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Friday, December 8, 2023 Live Webcast

Avoiding Deficiencies in Peer Reviews: Focus on Engagement Quality (E2312322)

1:00 PM - 4:30 PM EST

Registration: 12:30 PM EST

webcast

Vendor Platform

4 CPE Credits in AA

OVERVIEW

With the AICPA’s heightened focus on enhancing audit quality, increased oversight of the peer review process and the auditor’s overall responsibility to provide high quality services, the focus on compliance with professional standards has never been greater. Add to that the requirement to implement the revised risk assessment standards (SAS 145) and it's easy to see why it's more important than ever to ensure that auditors have a good understanding of the requirements and comply with documentation standards. Recent peer reviews have indicated that auditors are often failing to perform and/or document certain critical components of an audit such as the auditor’s assessment of risk and linking the results of the assessment to substantive procedures performed. In addition, auditors are not adequately documenting their consideration of fraud, expectations in analytical procedures and the appropriate level of work needed to understand an entity’s internal control. The AICPA issued its Quality Management Standards in 2022. Firms are required to implement the standards by December 15, 2025. And the firm's evaluation of the System of Quality Management is required within one year after that. This is not just a matter of tweaking the firm's existing QM document, the standard requires a risk assessment process to identify risk. The objective of the course is to provide the insights necessary to help auditors and accountants improve not just the quality of their work but also the perception of the accounting profession as a whole. We will focus on the most significant items resulting in deficiencies identified in the peer review process. We will also discuss the applicable audit standards, documentation requirements, and best practices. We will address the new QM standards.

This course features a live instructor and has been specifically designed for the NJCPA.

DESIGNED FOR

Accounting and auditing practitioners at all levels desiring to improve engagement quality

BENEFITS

  • Identify key elements of the AICPA’s Enhancing Audit Quality initiative
  • Recognize changes in Quality Management standards
  • Recognize key trends in recent peer review deficiencies noted
  • Identify professional standards related to performing a risk assessment, understanding and testing internal controls and linking these procedures to further audit consideration
  • Implement Best practices in documentation

HIGHLIGHTS

  • AICPA’s Enhancing Audit Quality initiative
  • Recent revisions to Quality Management standards
  • Feedback from peer reviews, including areas driving deficiencies in audit
  • Elements of an effective risk assessment and how to link to audit procedures performed
  • Understanding internal controls and making the decision whether or not to test them
  • Implement best practices to help ensure overall engagement quality

TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT…

Past attendees say:
  • Carl's commentary and presentation skills helped make the topic much more interesting and aided in understanding the issues

COURSE LEVEL

Intermediate

PREREQUISITES

Experience in accounting and auditing

ADVANCE PREPARATION

None

INSTRUCTOR

Thomas Newell

Thomas E. Newell, CPA
(4.6)

AICPA/Professional Development Institute

Thomas E. Newell, Jr., CPA Newell and Newell, P.C. / Columbus, Georgia Thomas E. Newell, Jr. (Tom) is a shareholder in the firm of Newell & Newell, P.C., which is located in Columbus, GA. Tom started the firm with his wife, Silvia Newell, CPA in 1986. Prior to that, his public accounting experience included both local firms and international firms. Tom has performed hundreds of peer reviews and has been involved with the peer review program since 1989. Tom served on the Georgia Society (GSCPA) peer review committees from 1989 to 1993. In 1993, he was selected to be one of the technical reviewers for the Georgia Society Peer Review Program and served for nine years. During his time as technical reviewer, Tom worked with the GSCPA to move the peer review committee from in-person to online meetings. Tom has also served several years on the accounting and auditing committee at the Georgia Society. Tom has been a presenter at conferences and CPE courses for over 30 years. He has been a frequent presenter for the Georgia Society of CPAs at the Southeastern Accounting Show, Tax Forum (A&A topics), and the Accounting Institute. Tom is also a discussion leader for various continuing education courses on A&A topics for other state societies. He has made presentations at Fortune 500 companies and several government agencies on accounting and auditing, internal controls, and cybersecurity. As a presenter, Tom has been described as a dynamic speaker who is able to take a boring topic (accounting and auditing) and make it interesting. He was awarded the Surgent Outstanding Discussion Leader Award in 2015, 2016, and 2018, as a result of these skills. Tom was recognized in 2018 by the AICPA as an Outstanding Facilitator for his consistently high evaluations of knowledge and presentation skills. As the world of presentations has been changing, Tom has been a champion of moving to virtual presentations. He was involved in the early years of simulcasting by various state CPA societies, as well as the recording of video and audio self-study courses. Tom is now prepared for the next wave of change toward the totally virtual classroom that simulates a true live classroom experience. Tom graduated cum laude from Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, GA in 1980.