(a) (i) Identify and explain FOUR financial statement assertions relevant to classes of transactions and events for the year under audit; and
(ii) For each identified assertion, describe a substantive procedure relevant to the audit of REVENUE. (8 marks)
Explain FOUR financial statement assertions relevant to account balances at the period end. (4 marks)
Background information
B-Star is a theme park based on a popular series of children’s books. Customers pay a fixed fee to enter the park, where they can participate in a variety of activities such as riding roller-coasters, playing on slides and purchasing themed souvenirs from gift shops.
The park is open all year and has been in operation for the last seven years. It is located in a country which has very little rainfall – the park is open-air so poor weather such as rain results in a significant fall in the number of customers for that day (normally by 50%). During the last seven years there have been on average 30 days each year with rain.
B-Star is now very successful; customer numbers are increasing at approximately 15% each year.
Cash sales
1. All ticket sales are recorded on a computer showing the amount of each sale and the number of tickets issued. This information is transferred electronically to the accounts office.
2. Cash is collected regularly from each ticket office by two security guards. The cash is then counted by two accounts clerks and banked on a daily basis.
3. The total cash from each ticket office is agreed to the sales information that has been transferred from each office.
4. Total cash received is then recorded in the cash book, and then the general ledger.
Credit card sales
1. Payments by credit cards are authorised online as the customers purchase their tickets.
2. Computers in each ticket office record the sales information which is transferred electronically to the accounts office.
3. Credit card sales are recorded for each credit card company in a receivables ledger.
4. When payment is received from the credit card companies, the accounts clerks agree the total sales values to the amounts received from the credit card companies, less the commission payable to those companies. The receivables ledger is updated with the payments received.
You are now commencing the planning of the annual audit of B-Star. The date is 3 June 2009 and B-Star’s year end is 30 June 2009.
Required:
Discuss the extent to which tests of controls and substantive procedures could be used to confirm the assertion of completeness of income in B-Star. (6 marks)