(c) Pinzon, a limited liability company and audit client, is threatening to sue your firm

Question

(c) Pinzon, a limited liability company and audit client, is threatening to sue your firm in respect of audit fees charged

for the year ended 31 December 2004. Pinzon is alleging that Bartolome billed the full rate on air fares for audit

staff when substantial discounts had been obtained by Bartolome. (4 marks)

Required:

Comment on the ethical and other professional issues raised by each of the above matters and their implications,

if any, for the continuation of each assignment.

NOTE: The mark allocation is shown against each of the three issues.

Answer 1

正确答案：
(c) Threatened legal action
Ethical and professional issues
■ An advocacy threat has arisen as Bartolome and Pinzon are in opposition concerning the fee note for the 2004 audit.
■ If Pinzon’s allegations are true this may cast serious doubt on the integrity of Bartolome. Pinzon should be advised to
take their claims first to ACCA’s Disciplinary Committee.
■ If Bartolome has indeed charged full air fares when substantial discounts had been obtained this could be due to:
– Bartolome incorrectly believing this to be an acceptable industry practice; or
– a billing error/oversight.
In either case Bartolome should issue a credit note, although this may be insufficient to make amends and salvage the
auditor-client relationship.
■ Bartolome may have legitimately claimed for full airfares if this was agreed in its contract (i.e. the terms of engagement)
with Pinzon.
Implications for continuation with assignment
Unless the threat of legal action is amicably resolved very quickly (which is perhaps unlikely) Pinzon and Bartolome are in
conflict. Bartolome cannot therefore be seen to be independent and so should tender their resignation as auditor for the year
ending 31 December 2005 (assuming they were re-appointed and have not already been removed from office).