Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Auditors are Coming! The Auditors are Coming!

We audit a number of organizations-nonprofits and municipalities and a few corporate entities. Every year our clients express relief when the audit is over, especially if there aren’t any major findings. We reassure the clients that we as auditors aren’t “out to get them” and they should not worry about the audit. Any findings or comments will only help to make their internal controls stronger and their organization better. However we do understand their apprehension. No one wants to have their errors written and memorialized for others to see.

Every three years we find ourselves in our clients’ shoes when we have our peer review. We are audited by another CPA firm who reviews our system and a selection of our accounting and auditing work to make sure we are following standards properly. A month ago, I was confident in the philosophy that any comments will only enhance our client service. But with the peer review starting tomorrow I completely empathize with our clients. Which reminds me of another philosophy—walking in another’s shoes is a good thing.

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