The Center for Audit Quailty has released a new publication offering considerations for audit committee members to help with oversight of non-GAAP measures.
The publication,
“GAAP information serves as a foundation for confidence in financial statements, but financial statement users also value non-GAAP financial measures, when presented appropriately,” said CAQ executive director Cindy Fornelli in a statement. “Our roadmap can help audit committees improve and advance their oversight of and involvement with non-GAAP measures, to the benefit of companies and investors.”
The CAQ suggests that the audit committee:
• Put itself in the shoes of investors when evaluating if the presented non-GAAP measures and related disclosures align with the company’s overall strategy and performance.
• Ask management whether it has an internal policy that provides guidelines for determining how non-GAAP measures are generated, calculated, and presented.
• Discuss with management how the company makes changes to the non-GAAP measures it presents, and the rationale for why it would or would not make changes.
• Ask the organization to compare or benchmark its non-GAAP measures alongside its peers.
• Use outside auditors as a resource when evaluating non-GAAP measures.
• Discuss with investors directly or through investor relations to ensure that the presented non-GAAP measures aid investors’ understanding of the company’s performance.
Along with a roadmap, the CAQ has a
The recommendations are based on a series of roundtables that the CAQ held last year on the topic of non-GAAP measures, in which audit committee members, management, investors, securities lawyers, and public company auditors participated.
