is unable to adequately handle. The lack of experience of the
current staff may result in errors in judgment that lead to misstatements in the financial
statements.
Electronic Only Evidence. Your1040Return.com engages in all transactions
electronically, with backups of that data performed daily. There is some risk that the data
may be lost or temporarily not accessible, which may increase the difficulty of managing
the business and creating (and auditing) accurate financial statements.
Customer Privacy. Because customers access Your1040Return.com’s services to
complete their individual tax returns, Your1040Return.com has access to highly
sensitive personal financial and other demographic data. There is a risk that some of that
information might be inadvertently given to or accessed by external parties. If that occurs,
Your1040Return.com may face contingencies associated with litigation and other claims
filed by customers affected that would need to be disclosed in the financial statements.
Indicate what Your1040Return.com should do to improve its internal control?[c]
Below are suggestions designed to strengthen Your1040Return.com’s internal controls:
Revenue Recognition Controls. Your1040Return.com should evaluate the adequacy of
internal controls surrounding its revenue recognition. Currently, Your1040Return.com
recognizes revenue differently for the three levels of service. For the Platinum service,
revenue for the first year of service is recognized completely at the point the customer
requests the service. Revenue recognition is not spread across the year of service and
is not contingent on the filing of a return. However, revenue for the Gold service is
treated differently. A portion of the revenue is recognized when service is activated with
the remainder not recognized until the customer files the return. Management needs
to evaluate internal controls over revenue recognition to ensure that the treatment is
consistent with generally accepted accounting principles for all levels of service (For
further information regarding revenue recognition see solution to question 1.e).
Backup and Contingency Controls. Your1040Return.com’s ability to generate
revenues is dependent on the availability of customer access through the Internet to
Your1040Return.com’s servers and databases. The company needs to evaluate the
adequacy of the backup and contingency controls in the event there is a server failure.
Backup files should be made frequently (at least daily) and stored off site in secure
environments. Alternative servers fully loaded with software and necessary backup data
files should be available so that service can be provided in the event of a system failure.
These backup and contingency controls should be regularly tested.
Privacy Controls. Because Your1040Return.com has access to highly sensitive customer
financial and other demographic information, Your1040Return.com should develop
a formal customer privacy policy that identifies how private customer information
is maintained and protected. Without a formal policy, sensitive information may be
inadvertently released, which may expose Your1040Return.com to significant liabilities.
In addition, the company should ensure that policies related to security controls (i.e.,
firewalls and passwords) are continually evaluated for adequacy.
Controls Over Advertising Arrangements. Because contracts associated with banner
advertising can often contain complex revenue provisions (i.e., ad revenues can often
be a function of the number of hits to the banner ads and the extent of subsequent drill
downs on the advertiser’s web site), Your1040Return.com needs to develop controls
to ensure the company correctly understands and accounts for revenue transactions
generated from offering banner advertisements.

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Section 2: Understanding the Client’s Business and Assessing Risk
Explain what audit implications arise if you decide that the controls over electronic records[d]
at Your1040Return.com are inadequate to ensure that records have not been altered?
Given that all transactions are documented solely in electronic form, there is no alternative
paper trail to serve as evidence supporting financial statement transactions and accounts. If
the auditor is unable to determine that electronic records have not been altered, there may
be no reliable evidence for the auditor to examine when evaluating the fair presentation
of account balances and transactions. In certain cases, the lack of reliable electronic or
other alternative evidence may cause the auditor to conclude that the entity is un-auditable
(see AU 500, “Evidential Matter”). In that case, the auditor may be unable to accept the
audit engagement or may have to withdraw at a later date. Thus, Your1040Return.com’s
management needs to establish effective internal controls to ensure that adequate evidence
is maintained to support accounts and transactions in the financial statements.
Authoritative literature provides guidelines for proper revenue recognition policies for[e]
transactions such as those discussed in the case. Analyze Your1040Return.com’s revenue
recognition policies for the three package services. Provide appropriate citations to
authoritative literature.
As summarized in the case materials, Your1040Return.com recognizes revenues differently
for each of the three service packages.
Your1040Return.com’s Revenue Recognition Policies
For the Silver package, customers pay for access to tax forms, schedules, and publications.
And, Silver package customers can submit tax forms electronically. Access is only allowed
for one year. Your 1040.com recognizes revenue on the Silver package when the customer
submits the tax return to the IRS or state agency.
Gold package customers can access the tax preparation software to complete and submit
the return. Access is allowed for one year. Your1040Return.com recognizes a portion
of the revenue when the customer accesses the tax software package for the first time.
Your1040Return.com recognizes the remaining portion of the revenues when the customer
submits the return.
Platinum package customers pay to access the tax software on a multi-year contract basis.
Customers can access the tax software package year round to update their tax information
and they can receive personalized attention and real-time tax support from qualified income
tax specialists. Your1040Return.com recognizes revenues for each year immediately after
the customer selects the Platinum service.
At a minimum, Your1040Return.com needs to evaluate their revenue recognition policies
to ensure they are applying revenue recognition criteria correctly and consistently across all
three products. In addition, Your1040Return.com needs to evaluate implications of their
cancellation policy to determine whether they need to record an accrual for the cancellation
expense.

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