• The Big 4 vs Second Tier Auditors
  • Professional Skepticism
    • about finding mistakes, not fraudulent/criminal behavior
  • group management report … Lagebericht
  • KAM … Key Audit Matters
    • matters which are of most significant during report
  • reasonable vs limited assurance
    • sustainability report … limited assurance
    • limited … we don’t know of any material misstatement
  • IAASB
  • Audit Opinion
    • unqualified → always preferred
      • in EU qualified opinions are very uncommon
      • in USA qualified opinions are more common
    • qualified → ringing alarm bells
    • disclaimer of opinion (not giving any opinion)
    • adverse (gross misstatement) → all over the news
  • very high workload during change of year (1st of December until 31st of January)
  • event is recognized after 31st of December but before finalization of report
    • if cause is before 31st → include in report
    • if cause is after 31st → next years report
    • if effect is material → “subsequent events” included anyways

Auditors Report of Henkel

  • governance report is only checked for completeness, not for correctness
  • auditors opinion:
    • comply in all material respects with IFRS
  • KAMs
    • “recoverability of goodwill and trademarks and other rights with indefinite useful lives”
    • “recognition management of pension provisions”