ICAI releases Revised Standard on Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to Other Information

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, today released the revised Standard on Auditing (SA) 720- The Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to Other Information which deals with the auditor’s responsibilities relating to other information, whether financial or non-financial information (other than financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon), included in an entity’s annual report. An entity’s annual report may be a single document or a combination of documents that serve the same purpose.

This SA is written in the context of an audit of financial statements by an independent auditor. Accordingly, the objectives of the auditor in this SA are to be understood in the context of the overall objectives of the auditor as stated in paragraph 11 of SA 2001 . The requirements in the SAs are designed to enable the auditor to achieve the objectives specified in the SAs, and thereby the overall objectives of the auditor. The auditor’s opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information, nor does this SA require the auditor to obtain audit evidence beyond that required to form an opinion on the financial statements.

This SA requires the auditor to read and consider the other information because other information that is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or the auditor’s knowledge obtained in the audit may indicate that there is a material misstatement of the financial statements or that a material misstatement of the other information exists, either of which may undermine the credibility of the financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon. Such material misstatements may also inappropriately influence the economic decisions of the users for whom the auditor’s report is prepared.

This SA may also assist the auditor in complying with relevant ethical requirements2 that require the auditor to avoid being associated with information that the auditor believes contains a materially false or misleading statement, statements or information furnished negligently, or omits or obscures any information required to be included where such omission or obscurity would be misleading.