An audit of an international group may involve a parent company, several subsidiaries, and teams located in different countries.
When some of the information is available in another language, certain documents may need translation so that the teams involved can review them and work on the same information.
But what documents are we talking about exactly?
Financial statements and information from subsidiaries
Financial statements are one of the main documents that may appear in an audit.
In an international group, it may also be necessary to review information from subsidiaries or companies located in different countries.
Balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, or explanatory notes may form part of that documentation.
If they are prepared in another language, a professional financial translation allows both the accounting information and the explanations that accompany the figures to be properly maintained.
Reports and memoranda
An audit can also generate reports, memos, and working papers that include analyses, procedures performed, or conclusions.
This does not mean that the entire file needs to be translated.
In international projects, it may be enough to select the documents that another team needs to view or to translate relevant information to understand a specific issue.
Confirmations and communications
Confirmations can also be part of the audit work.
For example, it may be necessary to verify certain information with third parties or exchange communications between the parent company, subsidiaries, and audit teams.
When these communications occur in multiple languages, the content must clearly maintain figures, dates, concepts, and references.
Letters of representation
Letters of representation contain certain statements from management that relate to the information provided to the auditor and the financial statements.
In groups with companies in different countries, this type of documentation may also have to circulate between teams that work in different languages.
In this case, it’s not just about correctly translating financial terms: it’s also about accurately preserving what management is stating.
Contracts and documentation that supports certain transactions
A figure in the financial statements may be linked to a transaction, a contract, or a business agreement.
Therefore, during an audit it may also be necessary to check documentation that helps to explain or justify certain items.
If those documents are in another language, they can be included in the project for translating financial documents or corporate documents relating to the audit.
Do all documents need to be translated?
Not necessarily.
An international audit can involve a very high volume of information. The important thing is to identify what documentation each team really needs to do its job.
This makes it possible to prioritize relevant financial statements, reports, communications, or supporting documents without translating files that will not be used.
International standards on group audits, such as ISA 600, focus precisely on communication and coordination between the different teams involved in the audit of an international group.
Professional financial translation at blarlo
At blarlo we offer a financial translation service for companies that need to work with financial and corporate documentation in different languages.
As an agency specializing in financial translation, we select professional native translators based on the content, the sector, and the target market.
blarlo also has ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certifications.
Frequently asked questions
Depending on the process, these may include financial statements, information from subsidiaries, memoranda, confirmations, correspondence, letters of representation, work schedules, and certain contracts or agreements.
No. When there are language barriers, companies can select key documents or prepare translations and summaries of the information needed for the review.
Because these documents may combine accounting and financial terminology, explanations, figures, and references that must retain their meaning in the target language.
Yes, blarlo offers professional financial translation for companies that need to manage financial and corporate documentation in different languages.
Do you need to translate financial documents for an international audit? Request a financial translation quote from blarlo.
blarlo · agency, ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified professional translation · blarlo.com
About the author
Laura González Toré, Marketing and Communications Director at blarlo
Specialized in content strategy, digital communication and internationalization, she works on positioning blarlo and adapting professional translation to companies’ needs.
