Audits provide essential accountability and transparency over government programs. Given the current challenges facing governments and their programs, the oversight provided through auditing is more critical than ever. Government auditing provides the objective analysis and information needed to make the decisions necessary to help create a better future. The professional standards presented in this 2018 revision of Government Auditing Standards (known as the Yellow Book) provide a framework for performing high-quality audit work with competence, integrity, objectivity, and independence to provide accountability and to help improve government operations and services. These standards, commonly referred to as generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS), provide the foundation for government auditors to lead by example in the areas of independence, transparency, accountability, and quality through the audit process. This revision contains major changes from, and supersedes, the 2011 revision.

Combined report on financial statements (unqualified opinion), internal controls, and compliance and other matters in accordance with Government Auditing Standards ï¿1/2 for FEDERAL ENTITIES when the auditor identifies Material Weaknesses and Signific

How is A-123 different from Section 404 of the SOX Act? What is required of federal agencies with the revision of A-123? The definitive guide for federal compliance with OMB Circular A-123 and SOX Section 404, OMB Circular A-123 and Sarbanes-Oxley: Management's Responsibility for Internal Control in Federal Agencies leads readers through every step of the planning, evaluation, testing, and reporting/collecting of processes associated with OMB Circular A-123 and SOX Section 404 compliance, including: * Internal control criteria * Internal control assessment: project planning * Identifying significant control objectives * Documentation of significant controls * Testing and evaluating entity-level controls and activity-level controls The result of numerous consultations over many years with accountants, auditors, financial managers, and systems consultants specializing in the financial management issues of the federal government, this hands-on guide quickly brings you up to speed on the latest revisions and rules in federal financial internal control requirements.

For the past 8 years, since the first audit of the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. gov't. (CFS), certain material weaknesses in internal control & in selected accounting & financial reporting practices have resulted in conditions that have prevented the GAO from expressing an opinion on the CFS. The U.S. gov't. does not have adequate systems, controls, & procedures to properly prepare the CFS. The purpose of this report is to: discuss the details of the weaknesses relating to the Treasury's preparation of the CFS; recommend improvements to address those weaknesses; & provide the status of corrective actions to address the 142 open recommendations previously reported. Includes 20 new recommendations. Charts & tables.