There is quite a lot of misunderstanding about what auditors mean when they sign off accounts as "true and fair". For instance, they are not 100% certifying every number in the balance sheet and profit and loss account.
"True" means the numbers given by the directors are reasonably accurate to within a level of tolerable error. If the accounts of, say, BP had to be certified as accurate to the nearest penny, the audit fee would be prohibitively high.
"Fair" refers to the fact that a lot of judgement goes into a set of accounts. For example, working out the useful lives of assets for the purposes of calculating a "depreciation" charge involves a lot of estimation.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
So auditors merely express an opinion that the accounts are fairly accurate and free from too much management bias.
-
The top stocks in the FTSE 100After a year of strong returns for the UK’s flagship index, which FTSE 100 stocks have posted the best performance in 2024?
-
A junior ISA could turn your child’s pocket money into thousands of poundsPersuading your child to put their pocket money in a junior ISA might be difficult, but the pennies could quickly grow into pounds – and teach them a valuable lesson about money
