Audit Risk is a risk associated with the assurance of the accuracy of a company’s financial statement. The overall audit risk is the risk that an auditor will issue an inappropriate opinion on the financial statements of an entity that have material misstatements. It is known as the risk of audit failure, and is caused by the auditor not detecting a material misstatement in the financial statements. The audit risk can be accidental and unintentional because the auditor might not have the proper training or the financial statement and related documents might be incomplete or incorrect.

Risk of material misstatement is the probability that material misstatements exist in the financial statement and will not be identified by the audit team. This type of risk can be due to fraudulent activities or from neglection from the business entity. It is the responsibility of the auditor to investigate and detect any potential misstatement in the financial statements. Material misstatement includes errors, falsifications and certain omissions.

Detection risk is the risk that an auditor will not obtain sufficient appropriate evidence to identify a material misstatement in the financial statements that has occurred. This risk is affected by the auditor’s knowledge of the company and the procedures used to identify risks and design the audit plan. Detection risk is the risk that errors or irregularities in the financial statements will not be detected by the auditor. It can also be caused by the auditor’s lack of experience or due to the complexity of the business or entity that they are auditing.

Audit risk carries legal liability for the CPA firm, which is why auditing firms carry malpractice insurance to manage this type of risk. The auditor is liable for any material misstatements or omissions in the financial statements that the auditor did not discover during the audit. This is why auditors have to be very careful when performing an audit and make sure that they follow the proper procedures and are thorough in their review and testing of the financial statements.

Overall, audit risk is an unavoidable component of the audit process. It is important for both auditors and management to recognize and understand the risks that are involved so that proper procedures can be followed to reduce the chance for errors and material misstatements to occur. Management should ensure that the company is following proper accounting standards and that the data submitted is accurate and reliable. Auditors should thoroughly review all documents, design the audit plan carefully, and document the procedures carried out so that audit risk can be minimized.