What Is Advanced Auditing?

As business operations expand and become more complicated, the need for accurate and dependable financial information grows. Auditing helps guarantee financial statement integrity and assures stakeholders that financial information is presented fairly and accurately.

Advanced auditing is a subset of accounting that provides additional information by studying and assessing an organization’s internal controls and processes. We’ll go through basic and advanced auditing principles in further detail below.

What Is an Audit in Accounting?

An audit in accounting requires an impartial examination of a company’s financial statements and underlying accounting records by a trained professional known as an auditor. An audit provides an opinion on whether the financial statements are presented fairly and following generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), which consist of these ten tenets:¹

1. Principle of Regularity: GAAP-compliant accountants strictly adhere to established rules and regulations
2. Principle of Consistency: Consistent standards are applied throughout the financial reporting process
3. Principle of Sincerity: GAAP-compliant accountants are committed to accuracy and impartiality
4. Principle of Permanence of Methods: Consistent procedures are used in the preparation of all financial reports
5. Principle of Non-Compensation: All aspects of an organization's performance, whether positive or negative, are fully reported with no prospect of debt compensation
6. Principle of Prudence: Speculation does not influence the reporting of financial data
7. Principle of Continuity: Asset valuations assume the organization's operations will continue
8. Principle of Periodicity: Reporting of revenues is divided by standard accounting periods, such as fiscal quarters or fiscal years
9. Principle of Materiality: Financial reports fully disclose the organization's monetary situation
10. Principle of Utmost Good Faith: All involved parties are assumed to be acting honestly

During an audit, the auditor checks a company’s financial records, such as its general ledger, bank statements, and other financial papers. The auditor also interviews firm personnel such as accountants and executives to understand the company’s operations and financial reporting processes.

Understanding Internal Controls and Opinions

The auditor uses the information gleaned from the company to assess its financial statements and internal controls. Internal controls are the rules and procedures put in place to ensure the accuracy and dependability of financial information generated by a company’s accounting processes. The auditor evaluates the effectiveness of these controls and looks for any flaws or defects that might make the financial statements inaccurate.

At the end of the audit, the auditor labels the financial statements with one of three opinions: unqualified, qualified, or adverse.

• An unqualified opinion means the financial statements are presented fairly in all material respects and are in compliance with GAAP
• A qualified opinion means that the auditor has identified a specific issue or issues that prevent them from providing an unqualified opinion but that the overall financial statements are still fairly presented
• An adverse opinion means that the financial statements are not fairly presented per GAAP and other relevant accounting standards

Securities regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States, typically require that public companies conduct an audit annually. However, private companies or other organizations might voluntarily conduct an audit to assure stakeholders that the financial information presented to them is reliable and accurate.

What Is Advanced Auditing?

Advanced auditing involves using sophisticated techniques and tools to better understand a company’s financial statements and the underlying systems and processes that support them. This requires experienced auditors with a deep understanding of accounting principles and standards and the ability to assess complex financial data.

Advanced auditing also features specialized knowledge and skills in specific sectors or regions. For example, an auditor with experience in the healthcare industry may be better qualified to identify risks or potential difficulties in financial statements for healthcare providers. Similarly, an auditor with cybersecurity experience may be better equipped to analyze the efficiency of a company’s IT controls.

The Role of Data Analytics in Advanced Auditing

In addition to examining internal controls, advanced auditing uses data analytics to uncover abnormalities or patterns in financial data. Data analytics and other technologies make visualizing and sharing financial data easier. The newest financial softwares go beyond using rows and rows of spreadsheets that take days to review. Instead, auditors and managers can quickly identify trends using graphics and dashboards that won't make their eyes cross. This saves time and expensive mistakes. It also boosts the overall assurance that a company's financial operations and processes are compliant and accurate.

The Increasing Relevance of Advanced Audits

In the wake of high-profile accounting crises and tighter regulatory oversight, such as findings that the IRS fumbled payments of Child Tax Credits in 2022 to the tune of over one billion dollars, auditors have a more important role than ever.² Companies face stricter requirements to disclose reliable financial data, and auditors must be absolutely certain they have accurate facts and numbers.

Several auditing firms, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, KPMG Investments, and EY Americas, have significantly invested in technological infrastructure and specialized training programs for their auditors to overcome these challenges.³ Data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning are just a few examples of cutting-edge auditing tools that improve audit quality and efficiency.

The Benefits of Advanced Auditing

Advanced auditing can provide many advantages to a business. As clients utilize technology more, they have deeper concerns about their processes and accuracy. This concern means firms offering advanced auditing and specialized expertise in a certain sector can leverage their offerings to earn more business.⁴

Some of the other benefits of advanced auditing are:

• Improved effectiveness: Auditors identify risks and areas of concern that might otherwise be missed
• Reduced risk: Advanced auditing techniques reduce the risk of fraud or accounting errors by identifying potential problems before they occur
• Increased compliance: Organizations can be more confident in their compliance measures by having an auditor dig into their controls and procedures
• Improved decision-making: The detailed results of advanced auditing provide valuable information to decision-makers in an organization

Prepare for Executive-Level Leadership

Gain highly marketable skills in accounting, auditing, or another financial specialty for a prosperous career in business. The faculty experts in William & Mary’s Online Master of Accounting program teach more than skills. They shape you as a decision-maker and a leader. You’ll learn from a robust curriculum developed by leading business scholars with extensive experience instructing students on assessing a company’s processes and thinking critically to solve problems.

Find out how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business will help you develop your full potential and prepare for upper-level positions at your desired salary level. Schedule a call with one of our admissions outreach advisors today.