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This paper examines international pronouncements on the audit function and Internet financial reporting and assesses whether the practices and policies reflected in these pronouncements are followed by the auditors of top South African companies. As a secondary objective, this study also attempted to determine how South African auditors perceive the influence that Internet reporting may have on the auditing profession in future. The analysis shows that many of the procedures required of auditors and Internet reporting have already been defined by international standardsetting bodies, but that the audit firms which responded to the questionnaire in this study do not yet have well‐established policies and practices regarding Internet reporting. There is still some uncertainty regarding Internet financial reporting in the responding audit firms, as was reflected in their perceptions of the future of Internet financial reporting and its impact on the audit function. The responding audit firms were reluctant to expand their responsibilities with regard to Internet financial reporting.

The use of the Internet for financial reporting creates unique opportunities and challenges for the auditing profession. This exploratory study identifies the key audit implications of Internet financial reporting through a comprehensive review of the academic and professional literature. Further, the study analyses the contents of all listed company Websites in New Zealand to assess the nature and extent of current audit‐related Web practices. The relatively high degree of similarity between New Zealand's auditing standards and those of other jurisdictions (e.g. International Standards of Auditing and auditing standards in countries such as the UK, Australia and the USA) contributes towards the international generalisability of the content analysis. The literature review highlighted issues relating to the auditor's role and responsibilities, the audit report, and audit procedures. The results of the content analysis of auditor Web‐related practices reveal several significant concerns for the auditing profession in relation to the presentation, context, and content of the audit report in a Web‐based environment.

The digital economy has significantly altered the way business is conducted and financial information is communicated. A rapidly growing number of organizations are conducting business and publishing business and financial reports online and in real-time. Real-time financial reporting is likely to necessitate continuous auditing to provide continuous assurance about the quality and credibility of the information presented. The audit process has, by necessity, evolved from a conventional manual audit to computer-based auditing and is now confronted with creating continuous electronic audits. Rapidly emerging information technology and demands for more timely communication of information to business stakeholders requires auditors to invent new ways to continuously monitor, gather, and analyze audit evidence. Continuous auditing is defined here as “a comprehensive electronic audit process that enables auditors to provide some degree of assurance on continuous information simultaneously with, or shortly after, the disclosure of the information.” This paper is based on a review of related literature, innovative continuous auditing applications, and the experiences of the authors. An approach for building continuous audit capacity is presented and audit data warehouses and data marts are described. Ever improving technology suggests that the real-time exchange of sensitive financial data will place constant pressure on auditors to update audit techniques. Most of the new techniques that will be required will involve creation of new software and audit models. Future research should focus on how continuous auditing could be constantly improved in various auditing domains including assurance, attestation, and audit services.

Technological advances (e.g. e‐commerce and the Internet) have changed business practices and the process of recording and storing business transactions. Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) will soon be built into accounting and reporting software which would allow on‐line real‐time preparation, publication, examination, and extraction of financial information. Thus, outside, independent auditors should use continuous, electronic auditing when most financial information exists only in electronic form under real‐time accounting systems. Continuous auditing and its implications for independent auditors, including internal control considerations and audit procedures, are described and analyzed.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 (which came into operation on 29 December 1975) provides for an “equality clause” to be written into all contracts of employment. S.1(2) (a) of the 1970 Act (which has been amended by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975) provides:

In 2002, The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) observed the 25th anniversary of the publication of its first Systems, Auditability, & Control (SAC) study. This paper reviews the development of the SAC projects and their impact on Information Systems (IS) auditing in particular. Three different research methodologies were used for collecting the data for this research. First, a rigorous literature review was conducted. Second, an oral‐history methodology was used to collect data via interviews. Third, notes and minutes from many early committee meetings of IIA, including the SAC Committee, were studied. The early years (1954‐1977) saw a dearth of related literature. Thus individual accountants and auditors found it difficult to acquire or gather information on emerging issues. The Systems, Auditability, & Control (SAC) study published in 1977 was one of the major attempts to codify IS auditing knowledge. This study has been followed up by three other SAC projects in 1991, 1994, and 2001. These SAC projects have provided some of the best guidance for IS auditors over these last 25 years. From the beginning of IS auditing, there has been a continued acceleration of technology. In particular, the audit process has been impacted by the proliferation of microcomputers.

The exponential growth in corporate reporting on the internet has created numerous opportunities and challenges for the accounting and auditing profession, and regulators. This study aims to examine internet reporting practices of companies in Malaysia for the purpose of exploring their auditing implications.

An examination of the 100 Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Indexed (KLSE CI) companies in Malaysia in 2003 and 2004.

Although there has been an increase in both the number of companies and the types of information provided on the internet, the quality of internet reporting information to users has little improved. This problem is compounded because auditors have little control over web contents and the changes that can be made to audited information. Further guidance to standardise the types of internet reporting information may help protect the interest of users, provide more certainty to what information needs to be audited and reduce audit risks.

The hosting of audited information on an auditor's web site may provide auditors with better control, reduce audit risks and further improve the credibility and reliability of information to users.

Provides information on the financial reporting and auditing challenges posed by internet reporting.

The advances and continuous development of technology have been identified as significant influences on the accounting profession (AICPA, 1998). In the last twenty years, both academia and the accounting profession have been giving much attention to the demand and opportunity for audits to be performed automatically, continuously and in nearly real time. This paper presents a comprehensive review of continuous auditing research by providing an overview of the emergence and growth of the continuous auditing literature and classifying the extant continuous auditing research on the basis of four research characteristics indicated by a newly developed research taxonomy.

The purpose of this paper is to constitute and test a framework of factors that might affect auditors' perceptions of the work needed to audit internet‐based financial reports (IBFR).

The paper conducts a questionnaire on practicing auditors from audit firms in Egypt in the year 2007 to examine their perceptions of the work needed to audit IBFR and factors that might affect their perceptions.

The paper portrays total auditors' perceptions as a function of four dimensions. First, auditor personal‐specific characteristics (consisting of three variables); second, audit fieldwork‐specific characteristics (containing one variable); third, audit firm‐specific characteristics (comprising five variables); and fourth, environmental‐specific characteristics (consisting of four variables). The analysis of empirical study provides evidence of a significant association between auditors' perceptions of the work needed to audit IBFR and the following factors: auditors' knowledge of inherent risks of internet reporting, quality systems, audit tenure, legal form of client, client industry group, user needs of financial information, and legislation environment.

The scope of the survey is limited to a small number of potential participants. Accounting and auditing standards setting environment in Egypt may restrict the generalization of the findings of this paper.

This paper enriches the literature on internet reporting and audit tasks by exploring factors that might affect auditors' perceptions of the work needed to audit IBFR. The paper provides evidence that supports Egyptian regulators' initiatives to issue guidelines that cover IBFR, and auditors' responsibilities and the work needed in the audit of IBFR in electronic business environments in an attempt to improve the integrity of financial reporting.