You have requested that we provide the following services:

On the basis of information that you will provide, we will assist you in the preparation and presentation of the following financial statements for the company: the statement of financial position as at financial year end, and the statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and the notes, comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information, on the historical cost basis, reflecting all cash transactions with the addition of trade accounts payable, trade accounts receivable less an allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory accounted for on an average cost basis, current income taxes payable as at the reporting date, and capitalisation of significant long-lived assets at historical cost amortised over their estimated useful lives on the straight-line basis. These financial statements will not include explanatory notes, other than a note describing the basis of accounting as set out in this engagement letter.

The purpose for which the financial statements will be used is to provide full-year financial information showing the company’s financial position at the financial reporting date and financial performance for the year then ended. The financial statements will be solely for your use, and will not be distributed to other parties.

Our Responsibilities

A compilation engagement involves applying expertise in accounting and financial reporting to assist you in the preparation and presentation of financial information. Since a compilation engagement is not an assurance engagement, we are not required to verify the accuracy or completeness of the information you provide to us for the compilation engagement, or otherwise to gather evidence to express an audit opinion or a review conclusion. Accordingly, we will not express an audit opinion or a review conclusion on whether the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the basis of accounting you have specified, as described above.

We will perform the compilation engagement in accordance with the International Standard on Related Services (ISRS) 4410 (Revised), Compilation Engagements. ISRS 4410 (Revised) requires that, in undertaking this engagement, we comply with relevant ethical requirements, including principles of integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care. For that purpose, we are required to comply with the International Ethics Standards Board for Professional Accountants’ Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (IESBA Code).

Your Responsibilities

The compilation engagement to be performed is conducted on the basis that you acknowledge and understand that our role is to assist you in the preparation and presentation of the financial statements in accordance with the financial reporting framework you have adopted for the financial statements. Accordingly, you have the following overall responsibilities that are fundamental to our undertaking the compilation engagement in accordance with ISRS 4410 (Revised):

(a) Responsibility for the financial statements and the preparation and presentation thereof in accordance with a financial reporting framework that is acceptable in view of the intended use of the financial statements and the intended users.
(b) Responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the records, documents, explanations and other information you provide to us for the purpose of compiling the financial statements.

(c) Responsibility for the judgements needed in the preparation and presentation of the financial statements, including those for which we may provide assistance in the course of the compilation engagement.

Detection of fraud, error and non-compliance with laws and regulations

The primary responsibility for safeguarding the assets of the company and the prevention and detection of fraud, error and non-compliance with laws and regulations rests with the director and management.

It is the responsibility of the director of the company to ensure through oversight of management, that the company establishes and maintains internal control to provide reasonable assurance with regard to the reliability of financial reporting, effectiveness and efficiency of operations and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

It is the responsibility of management to establish a control environment and maintain policies and procedures to assist in achieving the objective of ensuring, as far as possible, the orderly and efficient conduct of the company’s business.

Professional obligation to respond to non-compliance with laws and regulations in terms of NOCLAR (Non-compliance with Laws and Regulations)

The partners and employees of our firm have a professional obligation to act in the public interest, and to act in order to: (i) enable the company to rectify, remediate or mitigate the consequences of any identified or suspected non-compliance with laws or regulations as described in the Code; or (ii) deter the commission of the noncompliance or suspected non-compliance with laws or regulations where it has not yet occurred.

Non-compliance with laws or regulations (non-compliance) comprises acts of omission or commission, intentional or unintentional, committed by a client, or by those charged with governance, by management or by other individuals working for or under the direction of a client which are contrary to the prevailing laws or regulations.

Where we encounter non-compliance or suspected non-compliance we will seek to obtain an understanding of the matter. Where appropriate, we will discuss the matter with the appropriate level of management at the company, or those charged with governance in order that such people can take appropriate action to rectify, remediate or mitigate the consequences of the non-compliance, deter the commission of non-compliance where it has not yet occurred or disclose the matter to an appropriate authority where required by law or regulation or where considered necessary in the public interest, having regard to the appropriateness of the response of management and, where applicable, those charged with governance and other relevant factors in accordance with the Code.

We, in encountering non-compliance or suspected non-compliance, are also obliged to comply with applicable legislation or professional standards, which may require us to disclose the matter to an appropriate authority, including the reporting of reportable irregularities as referred to in the preceding section of this engagement letter.

We also have a professional responsibility to consider whether the response of the company to the instance of non-compliance or suspected non-compliance is adequate, and may determine that further action is necessary. Such further action may include, among other actions, the disclosure of the matter to an appropriate authority. We will disclose the matter to an appropriate authority only where, in the professional judgement of the independent reviewer, the extent of the actual or potential harm that is or may be caused to the company, investors, creditors or employees or the general public is sufficient to justify the disclosure.

In exceptional circumstances, we may be required to immediately disclose the matter to an appropriate authority where we have become aware of actual or intended conduct that we have reason to believe would constitute an imminent breach of law or regulation that would cause substantial harm to the company, investors, creditors, employees or the general public. In such circumstances we will discuss the matter with the management or those charged with governance of the company where it is appropriate to do so.

Financial Intelligence Centre Act

In terms of Section 29 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act we are required by law to report to the Financial Intelligence Centre certain suspicious or unusual transactions of which we become aware, such as those which may involve money laundering, which have no apparent business or lawful purpose, or which may be relevant to an investigation of evasion or attempted evasion of tax. This statutory requirement, which applies to both prospective clients and existing clients, overrides the professional ethics rules of confidentiality, which we observe.

Staff

Our staff members undergo periodic training and this, together with the taking of annual leave, may lead to staff turnover and lack of continuity. We will use our best endeavours to avoid any disruption to an engagement’s progress.

Save as envisaged below, you agree not to make any offer of employment or to otherwise interfere with or entice away from the employment of any persons employed by us. You further agree not to use such person’s services as an independent consultant or via a third party for a period of 12 months following the end of such person’s involvement, without our prior written consent.

Should you make any offer of employment to any person currently employed by us or who was employed by us for the immediately preceding 12 month period from the date of such offer of employment, you will be liable for and will pay to us a placement fee equal to 10% of such employee’s total annual cost to company, excluding VAT.

Information

To enable us to perform the services, you will use your best endeavours to procure and to supply promptly all information and assistance, and all access to documentation in your possession, custody, or under your control, and to personnel under your control, where required by us. Where such information and/or documentation is not in your possession or custody, or under your control, you will use your best endeavours to procure the supply of the information, assistance and/or access to all the documentation.

We may rely on any instructions or requests made or notices given or information supplied, whether orally or in writing, by any person whom we know to be or reasonably believe to be authorised by you to communicate with us for such purposes.

We may receive information from you or from other sources in the course of delivering the services and:
(a) We will consider the consistency and quality of information received by us;
(b) We will not seek to establish the reliability of information received from you or any other information source. Accordingly, we assume no responsibility and make no representations with respect to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of any information provided to us;
(c) We will not be liable to you for any loss or damage suffered by you arising from fraud, misrepresentation, withholding of information material to the services, or other default relating to such material information, whether on your part or that of the other information sources.

You undertake to supply information in response to our enquiries to enable us to comply with our statutory obligations relating to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No.38 of 2001 and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, No.121 of 1998.

Third party rights

The services contract will not create or give rise to, nor will it be intended to create or give rise to, any third party rights.

Reporting to third parties

Our compilation report is intended for the benefit of those whom it is addressed. The engagement will not be planned or conducted in contemplation of reliance by any third party or with respect to any specific transaction. Therefore, items of possible interest to a third party will not be specifically addressed and matters may exist that would be assessed differently by a third party, possibly in connection with a specific transaction.

There may be situations for example in relation to loan agreements, where a third party seeks to request us, in our capacity as compilers, to report to them.

Any contractual arrangements between you and a third party which seek to impose such requirements upon us will not, as a matter of law, be binding on us. However, depending on the circumstances we may agree to provide reports to third parties, but not in our capacity as compilers. Any such possible requirements must be discussed with us at the earliest opportunity and well before the loan agreement or other arrangement is finalised. In this regard, however, it is our policy not to extend our duty of care in respect of our audit report in the financial statements.

As noted above, our report will be prepared for and only for the company’s members in accordance with the South African Company’s Act and for no other purpose. In those circumstances, we will not, in giving our opinion, accept or assume responsibility (legal or otherwise) or accept liability for or in connection with any other purpose for which our report or opinion may be used, or to any other person to whom our report is shown or into whose hands it may come, and no other persons shall be entitled to rely on our opinion save where they have obtained our prior written consent that they may do so.

Electronic communications

We may choose to communicate with you by electronic mail where an authorised person wishes us to do so, on the basis that in consenting to this method of communication, you accept the inherent risks of such communications including the security risks of interception of or unauthorised access to such communications, the risks of corruption of such communications, the risk of errors or loss of information and the risks of viruses or other harmful devices) and that you will perform virus checks. We will use commercially reasonable procedures to check for the most commonly known viruses before sending information electronically.

We recognise that systems and procedures cannot be a guarantee that transmissions will be unaffected by such hazard.

We confirm that we each accept the risks of and authorise electronic communications between us. We each agree to use commercially reasonable procedures to check for the then most commonly known viruses before sending information electronically. We shall each be responsible for protecting our own systems and interests in relation to electronic communications and the company and us (in each case including our respective directors, employees or agents) shall have no liability to each other on any basis, whether in contract, delict (including negligence) or otherwise, in respect of any error, damage, loss or omission arising from or in connection with the electronic communication of information between us and our reliance on such information.

The exclusion of liability in the previous clause shall not apply to the extent that any liability arises out of acts, omissions or misrepresentations which are in any case criminal, dishonest or fraudulent on the part of our respective management, employees, or agents.

If our communication relates to a matter of significance on which you wish to rely and you are concerned about the possible effects of electronic transmission, you should request a hard copy of such transmission from us. If you wish us to password protect all or certain documents transmitted, you should request us to do so.

Use of our software

The working papers and files for this engagement created by us during the course of the audit, including electronic documents and files, are the sole property of us.

We will retain ownership of the copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the product of the services, whether oral or tangible. For the purposes of delivering services to you or other clients, we will be entitled to use or develop knowledge, experience and skills of general application gained through performing the services. You agree to keep confidential any methodologies and technology used by us to carry out our services.

We have the right to use your name as a reference in proposals or other similar submissions to other prospective clients, unless you specifically withhold permission for such disclosure. If we wish to use details of the work done for you for references purposes, we will obtain your permission in advance.

Circumstances beyond our or your control

Neither of us will be in breach of our contractual obligations, nor will either of us incur any liability to the other, if we are unable to comply with the services contract as a result of any cause beyond our reasonable control. In the event of any such occurrence affecting one of us, that one shall be obliged as soon as reasonably practicable to notify the other, who will have the option of suspending or terminating the operation of the services contract on notice, which notice will take effect immediately on delivery thereof.

Waiver, assignment and sub-contractors

Failure by any one of us to exercise or enforce any rights available to us shall not amount to a waiver of any rights available to either of us.

Neither of us will have the right to assign the benefit or burden of the services contract without the written consent of the other.

We will have the right to appoint sub-contractors to assist us in delivering the services.

Exclusions and limitations on our liability

You hereby agree to indemnify, defend (by counsel retained and instructed by me), and hold harmless our firm and its partners, agents, or employees, from and against any and all losses, costs (including legal fees), damages, expenses, claims, demands, or liabilities arising out of or in consequence of:

• The breach by your company, or its management, officers, agents, or employees, of any of the covenants made by your company herein, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the misuse of, or the unauthorised dissemination of, my report or the financial statements in reference to which the report is issued, or any other work product made available to you by my firm; and

• The services performed by our firm pursuant to this engagement, unless, and to the extent that, such losses, costs, damages, and expenses are found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been due to the negligence of our firm. In the event that the matter is settled out of court, we will mutually agree on the extent of the indemnification to be provided by your company.

Our liability in terms of this engagement is limited, in accordance with all applicable law, to the fees charged by us for the engagement.

Future years

We propose that these terms of engagement will be in place until replaced. If circumstances change, we will issue updated terms of engagement. Until such time, these terms of engagement will be in force even where there is a change in group structure.

Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013)

As part of performing this engagement we will obtain and process confidential information to perform our duties to issue an appropriate report. Such information includes personal information of the directors and staff relating to remuneration and employee costs, contact information of customers and suppliers, and other personal information obtained incidental to performing the engagement. Since we are required to comply with relevant ethical requirements (IESBA Code of Professional Conduct) during the performance of this engagement, we treat all such information obtained with the required level of
confidentiality and will not process any such personal information for any purpose other than performing our duties in terms of this engagement. Should we intend using your information for any purpose other than for which it was collected, we will seek your consent.

Our Compilation Report

As part of our engagement, we will issue our report attached to the financial statements compiled by us, which will describe the financial statements, and the work we performed for this compilation engagement. The report will also note that the use of the financial statements is restricted to the purpose set out in this engagement letter, and that use and distribution of our report provided for the compilation engagement is restricted to you, as the directors of the entity.

Fees

Our professional fees will be based on our regular billing rates plus direct out-of-pocket expenses and applicable VAT and are due when rendered. Fees for additional services will be established separately.

We estimate that our fees for these services will be [R amount] for the compilation and [R amount] for the tax return, plus direct out-of-pocket expenses and applicable VAT. This fee estimate is based on anticipated cooperation from your personnel and the assumption that unexpected circumstances will not be encountered. If significant additional time is necessary, we will discuss it with you and arrive at a new fee estimate before we incur the additional costs. Our invoices for these fees will be rendered as work progresses and are payable on presentation.

Conclusion

If you have any questions about the contents of the terms of engagement, please raise them with us at support@remoteafs.com. If the services outlined are in accordance with your requirements and if the above terms are acceptable to you, please book our services. We appreciate the opportunity of continuing to be of service to your company.