PCAOB Deficiency Tracker
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WithumSmith+Brown, PC

United States · Annually Inspected

Inspection year
2024
Report date
25-May-2025
PCAOB release
104-2025-102
Audits reviewed
15
Audits w/ Part I.A deficiencies
9
Part I.A deficiency rate
60%
Part I.A deficiencies
27
Part I.B deficiencies
6
Report
View PDF ↗

Deficiencies (27)

Grouped by issuer and in the same order as the PCAOB report, so each item ties back directly to the source.

Issuer A4 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1Intangible AssetsThe issuer evaluated certain of its intangible assets for possible impairment using forecasted cash flows that it developed using various assumptions including when and at what amounts the issuer would be able to begin recognizing revenue. The firm did not evaluate beyond inquiry of management whether the issuer had a reasonable basis for the significant assumptions the issuer used including taking into account the issuer's ability to carry out its planned course of action for certain of these assumptions. (AS 2501.16 and .17)
Financial statement audit only
AS 2501.16; AS 2501.17
Significant riskIncorrect opinion
2Intangible AssetsThe firm did not identify and evaluate the issuer's omission of certain disclosures required under FASB ASC Topic 820 Fair Value Measurement. (AS 2810.30 and .31) In connection with our review the issuer reevaluated its disclosures related to these intangible assets and determined that certain disclosures were omitted. The issuer corrected these omissions in the amended filing discussed below.
Financial statement audit only
AS 2810.30; AS 2810.31
Significant riskIncorrect opinion
3DebtDuring the year the issuer entered into certain transactions related to convertible debt and warrants. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not perform sufficient procedures to evaluate whether the issuer's accounting for and presentation of convertible debt including warrants were in conformity with relevant GAAP because for certain transactions its procedures were limited to reading an issuer-prepared memorandum without evaluating certain terms within the debt and warrant agreements. (AS 2301.08 and .11) In connection with our review the issuer reevaluated its accounting for these convertible debt and warrant transactions and concluded that misstatements existed that had not been previously identified. The issuer subsequently restated its financial statements to correct these misstatements and the firm revised and reissued its report on the financial statements.
Financial statement audit only
AS 2301.8; AS 2301.11
Significant riskIncorrect opinion
4DebtDuring the year the issuer entered into certain transactions related to convertible debt and warrants. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not identify and evaluate that the method the issuer used to allocate fair value between certain warrants and convertible debt was not in conformity with FASB ASC Topic 470 Debt. (AS 2810.30 and .31) In connection with our review the issuer reevaluated its accounting for these convertible debt and warrant transactions and concluded that misstatements existed that had not been previously identified. The issuer subsequently restated its financial statements to correct these misstatements and the firm revised and reissued its report on the financial statements.
Financial statement audit only
AS 2810.30; AS 2810.31
Significant riskIncorrect opinion

Issuer B3 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1InvestmentsThe issuer held certain investments that were categorized as level 3 within the fair value hierarchy as set forth in FASB ASC Topic 820 Fair Value Measurement. The firm's approach for substantively testing the fair value of these investments was to develop an independent expectation using certain interim financial results and other data about the underlying investments. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not perform sufficient procedures to evaluate the reliability of certain interim financial results it used to estimate the fair value of these investments because it did not perform procedures beyond (1) comparing the interim financial results to year-end financial results and (2) confirming for certain underlying investments operating results with related parties. Further for one of these investments the firm did not evaluate certain evidence that indicated lower revenue than it used to develop its independent expectation. (AS 1105.04 and .06; AS 2810.03) In connection with our review the issuer reevaluated this disclosure and concluded that misstatements existed that had not been previously identified. The issuer subsequently restated its financial statements to correct these misstatements and the firm revised and reissued its report on the financial statements.
Financial statement audit only
AS 1105.4; AS 1105.6; AS 2810.3
Significant riskIncorrect opinion
2InvestmentsThe issuer held certain investments that were categorized as level 3 within the fair value hierarchy as set forth in FASB ASC Topic 820 Fair Value Measurement. The firm's approach for substantively testing the fair value of these investments was to develop an independent expectation using certain interim financial results and other data about the underlying investments. The following deficiencies were identified: · For one of these investments the firm did not perform sufficient procedures to evaluate the reliability of other data it used to estimate the fair value of the investment because its procedures were limited to recalculation. Further the firm did not evaluate certain evidence that indicated a higher amount than the data it used to develop its independent expectation. (AS 1105.04 and .06; AS 2810.03) In connection with our review the issuer reevaluated this disclosure and concluded that misstatements existed that had not been previously identified. The issuer subsequently restated its financial statements to correct these misstatements and the firm revised and reissued its report on the financial statements.
Financial statement audit only
AS 1105.4; AS 1105.6; AS 2810.3
Significant riskIncorrect opinion
3InvestmentsThe issuer held certain investments that were categorized as level 3 within the fair value hierarchy as set forth in FASB ASC Topic 820 Fair Value Measurement. The firm's approach for substantively testing the fair value of these investments was to develop an independent expectation using certain interim financial results and other data about the underlying investments. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not identify and evaluate a misstatement in a required disclosure under FASB ASC Topic 235 Notes to Financial Statements related to another investment. (AS 2810.30 and .31) In connection with our review the issuer reevaluated this disclosure and concluded that misstatements existed that had not been previously identified. The issuer subsequently restated its financial statements to correct these misstatements and the firm revised and reissued its report on the financial statements.
Financial statement audit only
AS 2810.30; AS 2810.31
Significant riskIncorrect opinion

Issuer C9 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1Business CombinationsDuring the year the issuer acquired a business and engaged a specialist to assist it in determining the fair values of certain acquired intangible assets using various assumptions including forecasted revenue customer attrition rate and useful lives. Forecasted revenue included revenue for current contracts as well as projected revenue for contract renewals and expansions. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not sufficiently evaluate the reasonableness of the forecasted revenue because its procedures were limited to agreeing the total contract value for current contracts to customer contracts without testing projected revenue for contract renewals or expansions. (AS 2501.16)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 2501.16
Significant risk
2Business CombinationsDuring the year the issuer acquired a business and engaged a specialist to assist it in determining the fair values of certain acquired intangible assets using various assumptions including forecasted revenue customer attrition rate and useful lives. Forecasted revenue included revenue for current contracts as well as projected revenue for contract renewals and expansions. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not sufficiently evaluate the reasonableness of the customer attrition rate because its procedures were limited to consideration of the issuer's pre-existing relationships with customers and certain qualitative industry factors. (AS 2501.16)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 2501.16
Significant risk
3Business CombinationsDuring the year the issuer acquired a business and engaged a specialist to assist it in determining the fair values of certain acquired intangible assets using various assumptions including forecasted revenue customer attrition rate and useful lives. Forecasted revenue included revenue for current contracts as well as projected revenue for contract renewals and expansions. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not perform sufficient procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of the useful lives the issuer assigned to these intangible assets because it did not evaluate significant differences between the useful lives assigned to these assets and 1) the cash-flow forecast periods used to determine their fair values and/or 2) the remaining lives of the contracts. (AS 2501.16)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 2501.16
Significant risk
4Business CombinationsDuring the year the issuer acquired a business and engaged a specialist to assist it in determining the fair values of certain acquired intangible assets using various assumptions including forecasted revenue customer attrition rate and useful lives. Forecasted revenue included revenue for current contracts as well as projected revenue for contract renewals and expansions. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not identify and evaluate the issuer's omission of certain disclosures required under FASB ASC Topic 820 Fair Value Measurement. (AS 2810.30 and .31)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 2810.30; AS 2810.31
Significant risk
5Contract AssetsThe issuer used multiple information-technology (IT) systems to initiate process and record transactions related to revenue and outsourced certain aspects of the IT function including change management to an external party. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not evaluate the reliability of the information it obtained from the external party and used to select its sample for testing a control over change management for one of these systems. (AS 1105.04 and .06)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 1105.4; AS 1105.6
6Contract AssetsThe issuer used multiple information-technology (IT) systems to initiate process and record transactions related to revenue and outsourced certain aspects of the IT function including change management to an external party. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm selected for testing various controls over revenue but did not test or test any controls over the completeness of the system-generated reports that it used to select its samples for testing these controls. (AS 1105.10)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 1105.10
7Contract AssetsThe issuer used multiple information-technology (IT) systems to initiate process and record transactions related to revenue and outsourced certain aspects of the IT function including change management to an external party. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm used system-generated reports in its substantive testing of certain revenue transactions but did not perform any procedures to test or test any controls over the accuracy and completeness of these reports. (AS 1105.10)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 1105.10
8Contract AssetsThe issuer used multiple information-technology (IT) systems to initiate process and record transactions related to revenue and outsourced certain aspects of the IT function including change management to an external party. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm's substantive procedures to test contract assets consisted of the preparation and testing of a roll-forward of contract assets from the prior year. The firm did not perform sufficient procedures to test this roll-forward because its procedures were limited to testing additions to contract assets during the year. (AS 2301.08)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 2301.8
9Contract AssetsThe issuer used multiple information-technology (IT) systems to initiate process and record transactions related to revenue and outsourced certain aspects of the IT function including change management to an external party. The following deficiencies were identified: · The firm did not identify and evaluate the issuer's omission of a disclosure related to the change in the balance of contract assets required under FASB ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. (AS 2810.30 and .31)
Both financial statement and ICFR audits
AS 2810.30; AS 2810.31

Issuer D3 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1RevenueThe issuer used a service organization to initiate and process transactions related to revenue that are then recorded in the issuer's information-technology (IT) system. In its testing of controls over revenue the firm tested certain automated and IT-dependent manual controls that used data and reports generated by this service organization. The firm obtained a service auditor's report and identified complementary user controls that the service auditor's report described as necessary. As a result of the deficiencies in the firm's testing of the complementary user controls discussed below the firm's testing of these automated and IT-dependent manual controls was not sufficient. (AS 2201.46)
ICFR audit only
AS 2201.46
2RevenueThe firm selected for testing a complementary user control that consisted of the issuer's reviews of user access to the service organization's IT system. The firm did not evaluate the specific review procedures that the control owners performed to determine whether previously granted access continued to be appropriate. (AS 2201.42 .44 and .B22)
ICFR audit only
AS 2201.42; AS 2201.44; AS 2201.B22
3RevenueThe firm selected for testing a complementary user control that consisted of the issuer's reviews of user access to the service organization's IT system. The firm did not perform any procedures to evaluate whether the issuer had implemented any complementary user controls related to change management. (AS 2201.39 and .B22)
ICFR audit only
AS 2201.39; AS 2201.B22

Issuer E2 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1RevenueFor certain customer contracts the firm did not perform any substantive procedures to test whether the performance obligations had been satisfied before revenue was recognized. (AS 2301.08 and .13)
Financial statement audit only
AS 2301.8; AS 2301.13
2Business CombinationsDuring the year the issuer completed a business combination. The firm used issuer-prepared schedules in its substantive testing of this transaction but did not perform any procedures to test or test any controls over the accuracy of certain of these schedules. (AS 1105.10)
Financial statement audit only
AS 1105.10

Issuer F2 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1Certain AssetsThe firm did not evaluate the relevance and reliability of information it obtained from external sources that it used to test certain assets. (AS 1105.04 and .06)
Financial statement audit only
AS 1105.4; AS 1105.6
2Other LiabilitiesThe issuer recorded interest payable on certain liabilities. The firm did not evaluate the appropriateness of the interest rate that the issuer used to determine the amount of this liability. (AS 2301.08 and .13)
Financial statement audit only
AS 2301.8; AS 2301.13

Issuer G1 deficiency

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1RevenueThe issuer recognized certain revenue over time based on costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs to complete the contract. The firm did not perform any substantive procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of a significant assumption that the issuer used to develop the estimated total costs to complete the contracts. (AS 2501.16)
Financial statement audit only
AS 2301.8; AS 2301.13; AS 2501.16

Issuer H2 deficiencies

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1WarrantsThe firm did not perform procedures beyond reading an issuer-prepared memorandum to evaluate whether the issuer's accounting for warrants as equity was in conformity with FASB ASC Topic 815 Derivatives and Hedging. (AS 2301.08)
Financial statement audit only
AS 2301.8
2EquityThe firm did not perform procedures to evaluate whether the issuer's accounting for redeemable stock as temporary equity was in conformity with FASB ASC Topic 480 Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity. (AS 2301.08 and .11)
Financial statement audit only
AS 2301.8; AS 2301.11
Significant risk

Issuer I1 deficiency

#AreaDeficiencyStandardFlags
1EquityDuring the year the issuer engaged a specialist to assist it in determining the fair value of certain shares of its stock. The firm did not perform any procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of a significant assumption developed by the company's specialist. (AS 1105.A8b)
Financial statement audit only
AS 1105.A8b