C.If there are changes in the understanding of the client about a new contractual
agreement.
D.If the client plans to change depreciation methods for new plant assets procured in
the future.
Livingston and Associates is a audit firm in Las Vegas, Nevada and it performs the
financial statement audit for Smith Plastics, Inc. For each non-related situation below,
determine if each individual represented is independent of Smith Plastics and if
Livingston and Associates (the Firm) is independent of Smith Plastics:
A. Sam Livingston, an audit partner, meets Jill Warner, CFO of Smith Plastics after the
engagement begins and they fall in love. Sam and Jill marry in Lake Tahoe, California a
short time later. Sam Livingston will not be on the audit engagement team of Smith
Plastics.
B. The Firm hires Billy Messer as a staff auditor. Billy is aware that his father has a
material investment in Smith Plastics. Billy will not work on the Smith Plastics audit.
C. Lucy Brown is an audit manager at the Firm. Bob, her high school aged son, owns
1% of the equity of Smith Plastics. The investment is not material to Bob or Lucy’s net
worth. Lucy is assigned as the audit manager for the Smith Plastics engagement.
D. Smith Plastics has paid all but $5,000 of the previous years audit fees.
E. Julie Simpson, tax partner at the Firm has a 401k plan with multiple securities
making up the balance. One of the securities in the plan is that of Smith Plastics which
comprises .05% of the total balance of Julie’s 401k. Julie does not have a significant
portion of her retirement or savings in this particular plan.