Auditors of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) cannot rely purely on the normal reporting of platforms and must obtain more reliable independent evidence with which to produce their auditor's report, according to the principal of a chartered accounting firm.
Intermediaries such as advisers often access reports from the wrap account and brand it, with the information then used by the accountant to produce financial statements for the fund.
But auditors need to obtain independent evidence, preferably directly from the source, Sharyn Long Chartered Accountants principal Sharyn Long said.
"My concern is that auditors don't understand their obligations and responsibility when an intermediary is involved," she said. "Any report needs to come directly from the wrap provider, rather than from information provided by the adviser."
Advisers and accountants may become frustrated by auditors requesting original reports from wrap providers, Long said.
"Accountants who have already obtained reports to produce a financial statement might wonder why the auditor still wants access to the original reports. But our job is to acquire evidence from as independent a source as possible."
Auditors who rely purely on evidence provided by an intermediary may not be fulfilling the requirements of Australian Auditing Standards ASA500, 505 and 402 that require them to "obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence, request external confirmation and consider the activities of a service organisation (such as a wrap account)", Long pointed out.
While wrap providers adhere to robust systems and controls and are required to have these audited it only provides "a certain level of comfort", Long said, and auditors still need to conduct additional tests and procedures on that evidence to ensure that any anomalies or inconsistencies can be identified.
The adviser could play a role in this process by helping to facilitate the efficient delivery of reports directly from the wrap provider to the auditor, Long said.
"The more efficient and simpler the process of obtaining that information the more economical the audit will be for the SMSF," she said.
