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An NSW man has been disqualified as an SMSF auditor after ASIC found serious independence breaches in his work.
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Accounting firm’s auditor given the boot by ASIC
15 August 2018
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8 minute read
The corporate regulator found Keith Mar of NSW audited his own fund and that of an immediate family member.
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ASIC also found Mr Mar audited a fund where he was the trustee and an immediate family member was the trustee.
These actions are a clear breach of auditor independence requirements, as outlined in the APES 110 Code of Ethics
The ATO raised the breach with ASIC, as per the allowances of the SIS Act.
Prior to his disqualification, Mr Mar was practising under Sunnyside Accountants in Sydney's north.
So far this year, ASIC has been active in publicising its auditor SMSF disqualifications, and independence breaches have been of particular interest.
Earlier in May, a WA-based SMSF auditor was disqualified for auditing his own fund and the fund of an immediate family member, including a fund where an immediate family member had prepared the financial statements.
The ongoing public approach from ASIC is a clear warning shot to the SMSF auditor community, which has been higher on the regulator radar since auditor registration was introduced in 2013.
For example, earlier this year, the ATO said it will be visiting 300 SMSF audit firms in 2018, in a bid to seek assurance on key compliance requisites, including independence.
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