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Audit and Assurance Faculty

Auditor
Reporting Lab

Raising the bar on auditor reporting

Driving better auditor reporting

The Audit and Assurance Faculty’s Auditor Reporting Lab is rethinking auditor reporting by exploring how auditors’ reports can be clearer, more informative and more useful to those who rely on them. The Lab examines the language, content and presentation of auditors' reports, drawing on good practice from audit and insights from other professions and jurisdictions. Its work focuses on practical improvements that help users better understand what auditors do, what matters most and why.

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Auditor communications: who cares?

By understanding the range of auditor communications, stakeholders will gain a better overview of the purpose and context of the independent auditor's report and the statutory auditor's wider impact and role.

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Deconstructing the auditor's report

Take a deep dive into the key elements of the auditor’s report. The Auditor Reporting Lab explores the purpose of the auditor's report, its key users and the information to look out for.

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Making auditors' reports more user-friendly

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Rethinking the auditor’s report: breaking the boilerplate barrier

The auditor’s report is the centrepiece of the audit process and there’s a growing recognition that thoughtful enhancements in both structure and communication style can make these reports more user friendly. ICAEW showcases examples of good practice in auditor reporting.

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Mind your language: inside the auditor’s vocabulary

Auditors' reports include useful observations, but their impact is often diminished by dense language and hedging. Linguistic analysis commissioned by ICAEW highlights how small shifts in tone and structure can make reports clearer, more concise and more useful to stakeholders.

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FRC consultation

Proposed revisions to UK auditor reporting standards

ICAEW welcomed the opportunity to comment on proposed revisions to UK Auditor Reporting standards published by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) on 1 October 2025.

Read ICAEW's response
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Acknowledgements

The Audit and Assurance Faculty would like to thank the members of the Steering Group and Stakeholder Advisory Panel for their contribution to this project.

Andy Cosstick, VP Finance & Accounting, Masdar
Caroline Britton, Non Executive Director
Charles Henderson, Chair, UK Shareholders’ Association
Chris Simpson, Investor Relations Manager, Drax
Chris Smith, Partner, Head of Quality, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Daniel Thompson, Group FP&A Director, Currys plc
Hugh Morgan, Technical Director, RSM UK Audit LLP
James Ferris, Director of Audit Policy, FRC
Jayne Kerr (Chair), Audit Public Policy Leader, PwC UK
Jon Seaman, Partner, Forvis Mazars

Matt Howells, Partner, Audit Technical, Azets
Pamela Taylor, Partner, Department of Professional Practice, KPMG UK
Patience Matereure, Director, Audit Quality Department, BDO LLP
Peter Kitson, Project Director, Audit and Assurance Policy, FRC
Peter Reilly, Managing Director, Corporate Governance, ESG & Sustainability, FTI Consulting
Philip Lenton, Audit & Assurance Technical/Methodology Partner, Deloitte LLP
Sarah Lyon, Partner, UK Professional Practice Department, Ernst & Young LLP

Further resources

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Audit in depth

In-depth guidance on completing all stages of an audit as well as how to make the decision as to whether or not an audit is required.

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Audit reports

Understand how to prepare an audit report for an array of different circumstances, sectors and legislation.

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