The following are typical questions that might appear on an internal control questionnaire for payroll activities:
1. Is there adequate separation of duties between employees who maintain human resources records and employees who approve payroll disbursements?
2. Is there adequate separation of duties between personnel who maintain timekeeping or attendance records for employees and employees who distribute payroll checks?
a. Describe the purpose of each of the above controls.
b. Describe the manner in which each of the above controls might be tested.
c. Assuming that the operating effectiveness of each of the above controls is found to be inadequate, describe how the auditors might alter their substantive procedures to compensate for the increased level of control risk.