Questões de Inglês

Text 1


Technology: A Blessing or a Curse During the Audit?

The pace of technology change continues to move at what seems to be nearly the speed of light and shows no real signs of slowing down. What is considered a new technology today is old technology tomorrow. In contrast to the speed of change in technology, consider the speed of change in the audit world. Unfortunately, audit processes and approaches have not changed in what seems to be light years.
Many firms jumped on the technology bandwagon over the past several years but frequently question their return on investment through enhanced efficiency and improved audit effectiveness. Bill Gates is quoted at stating, “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” Unfortunately, many firms unknowingly followed Mr. Gates’ second rule and have applied technology to inefficient processes. The end result has been minimal improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, at best. While many firms wanted their technology investment to be a blessing, it just hasn’t turned out that way. The good news is that it is not too late. You can turn the tide and have technology utilization become a tremendous asset in your audit process.


(adapted from http://www.kscpa.org/writable/files/Anderson AuditExpress/technologyblessingorcurse.pdf)

According to the author, technology can be useful to auditing if it is used:

a) carelessly.
b) consciously.
c) negligently.
d) inattentively.
e) indiscriminately.

A resposta correta é:

Text 3


The Future of Auditing

The past financial crisis that many economies all over the world experienced prompted a renewed interest in the role and importance of auditing. The future of auditing will therefore be closely tied to the continuous ripples of effects that the world is still experiencing due to the financial crisis. However, it is to be expected that this industry would continue to grow in prevalence in the business world.
Now, more and more companies are realising that the audit and assurance professions are vital to an organisation. In fact, many companies who, in the past, did not conduct audits now find the need to do so. They are realising the need to go back to the basic management principles so they can identify problematic management practices and rectify them; audit plays a key role in this as only a true and effective audit can conduct effective fraud detection and risk management procedures within a company. Firms are thus advised to staff an internal audit department or to outsource audit work to specialist providers just to meet its auditing requirements.


(from http://www.careersinaudit.com/article/the-future-of-auditing/)

According to the text, interest in auditing has increased due to:

a) management principles.
b) poor professionalism.
c) business intelligence.
d) economic problems.
e) statistical methods.

A resposta correta é:

Text 3


The Future of Auditing

The past financial crisis that many economies all over the world experienced prompted a renewed interest in the role and importance of auditing. The future of auditing will therefore be closely tied to the continuous ripples of effects that the world is still experiencing due to the financial crisis. However, it is to be expected that this industry would continue to grow in prevalence in the business world.
Now, more and more companies are realising that the audit and assurance professions are vital to an organisation. In fact, many companies who, in the past, did not conduct audits now find the need to do so. They are realising the need to go back to the basic management principles so they can identify problematic management practices and rectify them; audit plays a key role in this as only a true and effective audit can conduct effective fraud detection and risk management procedures within a company. Firms are thus advised to staff an internal audit department or to outsource audit work to specialist providers just to meet its auditing requirements.


(from http://www.careersinaudit.com/article/the-future-of-auditing/)

Read the following sentences:

I. Auditors have found risk detection too problematic to be conducted.
II. Many companies are becoming aware of the need for auditing.
III. All the firms that never audited do not see the need for it now.
IV. Auditing has turned into a main issue in management practice.

Indicate the sentences which are in line with the points raised in Text 3.

a) I and II.
b) I and III.
c) II and IV.
d) II and III.
e) I and IV.

A resposta correta é:

Text 3


The Future of Auditing

The past financial crisis that many economies all over the world experienced prompted a renewed interest in the role and importance of auditing. The future of auditing will therefore be closely tied to the continuous ripples of effects that the world is still experiencing due to the financial crisis. However, it is to be expected that this industry would continue to grow in prevalence in the business world.
Now, more and more companies are realising that the audit and assurance professions are vital to an organisation. In fact, many companies who, in the past, did not conduct audits now find the need to do so. They are realising the need to go back to the basic management principles so they can identify problematic management practices and rectify them; audit plays a key role in this as only a true and effective audit can conduct effective fraud detection and risk management procedures within a company. Firms are thus advised to staff an internal audit department or to outsource audit work to specialist providers just to meet its auditing requirements.


(from http://www.careersinaudit.com/article/the-future-of-auditing/)

When the author states that “Firms are thus advised to staff an internal audit department or to outsource audit work to specialist providers” this means this instruction:

a) can be harmful.
b) has to be fulfilled.
c) will be detrimental.
d) should be followed.
e) must be disregarded.

A resposta correta é:

The IRS Chief Counsel is appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, and serves as the chief legal advisor to the IRS Commissioner on all matters pertaining to the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as all other legal matters. Under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, the Chief Counsel reports to both the IRS Commissioner and the Treasury General Counsel.
Attorneys in the Chief Counsel’s Office serve as lawyers for the IRS. They provide the IRS and taxpayers with guidance on interpreting Federal tax laws correctly, represent the IRS in litigation, and provide all other legal support required to carry out the IRS mission.
Chief Counsel received 95,929 cases and closed 94,323 cases during fiscal year 2012. Of the new cases received, and cases closed, the majority related to tax law enforcement and litigation, including Tax Court litigation; collection, bankruptcy, and summons advice and litigation; Appellate Court litigation; criminal tax; and enforcement advice and assistance.
In Fiscal Year 2012, Chief Counsel received 31,295 Tax Court cases involving taxpayers contesting an IRS determination that they owed additional tax. The total amount of tax and penalty in dispute at the end of the fiscal year was almost $6.6 billion.


(Source: Internal Revenue Service Data Book, 2012.)

According to the passage, the IRS’s chief legal advisor is

a) nominated by the IRS Commissioner.
b) subordinated to the Treasury General Counsel.
c) elected by a collegiate.
d) responsible for drafting the Internal Revenue Code.
e) in charge of IRS reform.

A resposta correta é:

The IRS Chief Counsel is appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, and serves as the chief legal advisor to the IRS Commissioner on all matters pertaining to the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as all other legal matters. Under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, the Chief Counsel reports to both the IRS Commissioner and the Treasury General Counsel.
Attorneys in the Chief Counsel’s Office serve as lawyers for the IRS. They provide the IRS and taxpayers with guidance on interpreting Federal tax laws correctly, represent the IRS in litigation, and provide all other legal support required to carry out the IRS mission.
Chief Counsel received 95,929 cases and closed 94,323 cases during fiscal year 2012. Of the new cases received, and cases closed, the majority related to tax law enforcement and litigation, including Tax Court litigation; collection, bankruptcy, and summons advice and litigation; Appellate Court litigation; criminal tax; and enforcement advice and assistance.
In Fiscal Year 2012, Chief Counsel received 31,295 Tax Court cases involving taxpayers contesting an IRS determination that they owed additional tax. The total amount of tax and penalty in dispute at the end of the fiscal year was almost $6.6 billion.


(Source: Internal Revenue Service Data Book, 2012.)

As described in the text, the mission of attorneys working in the Chief Counsel’s Office includes:

a) advising ordinary citizens on their fiscal responsibilities.
b) litigating for taxpayers in the Tax Court.
c) contesting IRS determinations.
d) reporting directly to the IRS Commissioner.
e) tracking down tax evaders.

A resposta correta é:

The IRS Chief Counsel is appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, and serves as the chief legal advisor to the IRS Commissioner on all matters pertaining to the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as all other legal matters. Under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, the Chief Counsel reports to both the IRS Commissioner and the Treasury General Counsel.
Attorneys in the Chief Counsel’s Office serve as lawyers for the IRS. They provide the IRS and taxpayers with guidance on interpreting Federal tax laws correctly, represent the IRS in litigation, and provide all other legal support required to carry out the IRS mission.
Chief Counsel received 95,929 cases and closed 94,323 cases during fiscal year 2012. Of the new cases received, and cases closed, the majority related to tax law enforcement and litigation, including Tax Court litigation; collection, bankruptcy, and summons advice and litigation; Appellate Court litigation; criminal tax; and enforcement advice and assistance.
In Fiscal Year 2012, Chief Counsel received 31,295 Tax Court cases involving taxpayers contesting an IRS determination that they owed additional tax. The total amount of tax and penalty in dispute at the end of the fiscal year was almost $6.6 billion.


(Source: Internal Revenue Service Data Book, 2012.)

During fiscal year 2012, the Chief Counsel’s office succeeded in

a) turning down over 30,000 appeals by taxpayers.
b) securing over $6 billion for the State.
c) winning the majority of litigation cases.
d) processing most of the cases it received.
e) voiding 1,606 cases filed by taxpayers.

A resposta correta é:

We"ve been keeping our veterinarian in business lately. First Sammy, our nine-year-old golden retriever, needed surgery. (She"s fine now.) Then Inky, our curious cat, burned his paw. (He"ll be fine, too.) At our last visit, as we were writing our fourth (or was it the fifth?) consecutive check to the veterinary hospital, there was much joking about how vet bills should be tax-deductible. After all, pets are dependents, too, right? (Guffaws all around.)
Now, halfway through tax-filing season, comes news that pets are high on the list of unusual deductions taxpayers try to claim. From routine pet expenses to the costs of adopting a pet to, yes, pets as "dependents," tax accountants have heard it all this year, according to the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, which surveys its members annually about the most outlandish tax deductions proposed by clients. Most of these doggy deductions don"t hunt, but, believe it or not, some do. Could there be a spot for Sammy and Inky on our 1040?
Scott Kadrlik, a certified public accountant in Eden Prairie, Minn., who moonlights as a stand-up comedian (really!), gave me a dog"s-eye view of the tax code: "In most cases our family pets are just family pets," he says. They cannot be claimed as dependents, and you cannot deduct the cost of their food, medical care or other expenses. One exception is service dogs. If you require a Seeing Eye dog, for example, your canine"s costs are deductible as a medical expense. Occasionally, man"s best friend also is man"s best business deduction. The Doberman that guards the junk yard can be deductible as a business expense of the junk-yard owner, says Mr. Kadrlik. Ditto the convenience-store cat that keeps the rats at bay.
For most of us, though, our pets are hobbies at most. Something"s a hobby if, among other things, it hasn"t turned a profit in at least three of the past five years (or two of the past seven years in the case of horse training, breeding or racing). In that case, you can"t deduct losses-only expenses to the extent of income in the same year. So if your beloved Bichon earns $100 for a modeling gig, you could deduct $100 worth of vet bills (or dog food or doggy attire).


(Source: Carolyn Geer, The Wall Street Journal, retrieved on 13 March 2014 - slightly adapted)

The title that best conveys the main purpose of the article is:

a) Sammy and Inky Run Up a Hospital Bill.
b) Vet Bills Should Be Tax-Deductible.
c) Are Your Pets Tax Deductions?
d) The Case for Pets as Dependents.
e) How to Increase Your Tax Refund.

A resposta correta é:

We"ve been keeping our veterinarian in business lately. First Sammy, our nine-year-old golden retriever, needed surgery. (She"s fine now.) Then Inky, our curious cat, burned his paw. (He"ll be fine, too.) At our last visit, as we were writing our fourth (or was it the fifth?) consecutive check to the veterinary hospital, there was much joking about how vet bills should be tax-deductible. After all, pets are dependents, too, right? (Guffaws all around.)
Now, halfway through tax-filing season, comes news that pets are high on the list of unusual deductions taxpayers try to claim. From routine pet expenses to the costs of adopting a pet to, yes, pets as "dependents," tax accountants have heard it all this year, according to the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, which surveys its members annually about the most outlandish tax deductions proposed by clients. Most of these doggy deductions don"t hunt, but, believe it or not, some do. Could there be a spot for Sammy and Inky on our 1040?
Scott Kadrlik, a certified public accountant in Eden Prairie, Minn., who moonlights as a stand-up comedian (really!), gave me a dog"s-eye view of the tax code: "In most cases our family pets are just family pets," he says. They cannot be claimed as dependents, and you cannot deduct the cost of their food, medical care or other expenses. One exception is service dogs. If you require a Seeing Eye dog, for example, your canine"s costs are deductible as a medical expense. Occasionally, man"s best friend also is man"s best business deduction. The Doberman that guards the junk yard can be deductible as a business expense of the junk-yard owner, says Mr. Kadrlik. Ditto the convenience-store cat that keeps the rats at bay.
For most of us, though, our pets are hobbies at most. Something"s a hobby if, among other things, it hasn"t turned a profit in at least three of the past five years (or two of the past seven years in the case of horse training, breeding or racing). In that case, you can"t deduct losses-only expenses to the extent of income in the same year. So if your beloved Bichon earns $100 for a modeling gig, you could deduct $100 worth of vet bills (or dog food or doggy attire).


(Source: Carolyn Geer, The Wall Street Journal, retrieved on 13 March 2014 - slightly adapted)

The opening sentence of the text reveals that the author has been

a) paying frequent visits to her vet s pet.
b) making loans to her pets veterinary doctor.
c) assisting her vet financially.
d) delaying payments to her veterinarian.
e) using the services of a vet quite often.

A resposta correta é:

We"ve been keeping our veterinarian in business lately. First Sammy, our nine-year-old golden retriever, needed surgery. (She"s fine now.) Then Inky, our curious cat, burned his paw. (He"ll be fine, too.) At our last visit, as we were writing our fourth (or was it the fifth?) consecutive check to the veterinary hospital, there was much joking about how vet bills should be tax-deductible. After all, pets are dependents, too, right? (Guffaws all around.)
Now, halfway through tax-filing season, comes news that pets are high on the list of unusual deductions taxpayers try to claim. From routine pet expenses to the costs of adopting a pet to, yes, pets as "dependents," tax accountants have heard it all this year, according to the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, which surveys its members annually about the most outlandish tax deductions proposed by clients. Most of these doggy deductions don"t hunt, but, believe it or not, some do. Could there be a spot for Sammy and Inky on our 1040?
Scott Kadrlik, a certified public accountant in Eden Prairie, Minn., who moonlights as a stand-up comedian (really!), gave me a dog"s-eye view of the tax code: "In most cases our family pets are just family pets," he says. They cannot be claimed as dependents, and you cannot deduct the cost of their food, medical care or other expenses. One exception is service dogs. If you require a Seeing Eye dog, for example, your canine"s costs are deductible as a medical expense. Occasionally, man"s best friend also is man"s best business deduction. The Doberman that guards the junk yard can be deductible as a business expense of the junk-yard owner, says Mr. Kadrlik. Ditto the convenience-store cat that keeps the rats at bay.
For most of us, though, our pets are hobbies at most. Something"s a hobby if, among other things, it hasn"t turned a profit in at least three of the past five years (or two of the past seven years in the case of horse training, breeding or racing). In that case, you can"t deduct losses-only expenses to the extent of income in the same year. So if your beloved Bichon earns $100 for a modeling gig, you could deduct $100 worth of vet bills (or dog food or doggy attire).


(Source: Carolyn Geer, The Wall Street Journal, retrieved on 13 March 2014 - slightly adapted)

The phrase “Guffaws all around” (paragraph 1) shows that those hearing the conversation

a) believed tax deductions for expenses with pets do not really apply.
b) resented not being able to consider their pets as dependents.
c) found the jokes about pets as dependents preposterous.
d) were unaware that vet bills could be knocked off their income tax.
e) bemoaned the unfair treatment given to pet owners by the IRS.

A resposta correta é: