Why Auditing is important in today’s business

An audit can help shareholders and business owners understand the state of a business. Especially independent audits carried out by external auditors can highlight specific problems and areas that could be improved that may otherwise not have been detected. What are the benefits of a financial audit for businesses today?

Providing shareholders with valuable information

A financial audit can be especially informative and a great way for shareholders to learn about the state of a company through an external review. An audit report is delivered to the shareholders by independent auditors and demonstrates how accurate financial statements are. This will allow them to see the financial statements from a different perspective and make a business appear much more transparent and open towards its investors.

Fraud prevention and detection

The results of an audit can be very valuable and allow managers and CEOs to assess problems and prevent mistakes in the future. One of these is the detection and prevention of fraud by understanding how each department operates in more detail. Fraud is often uncovered in successful audits and the experience can serve as a way to avoid fraudulent behaviour in the future.

Avoiding debt

Audits can not only hold firms accountable but are also very important for the overall health and growth of a company. By understanding what they are working with, decision makers in the company can plan ahead, learn to avoid mistakes and even avoid debt. A report by ScienceDirect explains that “firms that are audited by Big Four auditors display lower cost of debt”. Audit reports are a great way to learn more about a business.

Policies and regulations

It’s not always easy to detect whether policies and regulations are followed correctly. Staff may be uninformed and carry out certain tasks in ways that breach company policies. By understanding where improvements can be made, businesses can ensure compliance.

Helps in Insurance

If you ever need to claim insurance, the insurance company will first need to conduct an audit to determine the extent of the damage. This audit will determine the amount you would be given for the damage. So, the audit is extremely important for a company to gain valid compensation insurance as well as if the right amount had been quoted for the damages.

Helps in obtaining a loan

As the company’s financial books have been reviewed and audited, this would project the correct image of the business and allows banks and other financial institutions to give out loans and other financial help. The company will however need to provide at least the last five years of financial records as well as the corresponding financial audits.  

Assists in determining the total tax

The Tax authorities are reliable on auditors because the profit calculated is considered as the final one and based on this calculated profit the tax authorities will assess the taxes of the company. So, it’s important to have this audited in order for the tax to be reported correctly

Other benefits

Other benefits of audits include reviews of the internal use and effectiveness of technology and software that is being used, reaching business objectives, understanding how to use resources in a more efficient way and reducing cost of capital. While setting up and carrying out an external or internal audit can be time-consuming and may take away from other tasks, the more often audits are performed, the easier the process will become. Auditing also increases goodwill. An audit is known to bring out even the smallest of details. Conducting an audit means you have nothing to hide which can be a great morale booster to share with stakeholders and owners. It also presents a great message to investors that your business has nothing to hide and will be worthwhile investment.

Why an approved and qualified auditor is important

Now that you know why auditing is important in today’s business let’s look at why a qualified and approved auditor is important to check your finances.

A qualified and approved auditor is a professional that inspects your business financial records and evaluates the evidence to make sure it is all legit and that your financial records comply with tax laws.

Here are some advantages of having a qualified and approved auditor to check your financial accounts.

• Reduce the possibility of fraud and take measures to protect the company’s assets
• Financial reliability and integrity
• Enables your business to comply with statutory laws and regulations
• Productivity improvement in business operations
• Keep track of all the procedures