Trial Balance to Audit Opinion: A Guide to Audit Readiness
August 24, 2026Preparing for the annual financial statement audit can feel overwhelming for public sector entities, particularly for finance teams balancing daily operations, compliance requirements, and reporting deadlines. Audit preparation can often be treated as a year-end event rather than a year-round process.
Join Forvis Mazars as we introduce a practical framework for preparing for the financial statement audit by organizing activities around major financial statement line items. Learn how to identify key audit risks, supporting schedules, reconciliations, and documentation requirements associated with cash, receivables, capital assets, liabilities, revenues, expenditures, grants, and other significant balances.
This session will demonstrate how government finance teams can break audit preparation into manageable tasks throughout the year to help reduce year-end stress while strengthening financial data quality, documentation readiness, and communication with auditors. In addition, gain insights into a structured approach that can be adapted to public sector entities of varying sizes and maturity levels.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be able to:
- Evaluate and prioritize financial statement line items based on audit risk and documentation requirements to help improve audit efficiency.
- Identify key audit preparation activities associated with major financial statement line items and understand how those activities support audit readiness throughout the year.
- Prepare and develop a year-round audit preparation framework that assigns reconciliations, schedules, documentation, and review procedures to specific balance sheet and operating statement accounts.
CPE Information
1.00 CPE Credit(s) (pending approval)
One CPE credit (pending approval) in the Accounting Governmental field of study may be awarded upon verification of participant attendance during live broadcast.
Who’s This For
CFOs, controllers, finance directors, finance staff, accounting staff, and accounting directors.
Prerequisites
None
Delivery Method
Group internet-based. Each attendee must be logged in and answer the poll questions to receive CPE credit.
Refund Policy
There is no fee associated with this event.
Program Level
Basic
Recommended Field of Study
Accounting Governmental
Advanced Preparation
None
If you have concerns or would like information regarding program cancellation policies or CPE credit, contact us at [email protected].
Forvis Mazars, LLP is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.