How to Audit Accounts Receivable?

Accounts receivable are a crucial component of a successful business. It’s essential to keep a close watch over the accounts that your customers owe to you and audit them regularly for accuracy.

This ensures that payment records are up to date, discrepancies are detected quickly, and customer relations remain positive.

A robust monitoring system can help identify any irregularities before they become major issues.

Here, we’ll discuss some effective strategies for conducting an accounts receivable audit and how technology has made it easier. So let’s get started!

List the Audit Procedures for Accounts Receivable

1. Examine client invoices for proper authorization and accuracy.
2. Evaluate the internal controls associated with Accounts Receivable (AR).
3. Verify accounts receivable balances with customers’ records.
4. Reconcile the accounts receivable subsidiary ledger to the accounts receivable control account in the general ledger.
5. Analyze changes in the aging of accounts receivable balances from one period to another.
6. Test sales transaction documentation to ensure proper revenue recognition procedures are applied.
7. Confirm customers’ balances by sending confirmation requests to them directly or through a third-party vendor, and verify their responses against those on your records.
8. Remark significant customer relationships or customer concentrations as part of your understanding of the entity’s business risk profile and related internal controls (if applicable).

List of Audit Risk When Audit Account Receivable

1. The risk of material misstatement due to fraud or error in accounts receivable transactions or balances.
2. Risks related to the valuation and presentation of accounts receivable (i.e., incorrect classification of short-term, long-term, impaired, or other improper presentation).
3. Inadequate internal control systems that may result in errors in invoicing, recording of payments and aging schedules, etc.
4. Possible overstatement of amounts due from customers whose credit may be in question.
5. Failing to properly recognize losses on uncollectible receivables or write-offs of bad debts.
6. Failure to provide sufficient documentation for accounts receivable transactions and balances, such as customer confirmations and payment records

List of Audit Risk When Audit Account Receivable

1. The risk of material misstatement due to fraud or error in accounts receivable transactions or balances.
2. Risks related to the valuation and presentation of accounts receivable (i.e., incorrect classification of short-term, long-term, impaired, or other improper presentation).
3. Inadequate internal control systems that may result in errors in invoicing, recording of payments and aging schedules, etc.
4. Possible overstatement of amounts due from customers whose credit may be in question.
5. Failing to properly recognize losses on uncollectible receivables or write-offs of bad debts.
6. Failure to provide sufficient documentation for accounts receivable transactions and balances, such as customer confirmations and payment records

List the Audit Assertion to Verify When the Audit for Accounts Receivable

1. Existence – Accounts receivable exist and have been recorded in the financial statements.
2. Rights and Obligations – Control exists over assets and liabilities related to accounts receivable.
3. Valuation – Accounts receivable are valued and presented accurately in the financial statements.
4. Completeness – All accounts receivable balances have been included in the financial statement totals.
5. Presentation & Disclosure – Accounts receivable are properly disclosed in the financial statements, including liabilities for uncollectible amounts or bad debts.