What level of assurance does an audit provide regarding Deck Medic's financial statements?
Deck_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
c.'s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued.
Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not absolute assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered material if there is a substantial likelihood that, individually 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 generally accepted auditing standards, 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\nerror, 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 Deck Medic, Inc.'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.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 43–228)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Deck Medic's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, an audit aims to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. The auditor issues a report that includes their opinion on the financial statements. This "reasonable assurance" signifies a high level of confidence, but it is not absolute, meaning there's no guarantee that an audit will detect every material misstatement. The FDD emphasizes that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than that of error due to potential collusion, forgery, or intentional omissions.
For a prospective Deck Medic franchisee, this means that while the financial statements have been examined by an independent auditor, there is still a degree of risk that some misstatements, especially those resulting from fraud, may not have been detected. Therefore, while an audit provides a level of comfort, it should not be seen as a complete guarantee of accuracy. A "material misstatement" is one that could influence the judgment of a reasonable user of the financial statements.
Deck Medic's auditor is responsible for exercising professional judgment and maintaining professional skepticism throughout the audit. They identify and assess the risks of material misstatement, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and examine evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements on a test basis. The auditor also obtains an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit but does not express an opinion on the effectiveness of Deck Medic's internal control. Finally, the auditor evaluates the appropriateness of accounting policies used, the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, and the overall presentation of the financial statements, concluding whether there is substantial doubt about Deck Medic's ability to continue as a going concern.