CORAA

Procedures for Client's Documents (Audit File Handover) — ICAI Audit Working Paper

The procedures for client's documents (audit file handover) working paper from ICAI AASB's Audit Working Paper Templates (June 2023). Pre-stamped with your firm letterhead, editable in Word.

Free · ICAI AASB (June 2023)
Updated 28 May 2026
Source
ICAI AASB (June 2023)
Chapter
6. Completion
Section
6.12
Format
Microsoft Word (.docx)
Share this template
Your firm — letterhead
Appears at the top of the document as the audit firm letterhead.
Used as the letterhead block.
Engagement details
The client and period this document is for.
The financial year-end this engagement covers, e.g. 31 March 2026.
What’s inside

An excerpt from the template.

The purpose of this working paper is to document our approach towards the documents or data provided by the client for the purpose of audit.

The schedules and working or documents provided by the client support the conclusions in our reports and form part of audit documentation. They are also referred to as evidence or sometimes audit working papers. Examples of such documentation include ledger extracts or other reports extracted from accounting software, internal or external supporting documents, etc.

Audit documentation may be in the form of paper, electronic files, or other media.

Every working paper provided by the client goes through basic 3 level checks before any work is started on the same.

↑ Excerpt only — the full template is what you download as Word
About this template

What you’re downloading, and when to use it.

This template follows the format published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in the AASB Audit Working Paper Templates (June 2023), the authoritative reference for Indian statutory-audit documentation. Fill in your firm’s letterhead and the engagement details on the form above, click Download Word file, and you’ll get a fully formatted .docx ready to use.

Everything is generated in your browser and on a stateless API endpoint — no account, nothing stored on our servers. We’ll ask for a work email once before your first download so we can send you the file and the occasional relevant update; after that, downloads on this device are instant. Edit freely in Word, Google Docs or Pages before sending to your client.

Common questions

FAQs.

What's the retention obligation for audit working papers?
SA 230 requires retaining audit documentation for at least seven years from the date of the auditor's report (or the group auditor's report, if later) — this procedure should confirm what's retained by the firm versus returned to the client.
What client documents are typically returned vs. retained by the firm?
Original client records — invoices, agreements, statutory registers — are returned; the firm retains its own working papers, analysis, and copies needed to support its opinion and satisfy the SA 230 retention period.
Why formalise this as a written procedure rather than an ad-hoc handover?
It creates an audit trail confirming what was received, what was returned, and when — protecting both the firm (evidence client documents weren't retained without basis) and the client (confirmation nothing was lost) if a dispute arises later.
Related templates

You might also need.

Audit Engagement Closure Checklist — ICAI Audit Working Paper
Free audit engagement closure checklist audit working paper template (ICAI, Chapter 6). Generate with your fir