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Gettry Marcus CPA, P.C. Recaps the Department of Labor's Guidelines for Selecting an Auditor for an Employee Benefit Plan Audit

Thursday, 24 April 2014 03:29 AM

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Gettry Marcus CPA, P.C., a leading tax, consulting, audit and forensic accounting firm, reviews information provided by the Department of Labor regarding the employee benefit plan audit selection process 

Woodbury, NY / http://www.myprgenie.com/ / ACCESSWIRE/ April 24, 2014 / Leading forensic accounting firm Gettry Marcus CPA, P.C., shares recent information from the Department of Labor that provides guidelines for selecting a qualified employee benefit plan auditor. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, not every CPA firm is qualified to do an employee benefit plan audit. Because this type of audit is so specialized, the firm that conducts the audit must be specialized, too.  


Sharon Brenner, CPA and Director of Accounting & Audit at Gettry Marcus, says, "A quality audit protects the assets of your employee benefit plan and the administrator's legal responsibility to file a complete and accurate return for your plan. Using an inexperienced auditor can be more costly than you think. Penalties for an incomplete, inadequate or untimely audit report may be assessed against you as the plan's administrator. Selection of an auditor with experience in auditing employee benefit plans is very important."  


Below are guidelines that the Department of Labor provides to help in the selection process.  


Why is the choice of an auditor important? 


A quality audit will help protect the assets and the financial integrity of an employee benefit plan and ensure that the necessary funds will be available to pay retirement, health, and other promised benefits to employees. A quality audit will also help an organization carry out its fiduciary responsibility to file a complete and accurate annual return/report each year. Because an incomplete, inadequate, or untimely audit report and tax return may result in penalties being assessed against the plan's sponsor and/or trustees, selection of an experienced and reliable auditor is very important.


Should a plan auditor have experience in auditing employee benefit plans? 


One of the most common reasons for deficient auditor's reports is the failure of the auditor to perform tests in areas unique to employee benefit plan audits. The more training and experience that an auditor has with employee benefit plan audits, the more familiar the auditor will be with benefit plan practices and operations, as well as the special auditing standards and rules that apply to such plans. In some instances, a less experienced auditor may be assigned to perform routine audit procedures in order to reduce audit costs. When this happens, the client should confirm that an experienced employee benefit plan auditor will review his/her work, as well as perform the more complicated audit procedures.  


Should I request references and check if the audit firm is a member of the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center?


When engaging an auditor, you may wish to obtain references and discuss the auditor's work for other employee benefit plan clients.  


Can I limit what the auditor reviews?


Federal law permits the administrator of an employee benefit plan to limit an audit when plan assets are held by banks or insurance companies and written certifications are provided by qualified institutions holding those assets. The hiring company should consult with its accountant, attorney, or plan advisor to determine whether limiting the scope of an audit is appropriate for the given plan.


Will I have to furnish or prepare documents for the auditor?


It is generally the responsibility of the administrator to maintain plan financial and other records. Many of these records will need to be made available to the auditor for review in the course of the plan audit. If a third-party service provider maintains plan records, the client will need to arrange for auditor access to these records. 


What happens when the audit is complete? 


At the conclusion of the audit, the auditor will issue a report and state an opinion on the plan's financial statements as well as any schedules required to be included as a part of the plan's annual report filing. Auditors will also report on significant problems, if any were found. The auditor may also suggest ways to improve internal controls and plan operations.


What questions should I plan to ask the auditor about his/her work? 


Frequently, audits are found to be deficient because of the failure of the auditor to conduct tests in areas unique to employee benefit plans. Accordingly, the client should make sure that its auditor considered at a minimum the following areas:


  • Whether plan assets covered by the audit have been fairly valued
  • Whether plan obligations are properly stated and described
  • Whether all contributions made were received by the plan and applied to the correct participant's account
  • Whether contributions to the plan were received in a timely manner
  • Whether benefit payments were made in accordance with plan terms
  • Whether issues were identified that may impact the plan's tax status
  • Whether any transactions prohibited under ERISA were identified
  • Whether eligibility requirements of participants are being met
  • Whether participant loans are being handled properly

View the full article on the Gettry Marcus website.


IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.


Gettry Marcus CPA, P.C. is a top New York City and Long Island CPA firm with offices in Woodbury, Long Island and New York City. We provide accounting, tax, and consulting services to commercial businesses, high net worth individuals and various industries which include real estate and health care. We have one of the premier and most credentialed business valuation, litigation and forensic accounting groups in the New York Area. Our experience in diverse industries and a highly talented and experienced professional staff gives us the ability to share valuable insights into our clients' businesses, to better understand their goals and problems and to help them attain the vision they have for their company.


Gettry Marcus is "Always Looking Deeper" to build value for our clients.


Media inquiries: Contact Fayellen Dietchweiler at 516-364-3390 ext. 225 or at fdietchweiler(at)gettrymarcus(dot)com

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