Use of financial analysis in external audit procedures

Financial audit examining the correctness of financial reporting plays an important role in the current economic reality, because it gives credibility to the accounting information system of entities subject to Polish balance sheet law. The course of the external audit, regulated by many national and international regulations, allows the entities carrying out the audit to use various tools, thanks to which it is possible to issue an opinion and prepare an audit report constituting the basis for assessing the economic and financial situation of the audited entity. One of these tools is financial analysis using techniques such as ratio analysis, trend analysis, comparative analysis, rationality test or regression analysis. Each technique performs different tasks in the course of the audit and has a significant influence on the auditor’s final judgment about the audited entity. The article describes the above-mentioned techniques and assesses their usefulness in the financial audit.