CORAA

SA 260Communication with Those Charged with Governance

Issued by ICAI AASB · Concluding

What you must tell the audit committee / board — and when.

Objective

To establish two-way communication with TCWG and communicate on a timely basis: auditor's responsibilities, planned scope, significant findings, and auditor's independence.

Key requirements

  • At planning: scope and timing
  • At conclusion: significant findings, qualitative aspects of accounting practices, material weaknesses
  • Independence: written confirmation at least annually
  • For listed entities: independence-confirmation language and key audit-team rotations

Typical procedures

  • Letter to audit committee outlining planned scope and timing
  • Closing letter to audit committee on significant findings and adjustments
  • Independence confirmation included in the closing letter

Common pitfalls

  • Communicating only with the CFO, not the Audit Committee
  • No documented agenda / minutes of the audit-committee meeting
  • Missing the SA 260.A33 listed-entity-specific communications
On CORAA
SA 260 communication template — drop into your firm letterhead, customise the findings section. Open the matching module →

SA 260 in practice

SA 260 sits in the Concluding phase of the audit. The Standards on Auditing are issued by the ICAI Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AASB) and deemed to be prescribed by the Central Government under Section 143(10) of the Companies Act 2013. Compliance with SAs is mandatory for every audit conducted by a Chartered Accountant in India.

For authoritative text, refer to the ICAI AASB Compendium of Standards on Auditing at icai.org.

Free downloads · Working formats for SA 260

Take the working versions with you

Editable, letterhead-ready formats that put SA 260 into practice — built from the ICAI working-paper set, free to download.

Communication with TCWG / Audit Committee

And when you want SA 260 executed and documented automatically — your first audit on CORAA is free.

SA 260 — frequently asked

What is SA 260 (Communication with Those Charged with Governance)?

SA 260 — Communication with Those Charged with Governance — is a Standard on Auditing issued by the ICAI Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. What you must tell the audit committee / board — and when. To establish two-way communication with TCWG and communicate on a timely basis: auditor's responsibilities, planned scope, significant findings, and auditor's independence.

Is SA 260 mandatory in India?

Yes. Standards on Auditing are deemed to be prescribed under Section 143(10) of the Companies Act 2013, and ICAI members must comply with them in every audit of historical financial information. Non-compliance must be justified and can attract professional consequences in peer review, NFRA inspection, and disciplinary proceedings.

What should the working papers show for SA 260?

Documentation sufficient for an experienced auditor with no previous connection to the audit to understand what was done and why (SA 230). For SA 260 in the concluding phase, that means evidencing: At planning: scope and timing; At conclusion: significant findings, qualitative aspects of accounting practices, material weaknesses; Independence: written confirmation at least annually.

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