Industry
↳ Total expenses is appropriate where profit is not the objective.
Benchmark
Performance Materiality
Reduces the probability that uncorrected misstatements exceed overall materiality.
Clearly Trivial
Misstatements below this need not be accumulated unless qualitatively material.
ISA 320 Decision Tree
One-page visual guide for benchmark selection — plus one practical audit insight per week.
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Benchmark Guidance
Not-for-profit entities and public sector organisations differ fundamentally from commercial enterprises: their objective is to deploy resources effectively for their mission, not to generate profit. PBT is typically meaningless as a benchmark.
Choosing the Right Benchmark
Total expenses at 0.5–1% or total revenue at 0.5–1% are the standard ranges. For publicly funded entities, the lower end reflects heightened accountability for public money.
Key Audit Considerations
Grant income recognition — conditions vs. restrictions under IFRS or local GAAP — is often the primary area of judgment.
Compliance with donor restrictions and fund accounting requirements may create additional qualitative materiality considerations.
Related party transactions are subject to heightened scrutiny and low qualitative materiality thresholds.
For Dutch foundations (stichtingen) and associations (verenigingen), compliance with statutory objectives and governance codes may be in scope.
ISA 320.10 — Determine materiality for the financial statements as a whole when establishing the overall audit strategy.
ISA 320.11 — Determine performance materiality for assessing risks and determining further audit procedures.
ISA 320.A4 — Common benchmarks: PBT, revenue, gross profit, total expenses, total equity, or net asset value.