Audit support
Working paper preparation
Working paper preparation for Hong Kong companies builds lead schedules and reconciliations cross-referenced to the trial balance in the format your auditor reviews. Our accounting team maintains the file through review rounds and logs every change, so revised schedules after auditor comments stay traceable rather than becoming a new file each round.
Auditor request list
Illustrative client · August 2026
HKD
- Trial balance and general ledger exportDone
- Bank confirmations and statementsDone
- Receivables and payables listingsDone
- Fixed asset register with additionsIn progress
- Accruals and prepayments supportNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
A schedule that ties out, not just looks tidy
A lead schedule that does not reconcile to the trial balance is not useful to a Hong Kong auditor no matter how it is formatted. We build lead schedules for every major account, tie each one to supporting detail, and cross-reference figures back to their source, in the HKFRS presentation your auditor expects.
Roll-forwards for the balances that move
Accruals, provisions and fixed assets each get a roll-forward: opening balance, movement during the year, closing balance, side by side. That format answers most of the "why did this change" questions before an auditor has to ask them directly.
Handling review comments
A Hong Kong auditor's first review round almost always comes back with comments. We update the affected schedule, keep the prior version in a revision log rather than overwriting it, and note what changed and why, so a reviewer can see the trail rather than guessing which draft is current.
Format and consistency
We build to your auditor's preferred template where one exists, or a consistent internal format where it does not. File naming and version numbering stay consistent across the set, whether the underlying export comes from Xero, QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books, so nothing gets mistaken for a superseded draft mid-review.
Where this sits in the audit
Working papers sit downstream of audit-ready books and feed directly into what your auditor needs to sign off before BIR51 can be filed with audited accounts attached. We prepare the schedules the auditor tests; the sign-off stays with the Hong Kong-registered, practising auditor you appoint.
Delivery
Every month's work is reviewed by a senior principal before it reaches you, and your file stays in your own Xero, QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books account.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Working paper preparation
Do you build to a specific template?
We work from your auditor's preferred template when one exists, or a consistent internal format when it does not, either way tied to the trial balance.
How many review rounds does this cover?
We update schedules through as many rounds as the engagement needs, logging each revision rather than starting a fresh file each time.
Which software do the schedules come from?
Most Hong Kong engagements run through Xero, QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books exports, cross-referenced against the trial balance.
Do the working papers include supporting evidence, or just the schedules?
Both. Each lead schedule is cross-referenced to the underlying invoice, bank statement or contract it comes from, so your auditor can trace a number back to its source rather than take the schedule on faith.
Can working papers be built partway through the year, before our audit fieldwork starts?
Yes. Building schedules and reconciliations as the year progresses, rather than compressing everything into the final weeks before fieldwork, is what keeps a Hong Kong company's annual audit from turning into a late scramble every single year.
Do you use a specific working paper template?
We can work from your auditor's preferred template or a standard set we maintain; either way the schedules tie directly back to the trial balance.
What happens when the auditor comes back with review comments?
We update the affected schedules and log the change, so the file stays clean for the next review round.
What software works with working paper preparation?
Working paper preparation runs inside Excel or QuickBooks Online, whichever you already use. If you are not yet set up in either, we can configure a file in your name so you keep ownership of it once the engagement is under way.
How do we get started with working paper preparation?
Getting started with working paper preparation begins with a short review of your current records and software access. Once that is done we confirm scope and timing in writing, and ongoing work begins on the schedule agreed with you.
Related services
- Audit supportAudit-ready booksMonthly and year-end books maintained with the support and schedules an external auditor expects to see on day one, so fieldwork starts without a scramble to reconstruct records.
- Audit supportInternal controls documentationFinancial process controls, such as who approves a payment or reconciles an account, written down and walked through with your team, so an auditor or funder can see how the numbers are actually produced.
Industries
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.