b) Planning stage:

The planning stage of an audit is crucial for setting the overall strategy and approach for conducting the audit. During this stage, the auditor gathers information about the client, including their industry, business operations, and internal controls. Analytical procedures are indeed an important part of the planning process.

They help the auditor gain an understanding of the client’s business and industry, identify areas of potential risk, and determine which accounts or transactions may be more likely to contain material misstatements.

However, the use of analytical procedures in the planning stage is not exclusive to this stage alone. Analytical procedures are also applied in the substantive testing stage to obtain substantive evidence about specific financial statement assertions. Therefore, while important in the planning phase, their use is not limited solely to this stage.

c) Overall review stage:

The overall review stage occurs towards the end of the audit process. It involves the evaluation of the overall financial statement presentation to ensure it is consistent with the auditor’s understanding of the entity.

This stage also includes considerations such as whether all necessary audit procedures have been completed and whether there are any material inconsistencies or misstatements that need to be addressed.

While analytical procedures may be used as part of this review to assess the overall reasonableness of the financial statements, this stage is not where analytical procedures are primarily applied.

The overall review stage encompasses a broader evaluation of the entire audit process, including reviewing the work performed in earlier stages. Analytical procedures are just one component of this comprehensive review, and they are not specific to this stage alone.

d) All of the above:

This option suggests that analytical procedures are relevant in all stages of the audit, including planning, substantive testing, and the overall review.

While it is true that analytical procedures can be used at various stages of the audit, it is important to note that their primary association, particularly in audits conducted in accordance with AAS-14, lies with the substantive testing stage.

This is where they are most instrumental in providing substantive evidence and detecting potential misstatements or irregularities in the financial statements.

In summary, while analytical procedures are important and may be used in different stages of the audit process, their primary focus and significance, especially in audits following AAS-14, are in the substantive testing stage. This is where they play a critical role in gathering evidence to support the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.