For Crawlspace Medic, what is management responsible for in relation to internal control?
Crawlspace_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
y or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgment made by a reasonable user based on the financial statements.
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.
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit, significant audit findings, and certain internal control–related matters that we identified during the audit.
Source: Item 21 — FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (FDD page 42)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Crawlspace Medic's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, during the audit, the auditor obtains 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. Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
This means that while the auditor reviews Crawlspace Medic's internal controls to plan the audit, the auditor does not provide an opinion on how effective those controls are. The auditor's focus is on whether the financial statements are fairly presented. It is management's duty to ensure the financial statements are prepared and presented fairly.
For a prospective Crawlspace Medic franchisee, this highlights the importance of relying on the audited financial statements provided in the FDD, but understanding that the audit is not a guarantee of perfect internal controls. The franchisee should consider this when evaluating the financial stability and practices of the franchisor.