Lagodienko Natalia, Ph.D. (Economics), Senior Lecturer, Mykolayiv National Agrarian University, Mykolayiv, Ukraine

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3528-0519
e-mail: besedina77@gmail.com

Белінська К. В., здобувач вищої освіти обліково-фінансового факультету, Миколаївський національний аграрний університет, м. Миколаїв, Україна

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2597-5192
e-mail: tserushkitti@gmail.com

Specific Features of Auditing Small Businesses
in the Conditions of Spreading the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction. A special place in the modern economy of Ukraine belongs to small business, which contributes to the gradual creation of a significant layer of smallholders, which should guarantee political stability and ensure democratic reforms in quarantine. Active development small business sector creates new requirements for accounting information of small enterprises, so the issues of organization accounting and auditing of their financial statements become even more relevant. There is a need to develop theoretical and organizational and methodological provisions on the organization of accounting and auditing small businesses, aimed at improving the efficiency of their activities.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the audit of small businesses and find out in the process of auditing the spread of coronavirus infection.

Results. Currently, there is a lot of discussion about the need to conduct an audit of small businesses, as small companies are not subject to statutory audit. The article considers the process of auditing small businesses in the conditions of spreading the COVID-19 pandemic.. The number of violations in the work of small enterprises has been determined. A number of features and possible errors during the inspection have been analyzed and investigated. Ways to solve the problem, the method of introducing mandatory audit by auditors and the application of liability for inaccurate information have been proposed.

Conclusions. The study of audits of small enterprises in quarantine makes it possible to conclude that a typical feature of small business in Ukraine is the shaky and unreliable work. Therefore, to overcome the above problems, it is necessary to create an effective mechanism to support its actors at both state and regional levels, namely: measures to strengthen accountability for the quality of audit services, including the issuance of knowingly false audit opinions and evasion of state control, will in the long run increase the motivation to carry out business activities in this professional field in accordance with the requirements established by the legislation of Ukraine.
Small enterprises of Ukraine need to be audited in case of publication of financial statements (publications in periodicals or distribution in the form of separate printed publications), lending to small enterprises, their liquidation. In modern conditions, small business is the only sector of the country’s economy, the number of enterprises that is growing steadily every year, but in quarantine, there is a good chance to see a tendency to reduce their number.

Keywords: audit; audit activity; internal audit; small business; economy; pandemic.

References:

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