CORAA

SIA 140 — Governance

ICAI Internal Audit Standards Board · October 2022 compendium · 100 series
Reviewed 1 October 2026

SIA 140 sets out governance terminology and the roles of the Board, the Audit Committee and management under applicable law. It then describes the internal auditor's role in independently assessing governance.

This page covers SIA 140 as it stands in ICAI’s October 2022 compendium. ICAI’s February 2026 compendium, applicable from 1 April 2026, renumbers the standards, so check the current number and text in that compendium before citing it in a report.

Same number, different title in the current set
In ICAI’s February 2026 compendium, the current set, SIA 140 is titled Internal Controls. This page covers SIA 140 as it stands in the October 2022 compendium: Governance. Only the titles of the February 2026 set are listed here; its text is not summarised on this site. The October 2022 compendium has a standard with that exact title: SIA 120 — Internal Controls. A matching title does not mean the text is the same. See both title lists side by side.

What the internal auditor has to do

  • Use the standard's governance terminology consistently.
  • Understand the roles of the Board, the Audit Committee and management under the law that applies to the entity.
  • Carry out an independent assessment of governance.

How SIA 140 shows up in the internal audit file

  • Working papers for the governance assessment and the conclusion reached.
  • What was reported to those charged with governance as a result (SIA 250).

Common mistakes in practice

  • Losing independence in the assessment by reporting on governance only to the management whose arrangements are being assessed.

The file checklist and the mistakes above are practice points drawn from the requirements of the standard. They are not text from the standard.

Related standards

SIA 250 · Communication with those Charged with GovernanceSIA 130 · Risk ManagementSIA 150 · Compliance with Laws and Regulations

How this relates to global frameworks

The IIA's Three Lines Model (2020) describes the same relationships: the governing body is accountable for oversight, management owns and manages risk, and internal audit gives independent assurance and advice to the governing body and management.

Status and source

This standard is described here as it stands in the October 2022 compendium, which is the earlier set. ICAI's Internal Audit Standards Board lists its Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on February 2026) as applicable from 1 April 2026 (source: the Board's compendium page, checked on 1 October 2026). That compendium renumbers the standards, so check the current number and text there before citing this standard in a report. ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the standards are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe any standard as mandatory. The effective-date clause in each 2019 standard said it applied to internal audits beginning on or after a date to be notified by the Council of ICAI.

These pages summarise each standard as it stands in ICAI's Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on 1 October 2022), working from an extract of that document. They are summaries and close paraphrases, not the text of the standards. ICAI's Internal Audit Standards Board lists its Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on February 2026) as applicable from 1 April 2026 (source: the Board's compendium page, checked on 1 October 2026). For that current set we have only the titles, taken from the Board's 2025-26 annual report; its text is available from ICAI through a registration form on the compendium page and is not summarised here. ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the standards are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe any standard as mandatory. Before you cite a number, a paragraph or a status in a report, check the February 2026 compendium. internalaudit.icai.org

Free working files for SIA 140

Take the working versions with you

Editable formats and tools from CORAA’s internal audit library that put SIA 140 into practice. Free to use.

Internal Audit Charter Template →Audit committee reporting pack →Three lines assurance map →

SIA 140 — frequently asked

What is SIA 140?

SIA 140, Governance, is a Standard on Internal Audit issued by the Internal Audit Standards Board of ICAI. SIA 140 sets out governance terminology and the roles of the Board, the Audit Committee and management under applicable law. It then describes the internal auditor's role in independently assessing governance.

Is SIA 140 mandatory?

ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the Standards on Internal Audit are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe SIA 140 as mandatory. ICAI's Internal Audit Standards Board lists its Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on February 2026) as applicable from 1 April 2026 (source: the Board's compendium page, checked on 1 October 2026). SIA 140 as described on this page is from the earlier October 2022 compendium. The February 2026 compendium renumbers the standards, so check the current number and text there before citing it in a report.

What should the internal audit file show for SIA 140?

Working papers for the governance assessment and the conclusion reached. What was reported to those charged with governance as a result (SIA 250).

Is SIA 140 the same standard in the February 2026 compendium?

The number is the same but the title is not. In ICAI's February 2026 compendium, which ICAI lists as applicable from 1 April 2026, SIA 140 is titled "Internal Controls". This page covers SIA 140 as it stands in the October 2022 compendium, titled "Governance". Only the titles of the February 2026 set are listed here; check its text in that compendium before citing it.

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SIA 130 — Risk Management
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SIA 150 — Compliance with Laws and Regulations