MISCELLANEOUS AUDITS

Audit of a Sole Trader
A sole trader is under no legal obligation to have his accounts audited. However, many such individuals get their financial statement audited due to regulatory requirements, such as stock brokers or on a specific instructions of the bank for approval of loans, etc. As such, he can determine the scope of the
audit as well as the conditions under which it will be carried out. For example, he can stipulate that only a partial audit shall be carried out, that certain parts of the accounts shall not be checked or that the auditor also shall prepare the final statements of account. He can also decide whether the audit shall
be carried out continuously or at the end of the year. On these considerations, it is desirable that the contract of appointment of auditor in such a case should be in writing; also that it should clearly define the scope of the work which the auditor is expected to carry out. This helps to prevent misunderstanding. If the appointment of the auditor is not in writing, the auditor should write to his client explaining the scope of his duties. While doing so, he should state the limitations, if any, placed upon his work to obtain the client’s confirmation. The advantages discussed in following paragraphs of audit in case of a sole trader are much the same as those in the case of a partnership.