SA 810 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
SA 810 applies when the same auditor who audited a company's financial statements is also asked to report on a shorter version of them, such as a summary in a press advertisement, a shareholder circular or a regulatory extract. The auditor's opinion is not about the underlying business, but about whether the summary is consistent with the audited statements.
SA 810 (Revised), as effective for engagements to report on summary financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024, applies to such engagements. ICAI may revise standards, so check icai.org for the current text. Summaries that agree to the accounts line by line are a natural product of MIS reporting.
The auditor ordinarily accepts the engagement only if also engaged to audit the full statements under the SAs, after checking that the applied criteria are acceptable and that management accepts its responsibilities (paragraphs 5-6). The auditor performs procedures including comparing the summary with the audited statements and then says either that the summary is consistent, in all material respects, with the audited statements or is a fair summary of them. If it is not, and management will not change it, the opinion is adverse.
Scope and definitions (paragraphs 1-4)
The standard deals with reporting on summary financial statements derived from statements audited under the SAs by the same auditor (paragraph 1). The objectives are to decide whether to accept the engagement, and then to form an opinion on the evidence and express it in a written report that describes its basis (paragraph 3).
| Term (paragraph 4) | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Applied criteria | The criteria management used to prepare the summary |
| Audited financial statements | The statements audited by the auditor under the SAs, from which the summary is derived |
| Summary financial statements | Historical financial information derived from the statements but with less detail, still giving a structured representation of economic resources or obligations at a point in time or changes over a period |
Accepting the engagement (paragraphs 5-7)
The auditor ordinarily accepts only when engaged to audit the underlying statements under the SAs (paragraph 5). A footnote to paragraph 5 notes India-specific cases: where a law or regulation requires the auditor to report on summary information for periods that the auditor did not audit, for example an auditor's report included in a prospectus under the SEBI regulations on issue of capital and disclosure, that auditor may not have audited some or all of the periods covered.
Before accepting, the auditor (paragraph 6):
- determines whether the applied criteria are acceptable;
- obtains management's acknowledgement of its responsibility to (i) prepare the summary under the applied criteria, (ii) make the audited statements available to the intended users without undue difficulty (or describe the law that says they need not be), and (iii) include the auditor's report in any document containing the summary that says the auditor has reported on it; and
- agrees with management the form of opinion.
If the criteria are unacceptable or management's agreement cannot be had, the auditor does not accept unless law requires it. In that case the engagement does not comply with this SA and the report must not say it does, and the effect on the audit of the underlying statements is considered (paragraph 7).
Procedures (paragraph 8)
| Procedure | Paragraph |
|---|---|
| Evaluate whether the summary adequately discloses its summarised nature and identifies the audited statements | 8(a) |
| If the audited statements do not accompany the summary, evaluate whether it states from whom or where they are available, or the law that says they need not be | 8(b) |
| Evaluate whether the applied criteria are adequately disclosed | 8(c) |
| Compare the summary with the related information in the audited statements, to see whether it agrees or can be recalculated from them | 8(d) |
| Evaluate whether the summary is prepared under the applied criteria | 8(e) |
| In view of the purpose, evaluate whether it has the necessary information at an appropriate level of aggregation so as not to be misleading | 8(f) |
| Evaluate whether the audited statements are available to intended users without undue difficulty, unless law says otherwise | 8(g) |
Form of opinion (paragraphs 9-11)
Unless law requires otherwise, an unmodified opinion uses one of two phrases: the summary is consistent, in all material respects, with the audited statements in accordance with the applied criteria; or it is a fair summary of them in accordance with the applied criteria (paragraph 9). If law prescribes different wording, the auditor does the procedures above and any further ones needed, and considers whether users might misunderstand the opinion and whether added explanation would help (paragraph 10). If it would not, the auditor does not accept unless law requires, and the engagement then does not comply with the SA (paragraph 11).
Timing and later facts (paragraphs 12-13)
The report on the summary may be dated later than the report on the audited statements. If so, it states that neither the summary nor the audited statements reflect the effects of events after the date of the audit report (paragraph 12). If the auditor learns of facts that existed at the date of the audit report but were then unknown, the report on the summary is not issued until those facts have been considered under SA 560 (paragraph 13).
Other information in the document (paragraphs 14-15)
The auditor reads the information in a document that contains the summary and the report, and considers whether it is materially inconsistent with the summary. If so, the auditor discusses it with management and decides whether the summary or other information needs revision. If management refuses a necessary revision, the auditor takes appropriate action, including considering the effect on the report (paragraphs 14-15).
The report (paragraphs 16-22)
The report includes (paragraph 16):
| Element | Reference |
|---|---|
| A title showing it is the report of an independent auditor | 16(a) |
| An addressee, evaluated if it differs from that of the audit report | 16(b), 17 |
| Identification of the summary and each statement, and of the audited statements | 16(c)-(d) |
| A clear expression of opinion | 16(e) |
| A statement that the summary lacks the framework's full disclosures and is not a substitute for the audited statements and report | 16(f) |
| The later-events statement, where the report is later-dated | 16(g) |
| Reference to the audit report, its date and its unmodified opinion (subject to paragraphs 19-20) | 16(h) |
| Management's and the auditor's responsibilities | 16(i)-(j) |
| Signature, date and place | 16(k)-(m) |
The report is dated no earlier than the date sufficient evidence was obtained, including that the summary has been prepared and responsibility taken, and the date of the audit report on the full statements (paragraph 18).
When the audit report was not a clean one
| Audit report contains | Report on the summary | Paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| A qualified opinion, an Emphasis of Matter or Other Matter paragraph, a going concern material uncertainty section, key audit matters, or a statement of uncorrected misstatement of other information; and the summary is consistent or a fair summary | In addition, says so and describes the basis for the qualification or the matter and its effect, if any, on the summary | 19 |
| An adverse opinion or a disclaimer | Says so, describes the basis, and states that it is inappropriate to express an opinion on the summary | 20 |
| The summary is not consistent with or not a fair summary of the audited statements and management will not change it | Adverse opinion on the summary | 21 |
| Restricted distribution, or alert about a special purpose framework in the audit report | A similar restriction or alert in the report on the summary | 22 |
See SA 705, SA 706 and SA 800.
Comparatives, supplementary information and association (paragraphs 23-27)
- If the audited statements have comparatives but the summary does not, the auditor decides whether the omission is reasonable (paragraph 23). Comparatives reported on by another auditor bring in the matters SA 710 requires (paragraph 24; see SA 710).
- Unaudited supplementary information must be clearly differentiated, or the report says it is not covered (paragraph 25).
- If the entity plans to say the auditor reported on the summary without including the report, the auditor asks for it to be included and otherwise acts to prevent improper association (paragraphs 26-27).
The standard's appendix has illustrative reports, which are not reproduced here. For the layout of the full report, see SA 700 part 2.
Illustrative example
Aster Foods Ltd is an invented listed company; all figures are illustrative. It wants to publish a one-page summary of its audited results, with revenue of Rs 420 crore and profit after tax of Rs 36 crore, in a newspaper. Its auditor audited the full statements and is asked to report on the summary. The auditor agrees the criteria with management (selected lines from the audited statements), obtains management's acknowledgement of the three responsibilities, and compares each line to the audited figures. The summary says where the full statements can be read. The audit report had a key audit matter, so the report on the summary mentions it. The report is dated after the audit report and says events since then are not reflected. If the summary had shown profit of Rs 38 crore and management refused to correct it, the opinion would be adverse.
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Key takeaways
- The auditor ordinarily reports on a summary only if it audited the underlying statements.
- Management must accept responsibility and make the audited statements available.
- The core procedure compares the summary with the audited statements.
- The opinion says "consistent" or "fair summary"; otherwise it is adverse.
- The report on a summary points the reader to the full audited statements.
Read next
- SA 800: special purpose frameworks
- SA 805: single statements and specific elements
- SA 700 part 2: elements of the auditor's report
- SA 710: comparative information
Disclaimer: Based on the Standards on Auditing and quality standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, in the versions named in the article, and ICAI's announcement of 31 March 2026 on SQM 1 and SQM 2, as consulted on 3 October 2026. ICAI revises standards from time to time; check the current text and effective dates on icai.org. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.