Audits in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards

Committed to compliance.

Conducting audits under the parameters of Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) is at the heart of our firm's practice due to our specialized focus on service to governments and non-profits. With the majority of the audits we perform being conducted under these rigorous standards, our team members work with GAGAS on a daily basis. This ensures a smooth and predictable audit process. Our in-depth understanding of these regulations improves our ability to evaluate their effects on your organization's accounting procedures and audit process.

With the majority of Maher Duessel's client base consisting of government and non-profits organizations, we often utilize GAGAS (commonly referred to as 'Yellow Book') to perform our audits and issue the accompanying reports. The Yellow Book contains standards for financial audits, attestation engagements, and performance audits as well as specific requirements for our firm and individual auditors to follow. We take pride in exceeding our clients' expectations on every engagement by going above and beyond in meeting the required standards:

Independence

We have a meticulous ongoing process to provide the assurance that all of our personnel are independent of our clients. When employees are first hired, they must sign an Independence, Integrity and Objectivity Representation Form.  Annually, that form must be signed by all employees with a compliance statement check-in every six months for updates.

Due Care

We give every audit engagement the attention it deserves by striving for the highest levels of professionalism and attention to detail:

• Exercising professional skepticism: We aren't afraid to ask tough questions of our clients, while critically and carefully assessing audit evidence.
• Following standards: We consistently follow the standards of fieldwork and reporting. 
• Obtaining sufficient evidence: We take all necessary measures to plan and perform the audit to obtain enough evidence to limit audit risk. 
• Applying professional judgment: We exercise professional judgment when applying GAGAS.
• Being prepared to justify departures: In the rare case it would be necessary, we are prepared to justify any departures from GAGAS. 

Continuing Professional Education

All of our audit professionals, regardless of staffing level or CPA license status, receive at least 80 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) every two years on accounting and auditing topics related to the government and non-profit sectors. We also offer our clients approximately 24 credits annually of complimentary CPE.

Supervision

Our partners and principals are closely involved in every phase of the audit engagement. Not only are they available to clients to address their questions in a timely manner, but they also ensure each audit is appropriately supervised by experienced professionals with a detailed understanding of the needs of the client and GAGAS.  Mentorship and training are key aspects of the development of our team members. This helps to maximize the level of service we offer to our clients by fostering the talents and skills of the next generation of supervisory personnel.

Quality Control

In addition to our record of passing all peer reviews since the founding of our firm, Maher Duessel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC) and Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC). We became a member of the GAQC in 2004 (one of the first 50 firms to join the organization). We also are members of the AICPA's Center for Audit Quality, AICPA Private Companies Practice Center (PCPS), and the AICPA’s Center for Plain English Accounting. 

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