Engagement
Cash Disbursement Audit
Full-period tracking of cash and near-cash outflows against authorisations, bank evidence, and custodian records.
Who this engagement is for
Finance controllers, CFOs, and audit committee chairs of companies operating in Hong Kong who need independent confirmation that cash disbursements — bank transfers, cheque payments, petty cash exits, and reimbursement payouts — match approved authority and supporting evidence.
Result you receive
A tracked schedule of disbursements for the agreed period, matched to authorisations and bank or till evidence, with an exception log, control observations, and remediation notes written for management and, where requested, for your statutory auditor.
Scope included
- Agreement of entities, period, and cash channels (operating accounts, payroll exits if cash-settled, petty cash, and reimbursement pools)
- Mapping of the approval matrix and dual-signatory rules actually in force
- Sample and high-value testing of disbursements against invoices, vouchers, and bank advice
- Interviews with custodians and payment preparers
- Surprise till counts where petty cash sits in scope
- Written findings pack with prioritised exceptions
Scope excluded
- Full statutory financial statement audit
- Forensic litigation support or court expert testimony (available only by separate letter)
- Implementation of new accounting software
- Continuous monitoring retainers without a defined fieldwork window
Provider and working approach
Engagements are led by an Appdatasphere audit manager based at Lippo Centre Tower One, with field staff assigned according to transaction volume. We work from your premises in Hong Kong where records are held, and continue matching remotely when bank packs arrive after the site visit.
Process
- Scoping call — period, entities, risk hotspots, and access logistics.
- Document request — bank statements, payment registers, approval matrices, and voucher archives.
- Fieldwork — testing, interviews, and physical counts.
- Clearance — draft exceptions discussed with your nominated contact.
- Final pack — signed findings schedule and management letter.
Duration and location
Most single-entity reviews spanning one financial year complete in three to six weeks from kickoff, subject to document readiness. Work takes place on-site in Hong Kong, with Admiralty as our home base for planning meetings.
Preparation
Please nominate a single engagement contact, grant read access to the payment register and bank portals (or provide exports), and schedule custodian availability for interviews during the fieldwork window.
Constraints
We cannot begin substantive testing until the approval matrix for the period is provided. Incomplete voucher archives may limit assurance and will be noted as a scope limitation.
Fees
Fixed fees typically start at HKD 48,000 for a single Hong Kong entity and a twelve-month period with moderate transaction volume. Multi-entity groups and high-volume retail floats are priced after scoping. See the fees page for estimate factors.
Next step
Request this engagement with preferred dates and a brief note on the cash channels that concern you. We reply within two business days.