UK watchdog fines Deloitte more than €1m over SIG audit

Original penalty was reduced after it admitted breaches over its work on financial statements

Britain’s accounting watchdog said on Thursday it had fined Deloitte LLP more than £900,000 (€1.03 million) over its audits of building materials supplier SIG Plc for the 2015 and 2016 financial years.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said it had imposed a penalty of £1.25 million on Deloitte, reduced to £906,250 after it admitted breaches over its work on SIG’s financial statements.

The FRC reprimanded Deloitte, ordering it to take action prevent the contraventions happening again. It also fined Deloitte audit engagement partner Simon Manning £50,000, reduced to £36,250, after he also admitted the breaches.

Deloitte and Mr Manning admitted two breaches in relation to the audit of supplier rebates - incentives paid to SIG by its suppliers - and cash, the FRC said.

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They failed to obtain and document audit evidence over the testing of rebate terms and the testing of rebate debtor balances, it said. They also failed to "exercise sufficient professional scepticism" by not investigating signs that the balances of rebate debtors may have been overstated, the FRC added.

Both Deloitte and Manning cooperated with the FRC's investigation, it said.

Deloitte did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - Reuters