Audit

Make the right business decisions. Assessments based on sound commercial judgements can take the pressure off with Merit Partners by your side.

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Contact one of our specialists

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Make an appointment with a consultant

External Audits

Financial Statements Audits

Merit Partners has the technical capabilities to provide high quality audits that will exceed your expectations. Depending on whether you need independent credibility for your financial statements or constructive ideas for improving internal controls and systems, we are here to help.

The primary role of an external auditor is to express an opinion on whether a set of financial statements are free of material misstatement. High quality audits, however, can result in recommendations for immediate improvements in management operations which in turn can positively impact your bottom line.

Our audit team will work closely with you to understand your business and will use the latest computerised systems to provide a high quality, efficient, and timely audit. Merit Partners provide financial statement audits for all entity types including:

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Companies, including Companies limited by guarantee

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Not-for-Profit organisations, including incorporated Associations and those registered under the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission

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Aboriginal/Indigenous Corporations

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Co-operatives

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Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF)

Compliance Audits

Compliance audits should not just be seen as a regulatory necessity. They are also an opportunity to get a clear picture of how an organisation’s systems and procedures are operating. A compliance audit will identify areas that are operating well, along with areas of risk and opportunities for improvement. Merit Partners assist clients by conducting independent compliance audits or reviews of both financial and non-financial data. Compliance audits include:

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Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) compliance audits

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Australian Financial Service License compliance audits

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Legal Trust Account audits

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Real Estate Trust Account audits

Grant Acquittal Audits

Most not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) rely on grants from governments or philanthropic organisations. Many funding agreements require the organisation to provide an audited acquittal statement to the funding body. Merit Partners has assisted many not-for-profit organisations to meet the financial reporting requirements of their funding agreements.

Internal Audit

Over recent years we have seen increased focus on governance and controls. Poor risk management, governance and control arrangements are likely to result in organisations failing to achieve their objectives. Merit Partners provides internal audit services that assist organisations to evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of their risk management, governance and control arrangements.

Merit Partners is committed to working with you to identify risks and issues you may not have yet considered,including opportunities and solutions for improvement. Our services include:

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Internal process and control reviews

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Internal audit and audit committee training

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Data analysis

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Corporate governance advice

Financial Investigations

Financial investigations often occur where there are allegations of fraud, corruption or improper conduct. Merit Partners assists organisations in investigating facts and resolving disputes to help them better manage their financial, ethical and reputational risks. We aim to help organisations create an ethical business culture focused on honesty, integrity and transparency. Our services include:

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Analysis and reconstruction of accounting records

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Quantification of Loss

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Identification of control weaknesses that enabled fraud to occur

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Provision of advice to improve the control environment

Probity Services

Merit Partners is a leading provider of probity services in the Northern Territory. Probity relates to the fairness and integrity of a process. Government agencies and sometimes private sector organisations require the appointment of a probity advisor or probity auditor for a procurement process.

As a probity advisor we work with you to ensure your procurement process is defensible, compliant with procurement regulations and can withstand internal and external scrutiny. We have found that our appointment as probity advisors for a procurement process enhances the credibility of the procurement process and increases stakeholder confidence in the procurement process.

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Ensuring assessments are conducted in accordance with published documentation and assessment plans

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Attending industry and site briefings

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Providing advice on managing conflicts of interest

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Providing advice on probity related issues

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Providing independent probity reports at appropriate points in the process

The Merit Partners probity team has extensive experience providing both probity advisory and probity audit services. We have provided probity services for numerous goods and services contracts and for large and complex infrastructure projects such as the North East Gas Interconnector, New Darwin Correctional Facility and Darwin Waterfront Redevelopment project. This experience allows us to provide commercially realistic advice for mitigating probity risks in an efficient and effective manner.

As probity advisors we offer a full range of services including:

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