Preview

Sarbanes Oxley Act Summary

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
350 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sarbanes Oxley Act Summary
Sarbanes – Oxley Act is a legislation passed by the US Congress to protect shareholders and general public from accounting errors. This act was enacted in 2002 by two Congressmen; Paul Sarbanes and Michael Oxley to protect investors from corporate fraud. An audit committee is an operating committee formed by board of directors and other members that is in charge of overseeing the financial reporting and disclosure. The SOX prohibits SEC from listing of any security for a US publicly traded company without an audit committee. These are the requirements for audit committees under the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
The SOX requires all members of the audit committee to be independent directors and should include one member who is a financial expert.
…show more content…
These are procedures the independent auditor follows when evaluating financial statements such testing the issuer’s internal control, and materiality. At the end of the audit, the CPA firm provides a detailed audit report on their findings of the issuing company to the audit committee.
It is the responsibility of the audit committee to ensure the funding of the independent auditor and any outside advisors. The audit committee selects the public accounting firm to conduct the audit of the issuing company and a contract agreement is signed. Therefore is it is in charge of paying the independent auditor’s full amount once the audit is complete.
Conclusively, 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act created a liaison between management and the independent auditor by requiring companies to have audit committees. This prohibits direct communications between the management and the auditors so that auditors can do their job without being influenced by management. Hence curbing high fraudulent accounting activities left unnoticed in accounting corporations by like those of Enron, Xerox and Arthur

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Acc 403 Week 8 Homework

    • 1873 Words
    • 8 Pages

    | There needs to be an audit committee appointed or they need to engage outside auditors.…

    • 1873 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sec's Rule 78j-1

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The financial reporting process needs oversight to function effectively. The audit committee is vital to that oversight process. While management is responsible for the daily operation of the company, the audit committee, in its oversight role, serves “as a check and balance on a company's financial reporting system” [SEC Release No. 33-8220 (4/25/2003)]. The audit committee helps to ensure that policies, procedures, and internal controls exist and are functioning properly within the risk parameters established. Duties encompass the independent review and oversight of the company's financial reporting processes, internal controls and independent auditors [SEC Release 33-8220].…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sarbanes Oxley Memo

    • 1426 Words
    • 6 Pages

    SOX is administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC sets deadlines for compliance and publishes rules on requirements. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the department to which all publicly-traded companies, effective since 2004, are required to submit annual reports of the effectiveness of their internal accounting controls. The SEC has broad authority over all aspects of the securities industry. This includes the power to register, regulate, and oversee brokerage firms, transfer agents, and clearing agencies. Along with them, is the FASB.…

    • 1426 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Sarbanes Oxley Act

    • 3132 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Financial reporting has been dissected over and over again by legislation. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hold the key to providing protection and integrity when companies are submitting their financial statements. Although their mission is to provide order and efficiency for financial markets, insidious plans are still developed by companies which ultimately result in turmoil to the economy. To provide a safeguard to investors, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was passed by congress in 2002, which was constructed because of fraudulent acts of well-known companies such as Enron. Before the SOX was inaugurated, two sets of accounting rules were used as guides for CPA firms.…

    • 3132 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Law 421 Week 1 Summary

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was put in to place as a way of preventing and deterring future accounting fraud, protecting shareholders, and increasing confidence in public company financial reporting. However, SOX has imposed tremendous new duties and costs on public companies and accounting firms. Some individuals may call it an object failure while SOX hoped to create more confidence in capital markets it does not prevent fraud or abuse from occurring.…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    If a company hires an internal accountant for a financial statement audit the accountant determines if the preparation and reporting of financial statements by the company follows General Accepted Accounting Principles.…

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Acc 290 Week 5 Analysis

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the role of internal control in complying with (SOX) federal regulations have been revised to constrict responsibility dealing directly with directors, officers, and auditors. The revision obligates companies that are publicly traded to incorporate three precise reports within their annual financial reports to include the following:…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Smackey Dog Food

    • 2442 Words
    • 10 Pages

    When auditing a publicly held company, auditors need to observe principles. The ethical principles of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct are independence, responsibilities, the public interest, integrity, objectivity and independence, due care, and scope and nature of services. More specifically, audit team members are required to be objective and independent with regard to the audit by maintaining objectivity and being free of conflicts of interest in discharging professional responsibilities and by being independent in fact and appearance when providing auditing and other attestation services. Through this one can see how influential the SEC is. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, auditors have to be objective and independent otherwise legal sanctions can be incurred.…

    • 2442 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sarbanes-Oxley

    • 1874 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act applies to all public companies in the U.S. and international companies that have registered equity or debt securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the accounting firms that provide auditing services to them. The Act mandated a number of reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures, combat corporate and accounting fraud, and created the "Public Company Accounting Oversight Board," also known as the PCAOB, to oversee the activities of the auditing profession. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act also created new penalties for acts that were unethical, negligent or fraudulent. It hoped to change how corporate boards and executives interacted with each other and with corporate auditors. Its aim is to remove the defense/excuse of "I wasn't aware of or didn't know about the financial issues regarding the company" from CEOs and CFOs. It aims to hold management accountable for the accuracy of the financial statements in order to protect the shareholders and others that rely on those financial statements. The Act also specifies new financial reporting responsibilities,…

    • 1874 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

    • 1327 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002(SOX which is also known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act was enacted in July, 30, 2002 as a prompt response to the financial crimes scandals (Adelphia, Enron, WorldCom, Peregrime Systems , Arther Anderson and Tyco International). SOX establishes new, stricter standards for all US publicly traded companies. It does not apply to privately companies. The Act is administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which deals with compliance, rules and requirements. The Act also created a new agency, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, which is in charge of overseeing, regulating, inspecting, and disciplining accounting firms in their roles as auditors of public companies. In my opinion, the benefits of the act cant be able to overcome the frustration and the cost of it.…

    • 1327 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Sarbanes-Oxley act was enacted in 2002 following corporate financial scandals like those involving Enron and WorldCom. The act was created in order to combat corporate accounting fraud and enhance the quality of corporate financial disclosures. To accomplish this, the act created the "Public Company Accounting Oversight Board", or PCAOB to oversee audits and compliance.…

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Acc 291

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was approved in order to keep corporations form scamming the government. The law was a consequence of many corporate scams. This law was to protect the investors and give them the correct information and to make the corporations reveal all information which may impact an investor’s judgment of the corporation. This act/law will make corporations complete an internal audit from time to time as to keep all the information correct and up to the standards of the laws.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I believe that the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 has been effective in managing the risk exposed through Enron, Arthur Anderson, and Worldcom. The act changed corporate America by improving corporate governance. Sarbanes Oxley has been successful in strengthening accountability and responsibility for top executives in a company by ensuring the disclosure of all financial documents. It has also prevented ethical misconduct by putting the selection of company auditors out of the hands of CEO’s and CFO’s. This increases professionalism and improves the internal controls of a company. When a company has a strong ethical culture it results in higher productivity and profitability for the firm. The Public Accounting Oversight Board is directed under…

    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Prior to the inception of the Sarbanes-Oxley act, financial reporting regulations for firms and corporations were less stringent. Companies were able to go unnoticed if they…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sarbanes–Oxley Act

    • 4594 Words
    • 19 Pages

    The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (Pub.L. 107-204, 116 Stat. 745, enacted July 30, 2002), also known as the 'Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act' (in the Senate) and 'Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act' (in the House) and commonly called Sarbanes–Oxley, Sarbox or SOX, is a United States federal law enacted on July 30, 2002, which set new or enhanced standards for all U.S. public company boards, management and public accounting firms. It is named after sponsors U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and U.S. Representative Michael G. Oxley (R-OH).…

    • 4594 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays