Going concern is an important knowledge point of F8.Going concern这一知识点，涉及财务报表编制的基本理念、管理层责任和审计师责任的区别、实质性审计程序以及审计意见和审计报告。楷博财经ACCA讲师将就going concern进行解读，希望可以帮助大家更好地理解going concern。
>基本定义
Under the going concern assumption, the entity isviewed as continuing in business for the foreseeable future.
在持续经营假设下，企业被认为在可预见的将来能够商业经营存在。
这一定义，对财务报表的编制有两大重要意义：
1) The concept ofgoing concern is an underlying assumption in the preparation of financialstatements.持续经营是财务报表编制的一个基本假定。If the entity hasneither the intention, nor the need, to liquidate or curtail materially thescale of its operations,那么就应按 going concern basis 编制报表;反之亦然：如果企业按 going concern basis 编制报表，那么企业就是“neither the intention, northe need, to liquidate or curtail materially the scale of its operations”
2) Ifmanagement conclude that the entity has no alternative but to liquidate orcurtail materially the scale of its operations, the going concern basis cannotbe used and the financial statements must be prepared on a different basis (suchas the ‘break-up’ basis).
相反，如果管理层认为企业不能 going concern, 那么企业就不能按going concern 编制报表，就应选择其他basis, 如 break-up basis 编制报表。(对break-up basis，在此不做详细解读)
管理层责任和审计师责任
For management:
1) it is the responsibility of management to make anassessment of whether the going concern presumption is appropriate, or not,when they are preparing the financial statements.
对going concern, 管理层首要责任体现在判断评估以going concern编制报表是否恰当。
2)management will have to make judgments on various uncertain futureoutcomes of events or conditions; identify factors that may have an impact onan entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
管理层要判断评估以going concern编制报表是否恰当，就要去识别判断影响going concern 的一些因素，比如：
inability to pay dividends to shareholders
major losses or cash flow difficulties that havearisen since the reporting date
adverse key financial ratios
indications of withdrawal of financial support fromthe bank or other financial institutions
negative operating cash flows
这要因素要明确的一点就是：基本都是和 cash flow 相关的;因为能不能going concern，主要直接的影响来自于现金流，而不是盈利能力。
3) If there are any material uncertainties relating tothe going concern assumption, then management must make adequate going concerndisclosures in the financial statements.
如果management判断企业能going concern,但存在重大不确定性，就可以按going concern 编制报表但要对重大不确定事项充分披露。
For auditors:
1)obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence aboutthe appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern assumption in thepreparation of the financial statements
获得关于用going concern basis 编制报表是否充分的适当证据
2)conclude whether there is a material uncertainty aboutthe entity’s ability to continue as a going concern
识别认定是否有影响going concern的重大不确定事项
3)Consider the implication for the audit report
如上证据获得后，看看其对audit opinion 和audit report 的影响
实质性审计程序
如上提到，审计师要获得sufficient appropriate audit evidence,那么怎么获得?
-Analyse and discuss cash flow, profit and other relevant forecasts with managementto ascertain the reasonableness of preparing them
-Review the terms of debentures and loan agreements and determining whether any have been
breached.
-Read minutes of the meetings of shareholders, the board of directors for reference to financing
difficulties.
-Review correspondence with the bank for indication that a bankloan or overdraft may
be recalled.
如上substantive procedures 是最为直接有效的，因为他们能深入企业具体事项和经营，一针见血的直指企业的cash flowerproblem.
其他的审计程序，如：
discussions with management/directors’ and ‘obtaininga written representation’ 也可起到补充作用。
>对审计意见和审计报告的影响
可以分为四类情况处理(当然也可以用其他归类方法)：
-use of the going concern assumption is appropriate, no materialuncertainties exists
Thenunmodified opinion, unmodified report.发表unmodified审计意见, unmodified 的审计报告
-use of the going concern assumption isappropriate but a material uncertainty exists
Theauditor will consider the adequacy of the disclosures made in the financialstatements by management. If the auditor considers the disclosures to beadequate, then the audit report will be modified by the inclusion of anEmphasis of Matter paragraph.如果重大不确定事项披露充分，发表带有强调事项段的modified审计报告。
If theauditor concludes that the disclosures are inadequate, or if management havenot made any disclosure at all and management refuse to remedy the situation,the opinion will be qualified or adverse. Then a paragraph explaining the basisfor the qualified or adverse opinion will be included如果重大不确定事项未披露充分，发表qualified 或adverse 审计意见。
-use of the going concern assumption isinappropriate
Then ifthe Fs are prepared based on other appropriate basis, like break-up basis,unmodified opinion and modified report;
If theFs are prepared based on going concern basis, the auditor must express anadverse opinion. An adverse opinion states that the financial statements do notpresent fairly (or give a true and fair view). 如果going concern basis不适当，则发表adverse 审计意见。
-management unwilling to make or extendits assessment.
The auditorwill consider the implications for the report, either qualified opinion ordisclaimer of opinion depending on whether the issues are material notpervasive or material and pervasive. There are situations that may arise whenthe auditor may request management to make an assessment, or extend theiroriginal assessment of going concern and management refuse to make, or extend,an assessment of going concern.当对going concern无法获得sufficient appropriate 证据时，发表qualified opinion或disclaimer of opinion.
Going concern 虽是一个小的知识点，但透过它，我们可以串联审计知识的诸多方面。楷博财经ACCA希望以此穿针引线，通过窥一斑而见全豹的手法，让大家在理解going concern的基础上，加强对F8 的知识体系的掌握，希望对大家备考有所帮助。
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