Financial auditing

We perform both legally prescribed and voluntary audits of financial statements for individual companies or groups of companies on the basis of national or international principles. With our risk-oriented audit approach, which is individually tailored to our clients, we carry out a systematic analysis of the business and risk environment of our customers to serve as a basis for an efficient audit performance.

The audit is coordinated by a central contact person, who makes sure that all resources are available at the right time and location. By means of flat hierarchies and fast communication and decision paths, we are always in a position to offer you a quick and efficient solution.

Modern auditing techniques and the commitment to the most stringent quality standards guarantee security and the optimum benefit for our customers.

As financial auditors, we know your company. Without compromising our independent opinion, we give you all the advice and practical support you need to resolve demanding problems outside the audit of annual financial statements.

Extraordinary events in the “life” of a company – such as mergers, change of legal form, capital increase or liquidation – may require the preparation of special financial statements.

In case of change of shareholders and differences between shareholders, audited financial statements help to reach a compromise. Financial statements for the examination of excessive indebtedness and for the financial rehabilitation of companies are subject to special requirements. The list below gives you a brief outline of the events, which make special audits necessary:

- Business start-up, company formation and capital increase
- Merger, split-up or change of corporate form
- Business termination and liquidation of a company
- Apportionment of assets, equalization of accrued gains and compensation of shareholders
- Excessive indebtedness and financial rehabilitation of companies
- Insolvency

We can always offer our services as financial auditors in teamwork with our lawyers and tax advisors to reach the maximum possible level of professionalism.

As a matter of course, our services include legally prescribed special audits, such as audits concerning the correctness of business management under § 53 HGrG (section 53 of the German Budgetary Principles Act), audits under MaBV (the German regulations for estate agents and property developers) and audits pursuant to KWG (German Banking Act) and WPhG (German Securities Trading Act).

The current legal and corporate law developments exact increasingly high requirements from our customers with respect to financial reporting, transparency and risk management.

As financial auditors, we know your company. Therefore, we are able to spot any problems, which could pose a risk to your business success.

Apart from this, we assist you as a competent partner in securing and developing your business, bringing to bear our special expertise in this sector.

Our services in the area of audit-related consulting include in particular:

- Corporate governance (company supervision)
- Examination, implementation and development of risk management systems
- Computer-assisted auditing of procedures
- Development of financial rehabilitation concepts
- Prospect assessments
- Internal controls testing, internal revision
- Economic efficiency tests and other business-related tests
- EDP organization and system tests
- Implementation and development of systems for financial accounting, cost and activity accounting and financial planning

Creation of efficient closing and test procedures

Company assessments on diverse evaluation occasions are among our core competences, for example in the following cases:

- Purchase / sale of companies or company shares
- Merger, reorganization, incorporation or demerger of companies
- Assessment by reason of an IPO (initial public offering)
- Entry / withdrawal or compensation of shareholders (squeeze-out)
- Distribution / division of legal estates

In the course of a company assessment, we perform the services of an advisor or neutral expert and determine the company assets or fluctuation margins on the basis of national and international standards.

Due diligence investigations are indispensable for company transactions. Only a due diligence investigation can determine the chances and risks involved and quantify the situation with adequate care.

We analyze – as required – the economic, financial, organizational, tax-related and legal circumstances of a company to provide the transparency you need for your decisions.

If you want a proper public presentation of your company or should you be under the obligation to submit annual consolidated financial statements, we can prepare your annual financial statements in accordance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). We will support you in adjusting your accounting system and in introducing the individual standards that are of relevance to you. Entrepreneurs with medium-sized companies under a duty of disclosure need to become fully conversant in this area. Our financial auditors assist you as competent trainers in the introduction of IFRS and are happy to provide any information you might need.

The professional duties of our financial auditors also include the task to act in a fiduciary capacity, which comprises the following activities:

- Execution / administration of a legal estate
- Guardianship – trusteeship – mentoring
- Domicile services for business enterprises
- Acquisition of business shares and real estate on trust
- Holding of shares and real property on trust
- Administration of assets on trust

In our profession we are bound to professional discretion with the privilege of non-disclosure and we are subject to control by our professional organization. The risk involved is covered by our professional indemnity insurance so that we can offer a high level of security for the administration of your assets. We are always available for a strictly confident, non-binding counseling interview.

If you want to have your executive board or managing director advised and controlled by competent persons, our experienced personnel is available for assignment to the supervisory / advisory board. This guarantees that you as a partner / shareholder are properly informed and advised.

On diverse occasions, the structure of companies and corporate groups has to be optimized. This applies, for instance, in the following cases:

- Company succession
- MBI acceptance of employees as associates
- MBO sale of company shares to employees
- IPO public offering or financing via the capital market
- Optimization of family enterprises for external management
- Sale of companies
- Creation of a family foundation or holding company
- Consolidation and split-up of production units
- Changed fiscal framework conditions
- Financing via private equity funds
- Distribution of companies among shareholders.

In this area, you have to clarify various questions related to tax law, labor law and company law, including some general issues, such as the question of the economic viability of the decision. With our team of financial auditors, tax advisors, lawyers and management consultants, we are in a position to give profound advice in these complex fields. Our EDP specialists can make the necessary EDP adjustments on your behalf.