What is the auditor's responsibility to maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit of Boulder Designs?
Boulder_Designs Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
In performing an audit in accordance with GAAS, we:
- Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit.
- 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. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
- Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control. Accordingly, no such opinion is expressed.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the financial statements.
- Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 50–217)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Boulder Designs' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the auditor is required to exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. This means the auditor must have a questioning mind and critically assess the audit evidence.
The auditor's responsibilities include identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. They must design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, including examining evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements on a test basis. The auditor must also obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit to design appropriate audit procedures, though not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the company's internal control.
Additionally, the auditor must evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the financial statements. Finally, the auditor must conclude whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about Boulder Designs' ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time and communicate significant audit findings and internal control-related matters to those charged with governance.