AUDITING: Audit Committee

Audit committee

An audit committee is an operating committee of the board of directors charged with oversight of financial reporting and disclosure. Committee members are drawn from members of the company's board of directors, with a Chairperson selected from among the committee members. A qualifying (cf. paragraph "Composition" below) audit committee is required for a U.S. publicly traded company to be listed on a stock exchange. Audit committees are typically empowered to acquire the consulting resources and expertise deemed necessary to perform their responsibilities.

The role of audit committees continues to evolve as a result of the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Many audit committees also have oversight of regulatory compliance and risk management activities.

Not for profit entities may also have an audit committee.

Internationally, the audit committee is a committee of the board of directors responsible for oversight of the financial reporting process, selection of the independent auditor, and receipt of audit results both internal and external. The committee assists the board of directors fulfill its corporate governance and overseeing responsibilities in relation to an entity’s financial reporting, internal control system, risk management system and internal and external audit functions. Its role is to provide advice and recommendations to the board within the scope of its terms of reference / charter. Terms of reference and requirements for an audit committee vary by country, but may be influenced by economic and political unions capable of passing legislation. The European Union directives are applied across Europe through legislation at the country level. Although specific legal requirements may vary by country in Europe, the source of legislation on corporate governance issues is often found at the European Union level and within the non-mandatory corporate governance codes that cross national boundaries.^[1]

Responsibilities

Boards of Directors and their committees rely on management to run the daily operations of the business. The Board's role is better described as oversight or monitoring, rather than execution. Responsibilities of the audit committee typically include:^[4][5]

• Overseeing the financial reporting and disclosure process.
• Monitoring choice of accounting policies and principles.
• Overseeing hiring, performance and independence of the external auditors.
• Oversight of regulatory compliance, ethics, and whistleblower hotlines.
• Monitoring the internal control process.
• Overseeing the performance of the internal audit function.
• Discussing risk management policies and practices with management.

The duties of an audit committee are typically described in a committee charter, often available on the entity's website.^[6]