Iryna Skliaruk’s research while affiliated with Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and other places

This article examines the principal methodologies for preparing auditors’ working papers in the context of digitalization, which is becoming a pivotal aspect of contemporary audit. Сonsideration is given to the factors influencing the form, content, and volume of audit documentation that accompanies the audit process. Particular attention is devoted to the advantages of structuring the auditor's working document in electronic form, including systematicity, efficiency, compliance, and transparency. Contemporary audit firms are leveraging automation programs to streamline processes and enhance efficiency. While automation supports accurate processing of substantial data volumes, challenges remain due to the lack of standardized software, which complicates staff training and incurs additional costs. Microsoft Excel has been identified as a cost-effective and highly effective tool for preparing electronic working documents, as it not only structures data but also provides opportunities for analytical calculations, simplifying information processing. The findings indicate that International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) do not mandate a uniform format for working papers, allowing auditors flexibility to adapt documentation to specific audit objectives and requirements. A well-structured digital format is recommended to facilitate easy access to organized information. Establishing accessible links between files is particularly crucial to ensure consistency and accuracy in audit conclusions. Additionally, adherence to a consistent document format enhances navigability and aesthetic presentation, contributing to a more streamlined audit process. The article proposes a structured framework for electronic working papers, encompassing a synthesis of the financial statement items, the execution of audit procedures, the disclosure of notes and appendices. The potential for additional digitalization of audit activities as a means of advancing integrated, automated internal control and audit systems is also addressed.

The principles of non-financial reporting are a prerequisite for the harmonization of reporting standards and a guarantee of comparability of reporting indicators. A lack of a long-term and established practice in preparing non-financial reporting does not allow forming its principles as generally accepted rules for the preparation of reporting data. Therefore, the system of principles of non-financial reporting should be based on the results of scientific research on the theories of disclosure of non-financial information, including publications indexed in the SCOPUS. Based on the results of the bibliometric and linguistic analysis of the selected scientific publications, the correspondence was established between the content substance of the postulates of the most popular motivational theories of non-financial reporting (agency theory, institutional theory, legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory) and individual components of the mechanism of disclosure of non-financial information. The identified causal relationships allowed formalizing the principles of preparing non-financial statements and combining them into a coherent system that covers informational, legal, organizational and communicative aspects of the reporting mechanism and consists of such principles as: application of differentiated metrics; the predominance of substance over form; business accountability; access to information of public interest; reporting coherence; reporting preparation periodicity; full coverage; consistent and continuous disclosure. The formed system of principles of non-financial reporting comprehensively takes into account the peculiarities of the process of preparation of reporting data which mainly contains non-financial information. Therefore, its use as a basis for non-financial reporting standards will contribute to their harmonization and increase the comparability of reporting data.

The relevance of the paper is due to the conscious demand of society for ecological results data of business against the background of climate change and ecological disasters. The purpose of the article is to develop recommendations aimed at improving informativeness and reliability of the companies’ non-financial reporting on their ecological management. The study is based on a legitimacy and legality analysis of the global practice of compiling and submitting non-financial reporting. It is determined that the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards are the most popular among the public-interest entities for the preparation of non-financial reporting. The authors have structured a set of current GRI Standards 300 series (Environmental topics) on the issues’ content. The authors have formed practical proposals increasing the informativeness of non-financial reporting, which is made according to the GRI Standards by identifying the need for additional data disclosure about the company’s policies on resource consumption, environmental protection, hazardous emissions and waste management. These proposals will help increase the credibility of non-financial reporting indicators by providing cross-sectional information on the same phenomenon or event in case of the absence of independent control over the statement’s reliability. It will be an important argument in favour of non-financial reporting as a data source for all stakeholders’ decision-making.