The audit is the highest level of assurance service that a CPA performs and is intended to provide a user comfort on the accuracy of the financial statements. The CPA performs procedures in order to obtain “reasonable assurance” (defined as a high but not absolute level of assurance) about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

In an audit, your CPA is required to obtain an understanding of your business’s internal control and assess fraud risk. Your CPA is also required to corroborate the amounts and disclosures included in your financial statements by obtaining audit evidence through inquiry, physical inspection, observation, third-party confirmations, examination, analytical procedures and other procedures.

When performing an audit engagement, the CPA is required to determine whether their independence has been impaired. Similar to a review, if their independence has been impaired, the CPA cannot perform the audit engagement.

The CPA will issue a formal report that expresses an opinion on whether the financial statements are presented fairly, in all material aspects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

In addition, the CPA is required to report to you any significant or material weaknesses in your system of internal control that are identified during the audit. By becoming aware of internal control weaknesses and discussing these with your CPA, you might be able to improve the way you operate your nonprofit.

As the highest level of assurance, an audit typically is appropriate and often required when you’re seeking complex or high levels of financing , significant grants from foundations and contributions from donors.

The review service is one in which the CPA performs analytical procedures, inquiries and other procedures to obtain “limited assurance” on the financial statements and is intended to provide a user with a level of comfort on their accuracy. The review is the base level of CPA assurance services.

Similar to a compilation, the CPA is required to determine whether they are truly independent. If they determine that they are not independent, the CPA cannot perform the review engagement.

In a review engagement, your CPA is required to understand the industry in which you operate — including the accounting principles and practices generally used in the industry. Your CPA is also required to obtain knowledge about your organization — including your programs and the accounting principles and practices that you use — sufficient to identify areas in the financial statements where it is more likely that material misstatements may arise.

A review is substantially narrower in scope than an audit. A review does not contemplate obtaining an understanding of your organization’s internal control; assessing fraud risk; testing accounting records through inspection, observation, outside confirmation or the examination of source documents or other procedures ordinarily performed in an audit.

In a review engagement, the CPA will issue a formal report that includes a conclusion as to whether, based on the review, he is aware of any material modifications that should be made to the financial statements in order for them to be in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

A review typically is appropriate as a nonprofit grows and is seeking larger and more complex levels of financing and credit, grants and contributions. It is also useful when the board and management are seeking greater confidence in their financial statements for the purpose of evaluating results and making key business decisions.

Compilation of financial statements is a service where the role of the CPA is more apparent to outside parties, and as such, the requirements for performing this service are more explicit. For example, if the CPA is not independent from the organization, management and other circumstances in their relationship to the nonprofit organization and their operation, they are required to disclose the impairment to their independence in their compilation report. The compilation report is the first page before the actual financial statements and is written by the CPA on her firm’s letterhead.

The CPA is also required to read the financial statements in light of the financial reporting framework being used and consider whether the financial statements appear appropriate in form and are free from obvious material misstatements.

Intended for the board and management use to manage the organization (similar to what an in-house controller bookkeeper would provide for management in a larger organization).

May fulfill some lenders’ documentation requirements for small loans, foundation and donor reports.

No formal report issued on the financial statements.

If you decide to have a CPA prepare the organization’s financial statements, he can do so in any frequency that is most useful for you. Typically, this service is performed in conjunction with bookkeeping or transaction processing services and can be monthly, quarterly or annually. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with an acceptable financial reporting framework. If you’re not sure which reporting framework to use, your CPA can explain the pros and cons of each and the best fit for your business.

The financial statement preparation service is primarily intended for your own use to have current information on the financial standing of your organization and to make decisions accordingly. In essence this service is no different from what an in-house controller or bookkeeper would provide to management in a larger organization.

You can share your financial statements with outside parties but on each page, your CPA will include a notice that “no assurance is provided” on the financial statements.

Because your CPA will prepare your financial statements directly from the records you provide, the CPA will not verify the accuracy or completeness of the information and is not required to issue a formal report on the financial statements.