This Guidance Manual for Audit Quality deals with a firm’s responsibilities for its system of quality control for audits and reviews of cost / financial statements, and other assurance and related services engagements. This Manual is to be read in conjunction with the requirements of the Cost and Works Accountants Act, related Regulations, the Code of Ethics and other relevant pronouncements of the Institute.

General Circular No. 68/2011 In connection with the recently issued circulars/notifications concerning cost accounting records and cost audit, following clarifications are issued: (a) That the companies covered under Companies (Cost Accounting Records) Rules, 2011 shall only file a simple compliance report as per the notified Form-B (copy enclosed) and no other details of cost records are required to be filed with the Government. If all the products/activities of a company, excluding the exempted categories, are covered under cost audit, then the company will not be required to separately file the compliance report.

General Circular No. 67/2011, That the Companies (Cost Accounting Records) Rules, 2011 are not applicable to: (i) Wholesale or retail trading activities. (ii) Banking, financial, leasing, investment, insurance, education, healthcare, tourism, travel, hospitality, recreation, transport services, business/professional consultancy, IT & IT enabled services, research & development, postal/courier services, etc. unless any of these have been specifically covered under any other Cost Accounting Records Rules.

1. Whether a cost accountant appointed as cost auditor can authenticate the Compliance Report also? The Rules provide for authentication of Compliance Report [vide Companies (Cost Accounting Records) Rules 2011] and certifying cost audit report [vide Companies (Cost Audit Report) Rules 2011].

Master Circular No. 2/2011 The specified number of companies for the purpose of section 233B (2) read with section 224 (1B) of the Companies Act, 1956 is to be computed for a given financial year with reference to the number of companies wherein he has been appointed as the cost auditor, including those wherein he is proposed to be appointed for which he has given his consent. The number of companies in respect of which cost audit reports have not been submitted and have become overdue shall also be taken into account for the purposes of ceiling under section 224 (18).

Section 69 does not provide any guideline about the extent and length of the discretionary power given to AO in the matter of treating the investment as income which is unexplained or unsatisfactorily explained by the investor-assessee. Therefore, Assessing Officer is expected to appreciate the reasonable explanation offered to him, the evidences produced before him about the nature and source of investment and he can not make the addition merely on surmises, conjectures as well as without any supporting evidences. (Ashok Kumar Rastogi V CIT (1991) 100 CTR 204.)

LIST OF INDUSTRIES AND THE PRODUCTS COVERED UNDER SECTION 209(1)(D) OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956 No Industry Products GSR NO. and Date Effective from Remarks 1.       Cement Cement, Clinker 536 (E) dt. 11.9.1997* 11.9.1997* The Rules,1997 notified in suppression of GSR 1402 dt. 12.9.66 2.       Cycles  Cycles, component of cycles 311 dt. 2.3.1967 1.04.67   [...]

Accounting regulator ICAI has accused state and central governments, and PSUs, of deliberately favouring chartered accountant companies having affiliations with multinational audit firms. ICAi accused that In certain cases, public sector undertakings, the government departments, central and state governments advertise for various professional services, wherein the basic eligibility requirement tends to favour multinational network accounting firms or other corporate entities.

Income Tax department has last amended the 3CD report by inserting a New Clause 17A after Clause 17 by NOTIFICATION NO. 36/2009, DATED 13-4-2009 , which require auditors to report Amount of interest inadmissible under section 23 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. In addition to that there were some changes in provisions of fringe benefit. I am attaching herewith a Revised Form 3CD for Tax Audit incorporating all the changes and amendments till 31st August 2011 and same is applicable for Assessment year 2009-2010, 2010-11 and 2011-12. Download Form 3CD in Excel Format

From which date is Companies (Cost Audit Report) Rules, 2011 effective from? -The Companies (Cost Audit Report) Rules, 2011 have been issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs vide Notification no. 430(E) dated 3rd June 2011. Cost Audit Reports submitted on or after 1st day of April, 2012, irrespective of the financial year for which the cost audit report is submitted, shall be governed by these Rules. Cost Audit Reports submitted till 31.3.2012 will be governed by the Cost Audit Report Rules, 2001.