Who cannot be appointed as an internal auditor?

Asked by: Adam Bruen  |  Last update: August 6, 2026
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An internal auditor cannot be appointed if they lack independence, such as being a current statutory auditor of the company, a close relative of a director/manager, or having significant financial interests in the company. Individuals with conflicts of interest, those of unsound mind, or bankrupts are also disqualified.

Who cannot be an internal auditor?

Internal Employees: As per Rule 13, Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, Companies can appoint a qualified employee with relevant experience to serve as the internal auditor. Statutory Auditor: A statutory auditor cannot be an internal auditor as per Section 144(b) of the Corporations Act 2013.

Who cannot be appointed as an auditor?

If the person to be appointed or his partner holds even a single share (or other securities) of a company, he is not eligible to be appointed as an auditor. However, if a relative of such person holds securities of face value not exceeding Rs.

Who is required to appoint an internal auditor?

Appointment of internal auditor is mandatory for every producer company irrespective of any criterion. Further, the proviso provides that any existing company which is covered under any of the above criteria shall comply with the requirements of section 138 and rule 13 within six months of commencement of such section.

Who is eligible to do an internal audit?

(1) Such class or classes of companies as may be prescribed shall be required to appoint an internal auditor, who shall either be a chartered accountant or a cost accountant , or such other professional as may be decided by the Board to conduct internal audit of the functions and activities of the company.

What Boards Want & Need From Internal Auditing

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Can anyone be an internal auditor?

Requirements to Become a Certified Internal Auditor

To become a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), one must meet the following requirements: Education – Hold a Bachelor's degree or higher, possess an active Internal Audit Practitioner designation, or have five years of internal audit experience.

Who qualifies to be an internal auditor?

The IIA SA defines an Internal Audit Professional as someone who has an academic qualification, who has gone through the IIA SAs structured on-the-job training program (Professional Training Program), has gone through a test of competence (IAT, PIA and CIA) and who is a member of the IIA.

Do you need to be qualified to be an internal auditor?

You'll need to be a member of the The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to carry out audits in the public sector. If you're qualified as an accountant with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), you can carry out internal audits.

Who is required to appoint an auditor?

(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the first auditor of a company, other than a Government company, shall be appointed by the Board of Directors within thirty days from the date of registration of the company and in the case of failure of the Board to appoint such auditor, it shall inform the ...

Who are internal auditors appointed by?

An internal auditor is an auditor who is appointed by the Board of directors of the company in order to carry out the internal audit function. Generally, an employee of the company acts as an internal auditor, whereas some companies appoint an external expert as an internal auditor.

Can an internal auditor be appointed as a tax auditor?

The Council of ICAI in its 281st meeting held from 3rd to 5th October 2008, decided that an internal auditor of an assessee, whether working with the organization or independently practising chartered accountant or a firm of chartered accountants, cannot be appointed as his tax auditor.

Do all companies need to appoint an auditor?

A private company must appoint an auditor for each financial year unless the directors resolve that an audit is unlikely to be required (CA 2006, s. 485). if earlier, the day on which copies of the companyʼs annual accounts and reports for the previous financial year are actually sent out under CA 2006, s.

Why an employee Cannot be an auditor of the company?

An officer or employee – cannot be independent – If those are appointed as auditors of the company, they cannot express independent opinion on the financial statements. These people have indirect relationship; hence they are not independent and cannot be appointed as auditor.

Can CFO be an internal auditor?

Effective internal auditing is made possible mainly by the role of the CFO. Ensuring a strong system of internal controls and risk management across the entire company is a primary duty of the CFO.

Can a CPA be an internal auditor?

Active CPA or CA holders can earn the CIA through the CIA Challenge Exam. This expedited process allows you to obtain the CIA designation after successfully passing a one-part examination.

What are the 4 types of internal audit?

Types of Internal audits include compliance audits, operational audits, financial audits, and an information technology audits.

Who should appoint an internal auditor?

As per section 138 of Act, the internal auditor shall be either Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant or such other professional as may be decided by the board which means, the board of directors of a company has been given freedom to appoint any professional and competent person to be its internal auditor.

Who appoints the head of internal audit?

Internal Audit derives its authority from the Board and its Audit Committee. The appointment of the Chief Internal Auditor is made by the Board upon the recommendation of the Audit Committee.

Who qualifies as an auditor?

To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting and auditing or possess certain specified qualifications. Generally, to act as an external auditor of the company, a person should have a certificate of practice from the regulatory authority.

Is CIA harder than CFA?

Is CIA harder than CFA? No, the CIA is considered easier compared to the CFA course because it addresses some of the significantly challenging financial topics.

Can a non-CA be an internal auditor?

The internal auditor can be: A Chartered Accountant (CA) A Cost Accountant. Or any other professional decided by the Board.

Do you have to be qualified to be an internal auditor?

Hold an active Chartered qualification in a related industry (like accountancy, risk management, banking, business) and have a minimum of two years internal audit experience. Hold a masters degree in a subject area such as banking, governance or business (typically an MBA) and have five years internal audit experience.

Can you be an internal auditor without a CPA?

You can work on an audit without being a CPA. Many firms outsource and/or hire interns to do parts of the audit. These guys don't always have a CPA. The audit report needs to be signed by a CPA (or CPA firm, which should require that partners are CPAs).

What are the top five skills required for an internal auditor?

Essential Internal Audit Skills

  • Communication and Relationship Management. In a client-centric field like internal audit, being able to communicate effectively is essential. ...
  • Critical and Strategic Thinking. ...
  • Adaptability. ...
  • Continuous Learning. ...
  • Time Management. ...
  • Attention to Detail. ...
  • Ethical Integrity. ...
  • Related Insights.