ISA (NZ) 510

Initial Audit Engagements

Mandatory Date:

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Statement of Authority

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ON AUDITING (NEW ZEALAND) 510

Initial Audit Engagements – Opening Balances (ISA (NZ) 510)

Effective for audits of historical financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 September, 2011.

This Standard was issued by the New Zealand Auditing Standards Board of the External Reporting Board pursuant to section 24(1)(b) of the Financial Reporting Act 1993. This Standard is a disallowable instrument for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2012.

This compilation was prepared in June 2023 and incorporates amendments up to and including May 2023.

Copyright

This XRB standard contains copyright material and reproduces, with the permission of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), parts of the corresponding international standard issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (“IAASB”), and published by IFAC. Reproduction within New Zealand in unaltered form (retaining this notice) is permitted for personal and non-commercial use subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source.

Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights for commercial purposes within New Zealand should be addressed to the Chief Executive, External Reporting Board at the following email address: enquiries@xrb.govt.nz

All existing rights (including copyrights) in this material outside of New Zealand are reserved by IFAC, with the exception of the right to reproduce for the purposes of personal use or other fair dealing. Further information can be obtained from IFAC at www.ifac.org or by writing to permissions@ifac.org

ISBN 978-1-927174-17-3

How to Read this Standard

International Standard on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISA (NZ)) 510, “Initial Audit Engagements – Opening Balances” should be read in conjunction with ISA (NZ) 200, “Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand).”

Table of pronouncements – ISA (NZ) 510 Initial Audit Engagements – Opening Balances

This table lists the pronouncements establishing and amending ISA (NZ) 510.

Pronouncements	Date approved	Effective date
International Standard on Auditing (New Zealand) 510	July 2011	This ISA (NZ) is effective for audits of historical financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 September 2011.
Use of management and those charged with governance	December 2013	Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 July 2014.
Amendments to the Auditing and Assurance Standards: Omnibus Amendments (Legislative Update)	February 2014	Effective for assurance engagements relating to financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 April 2014.
Conforming amendments to ISAs (NZ) and other pronouncements (Auditor Reporting)	September 2015	Effective for audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after 15 December 2016.
Conforming Amendments to Auditing and Assurance Standards as a result of the revised Professional and Ethical Standard 1	June 2020	Effective on 15 July 2020.
Conforming and Consequential Amendments to International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand) Arising from ISA (NZ) 315 (Revised 2019)	February 2020	Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2021.
Conforming and Consequential Amendments to ISAs (NZ) and Other Pronouncements arising from ISA (NZ) 600 (Revised)	June 2022	Effective for audits of group financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2023.
Amendments to Auditing and Review Engagement Standards as a Result of the Revisions to Financial Reporting Standards	May 2023	Mandatory date of 1 January 2023.

Table of Amended Paragraphs in ISA (NZ) 510

Paragraph affected	How affected	By…[date]
Various	Amended	Use of management and those charged with governance [Dec 2013]
Appendix	Amended	Amendments to the Auditing and Assurance Standards: Omnibus Amendments (Legislative Update) [Feb 2014]
Appendix	Amended	Conforming amendments to ISAs (NZ) and other pronouncements (Auditor Reporting) [Sept 2015]
Appendix	Amended	Conforming Amendments to Auditing and Assurance Standards as a result of the revised Professional and Ethical Standard 1 [June 2020]
Paragraphs 9 to	Amended	Conforming and Consequential Amendments to International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand) Arising from ISA (NZ) 315 (Revised 2019) [Feb 2020]
Appendix - Illustration 1, 2, Footnote 6	Amended	Conforming and Consequential Amendments to ISAs (NZ) and Other Pronouncements arising from ISA (NZ) 600 (Revised) [June 2022]
Appendix	Amended	Amendments to Auditing and Review Engagement Standards as a Result of the Revisions to Financial Reporting Standards [May 2023]

Scope of this ISA (NZ)

1. This International Standard on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISA (NZ)) deals with the auditor’s responsibilities relating to opening balances in an initial audit engagement. In addition to financial statement amounts, opening balances include matters requiring disclosure that existed at the beginning of the period, such as contingencies and commitments. When the financial statements include comparative financial information, the requirements and guidance in ISA (NZ) 710¹ also apply. ISA (NZ) 300² includes additional requirements and guidance regarding activities prior to starting an initial audit.

Effective Date

2. This ISA (NZ) is effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 September, 2011. [Note: For the effective dates of paragraphs changed or added by an Amending Standard see the History of Amendments].

1 ISA (NZ) 710, “Comparative Information - Corresponding Figures and Comparative Financial Statements.”

2 ISA (NZ) 300, “Planning an Audit of Financial Statements.”

3. In conducting an initial audit engagement, the objective of the auditor with respect to opening balances is to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence about whether:

Opening balances contain misstatements that materially affect the current period’s financial statements; and
Appropriate accounting policies reflected in the opening balances have been consistently applied in the current period’s financial statements, or changes thereto are appropriately accounted for and adequately presented and disclosed in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

4. For the purposes of the ISAs (NZ), the following terms have the meanings attributed below:

Initial audit engagement – An engagement in which either:
1. The financial statements for the prior period were not audited; or
2. The financial statements for the prior period were audited by a predecessor auditor.
Opening balances – Those account balances that exist at the beginning of the period. Opening balances are based upon the closing balances of the prior period and reflect the effects of transactions and events of prior periods and accounting policies applied in the prior period. Opening balances also include matters requiring disclosure that existed at the beginning of the period, such as contingencies and commitments.
Predecessor auditor – The auditor from a different audit firm, who audited the financial statements of an entity in the prior period and who has been replaced by the current auditor.

Audit Procedures Opening Balances

5. The auditor shall read the most recent financial statements, if any, and the predecessor auditor’s report thereon, if any, for information relevant to opening balances, including disclosures.

6. The auditor shall obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence about whether the opening balances contain misstatements that materially affect the current period’s financial statements by: (Ref: Para. A1–A2)

Determining whether the prior period’s closing balances have been correctly brought forward to the current period or, when appropriate, have been restated;
Determining whether the opening balances reflect the application of appropriate accounting policies; and
Performing one or more of the following: (Ref: Para. A3–A7)
1. Where the prior year financial statements were audited, reviewing the predecessor auditor’s working papers to obtain evidence regarding the opening balances;
2. Evaluating whether audit procedures performed in the current period provide evidence relevant to the opening balances; or
3. Performing specific audit procedures to obtain evidence regarding the opening balances.

7. If the auditor obtains audit evidence that the opening balances contain misstatements that could materially affect the current period’s financial statements, the auditor shall perform such additional audit procedures as are appropriate in the circumstances to determine the effect on the current period’s financial statements. If the auditor concludes that such misstatements exist in the current period’s financial statements, the auditor shall communicate the misstatements with the appropriate level of management and those charged with governance in accordance with ISA (NZ) 450.³

Consistency of Accounting Policies

8. The auditor shall obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence about whether the accounting policies reflected in the opening balances have been consistently applied in the current period’s financial statements, and whether changes in the accounting policies have been appropriately accounted for and adequately presented and disclosed in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

Relevant Information in the Predecessor Auditor’s Report

9. If the prior period’s financial statements were audited by a predecessor auditor and there was a modification to the opinion, the auditor shall evaluate the effect of the matter giving rise to the modification in assessing the risks of material misstatement in the current period’s financial statements in accordance with ISA (NZ) 315 (Revised 2019).⁴

Audit Conclusions and Reporting

Opening Balances

10. If the auditor is unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the opening balances, the auditor shall express a qualified opinion or disclaim an opinion on the financial statements, as appropriate, in accordance with ISA (NZ) 705 (Revised).⁵ (Ref: Para. A8)

11. If the auditor concludes that the opening balances contain a misstatement that materially affects the current period’s financial statements, and the effect of the misstatement is not appropriately accounted for or not adequately presented or disclosed, the auditor shall express a qualified opinion or an adverse opinion, as appropriate, in accordance with ISA (NZ) 705 (Revised).

Consistency of Accounting Policies

12. If the auditor concludes that:

the current period’s accounting policies are not consistently applied in relation to opening balances in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework; or
a change in accounting policies is not appropriately accounted for or not adequately presented or disclosed in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework, the auditor shall express a qualified opinion or an adverse opinion as appropriate in accordance with ISA (NZ) 705 (Revised).

Modification to the Opinion in the Predecessor Auditor’s Report

13. If the predecessor auditor’s opinion regarding the prior period’s financial statements included a modification to the auditor’s opinion that remains relevant and material to the current period’s financial statements, the auditor shall modify the auditor’s opinion on the current period’s financial statements in accordance with ISA (NZ) 705 (Revised) and ISA (NZ) 710. (Ref: Para. A9)

3 ISA (NZ) 450, “Evaluation of Misstatements Identified during the Audit,” paragraphs 8 and 12.

4 ISA (NZ) 315 (Revised 2019), “Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement.”

5 ISA (NZ) 705 (Revised), “Modifications to the Opinion in the Independent Auditor’s Report.”

Audit Procedures

Considerations Specific to Public Sector Entities (Ref: Para. 6)

A1. In the public sector, there may be legal or regulatory limitations on the information that the current auditor can obtain from a predecessor auditor. For example, if a public sector entity that has previously been audited by a statutorily appointed auditor (for example, the Auditor-General, or other suitably qualified person appointed on behalf of the Auditor-General) is privatised, the amount of access to working papers or other information that the statutorily appointed auditor can provide a newly-appointed auditor that is in the private sector may be constrained by privacy or secrecy laws or regulation. In situations where such communications are constrained, audit evidence may need to be obtained through other means and, if sufficient appropriate audit evidence cannot be obtained, consideration given to the effect on the auditor’s opinion.

A2. If the statutorily appointed auditor outsources an audit of a public sector entity to a private sector audit firm, and the statutorily appointed auditor appoints an audit firm other than the firm that audited the financial statements of the public sector entity in the prior period, this is not usually regarded as a change in auditors for the statutorily appointed auditor. Depending on the nature of the outsourcing arrangement, however, the audit engagement may be considered an initial audit engagement from the perspective of the private sector auditor in fulfilling the auditor’s responsibilities, and therefore this ISA (NZ) applies.

Opening Balances (Ref: Para. 6(c))

A3. The nature and extent of audit procedures necessary to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding opening balances depend on such matters as:

The accounting policies followed by the entity.
The nature of the account balances, classes of transactions and disclosures and the risks of material misstatement in the current period’s financial statements.
The significance of the opening balances relative to the current period’s financial statements.
Whether the prior period’s financial statements were audited and, if so, whether the predecessor auditor’s opinion was modified.

A4. If the prior period’s financial statements were audited by a predecessor auditor, the auditor may be able to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the opening balances by reviewing the predecessor auditor’s working papers. Whether such a review provides sufficient appropriate audit evidence is influenced by the professional competence and independence of the predecessor auditor.

A5. Relevant ethical and professional requirements guide the current auditor’s communications with the predecessor auditor.

A6. For current assets and liabilities, some audit evidence about opening balances may be obtained as part of the current period’s audit procedures. For example, the collection (payment) of opening accounts receivable (accounts payable) during the current period will provide some audit evidence of their existence, rights and obligations, completeness and valuation at the beginning of the period. In the case of inventories, however, the current period’s audit procedures on the closing inventory balance provide little audit evidence regarding inventory on hand at the beginning of the period. Therefore, additional audit procedures may be necessary, and one or more of the following may provide sufficient appropriate audit evidence:

Observing a current physical inventory count and reconciling it to the opening inventory quantities.
Performing audit procedures on the valuation of the opening inventory items.
Performing audit procedures on gross profit and cutoff.

A7. For non-current assets and liabilities, such as property plant and equipment, investments and long-term debt, some audit evidence may be obtained by examining the accounting records and other information underlying the opening balances. In certain cases, the auditor may be able to obtain some audit evidence regarding opening balances through confirmation with third parties, for example, for long-term debt and investments. In other cases, the auditor may need to carry out additional audit procedures.

Audit Conclusions and Reporting

Opening Balances (Ref: Para. 10)

A8. ISA (NZ) 705 establishes requirements and provides guidance on circumstances that may result in a modification to the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements, the type of opinion appropriate in the circumstances, and the content of the auditor’s report when the auditor’s opinion is modified. The inability of the auditor to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding opening balances may result in one of the following modifications to the opinion in the auditor’s report:

A qualified opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, as is appropriate in the circumstances; or
Unless prohibited by law or regulation, an opinion which is qualified or disclaimed, as appropriate, regarding the results of operations, and cash flows, where relevant, and unmodified regarding financial position.

The Appendix includes illustrative auditors’ reports.

Modification to the Opinion in the Predecessor Auditor’s Report (Ref: Para. 13)

A9. In some situations, a modification to the predecessor auditor’s opinion may not be relevant and material to the opinion on the current period’s financial statements. This may be the case where, for example, there was a scope limitation in the prior period, but the matter giving rise to the scope limitation has been resolved in the current period.

Illustrations of Auditors’ Reports with Modified Opinions

(Ref: Para. A8)

Note: Throughout these illustrative auditor’s reports, the Opinion section has been positioned first in accordance with ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised), and the Basis for Opinion section is positioned immediately after the Opinion section. Also, the first and last sentence that was included in the extant auditor’s responsibilities section is now subsumed as part of the new Basis for Opinion section.

Illustration 1:

For purposes of this illustrative auditor’s report, the following circumstances are assumed:

Audit of a complete set of financial statements of an entity other than a FMC reporting entity considered to have a higher level of public accountability using a fair presentation framework. The audit is not a group audit (i.e., ISA (NZ) 600 (Revised)6 does not apply).
The financial statements are prepared by management of the entity in accordance with New Zealand equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards (NZ IFRS) (a general purpose framework).
The terms of the audit engagement reflect the description of the responsibilities of those charged with governance for the financial statements in ISA (NZ) 2107.
The auditor did not observe the counting of the physical inventory at the beginning of the current period and was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the opening balances of inventory.
The possible effects of the inability to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding opening balances of inventory are deemed to be material but not pervasive to the entity’s financial performance and cash flows.8
The financial position at year end is fairly presented.
In this particular jurisdiction, law and regulation prohibit the auditor from giving an opinion which is qualified regarding the financial performance and cash flows and unmodified regarding financial position.
Professional and Ethical Standard 1 International Code of Ethics for Assurance Practitioners (including International Independence Standards) (New Zealand) comprises all of the relevant ethical requirements that apply to the audit.
Based on the audit evidence obtained, the auditor has concluded that a material uncertainty does not exist related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern in accordance with ISA (NZ) 570 (Revised)⁹.
The auditor is not required, and has otherwise not decided, to communicate key audit matters in accordance with ISA (NZ) 701¹⁰.
The auditor has obtained all of the other information prior to the date of the auditor’s report and has not identified a material misstatement of the other information.
Corresponding figures are presented, and the prior period’s financial statements were audited by a predecessor auditor. The auditor is not prohibited by law or regulation from referring to the predecessor auditor’s report on the corresponding figures and has decided to do so.
In addition to the audit of the financial statements, the auditor has other reporting responsibilities required under local law.

This example has not been included in ISA (NZ) 510 as there is no law or regulation in New Zealand that prohibits the auditor from giving an opinion which is qualified regarding the financial performance and cash flows and unmodified regarding financial position.

Illustration 2:

For purposes of this illustrative auditor’s report, the following circumstances are assumed:

Audit of a complete set of financial statements of an entity other than a FMC reporting entity considered to have a higher level of public accountability using a fair presentation framework. The audit is not a group audit (i.e., ISA (NZ) 600 (Revised) does not apply).
The financial statements are prepared by management of the entity in accordance with New Zealand equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards (NZ IFRS) (a general purpose framework).
The terms of the audit engagement reflect the description of the responsibilities of those charged with governance for the financial statements in ISA (NZ) 210.
The auditor did not observe the counting of the physical inventory at the beginning of the current period and was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the opening balances of inventory.
The possible effects of the inability to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding opening balances of inventory are deemed to be material but not pervasive to the entity’s financial performance and cash flows.11
The financial position at year end is fairly presented.
An opinion that is qualified regarding the financial performance and cash flows and unmodified regarding financial position is considered appropriate in the circumstances.
Professional and Ethical Standard 1 International Code of Ethics for Assurance Practitioners (including International Independence Standards) (New Zealand) comprises all of the relevant ethical requirements that apply to the audit.
Based on the audit evidence obtained, the auditor has concluded that a material uncertainty does not exist related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern in accordance with ISA (NZ) 570 (Revised).
The auditor is not required, and has otherwise not decided, to communicate key audit matters in accordance with ISA (NZ) 701.
The auditor has obtained all of the other information prior to the date of the auditor’s report and has not identified a material misstatement of the other information.
Corresponding figures are presented, and the prior period’s financial statements were audited by a predecessor auditor. The auditor is not prohibited by law or regulation from referring to the predecessor auditor’s report on the corresponding figures and has decided to do so.
In addition to the audit of the financial statements, the auditor has other reporting responsibilities required under local law.

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

To the Shareholders of ABC Company [or Other Appropriate Addressee]

Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements ¹²

Opinions

We have audited the financial statements of ABC Company (the Company) which comprise the statement of financial position as at December 31, 20X1, and the statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including material accounting policy information.

Qualified Opinion on the Financial Performance and Cash Flows

In our opinion, except for the possible effects of the matter described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion section of our report, the accompanying Statement of Comprehensive Income and Statement of Cash Flows present fairly, in all material respects (or give a true and fair view of), the financial performance and cash flows of the Company for the year ended December 31, 20X1 in accordance with New Zealand equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards (NZ IFRS).

Opinion on the Financial Position

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of financial position presents fairly, in all material respects (or gives a true and fair view of), the financial position of the Company as at December 31, 20X1 in accordance with NZ IFRS.

Basis for Opinions, Including Basis for Qualified Opinion on the Financial Performance and Cash Flows

We were appointed as auditors of the Company on June 30, 20X1 and thus did not observe the counting of the physical inventories at the beginning of the year. We were unable to satisfy ourselves by alternative means concerning inventory quantities held at December 31, 20X0. Since opening inventories enter into the determination of the financial performance and cash flows, we were unable to determine whether adjustments might have been necessary in respect of the profit for the year reported in the income statement and the net cash flows from operating activities reported in the statement of cash flows.

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISAs (NZ)). Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with Professional and Ethical Standard 1 International Code of Ethics for Assurance Practitioners (including International Independence Standards) (New Zealand) issued by the New Zealand Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our unmodified opinion on the financial position and our qualified audit opinion on the financial performance and cash flows.

Other than in our capacity as auditor we have no relationship with, or interests in, the Company.

Other Matter

The financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 20X0, were audited by another auditor who expressed an unmodified opinion on those statements on March 31, 20X1.

Other Information [or another title if appropriate such as “Information Other than the Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report Thereon”]

[Reporting in accordance with the reporting requirements in ISA (NZ) 720 (Revised)-see Illustration 1 in Appendix 2 of ISA (NZ) 720 (Revised)].

Directors’ Responsibilities for the Financial Statements¹³

[Reporting in accordance with ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised)-see Illustration 1 in ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised)].

Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements

[Reporting in accordance with ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised)-see Illustration 1 in ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised)].

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements

[Reporting in accordance with ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised)-see Illustration 1 in ISA (NZ) 700 (Revised)].

[Signature in the name of the audit firm, the personal name of the auditor, or both, as appropriate for the particular jurisdiction]

[Auditor address] [Date]

6 ISA (NZ) 600 (Revised), Special Considerations—Audits of Group Financial Statements (Including the Work of Component Auditors)

7 ISA (NZ) 210, Agreeing the Terms of Audit Engagements

8If the possible effects, in the auditor’s judgement, are considered to be material and pervasive to the entity’s financial performance and cash flows, the auditor would disclaim an opinion on the financial performance and cash flows.

9 ISA (NZ) 570 (Revised), Going Concern.

10 ISA (NZ) 701, Communicating Key Audit Matters in the Independent Auditor’s Report

11If the possible effects, in the auditor’s judgement, are considered to be material and pervasive to the entity’s financial performance and cash flows, the auditor would disclaim the opinion on the financial performance and cash flows.

12 The sub-title “Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements” is unnecessary in circumstances when the second sub-title “Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements” is not applicable.

13Or other terms that are appropriate in the context of the legal framework for the entity.

This conformity statement accompanies but is not part of ISA (NZ) 510.

Conformity with International Standards on Auditing

This International Standard on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISA (NZ)) conforms to International Standard on Auditing ISA 510 Initial Audit Engagements – Opening Balances, issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), an independent standard- setting board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

Paragraphs that have been added to this ISA (NZ) (and do not appear in the text of the equivalent ISA) are identified with the prefix “NZ”.

This ISA (NZ) incorporates terminology and definitions used in New Zealand. Compliance with this ISA (NZ) enables compliance with ISA 510.

Comparison with Australian Auditing Standards

In Australia the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) has issued Australian Auditing Standard ASA 510 Initial Audit Engagements – Opening Balances.

ASA 510 conforms to ISA 510.