Audit materiality calculator
Overall materiality from a benchmark, the performance materiality below it, and the clearly trivial threshold, under SA 320.
Free, with no sign-up Worked out in your browser The working shown, line by line
The answer
| Overall materiality | |
| Benchmark | Profit before tax |
| Benchmark amount | 40,00,000.00 |
| Percentage applied | 5% |
| Overall materiality Benchmark amount × percentage | ₹2,00,000 |
| Performance materiality | |
| Percentage of overall materiality | 75% |
| Performance materiality | ₹1,50,000 |
| Clearly trivial | |
| Percentage of overall materiality | 5% |
| Clearly trivial threshold | ₹10,000 |
- The percentages are judgement, not rules. SA 320 asks for a benchmark and a percentage that suit the entity and the people who use its accounts, with the reasons documented.
- Revisit materiality when the final figures differ materially from those it was planned on.
SA 320, Materiality in Planning and Performing an Audit.
How it is worked out
Overall materiality is a percentage of a benchmark - usually profit before tax for a business run for profit, or revenue, total assets, equity or total expenses where profit would mislead.
Performance materiality is set lower, commonly between 50% and 75% of overall materiality, so that misstatements too small to notice one by one do not add up to a material one.
The clearly trivial threshold, often around 5% of overall materiality, is the level below which a misstatement need not be accumulated on the schedule of differences.
Worked example: Profit before tax of ₹40 lakh, at 5%
Overall materiality is ₹2,00,000, performance materiality ₹1,50,000 at 75%, and the clearly trivial threshold ₹10,000.
Questions
Which benchmark should I use?
The figure the users of the accounts focus on. Profit before tax suits most businesses run for profit; where profit is small, volatile or a loss, revenue or total expenses is more stable; for an investment or asset-holding entity, total assets or equity.
What is performance materiality?
An amount below overall materiality used to plan and perform the audit procedures, so that the misstatements left undetected, added together, stay below overall materiality. SA 320 leaves the level to judgement.
Are these percentages prescribed?
No. SA 320 names no percentages. The figures here are the starting points practice commonly uses; each can be changed, and the reasons for the choice should be documented.
The same answer, on every client, with the working paper written for you
In KiyoTool materiality carries through the audit: the high-value transaction finder tests against it, every difference on the engagement is judged against it under SA 450, and the sample picker uses it to choose the entries to test. It runs on Windows, offline, and your clients' books never leave the machine.