PCAOB uncovers audit failings at KPMG and PwC
Inspections by US's accountancy watchdog uncover failings in 38 audits carried out by PwC and KPMG
AMERICA’S ACCOUNTANCY WATCHDOG has uncovered a series of failures in audit work conducted by the US arms of PwC and KPMG.
In its latest set of inspections, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) found a worrying number of deficiencies in the audit work carried out by the two firms.
Of the 100 audits inspected, the PCAOB discovered deficiencies in 21 of PwC’s audits and 17 of the audits carried out by KPMG.
According to its report both firms were guilty of failing to obtain “sufficient and appropriate” evidence to support their audit opinions on the financial statements and the effectiveness of the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting.
For instance, in one audit KPMG failed to evaluate whether certain control deficiencies – some of which related to identified misstatements that exceeded KPMG’s established level of materiality – represented material weaknesses individually.
In the case of PwC, one of the deficiencies relates to auditing aspects of an issuer’s financial statements that it restated after the primary inspection procedures.