FEATURES OF THE AUDIT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF A TRADING ENTERPRISE

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the methodology of auditing the activities of trading enterprises and its features with the aim of determining the most effective areas of auditing. The article defines the purpose and task of auditing the activity of a trading enterprise. The sources of obtaining audit evidence during the audit were identified, which include primary documents, accounting registers, reporting (financial, tax, statistical). The stages of the audit are defined: preparatory (preparation and planning of the audit), main (audit: collection and processing of information), final (preparation of a report based on the results of the audit). The peculiarities of the preparatory stage, in which important attention is paid to the system of internal control, are highlighted. Defined procedures for establishing its quality at the enterprise. Attention is focused on the factors that potentially affect the audit (organizational structure and accounting system; type of activity (wholesale trade, retail trade, wholesale and retail trade at the same time, the presence of foreign economic activity); the applied taxation system; other factors (average number of documents, which are processed per month, the number of accounting personnel, the degree of computerization of accounting, the presence of control procedures for receiving and creating documents)). Provisions regarding the planning of an audit of the activity of a trading enterprise have been disclosed. The sequence of checks for specific areas of the audit, which is carried out at the main stage (audit of fixed assets, audit of inventories, audit of costs, audit of settlements with counterparties, audit of profit formation) is considered. Typical errors detected by the auditor during the inspection are defined. The peculiarities of the final stage of the audit are disclosed. It was established that conducting an audit according to a certain methodology will provide an opportunity to take into account the peculiarities of the activity and accounting policy of trading enterprises, which will ensure the formation of an objective audit opinion.