Dans quelle mesure le concept de Going Concern peut-il impacter le travail et l'opinion de l'auditeur en Belgique?

Abstract

Our world is constantly changing and our company feel this throughout their financial lives. Not only do they have to consider economic factors for their proper functioning, but increasingly these days, political, social, ethical and even environmental influences also affect them. Strategic decisions the company has to make for its management therefore depends on all these factors, and obviously makes management more complex. Naturally, risks may arise threaten the financial stability of the company, its continued operation and more importantly, its future. In parallel, the task given to the auditor in charge of the financial analysis of the company will be to detect potential elements that cast doubt on the continuity of the company's activities and to justify whether the annual accounts can be established according to the going concern hypothesis. The objective of this thesis is to analyse and understand the mechanisms internal to the going concern assumption and its repercussions for the auditor in the context of his mission and obligations. We have looked at all the variables in the equation through expert theoretical research and have sought to provide insights into the going concern process and the factors that determine a quality audit and respect for auditor independence. We also tried to understand the impact of the unpredictable future and its consequences for the survival of companies. Through our theoretical research, we were able to correlate our findings with the experience of auditors and revisers through interviews Our study shows that the assessment of the going concern is a very subjective concept, even its consideration as a fundamental concept in accounting. It is subject to the auditor's own judgement, supported by auditing standards and processes, and so depends on a human mind, subject to errors of judgement and professional scepticism. Uncertainty also plays a crucial role because of the extent to which it can occur, as we can see from the effects of the health crisis. The going concern appears to us to be much more than an accounting concept; it is the foundation on which the management of the company, the stakeholders, and the ethical and financial elements are based.