During an audit, is the purpose to express an opinion on the effectiveness of Beyond Juicery Eatery's internal control?

According to Beyond Juicery Eatery's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the purpose of the audit is not to express an opinion on the effectiveness of the company's internal controls. The auditor's responsibilities include obtaining an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design appropriate audit procedures. However, the audit is not conducted for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of Beyond Juicery Eatery's internal control, and the auditor's report explicitly states that no such opinion is expressed.

The auditor's objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes their opinion on the financial statements. The auditor will identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. These procedures include examining evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements on a test basis.

This means that while the auditor does consider internal controls to plan the audit, the audit's primary goal is to provide an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements themselves. A prospective franchisee should understand that the audit provides assurance on the financial reporting, but not a guarantee that the internal controls are flawless or completely effective. The auditor's report will communicate significant findings and internal control-related matters identified during the audit to those charged with governance.