Assurance Update 2026

Join expert instructor Marcus Gunther in this comprehensive "Assurance Update" course, designed to guide practitioners through significant changes in Canadian Auditing Standards (CAS) and the evolving regulatory landscape. While the volume of new standards may be lower than in previous years, the impact of the changes regarding fraud, going concern, and audit evidence is profound. This course not only outlines upcoming revisions but also provides critical refreshers on existing standards where inspection findings often highlight deficiencies, particularly regarding service organizations and subsequent events.

The session begins by examining the re-exposure of the Audit Evidence standard, focusing on how technology, data analytics, and automated tools are redefining what constitutes sufficient appropriate audit evidence. The course then dives deep into the substantial revisions to CAS 240 (Fraud) and CAS 570 (Going Concern). Participants will learn about the heightened emphasis on professional skepticism, the new "stand back" requirement, and the extended timelines for going concern assessments that now stretch to the date of financial statement approval. Additionally, the instructor clarifies the practical documentation requirements for Service Organizations (CAS 402) and Subsequent Events (CAS 560), moving beyond simple checklists to ensure robust risk assessment and response.

Key topics covered in this course include:

• Audit Evidence Re-exposure: Incorporating data analytics and AI into the definition of reliable audit evidence while addressing the lack of traditional audit trails.
• The "New" Fraud Standard (CAS 240): A deep dive into the almost entirely re-written standard, emphasizing the prominence of auditor responsibilities and the rebuttal of presumed risks.
• Reinforced Professional Skepticism: Techniques for maintaining a questioning state of mind that ignores past experiences of management integrity.
• Gross vs. Net Going Concern Assessment: Identifying inherent risks to an entity's survival prior to considering management's mitigating controls.
• Extended Going Concern Evaluation: Shifting the look-forward period to 12 months from the date of financial statement approval rather than the balance sheet date.
• New Auditor Reporting Requirements: Implementing explicit statements on going concern and expanded fraud communications in the final auditor's report.
• Service Organization Oversight (CAS 402): Requirements for documenting the nature, materiality, and contractual terms of outsourced services like cloud computing and asset management.
• Design and Implementation (D&I) of Controls: The mandatory requirement to evaluate entity-level controls over information sent to or received from service providers.
• Subsequent Events Timing: Strategies for ensuring procedures cover the "near as practical" window up to the report date to avoid common inspection findings.
• Adjusting vs. Disclosure Events: Case studies on identifying fraud and litigation outcomes that require retroactive financial statement adjustments.
• File Lockdown and Assembly Policies: Understanding the strict distinction between the report date, report release date, and the 60-day administrative lockdown.
• Regulatory Conduct and Quality Management: A briefing on the zero-tolerance approach to post-dated file modifications and the impact of the International Education Standard 8 on PD hours.

This course is good for:

• Licensed Public Accountants and Registered Auditors.
• Audit Managers and Senior Fieldwork Leads.
• Quality Management (QM) partners responsible for firm compliance.