PCAOB检查公布安永加拿大审计业务缺陷情况！

美国上市公司会计监督委员会 PCAOB 检查了安永加拿大公司2022年度的四份审计报告(其中三份安永是主要审计机构)， 发现其中两份存在缺陷(50%存在Part I.A缺陷)。 PCAOB 检查安永加拿大 2020年度 的四项审计业务时，也发现其中一半的业务存在缺陷。

根据《萨班斯-奥克斯利法案 》(Sarbanes-Oxley Act)，在美国境外注册的会计师事务所与美国注册的会计师事务所一样，都要接受PCAOB的检查。自2004年PCAOB国际检查项目启动以来，PCAOB已对 包括加拿大在内的 50多个美国以外地区的会计师事务所进行了检查。在2020年和2022年，安永加拿大是受PCAOB监督的30家上市公司的主审计师。

对两家发行商的审计存在多项缺陷：

检查报告重点通报了对发行人A和发行人B的审计检查情况。PCAOB主要关注“收入和相关账户”以及“使用其他审计师工作”两方面。发行人A使用IT系统处理与收入有关的某些交易。PCAOB发现，安永加拿大公司对自动化和IT相关控制的测试不够充分，这也影响了其适当的收入确认，特别是独立销售价格的确认。

在对发行人B（ 一家工业公司 ）的审计中，PCAOB发现该公司在财务报表中的角色以及与收入、应收账款和其他负债相关的控制存在缺陷。公司的一部分(“发行人的一个组成部分”)与客户签订合同，根据履行义务的进度，在一段时间内确认收入。

该报告详细描述了安永加拿大公司未能充分执行任何实质性的测试程序，而是依赖于“软件辅助”审计，以及未能测试与合同清单和发票有关的控制措施。总体而言，该公司在数次审计中没有遵守PCAOB有关审计文件和与审计委员会沟通的规定。

合伙人、团队和发行方之间的财务关系

在检查期间，安永加拿大向PCAOB披露了与独立性有关的一些潜在违规信息，特别是与财务关系有关的领域。例如， 安永加拿大 报告了13起潜在的不遵守财务关系规则的案例，“其中有11起都发生在公司内部或涉及其员工。”

其中一些涉及对公司参与的广泛基金的投资。有些涉及向审计客户提供非审计服务（如法律服务）。其中一项涉及审计团队的一名成员“与审计客户进行了实质性的聘用提议，并接受了审计客户提供的会计职位”。

安永加拿大公司对上述检查结果的回应如下：

按市值计算，四大会计师事务所（德勤、安永、毕马威和普华永道）审计了加拿大 90%的上市公司。PCAOB在过去两年中发布了六份四大会计师事务所的检查报告。 PCAOB对 普华永道加拿大的 2023年度检查报告显示，该事务所缺陷率为63%，而在2022年度，PCAOB的检查报告显示，普华永道加拿大经检查的审计业务0缺陷。

原英文报道如下：

TORONTO, February 25, 2024 – Big Four accounting firm Ernst and Young had multiple deficiencies in half the audits inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in the United States in 2022. The PCAOB inspected four EY Canada audits — three in which the firm was the principal auditor — and found deficiencies in two (50% with Part I.A deficiencies). The US audit watchdog also inspected four EY Canada audits in 2020 and found deficiencies in half the engagements.

Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, registered firms outside the US are subject to PCAOB inspections in the same manner as US firms. Since the inception of the PCAOB's international inspection program in 2004, the PCAOB has conducted inspections of one or more registered firms located in more than 50 non-U.S. jurisdictions, including Canada. In both 2020 and 2022, EY Canada was the principal auditor of 30 public companies (“issuer audit clients”), under oversight of the PCAOB.

Multiple deficiencies in audits of two issuers

The inspection report highlights two companies described as Issuer A and Issuer B. The PCAOB focused its attention primarily on “revenue and related accounts” and the “use of other auditors.” Issuer A used an IT system to process certain transactions related to revenue. The PCAOB found the firm’s testing of automated and IT-dependent controls was not sufficient, which also impaired its appropriate revenue recognition, particularly involving standalone selling price.

For Issuer B, an industrials company, the PCAOB identified deficiencies in connection with the firm’s role in the financial statement and controls related to revenue, accounts receivable, and other liabilities. Part of the company (“a component of the issuer”) entered into contracts with customers in which revenue was recognized over time based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation.

The report details in length the failings of EY Canada to adequately perform any substantive testing procedures, instead relying on “software-assisted” auditing, and failure to test and test controls related to contract listings and invoices. Overall, the firm did not comply with PCAOB rules related to audit documentation and communications with audit committees in several of its audits.

Financial relationships between partners, teams and issuers

During its inspection, EY Canada disclosed to the PCAOB a number of potential areas of non-compliance related to independence, particularly related to financial relationships. For example, the firm reported 13 instances of potential non-compliance with a rule regarding financial relationships, “all but two of which occurred at the firm or involved its personnel.”

Some of these related to related to investments in broad-based funds in which the company was included. Some related to non-audit services (such as legal services) to the audit client. One involved a member of an engagement team “engaging in substantive employment discussions with, and accepting an offer of employment from, the audit client for an accounting role.”

The four largest accounting firms (Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PwC) audit 90 per cent of public companies by market capitalization in Canada. These are typically corporations listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange — names familiar to many Canadians — and the PCAOB has issued six Big Four inspection reports in the past two years. PwC Canada had a 63 per cent deficiency rate in its 2023 report, after receiving a clean inspection report (no deficiencies) from the PCAOB in 2022.

In 2023, the US audit watchdog censured an EY Canada partner for deficiencies related to the 2019 audit of Just Energy, and the firm agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit later in the year.

Colin Ellis is a contributing editor to Canadian Accountant. The inspection reports for Ernst and Young Canadaand Manning Elliott (Canada) were published on the PCAOB website on December 7, 2023.

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