2. Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Chapter 7
Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Financial Accounting, IFRS Edition
Weygandt Kimmel Kieso

3. Study Objectives Define fraud and internal control.
Identify the principles of internal control activities.
Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash receipts.
Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash disbursements.
Describe the operation of a petty cash fund.
Indicate the control features of a bank account.
Prepare a bank reconciliation.
Explain the reporting of cash.

4. Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Fraud and Internal Control
Cash Receipts Controls
Cash Disbursement Controls
Control Features: Use of a Bank
Reporting Cash
Fraud
Internal control
Principles of internal control activities
Limitations
Over-the-counter receipts
Mail receipts
Voucher system controls
Petty cash fund controls
Making deposits
Writing checks
Bank statements
Reconciling the bank account
Electronic funds transfer (EFT) system
Cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Compensating balances

5. Fraud and Internal Control
Dishonest act by an employee that results in personal benefit to the employee at a cost to the employer.
Illustration 7-1
Why does fraud occur?
SO 1 Define fraud and internal control.

6. p. 299 How Do Employees Steal?
Q: How can companies reduce the likelihood of fraudulent disbursements?
A: Some common-sense approaches are to make sure only certain designated individuals can sign checks. In addition, make sure that different personnel approve payments and make payments.
Answer on notes page

7. Fraud and Internal Control
Methods and measures adopted to:
Safeguard assets.
Enhance accuracy and reliability of accounting records.
Increase efficiency of operations, and
Ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
SO 1 Define fraud and internal control.

8. Fraud and Internal Control
Internal control systems have five primary components
A control environment
Risk assessment
Control activities
Information and communication
Monitoring
SO 1 Define fraud and internal control.

9. Fraud and Internal Control
Principles of Internal Control Activities
Measures vary with
management’s assessment of the risks faced.
size and nature of the company.
Six principles of controls activities:
Establishment of responsibility
Segregation of duties
Documentation procedures
Physical controls
Independent internal verification
Human resource controls
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

10. Fraud and Internal Control
Principles of Internal Control Activities
ESTABLISHMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY
Control is most effective when only one person is responsible for a given task.
SEGREGATON OF DUTIES
Related duties, including physical custody and record keeping, should be assigned to different individuals.
DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES
Companies should use prenumbered documents and all documents should be accounted for.
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

11. Fraud and Internal Control
SO 2

12. Fraud and Internal Control
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

13. Fraud and Internal Control
SO 2

14. Fraud and Internal Control
Principles of Internal Control Activities
PHYSICAL CONTROLS
Illustration 7-2
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

15. Fraud and Internal Control
Principles of Internal Control Activities
INDEPENDENT INTERNAL VERIFICATION
Verify records periodically or on a surprise basis.
Verify records by an employee who is independent.
Discrepancies reported to management.
Illustration 7-3
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

16. Fraud and Internal Control
Principles of Internal Control Activities
HUMAN RESOURCE CONTROLS
Bond employees.
Rotate employees’ duties and require vacations.
Conduct background checks.
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

17. Fraud and Internal Control
SO 2

18. Fraud and Internal Control
SO 2

19. Fraud and Internal Control
SO 2

20. p. 307 Internal Control and Human Resources
Q: Why would unsupervised employees or employees who report to each other represent potential internal control threats?
A. An unsupervised employee may have a fraudulent job (or may even be a fictitious person—e.g., a person drawing a paycheck without working).Or, if two employees supervise each other, there is no real separation of duties, and they can conspire to defraud the company.
Answer on notes page

21. Fraud and Internal Control
Limitations of Internal Control
Costs should not exceed benefit.
Human element.
Size of the business.
SO 2 Identify the principles of internal control activities.

22. Cash Receipts Controls
Over-the-Counter Receipts
Illustration 7-4
Establishment of Responsibility
Only designated personnel are authorized to handle cash receipts (cashiers)
Documentation Procedures
Use remittance advice (mail receipts), cash register tapes, and deposit slips
Independent Internal Verification
Supervisors count cash receipts daily; treasurer compares total receipts to bank deposits daily
Segregation of Duties
Different individuals receive cash, record cash receipts, and hold the cash
Physical Controls
Store cash in safes and bank vaults; limit access to storage areas; use cash registers
Human Resource Controls
Bond personnel who handle cash; require employees to take vacations; deposit all cash in bank daily
SO 3 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash receipts.

23. Cash Receipts Controls
Cash consists of coins, currency, checks, money orders, and money on hand or on deposit in a bank.
Cash receipts come from:
cash sales
collections on account from customers
receipt of interest, rent, and dividends
investments by owners
bank loans
proceeds from the sale of noncurrent assets
SO 3 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash receipts.

24. Over-the-Counter Receipts
Illustration 7-5
SO 3 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash receipts.

25. Cash Receipts Controls
Mail Receipts
Mail receipts should be opened by two people, a list prepared, and each check endorsed.
Copy of the list, along with the checks and remittance advices, sent to cashier’s department.
Cashier adds the checks to the over-the-counter receipts, prepares a daily cash summary and makes the daily bank deposit.
Copy of list sent to treasurer’s office for comparison with total shown on daily cash summary.
SO 3 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash receipts.

26. Cash Receipts Controls
Review Question
Permitting only designated personnel to handle cash receipts is an application of the principle of:
a. segregation of duties.
b. establishment of responsibility.
c. independent check.
d. human resource controls.
SO 3 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash receipts.

27. Cash Disbursement Controls
Generally, internal control over cash disbursements is more effective when companies pay by check, rather than by cash.
Applications:
Voucher system
Petty cash fund
SO 4 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash disbursements.

28. Cash Disbursement Controls
Illustration 7-6
Documentation Procedures
Use prenumbered checks; checks must have an approved invoice; require employees to use corporate credit cards for reimbursable
expenses
Establishment of Responsibility
Only designated personnel are authorized to sign checks (treasurer) and approve vendors
Independent Internal Verification
Compare checks to invoices; reconcile bank statement monthly
Human Resource Controls
Bond personnel
who handle cash;
require employees
to take vacations;
conduct background
checks
Segregation of Duties
Different individuals approve and make payments; check signers do not record disbursements
Physical Controls
Store blank checks in safes, with limited access; print check amounts by machine in indelible ink

29. Review Question Cash Disbursement Controls
The use of prenumbered checks in disbursing cash is an application of the principle of:
a. establishment of responsibility.
b. segregation of duties.
c. physical, mechanical, and electronic controls.
d. documentation procedures.
SO 4 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash disbursements.

30. Cash Disbursement Controls
Voucher System Controls
Voucher System
Network of approvals, by authorized individuals, to ensure all disbursements by check are proper.
A voucher is an authorization form prepared for each expenditure.
SO 4 Explain the applications of internal control principles to cash disbursements.

31. Cash Disbursement Controls
Petty Cash Fund Controls
Petty Cash Fund - Used to pay small amounts.
Involves:
establishing the fund,
making payments from the fund, and
replenishing the fund.
SO 5 Describe the operation of a petty cash fund.

32. Cash Disbursement Controls
Illustration: If Laird Company decides to establish a $100 fund on March 1, the journal entry is:
Mar. 1
Petty cash 100
Cash 100
SO 5 Describe the operation of a petty cash fund.

33. Cash Disbursement Controls
Illustration: Assume that on March 15 Laird’s petty cash custodian requests a check for $87. The fund contains $13 cash and petty cash receipts for postage $44, freight-out $38, and miscellaneous expenses $5. The general journal entry to record the check is:
Mar. 15
Postage expense 44
Freight-out 38
Miscellaneous expense 5
Cash 87
SO 5 Describe the operation of a petty cash fund.

34. Cash Disbursement Controls
Illustration: Occasionally, the company may need to recognize a cash shortage or overage. Assume that Laird’s petty cash custodian has only $12 in cash in the fund plus the receipts as listed. The request for reimbursement would, therefore, be for $88, and Laird would make the following entry:
Mar. 15
Postage expense 44
Freight-out 38
Miscellaneous expense 5
Cash over and short 1
Cash 88
SO 5 Describe the operation of a petty cash fund.

35. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Contributes to good internal control over cash.
Minimizes the amount of currency on hand.
Creates a double record of bank transactions.
Bank reconciliation.
SO 6 Indicate the control features of a bank account.

36. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Illustration 7-8
Making Bank Deposits
Authorized employee should make deposit.
Bank Code Numbers
Reverse Side
Front Side
SO 6 Indicate the control features of a bank account.

37. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Writing Checks
Written order signed by depositor directing bank to pay a specified sum of money to a designated recipient.
Illustration 7-9
Maker
Payee
Payer
SO 6 Indicate the control features of a bank account.

38. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Illustration 7-10
Bank Statements
Debit Memorandum
Bank service charge
NSF (not sufficient funds)
Credit Memorandum
Collect notes receivable.
Interest earned.
SO 6 Indicate the control features of a bank account.

39. Review Question Control Features: Use of a Bank
The control features of a bank account do not include:
having bank auditors verify the correctness of the bank balance per books.
minimizing the amount of cash that must be kept on hand.
providing a double record of all bank transactions.
safeguarding cash by using a bank as a depository.
SO 6 Indicate the control features of a bank account.

40. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Reconciling the Bank Account
Reconcile balance per books and balance per bank to their adjusted (corrected) cash balances.
Reconciling Items:
Deposits in transit.
Outstanding checks.
Errors.
Bank memoranda.
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

41. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Reconciliation Procedures
Illustration 7-11
+ Deposit in Transit
- Outstanding Checks
+- Bank Errors
+ Notes collected by bank
- NSF (bounced) checks
- Check printing or other service charges
+- Company Errors
CORRECT BALANCE
CORRECT BALANCE
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

42. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Illustration: The bank statement for Laird Company (Illustration 7-12), shows a balance per bank of $15, on April 30, On this date the balance of cash per books is $11, Using the four reconciliation steps, Laird determines the following reconciling items.

43. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Illustration: a) Prepare a bank reconciliation at April 30.
Cash balance per bank statement $15,907.45
Add: Deposit in transit 2,201.40
Less: Outstanding checks (5,904.00)
Adjusted cash balance per bank $12,204.85
Cash balance per books $11,589.45
Add: Error in recording check no
Collection of notes + interest - fee 1,035.00
Less: NSF check (425.60)
Bank service charge (30.00)
Adjusted cash balance per books $12,204.85
Illustration 7-12
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

44. Control Features: Use of a Bank
The company records each reconciling item used to determine the adjusted cash balance per books.
Collection of Note Receivable: Assuming interest of $50 has not been accrued and collection fee is charged to Miscellaneous Expense, the entry is:
Apr. 30
Cash 1,035.00
Miscellaneous expense 15.00
Notes receivable 1,000.00
Interest revenue
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

45. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Book Error: The cash disbursements journal shows that check no. 443 was a payment on account to Andrea Company, a supplier. The correcting entry is:
Apr. 30
Cash
Accounts payable
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

46. Control Features: Use of a Bank
NSF Check: As indicated earlier, an NSF check becomes an account receivable to the depositor. The entry is:
Apr. 30
Accounts receivable
Cash
Bank Service Charges: Depositors debit check printing charges (DM) and other bank service charges (SC) to Miscellaneous Expense. The entry is:
Apr. 30
Miscellaneous expense 30.00
Cash
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

47. Review Question Control Features: Use of a Bank
The reconciling item in a bank reconciliation that will result in an adjusting entry by the depositor is:
a. outstanding checks.
b. deposit in transit.
c. a bank error.
d. bank service charges.
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

48. Control Features: Use of a Bank
Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) System
Disbursement systems that uses wire, telephone, or computers to transfer cash balances between locations.
EFT transfers normally result in better internal control since no cash or checks are handled by company employees.
SO 7 Prepare a bank reconciliation.

49. Reporting Cash
Cash consists of coins, currency (paper money), checks, money orders, and money on hand or on deposit in a bank or similar depository.
Illustration 7-14
Cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Compensating balances
While cash equivalents are now frequently reported with cash, it appears likely that the IASB will end this practice in the future. Instead, items now referred to as cash equivalents will be reported as short-term investments.
SO 8 Explain the reporting of cash.

50. Review Question Reporting Cash
Which of the following statements correctly describes the reporting of cash?
Cash cannot be combined with cash equivalents.
Restricted cash funds may be combined with Cash.
Cash is listed first in the current assets section.
Restricted cash funds cannot be reported as a current asset.
SO 8 Explain the reporting of cash.

51. Understanding U.S. GAAP Key Differences
Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Key Differences
The fraud triangle discussed in this chapter is applicable to U.S. companies as well. Some of the most infamous U.S. fraud scandals are Enron, Worldcom, and, more recently, the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme.
After numerous corporate scandals, the U.S. Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). Under SOX, all publicly traded U.S. corporations are required to maintain an adequate system of internal control.
As a result of SOX, corporate executives and boards of directors must ensure that internal controls are reliable and effective. In addition, independent outside auditors must attest to the adequacy of the internal control system.

52. Understanding U.S. GAAP Key Differences
Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Key Differences
SOX created the Public Company Oversight Board (PCAOB), to establish auditing standards and regulate auditor activity.
One study estimates the cost of compliance for U.S. companies at over $35 billion, with audit fees doubling in the first year of compliance. At the same time, examination of internal controls indicates lingering problems in the way companies operate. One study of first compliance with the internal-control testing provisions documented material weaknesses for about 13% of companies reporting in 2004 and 2005 (PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Economic Crime Survey, 2005).

53. Understanding U.S. GAAP Key Differences
Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Key Differences
The enhanced internal control standards apply only to large public companies listed on U.S. exchanges. There is continuing debate over whether foreign issuers should have to comply with this extra layer of regulation.
Most companies report cash and cash equivalents together under IFRS and GAAP, as shown in this textbook. In addition, GAAP follows the same accounting policies related to the reporting of restricted cash.

54. Understanding U.S. GAAP Looking to the Future
Fraud, Internal Control, and Cash
Looking to the Future
High-quality international accounting requires both high-quality accounting standards and high-quality auditing. Similar to the convergence of GAAP and IFRS, there is a movement to improve both U.S. and international auditing standards.The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) functions as an independent standard-setting body. It works to establish high-quality auditing and assurance and quality-control standards throughout the world. Whether the IAASB adopts internal control provisions similar to those in SOX remains to be seen. Also, under proposed new standards being developed jointly by the FASB and IASB for financial statement presentation, cash equivalents cannot be combined with cash.

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