Kathleen Whittle of New South Wales has been disqualified from being an approved self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) auditor. ASIC determined that Ms Whittle had breached fundamental independence requirements and that, given the nature of these breaches, a disqualification was appropriate.
ASIC found that Ms Whittle had breached the auditor independence requirements of APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants in auditing the funds of her immediate and close family members.
ASIC Commissioner John Price said, ‘SMSF auditors play a fundamental role in promoting confidence in the SMSF sector so it is crucial that they adhere to ethical and professional standards. ASIC will continue to take action where the conduct of SMSF auditors is inadequate.’
SMSF trustees and members can check whether their auditor is registered, or whether a person has been disqualified, by searching ASIC’s SMSF auditor register at connectonline.asic.gov.au