Practical Applications
## Why Inventory Matters
Inventory is a major asset and frequent source of errors or fraud. Auditors must verify its existence, valuation, and proper recording.
## Audit Steps
- Observe physical inventory counts.
- Test pricing and costing methods.
- Reconcile inventory records to general ledger.
## Practical Impact
These steps ensure that financial statements reflect true inventory values, preventing overstatement or understatement.
Examples
- A CPA attends a warehouse count to observe procedures.
- An auditor recalculates inventory valuation using FIFO or LIFO.