Vince Deroy Owns Val D'Or Vineyards, a Successful Winery in the Thousand

Essay

Vince Deroy owns Val D'Or Vineyards, a successful winery in the Thousand Islands region. Annual sales are $3,500,000 and he has a $1,200,000 loan with a local bank.
Sales are split between wine sales (88%) and wine tasting and catering (12%).
Vince has excellent personal relationships with his suppliers and has been provided with special contractual terms which allow him delays of up to 120 days to make invoice payments. These arrangements run out this year and he will have 30 days to pay after being invoiced.
The bank has made the $1,200,000 loan to Val D'Or Vineyards based on an understanding that the company will undergo audits of its financial statements.
Vince is an astute entrepreneur and has set up an advisory board which consists of his bank manager, another wine grower in the region, his old high school ethics instructor and track coach, himself, and his accountant.
The board has discussed certain issues including the following:
• The need for assurance service providers to audit his financial statements so that users can be provided with assurance that his statements are relevant and reliable.
• Non-audit services that would provide advice on special projects he may be considering in the future.
• A proper accounting firm to conduct an audit mandate.
Required:
a) What is the objective of a financial statement audit and how does it relate to Val D'Or Vineyards?
b) Vince Deroy's financial statements must be relevant and reliable. What do these two terms mean in the context of this case?
c) What three characteristics should Val D'Or Vineyards' auditors possess when conducting an audit? Explain them briefly.
d) What are non-audit services? Can you describe possible non-audit services that Val D'Or Vineyards might employ?