Reference no: EM132726043

Hidden Treasures (HT), a family-owned business is a Guam-based construction company, which builds custom homes with special features, such as hidden rooms and hidden wall safes.

• You began auditing HT three years ago. You are about to sign off on a "clean" opinion on HT's current annual financial statements when Art Hyde, the VP-Finance, calls to tell you that U.S. Customs has seized about $4,000,000 of company funds. HT had deposited the funds as bearer certificates of deposit in a Swiss bank to avoid taxes. An attempt to cash the certificates through a local bank resulted in their seizure, because HT had not filed with Customs an information declaration of monetary instruments leaving the U.S.

• In response to your questions about the origin of the funds, Art assures you that the funds, though not recorded as revenue, had been obtained legitimately. He explains that all of the money came from separately billed but unrecorded change orders to items in contracts completed before you became HT's auditor. You subsequently determine that there is insufficient evidence to enable you to reconstruct the transactions. None of the change orders were connected with any federal or federally subsidized project. Art also informs you that HT has agreed to pay a 20 percent local income tax on the funds within 120 days as required by a recently enacted rule that provides amnesty for tax evaders.

After several conversations with Sojourner Just of the law firm of Truth, Wise, and Just, you determine that there are two possible outcomes ahead:

1) Customs will release the funds after deducting a 25% penalty (could be higher or lower, but this is the best estimate) and HT will pay an additional 20% in local income taxes. The net receipt to HT under this scenario would be $2.2 million.
2) Customs will keep the funds and the Company will pay 20% taxes. HT would suffer a net loss of $800,000 under this scenario

Art and Sojourner believe that the first outcome is the most likely and all the documents that you subsequently review lead to the same conclusion. However, this is the first case of its kind.

As a result of inquiries in the business community, you determine that HT has a good reputation in terms of its relations with banks, its customers, and its vendors. Further, you find out that the law firm of Truth, Wise, and Just has an excellent reputation.

Problem 1: What is the audit issue identified for Hidden Treasures: What are the audit implications regarding the Customs seizure of funds?