audit ch 20

A signed payroll check that has not been cashed is considered an asset to the company that issued the check. a. True b. False

a

Hiring personnel initiates the payroll and personnel cycle. a. True b. False

a

Paying employees for their services ends the payroll and personnel cycle. a. True b. False

a

"Physical control over assets" is not a type of control that is applicable to the payroll cycle. a. True b. False

b

Auditors seldom expect to find misstatements when testing payroll transactions. a. True b. False

a

Despite the large dollar amounts involved in the payroll and personnel cycle, auditors typically spend less time auditing this cycle than others. a. True b. False

a

For good internal control, the payroll function should be independent of the personnel department. a. True. b. False.

a

Once the auditor determines that the company's policy for accruing wages is consistent with prior years, the appropriate audit procedure to test for accuracy and cutoff is: a. recalculating the client's accrual. b. performing extensive tests of controls. c. performing extensive tests of details. d. none of the above.

a

Records that include data such as employment date, performance ratings and pay rates are the: a. personnel records. b. employee screening forms. c. summary payroll reports. d. employee folders.

a

The most important means of verifying account balances in the payroll and personnel cycle are: a. tests of controls and tests of transactions. b. analytical procedures and tests of controls. c. analytical procedures and tests of transactions. d. test of controls and tests of details of balances.

a

The nature, extent, and timing of substantive tests of payroll transactions vary depending, in part, on assessed control risk. a. True b. False

a

The payroll cycle consists of how many classes of transactions? a. one b. two c. three d. four

a

The two major balance-related audit objectives in testing payroll liabilities are accuracy and cutoff. a. True b. False

a

The use of an imprest payroll account prevents losses from payment of unauthorized payroll to no more than the balance in the imprest account. a. True b. False

a

To minimize the opportunity for fraud, unclaimed salary checks should be: a. deposited in a special bank account. b. kept in the payroll department. c. left with the employee's supervisor. d. held for the employee in the personnel department.

a

When auditing the payroll and personnel cycle, tests of controls are routinely performed. a. True b. False

a

While most cycles include at least two classes of transactions, the payroll and personnel cycle includes only one class of transactions. a. True b. False

a

A ____________ includes all payroll transactions processed by the accounting system for a given period of time. a. payroll journal b. payroll transaction file c. time report d. payroll summary

b

Because of confidentiality requirements and potential losses of payroll funds, outside service center systems are rarely used by companies for payroll-related functions. a. True b. False

b

Firing personnel terminates the payroll and personnel cycle. a. True b. False

b

If an audit client is a public company, the understanding of internal control must be sufficient to identify opportunities to increase audit effectiveness. a. True b. False

b

Inherent risk for payroll-related liabilities is normally higher than for accounts receivable. a. True b. False

b

Inherent risk is typically _____ for balance-related audit objectives as they relate to payroll. a. not considered b. low c. moderate d. high

b

Most companies, with the exception of small ones, have effective controls over the payroll cycle. a. True b. False

b

Payroll checks do not need to be distributed by someone independent of the payroll and timekeeping functions. a) . True b) . False

b

The deduction authorization form authorizes the rate of pay and the deductions for taxes, dues, etc. a. True b. False

b

The payroll and personnel cycle begins with which of the following events? a. Interviewing job candidates. b. Hiring a new employee. c. Existing employees submitting requests for payment for work performed. d. Issuance of paychecks.

b

When labor is a material part of inventory, auditors should emphasize tests of details of balances. a. True b. False

b

Which of the following internal controls in the payroll and personnel cycle is generally least important to an auditor? a. Formal methods of informing payroll personnel of new employees. b. Reconciliation of total payroll expense in the general ledger with the payroll tax returns and the W-2 forms. c. Authorization of changes in pay rates. d. Notice of the termination date of employees no longer working for the company.

b

Which of the following is not correct regarding controls over the processing of payroll? a. The person authorized to sign paychecks should not be otherwise involved in the preparation of the payroll. b. A check-signing machine should not be used to replace a manual signature. c. Distribution of pay checks should be performed by someone who is not involved in the other payroll functions. d. Unclaimed paychecks should be immediately returned for redeposit.

b

Which of the following statements about payroll checks is correct? a. After a payroll check is cashed and returned to the employee it is referred to as a depository check. b. As soon as a payroll check is signed by an authorized employee, it becomes an asset. c. Payroll checks are written for the amount of gross pay due employees. d. It is rare that payroll checks are direct-deposited into employees' bank accounts.

b

A surprise payroll payoff in which employees must pick-up and sign for their pay check is one means of: a. identifying employees who do not have proper work credentials. b. establishing a tightly controlled, fraud-free work environment . c. testing for nonexistent employees. d. identifying employees who have not submitted proper W-2 forms..

c

An imprest payroll account ordinarily carries a balance that is: a. larger than the other company bank accounts. b. larger than the amount of the periodic payroll disbursement. c. small. d. below zero.

c

Most systems of internal control for payroll are: a. loosely structured but well controlled. b. loosely structured and loosely controlled. c. highly structured and well controlled. d. highly structured but loosely controlled.

c

No individual with access to time cards, payroll records, or checks should also be permitted access to: a. the computer. b. job time tickets. c. personnel records. d. the canceled check file.

c

The primary concern in testing payroll-related liabilities is to make sure that: a. accruals are properly valued. b. transactions are recorded in the proper period. c. there are no understated or omitted accruals. d. the accruals are not overstated.

c

Which department should be authorized to add and delete employees from the payroll or change pay rates and deductions? a. The supervising department. b. The accounting department. c. The human resources department. d. The treasurer's department.

c

Which of the following best describes proper internal control over payroll? a. The preparation of the payroll must be under the control of the personnel department. b. The confidentiality of employee payroll data should be carefully protected to prevent fraud. c. The duties of hiring, payroll computation, and payment to employees should be segregated. d. The payment of cash to employees should be replaced with payment by checks.

c

Which of the following is a substantive test of transactions? a. Review personnel policies. b. Account for a sequence of payroll checks. c. Reconcile the disbursements in the payroll journal with the disbursements on the payroll bank statement. d. Examine printouts of transactions rejected by the computer as having invalid employee IDs.

c

Which of the following is not an advantage of using an imprest payroll account? a. It limits the company's exposure to payroll fraud. b. It allows the delegation of payroll check-signing duties. c. Companies have fewer banking transactions. d. It facilitates cash management.

c

Which of the following is not an assertion related to the classes of transactions underlying the payroll cycle? a. Classification b. Accuracy c. Existence d. Occurrence

c

If auditors rely on the internal controls of an outside payroll service provider, they will receive a(n) _____ report. a. reliance b. SAS 70 c. outsourcer's d. quality assurance

b

Imprest accounts usually carry a significant balance. a. True b. False

b

Supervisory personnel in the functional department responsible for evaluating employees should be responsible for authorizing the addition and deletion of employees from the payroll. a. True b. False

b

Tests of controls and tests of details of balances are the auditor's most important means of verifying account balances in the payroll and personnel cycle. a. True b. False

b

The audit procedure "Recompute hours worked from time cards" is normally performed when testing the completeness objective for payroll. a. True b. False

b

The careful and timely preparation of all payroll tax returns is necessary to avoid penalties and criminal charges. The most important control in the timely preparation of these returns is: a. computerized preparation of tax returns. b. a well-defined set of policies that indicate when each form must be filed. c. independent verification of computer output by a competent individual. d. a Gaant chart.

b

The job time ticket indicates the starting and stopping times of work during the pay period. a. True b. False

b

The primary purpose of a surprise payroll payoff is to detect employees who have reported more time than was actually worked (fraudulent hours). a. True b. False

b

The retirement savings deductions, number of exemptions for withholding allowances, union dues deductions, and other deductions are found on what form? a. Time cards b. Deduction authorization form c. Rate authorization form d. Job time ticket

b

To check the accuracy of hours worked, an auditor would ordinarily compare clock cards with: a. personnel records. b. job time tickets. c. labor variance reports. d. time recorded in the payroll register.

b

When a client uses an outside payroll service for processing payroll, professional auditing standards require the auditor to rely on the internal controls of the service organization if the service organization's auditor has issued a favorable report on internal controls. a. True. b. False.

b

When examining payroll transactions, an auditor is primarily concerned with the possibility of: a. incorrect summaries of employee time records. b. overpayments and unauthorized payments. c. under withholding of amounts required to be withheld. d. posting of gross payroll amounts to incorrect salary expense accounts.

b

Which of the following statements is false? a. The payroll cycle consists of one class of transactions. b. Balance sheet accounts related to payroll are generally more significant than related transactions. c. Internal controls over payroll are effective for most companies. d. Small companies usually have effective controls over payroll.

b

Which of the following type of employee typically does not complete time cards? a. Hourly employees. b. Salaried employees. c. All employees must complete time cards. d. Time cards are typically completed by salaried employees, but may also be completed by hourly employees.

b

When labor is a material factor in inventory valuation, the auditor should place special emphasis on testing the internal controls concerning: a. fictitious employees. b. authorization of wage rates. c. proper valuation and allocation of balances. d. completeness of recorded transactions.

c

Which of the following is the best way for an auditor to determine that every name on a company's payroll is that of a bona fide employee presently on the job? a. Examine personnel records for accuracy and completeness. b. Examine employees' names listed on payroll tax returns for agreement with payroll accounting records. c. Make a surprise observation of the company's regular distribution of paychecks. d. Visit the working areas and confirm with employees their badge or identification numbers.

c

Which of the following types of audit tests is usually emphasized due to a lack of independent third-party evidence related to payroll transactions? a. Analytical procedures b. Tests of details of balances c. Tests of controls d. Each of the above is emphasized.

c

A form issued for each employee summarizing the earnings and income tax deductions for the calendar year is the: a. rate authorization form. b. summary payroll report. c. payroll master file. d. W-2 form.

d

As a part of the auditor's responsibility for ____________, the auditor should review the preparation of at least one of each type of payroll tax form the client is responsible for filing. a. doing tests of controls. b. doing tests of balances. c. doing tests of transactions. d. understanding the client's internal controls.

d

Effective internal accounting control over unclaimed payroll checks that are kept by the company would include accounting department procedures that require: a. effective cancellation and stop payment orders for checks representing unclaimed wages. b. preparation of a list of unclaimed wages on a periodic basis. c. accounting for all unclaimed wages in a current liability account. d. periodic accounting for the actual checks representing unclaimed wages.

d

In auditing payroll, which of the following procedures will ordinarily require the least amount of auditor time under normal circumstances? a. Tests of controls. b. Substantive tests of transactions. c. Analytical procedures. d. Tests of details of balances.

d

It would be appropriate for the payroll department to be responsible for which of the following functions? a. Approval of employee time records. b. Maintain records of employment, firings, and raises. c. Temporary retention of unclaimed employee paychecks. d. Preparation of governmental reports as to employees' earnings and withholding taxes.

d

Many companies use outside payroll services to process payroll. Auditors _____ rely on the internal controls of these outside payroll services. a. must b. cannot c. rarely d. can often

d

Most companies use an imprest account to pay the payroll. Which of the following is not an advantage of such an account? a. It facilitates cash management. b. It limits the company's exposure to payroll fraud. c. It allows the delegation of payroll check-signing duties. d. It eliminates the requirement of keeping a minimum balance in a checking account.

d

The most important consideration in evaluating the fairness of the amounts accrued for vacation pay, sick pay, and other benefits is the: a. consistent accrual of these liabilities relative to those of preceding periods. b. actual expense incurred for the prior period. c. amount expended to date in the current period. d. profitability of the client which will enable these liabilities to be met.

d

The payroll and personnel cycle ends with which of the following events? a. Interviewing job candidates. b. Hiring a new employee. c. Existing employees submitting requests for payment for work performed. d. Issuance of paychecks.

d

Which of the following is not a procedure that can be performed on canceled checks in an effort to detect defalcations? a. Compare the endorsements on checks with authorized signatures. b. Scan endorsements for unusual or recurring second endorsements. c. Examine voided checks to be sure they haven't been used. d. Examine the payroll records in subsequent periods to determine that terminated employees are no longer being paid.

d

Which of the following statements is correct? a. The overhead charged to inventory at the balance sheet date can be understated if the salaries of administrative personnel are inadvertently or intentionally charged to indirect manufacturing overhead. b. When jobs are billed on a cost-plus basis, revenue and total expenses are both affected by charging labor to incorrect jobs. c. Payroll is a significant portion of inventory for retail and service industry companies. d. The valuation of inventory is affected if the direct labor cost of individual employees is improperly charged to the wrong job or process.

d

Which of the following types of audit procedures is ordinarily emphasized the least when auditing payroll? a. Tests of controls b. Tests of transactions c. Analytical procedures d. Tests of details of balances

d

A weak internal control system allows a department supervisor to "clock in" for a fictitious employee and then approve the employee's time card at the end of the pay period. This fraud would be detected if other controls were in place, such as having an independent party: a. distribute paychecks. b. recompute hours worked from time cards. c. foot the payroll journal and trace postings to the general ledger and the payroll master file. d. compare the date of the recorded check in the payroll journal with the date on the canceled checks and time cards.

a

For proper internal control, the person(s) responsible for signing the payroll checks should not have access to timekeeping or be otherwise involved in the preparation of payroll. a. True b. False

a

For which of the following functions is the use of prenumbered documents least important? a) Use of prenumbered time cards in the payroll function. b) Use of prenumbered sales invoices in the sales function. c) Use of prenumbered receiving reports in the acquisitions function. d) Use of prenumbered deposit slips in the cash receipts function.

a

If an auditor wishes to test the completeness transaction-related audit objective in the payroll and personnel cycle, which of the following would be a reasonable test of control? a. Account for a sequence of payroll checks. b. Examine procedures manual and observe the recording of transactions. c. Examine payroll records for indication of pay rate approval. d. Reconcile the payroll bank account.

a

In most audits, payroll tax expense is not tested because the audit risk does not justify the time required to perform the tests. a. True b. False

a

Internal control over payroll is normally highly structured and well controlled. a. True b. False

a

It is generally more difficult for the auditor to detect payment of fraudulent hours than payment of fictitious employees. a. True b. False

a

Once the auditor has determined the company's policy for accruing wages and knows it is consistent with that of previous years, the appropriate audit procedure to test for cutoff and accuracy is to: a. recalculate the client's accruals. b. compare the ledger balance with the journal and the tax form. c. confirm the amount with employees. d. compare the recorded accrued wages with the amount approved in the minutes of the Board.

a

One common substantive test of payroll transactions for the existence objective is to compare canceled payroll checks with personnel records. a. True b. False

a

The file for recording each payroll transaction for each employee and maintaining total employee wages paid for the year to date is the: a. payroll master file. b. summary payroll report. c. payroll journal. d. job time ticket.

a

The total of the individual employee earnings in the payroll master file equals the total: a. balance of gross payroll in general ledger accounts. b. of the checks drawn to employees for payroll. c. gross payroll plus the total contributed by the employer for payroll taxes. d. gross pay for the current week's payroll.

a

There is very little opportunity for confirmation from third parties of balance sheet accounts related to the payroll and personnel cycle. a. True b. False

a

When a client uses an outside payroll service for processing payroll, professional auditing standards permit the auditor to rely on the internal controls of the service organization if the service organization's auditor has issued a favorable report on the internal controls of the service organization. a. True. b . False.

a

Because of the cycle's pervasive nature, audit tests of the payroll cycle are usually extensive. a. True b. False

b

Verification of the legitimacy of year-end unpaid bonuses to officers and employees can be accomplished by comparing the recorded accrual to the amount: a. in the expense account. b. used in the prior period. c. authorized in the minutes of the board. d. paid in the subsequent period.

c

The periodic payment from the general cash account to the payroll account for net payroll should be tested for at least one payroll period. The primary audit procedure is a(n): a. analytical review procedure that net pay is reasonable. b. test of controls that an imprest account is being used for payroll. c. substantive test that the correct amount was transferred for this test period. d. test of transactions that the check is prepared for the proper amount and deposited before payroll checks are handed out.

d

What are the two major balance-related audit objectives in testing payroll liabilities? a. Accuracy and detail tie-in b. Completeness and valuation c. Completeness and rights and obligations d. Accuracy and cutoff

d

Which of the following circumstances would not cause an auditor to extend payroll procedures considerably? a. Payroll significantly affects inventory valuation. b. There is a possibility of material fraudulent payroll transactions. c. There is a weak internal control structure. d. There is a lack of independent third-party evidence, such as confirmations.

d

Which of the following errors gives the auditor the least concern in auditing payroll transactions? a. An error that indicates possible fraud. b. Computational errors in formulas when a computerized system is used. c. Classification errors in charging labor to inventory and job cost accounts. d. Each of the above gives the auditor significant concern.

d

Which of the following is an effective internal accounting control used to prove that production department employees are properly validating payroll time cards at a time-recording station? a. Internal auditors should make observations of distribution of paychecks on a surprise basis. b. Time cards should be carefully inspected by those persons who distribute pay envelopes to the employees. c. One person should be responsible for maintaining records of employee time for which salary payment is not to be made. d. Daily reports showing time charged to jobs should be approved by the supervisor and compared to the total hours worked on the employee time cards.

d