Audit & Assurance

Start with what your stakeholders
need to rely on.

Clarify the reporting requirement, the scope of work, and the independent perspective the situation calls for.

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Some questions need more than internal confidence

Your team may trust the numbers.

A lender or buyer may require something specific.

The requirement determines the engagement.

Define the audience, purpose, and deadline first.

Then build the right scope around them.

You might be here because

  • A lender asked for statements

    A new loan, a renewal, or a covenant calls for compiled, reviewed, or audited statements by a certain date.

  • A board or investors need assurance

    Owners, a board, or outside investors want an independent read on the numbers.

  • A transaction is on the table

    A buyer or seller needs due diligence or a closer look at earnings before the deal moves forward.

Match the level
to the request

A compilation organizes your numbers into financial statements with no assurance attached. A review adds inquiry and analytical procedures and gives limited assurance. An audit tests balances, transactions, and controls and carries an opinion. Smaller credit lines often accept a review; larger loans, bonding programs, and regulators tend to require an audit. Bring us the request letter and we will tell you which level answers it.

Assurance Engagements

  • Compilation, Review, and Audit Engagements
  • Employee Benefit Plan Audits
  • Service Organization Controls (SOC) Reporting
  • Financial Statement Preparation
  • Examinations and Agreed-Upon Procedures

Specialty Services

  • Overhead Rate Audits and FAR Compliance
  • Internal Control Studies
  • Budgeting and Forecasting
  • Merger and Acquisition Due Diligence
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Which engagement fits
the requirement

Level of assuranceWhat you receive
Financial statement preparationNoneStatements, no CPA report
CompilationNoneCPA report, no assurance
ReviewLimitedCPA conclusion from inquiry and analysis
AuditReasonableCPA opinion on fair presentation
Agreed-upon proceduresNo opinionFindings on the agreed procedures

The party asking for the statements usually sets the level. Due diligence and internal control work are scoped separately from this list. Send us the written requirement and we will read it with you.

Every engagement runs in the same order: scope who asked for the statements and why, plan fieldwork around your close calendar, test what the assurance level requires, and write findings your bank and board can act on.

  1. Step-01

    Scope the request

  2. Step-02

    Plan the fieldwork

  3. Step-03

    Test what matters

  4. Step-04

    Report in plain language

A Cooper Norman advisor and client review financial dashboards on screen.

Not your average audit

Cooper NormanChecklist audit
Scope matched to who asked for the statements
Upfront planning before fieldwork
Document requests built around your close calendarVaries
Employee benefit plan auditsSometimes
SOC engagementsRarely
Findings written for your bank and board

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a FAR audit?
A FAR audit reviews an engineering or architecture firm's overhead rate against Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 31, so state Departments of Transportation and federal agencies can reimburse indirect costs. Cooper Norman performs FAR audits for Idaho and Utah firms billing state and federal contracts, since 1954.
What is the difference between a compilation, a review, and an audit?

A compilation organizes your records into financial statements with no assurance attached. A review adds inquiry and analytical procedures and provides limited assurance. An audit tests balances, transactions, and internal controls and carries an opinion, the highest level of assurance a CPA firm provides.

Who typically asks for each level?

Banks often accept a compilation or review on smaller credit lines and require an audit as exposure grows. Sureties usually want reviewed or audited statements before extending a bonding program. Boards, investors, and regulators generally require an audit. If you are not sure what the request calls for, send us the letter and we will read it with you.

What should management expect during the engagement?

A scoping conversation first, a document request list planned around your close calendar, fieldwork scheduled in advance, and findings written in language your team can act on. The engagement should be prepared, coordinated, and respectful of your staff's time. That is table stakes. The deliverable is the point.

What assurance services do you provide?

Compilation, review, and audit engagements, employee benefit plan audits, Service Organization Controls (SOC) reporting, financial statement preparation, and examinations and other agreed-upon procedures. Specialty work includes overhead rate audits and FAR compliance, internal control studies, budgeting and forecasting, and merger and acquisition due diligence.

How can I contact your team?

Start a conversation through our contact page, or call your local office in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Blackfoot, Rexburg, Twin Falls, or Pleasant Grove.

Which engagement does my lender require?

Your loan agreement or the lender's request letter usually says. If it is unclear, send it to us and we will read it with you. It is better to confirm the level before work starts than to redo it later.

What information is needed to scope the work?

Who is asking for the statements, what they asked for, the period covered, and the deadline. With that, we can tell you what the engagement involves.

How do purpose and deadline affect the plan?

The purpose sets the level of work, and the deadline sets the schedule. A tight deadline is easier to meet when we can plan fieldwork around your close calendar early.

Thomas Ryan, Partner, A&A Lead

Who leads this work

Thomas Ryan, CPA, MACC

Partner, A&A Lead

Thomas Ryan leads audit and assurance at the firm. Requests from banks, boards, and sureties route through his bench.

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Who needs the information,
and when?

Only your name, email, and one question are required. The right advisor reads it and follows up within two business days. Please leave out tax returns, statements, and account numbers for now. Those come later through our secure process. New to Cooper Norman and prefer to talk? Call (208) 551-5638.

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