Technical guidance
Audit Scotland's Professional Support provides guidance and support to the external auditors we appoint. We help them to fulfil their responsibility under their audit appointment to give an opinion on the financial statements.
For further information, contact Paul O'Brien at pobrien@audit-scotland.gov.uk.
Information on this page:
- Technical guidance notes
- Notes for guidance
- Code of Audit Practice supplementary guidance
- Planning guidance
- Technical bulletins
- Good practice notes
- Other outputs
Technical guidance notes
Last updated June 2019
Technical guidance notes provide guidance to external auditors on particular subjects or themes relevant to their audit appointment.
- 2018/19 independent auditor's reports (central government) - PDF 538Kb
2018/19 independent auditor's reports (central government) (text only) - RTF 242Kb - 2017/18 independent auditor's reports (further education) - PDF 387Kb
2017/18 independent auditor's reports (further education) (text only) - RTF 90Kb - 2018/19 independent auditor's reports (health boards) - PDF 272Kb
2018/19 independent auditor's reports (health boards) (text only) - RTF 102Kb - 2018/19 independent auditor's reports (local government) - PDF 368Kb
2018/19 independent auditor's reports (local government) (text only) - RTF 134Kb - Audit of 2017/18 annual report and accounts (further education) - PDF 1.3Mb
- Audit of 2018/19 annual report and accounts (central government) - PDF 1.3Mb
- Audit of 2018/19 annual report and accounts (health) - PDF 168Kb
- Audit of 2018/19 annual accounts (local government) - all modules - PDF 3.7Mb
- Module 11 - Integration joint boards - PDF 230Kb
Module 11 - Integration joint boards - RTF 46Kb - Module 12 - Local government pension scheme accounts - PDF 392Kb
Module 12 - Local government pension scheme accounts - RTF 166Kb - Module 13 - Section 106 charities - PDF 362Kb
Module 13 - Section 106 charities - RTF 130Kb - Module 14 - Statutory objections to annual accounts - PDF 150Kb
Module 14 - Statutory objections to annual accounts - RTF 54Kb - Update to Technical Guidance Note June 2019 - PDF 163Kb
Update to Technical Guidance Note June 2019 - RTF 41Kb
- Module 11 - Integration joint boards - PDF 230Kb
- Auditor assurance on 2017/18 whole of government accounts returns (central government) - PDF 349Kb
Auditor assurance on 2017/18 whole of government accounts returns (central government) (text only) - RTF 109Kb - Auditor assurance on 2017/18 whole of government accounts returns (local authorities) - PDF 338Kb
Auditor assurance on 2017/18 whole of government accounts returns (local authorities) (text only) - RTF 103Kb - Auditor certification of the 2018/19 Bellwin scheme claims - PDF 348Kb
Auditor certification of the 2018/19 Bellwin scheme claims (text only) - RTF 46Kb - Auditor certification of the 2016/17 criminal justice social work services financial returns - PDF 365Kb
Auditor certification of the 2016/17 criminal justice social work services financial returns (text only) - RTF 46Kb - Auditor certification of the 2018/19 education maintenance allowance grant claims - PDF 351Kb
Auditor certification of the 2018/19 education maintenance allowance grant claims (text only) - RTF 61Kb - Auditor certification of the 2018/19 housing benefit subsidy claim - PDF 561Kb
Auditor certification of the 2018/19 housing benefit subsidy claim (text only) - RTF 158Kb - Auditor certification of the 2017/18 non-domestic rates income returns - PDF 502Kb
Auditor certification of the 2017/18 non-domestic rates income returns (text only) - RTF 190Kb - Certification of 2018/19 approved local government grant claims and returns - PDF 342Kb
Certification of 2018/19 approved local government grant claims and returns (text only) - RTF 58Kb
Notes for guidance
Last updated February 2016
Notes for guidance offer guidance to external auditors, and to provide information which may be of interest or assistance in the performance of their audit work.
- Remuneration reports - PDF 327Kb
Remuneration reports (text only) - RTF 302Kb - Severance schemes - PDF 222Kb
Severance schemes (text only) - RTF 308Kb
Code of Audit Practice - Supplementary guidance
Last updated November 2016
The Code of Audit Practice was published in May 2016.
Planning guidance
Last updated December 2018
This guidance is for auditors of all audited bodies to help with planning their audits. It includes separate guidance for each audit year.
- 2018/19 audits - Notes for guidance: Assessing public bodies' response to EU withdrawal - PDF 397Kb
- Guidance on planning the audit - 2018-19 audits - PDF 882Kb
- 2017/18 audits - Notes for guidance: Openness and transparency - PDF 361Kb
- Audit planning guidance 2017/18 audits - PDF 811Kb
- Progress report 2016/17 - XLS 48Kb
- Audit planning guidance 2016/17 audits - PDF 701Kb
- Audit planning guidance 2015/16 audits - PDF 402Kb
- Code of Guidance on Funding External Bodies and Following the Public Pound - PDF 78Kb
- Following the Public Pound - direction to local authorities - PDF 400Kb
- Following the Public Pound - guidance for auditors - PDF 190Kb
Technical bulletins - 2019
Last updated June 2019
Technical bulletins summarise technical developments in each quarter for external auditors, and provide guidance on any emerging issues.
- Technical bulletin 2: April - June 2019 - PDF 599Kb
Technical bulletin 2: April - June 2019 (text only) - RTF 135Kb - Technical bulletin 1: January - March 2019 - PDF 761Kb
Technical bulletin 1: January - March 2019 (text only) - RTF 872Kb
Technical bulletins - 2018
Last updated December 2018
Technical bulletins summarise technical developments in each quarter for external auditors, and provide guidance on any emerging issues.
- Technical bulletin 4: October - December 2018 - PDF 345Kb
Technical bulletin 4: October - December 2018 (text only) - RTF 120Kb - Technical bulletin 3: July - September 2018 - PDF 432Kb
Technical bulletin 3: July - September 2018 (text only) - RTF 130Kb - Technical bulletin 2: April - June 2018 - PDF 485Kb
Technical bulletin 2: April - June 2018 (text only) - RTF 185Kb - Technical bulletin 1: January - March 2018 - PDF 458Kb
Technical bulletin 1: January - March 2018 (text only) - RTF 150Kb
Previous technical bulletins
Last updated March 2018
The bulletins for each quarter have been combined into one file per year.
- Technical bulletins - 2017 - PDF 1.7Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2016 - PDF 1.4Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2015 - PDF 1.8Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2014 - PDF 2.5Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2013 - PDF 2.5Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2012 - PDF 1.6Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2011 - PDF 1.8Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2010 - PDF 1.9Mb
- Technical bulletins - 2009 - PDF 2.1Mb
Good practice notes
Last updated May 2019
- Improving the quality of college annual report and accounts - Governance statements - PDF 1.7Mb
- Improving the quality of central government annual report and accounts - Performance reports - PDF 1.5Mb
- Improving the quality of local authority annual accounts - Expenditure and funding analysis - PDF 1.2Mb
- Improving the quality of local authority annual accounts - Integration joint boards - PDF 2.8Mb
- Improving the quality of NHS annual report and accounts - Reporting financial performance - PDF 848Kb
- Improving the quality of NHS annual report and accounts - Performance reports - PDF 1.3Mb
- Improving the quality of NHS annual report and accounts - Governance statement - PDF 1.3Mb
- Improving the quality of NHS annual report and accounts - PDF 2Mb
- Improving the quality of NHS annual report and accounts - follow up - PDF 2Mb
Other outputs
Last updated February 2019