Frequently asked questions about performing audits, sending audit reports to DHS, and receiving audit related information
Can I do my own audit? Can my accountant do the audit? Does the audit have to be done by a CPA?
An agency cannot do its own audit or have the person who helps it with its financial records do the audit. The audit has to be performed by a certified public accountant who is independent of your agency.
When is the audit report due?
Audit reports are due to funding agencies by the earlier of:
- The date specified in the contract or grant agreement.
- The federal government's specified timeframe for reporting significant issues if the auditee has ARRA funding.
- The federal government's due date for A-133 audits, if the auditee is a local government that has an A-133 audit.
- Six months from the end of the fiscal period for all other audits.
Your audit report needs to be on time in order for you to be in compliance with the audit requirement in your contract with this department. The Department of Health Services no longer extends the due date for audit reports involving funding that the auditee received directly from the department.
What needs to be sent to DHS?
All auditees that received funding directly from the Department of Health Services need to send a copy of the audit report to DHS. We need to receive one complete audit reporting package (and only require one copy) in order for us to consider the agency to have fulfilled the contract requirement of providing us with an audit report that meets our standards. For single audits, we require all items that are required elements of the federal reporting packages as well as the management letter or other document conveying audit comments and management's responses to any of the comments issued that we deem significant. For all other audits, we expect the following items:
- Opinion on the financial statements
- Financial statements and notes thereto
- Report(s) on internal controls and compliance and other report elements required by the DHS Audit Guide in the State Single Audit Guidelines
- Management letter or other document conveying audit comments
- Management's responses to all of the auditor's recommendations for corrective action including responses to any management letter comments we deem significant
Including a note or business card showing who we should contact at the agency if we have questions is also very helpful.
How and where should I send the audit report?
To save on printing and mailing costs, we prefer audit reports be sent to us electronically in a pdf document. All audit reports are to be sent to DHSAuditors@Wisconsin.gov by the auditor with cc to the auditee. The audit reports need to be in electronically created pdf files that are text searchable, unlocked, and unencrypted. To ensure that pdf files are unlocked and text-searchable, do not scan a physical copy of the audit report and do not change the default security settings in your pdf creator.
If you receive a message telling you that our system cannot accept your message because it is too large, please contact us for help with large file transfer.
If an electronic copy is not available, paper copies may be sent to:
Attention: DHS Auditors
Department of Health Services
PO Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309
For additional questions, please email Christopher Cook.