Material by nature
1. Materiality - financial reporting - audit.
In the context of financial reporting, misstatements - including omissions - are material if they could reasonably be expected to affect the economic decisions of the users of the financial statements.
An item in financial statements may be material by its nature, either on its own or in combination with other items, even when it is not material by reason of its size.
Items may be material by their nature, material by reason of their size, or both.
Examples of items material by their nature would normally include:
- Any item that would turn a profit into a loss if it were corrected.
- Any item which might trigger a default in a borrowing covenant.
- Any fraudulent misstatement.
- Transactions with related parties.
- Directors' remuneration.
2. Materiality - risk management.
Similarly material items in the context of risk management.
Many types of risk are material by their nature, even though their potential financial effects may be difficult to quantify.
