In an attestation engagement, which party would make an assertion about a subject matter?

In an attestation engagement, a practitioner is engaged to issue a report on a subject matter, or an assertion about the subject matter, that is the responsibility of another party. This "other party" is known as the responsible party. Management of the entity is typically the responsible party and is therefore responsible for the subject matter itself and for making the assertions about it. The practitioner's role is to gather sufficient appropriate evidence to provide a basis for a conclusion on the subject matter or the assertion.

B. auditor: The auditor, a type of practitioner, evaluates and provides assurance on the assertion made by management; they do not create the assertion itself.

C. practitioner: The practitioner is the independent professional (e.g., an auditor) engaged to perform the attestation service and report on management's assertion.

D. user: The user is the intended recipient of the practitioner's report who relies on the assurance provided, but they are not the party making the assertion.

1. U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). (2018). Government Auditing Standards: 2018 Revision (GAO-18-568G).

Chapter 4, Paragraph 4.04 states: "In an attestation engagement, management or the engaging party makes an assertion about whether the subject matter is measured or evaluated against suitable criteria. The auditors then perform procedures to provide a basis for expressing a conclusion about whether the assertion is fairly stated."

2. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). (2016). Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAEs), AT-C Section 105, Concepts Common to All Attestation Engagements.

Paragraph .03 defines an attestation engagement as one where a practitioner is engaged to report on a subject matter, or an assertion about it, "that is the responsibility of another party."

Paragraph .A21 clarifies the role of the responsible party: "The responsible party is the party responsible for the subject matter. The responsible party is often management of the entity to which the subject matter relates..."