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1. Â Applicability of CARO, 2020
CARO 2020 is applicable to all companies including foreign companies. However, the following are the exceptions:
- A banking company (as defined in section 5(c) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949);
- An insurance company (as defined under the Insurance Act, 1938);
- A company licensed to operate u/s 8 of Companies Act
- One person Company
- Small company as defined in Section 2(85) of the Companies Act, 2013, As per the Companies Act, Small company is those companies that are not public companies and has:
- Paid-up share capital does not exceed INR 4 Crores; and
- Gross turnover does not exceed INR 40 Crores as per its last profit and loss accounts.
The threshold limit for small companies has been revised recently through a press release dated 16th September 2022. The earlier threshold limit for share capital was INR 2 Crores and Gross turnover was INR 20 Crores.
- Private Company (not being a subsidiary or holding company of a Public Company), having-
- Paid up Share capital and reserves and surplus not more than INR 1 crore as on the balance sheet date; and
- Total borrowings have not exceeded INR 1 Crores from any bank or financial institution at any point time during the financial year; and
- Total revenue, as disclosed in Schedule III to the Act (including revenue from discontinuing operations), was up to INR 10 crore during the financial year as per the financial statements.
CARO 2020, Audit Report FormatÂ
Annexure to the independent auditor’s report of even date to the members of ……………..private limited, on the financial statements for the year ended 31st march 2023
Based on the audit procedures performed for the purpose of reporting a true and fair view on the financial statements of the company and taking into consideration the information and explanations given to us and the books of account and other records examined by us in the normal course of audit, we report that:
I. a)
- The company has maintained proper records showing full particulars, including quantitative details and situation of property, plant and equipment.
- The company has maintained proper records showing full particulars of intangible assets.
(b) The major property, plant and equipment of the company have been physically verified by the management at reasonable intervals during the year and no material discrepancies were noticed on such verification.
(c) According to the information and explanation given to us, the title deeds of the immovable properties (other than properties where the company is the lessee and the lease agreements are duly executed in favour of the lessee) are held in the name of the company.
Or
According to the information and explanation given to us, in following cases, the title deeds of the immovable properties are not held in the name of the company
Description of property | Gross carrying value | Held in name of | Whether promoter, director or their relative or employee | Period held – indicate range, where appropriate | Reason for not being held in name of company* |
 |  |  |  |  | *also indicate if in dispute |
(d) The company has not revalued its property, plant and equipment (including right of use assets) or intangible assets or both during the year.
(e) According to the information and explanation given to us, no proceedings have been initiated or are pending against the company for holding any benami property under the benami transactions (prohibition) act, 1988 (45 of 1988) and rules made thereunder during the year. Or the company does not have any inventory and no working capital limits in excess of five crore rupees (at any point of time during the year), in aggregate, from banks or financial institutions on the basis of security of current assets. Accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(ii) of the order are not applicable.
II.
(a) The management has conducted physical verification of inventory at reasonable intervals during the year, in our opinion, the coverage and procedure of such verification by the management is appropriate. As informed to us, any discrepancies of 10% or more in the aggregate for each class of inventory were not noticed on such verification.
(b) The company has been sanctioned working capital limits in excess of five crore rupees (at any point of time during the year), in aggregate, from banks or financial institutions on the basis of security of current assets; quarterly returns or statements filed by the company with such banks or financial institutions are in agreement with the books of account of the company;
Or
The company does not have any inventory and no working capital limits in excess of five crore rupees (at any point of time during the year), in aggregate, from banks or financial institutions on the basis of security of current assets. Accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(ii) of the order are not applicable.
III: During the year the company has made investments in, provided any guarantee or security or granted any loans or advances in the nature of loans, secured or unsecured, to companies, firms, limited liability partnerships or any other parties:
(a) During the year the company has provided loans or provided advances in the nature of loans, or stood guarantee, or provided security to any other entity
To whom | The aggregate amount during the year | Balance outstanding at the balance sheet date | Parties other than subsidiaries joint ventures and associates | Subsidiaries joint ventures and associates |
 |  |  |  |  |
(b) According to the information and explanation given to us, the investments made, guarantees provided, security given and the terms and conditions of the grant of all loans and advances in the nature of loans and guarantees provided are not prejudicial to the company’s interest;
(c) Schedule of repayment of the principal amount and the payment of the interest have not been stipulated and hence we are unable to comment as to whether receipt of the principal amount and the interest is regular;
(d) According to the information and explanation given to us, no amount is overdue in this respect;
(e) According to the information and explanation given to us, in respect of any loan or advance in the nature of loan granted which has fallen due during the year, none has been renewed or extended or fresh loans granted to settle the overdue of existing loans given to the same parties;
(f) The company has granted loans or advances in the nature of loans either repayable on demand or without specifying any terms or period of repayment, required details in respect thereof are as below:
The aggregate amount percentage thereof to the total loans granted aggregate amount of loans granted to promoters, related parties as defined in clause (76) of section 2 of the companies act, 2013
Or
The company has during the year, not made investments in, provided any guarantee or security or granted any loans or advances in the nature of loans, secured or unsecured, to companies, firms, limited liability partnerships or any other parties. Accordingly, the provisions of clauses 3(iii) of the order are not applicable.
IV. According to the information and explanation given to us, the company has complied with requirements of section 185 and 186 in respect of loans, investments, guarantees or security made by it during the year under audit; or according to the information and explanation given to us, the company has no loans, investments, guarantees or security where provisions of section 185 and 186 of the companies act, 2013 are to be complied with.
V. The company has not accepted any deposits or amounts which are deemed to be deposits under the directives of the reserve bank of india and the provisions of sections 73 to 76 or any other relevant provisions of the companies act, 2013 and the rules framed thereunder, where applicable. Accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(v) of the order are not applicable.
Or
In our opinion, the company has complied with the directives issued by the reserve bank of india, the provisions of sections 73 to 76 and other relevant provisions of the act and the, companies (acceptance of deposits) rules, 2014 (as amended) as applicable, with regard to the deposits accepted or amounts which are deemed to be deposits. According to the information and explanations given to us, no order has been passed by the company law board or national company law tribunal or reserve bank of india or any court or any other tribunal, in this regard.
VI. To the best of our knowledge and belief, the central government has not specified maintenance of cost records under sub-section (1) of section 148 of the act, in respect of company’s products/ services. Accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(vi) of the order are not applicable.
VII.
(a) The company is regular in depositing undisputed statutory dues including goods and services tax, provident fund, employees’ state insurance, income-tax, sales-tax, service tax, duty of customs, duty of excise, value added tax, cess and any other statutory dues, as applicable, with the appropriate authorities. Further, no undisputed amounts payable in respect thereof were outstanding at the year-end for a period of more than six months from the date they became payable.
(b) There are no dues in respect of goods and services tax, provident fund, employees’ state insurance, income-tax, sales-tax, service tax, duty of customs, duty of excise, value added tax, cess and any other statutory dues that have not been deposited with the appropriate authorities on account of any dispute. Or the dues outstanding in respect of goods and services tax, provident fund, employees’ state insurance, income-tax, sales-tax, service tax, duty of customs, duty of excise, value added tax, cess and any other statutory dues on account of any dispute, are as follows: (a mere representation to the concerned department shall not be treated as a dispute) name of the statute nature of dues amount amount paid under protest period to which the amount relates forum where dispute is pend
VIII. According to the information and explanation given to us, company has no transactions, not recorded in the books of account have been surrendered or disclosed as income during the year in the tax assessments under the income tax act, 1961 (43 of 1961);
IX.Â
(a) In our opinion, the company has not defaulted in repayment of loans or other borrowings or in the payment of interest thereon to any lender during the year;
Or
The company has defaulted in repayment of loans or other borrowings or in the payment of interest thereon to any lender during the year as detailed hereunder:
Nature of borrowing, including debt securities | Name of lender* | Amount not paid on due date | Whether principal or interest | No. Of days delay or unpaid | Remarks, if any |
 | *lender wise details to be provided in case of defaults to banks, financial institutions and government. |  |  |  |  |
(b) Company is not declared wilful defaulter by any bank or financial institution or other lender;
(c) According to the information and explanation given to us, term loans were applied for the purpose for which the loans were obtained;
(d) According to the information and explanation given to us, funds raised on short term basis have not been utilised for long term purposes;
(e) According to the information and explanation given to us, the company has not taken any funds from any entity or person on account of or to meet the obligations of its subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures;
(f) According to the information and explanation given to us, the company has not raised loans during the year on the pledge of securities held in its subsidiaries, joint ventures or associate companies; or the company has no borrowing, including debt securities during the year;
X.Â
(a) The company has not raised moneys by way of initial public offer or further public offer (including debt instruments) during the year;
(b) According to the information and explanation given to us, the company has not made any preferential allotment or private placement of shares or convertible debentures (fully, partially or optionally convertible) during the year or the company has made private placement of shares under review and the requirement of section 42 of the companies act, 2013 have been complied with and according to information and explanations given to us, the amount raised have been used for the purposes for which the funds were raised;
XI.Â
(a) According to the information and explanation given to us, any fraud by the company or any fraud on the company has not been noticed or reported during the year;
(b) According to the information and explanation given to us, no report under sub-section (12) of section 143 of the companies act has been filed by the auditors in form adt-4 as prescribed under rule 13 of companies (audit and auditors) rules, 2014 with the central government;
(c) According to the information and explanation given to us, no whistle-blower complaints, received during the year by the company;
XII. Company is not a nidhi company, accordingly provisions of the clause 3(xii) of the order is not applicable to the company: or company is a nidhi company and it has complied with the net owned funds to deposits in the ratio of 1: 20 to meet out the liability, it is maintaining ten per cent unencumbered term deposits as specified in the nidhi rules, 2014 to meet out the liability and there has been no default in payment of interest on deposits or repayment thereof for any period;
XIII. According to the information and explanations given to us, we are of the opinion that all transactions with related parties are in compliance with section 177 and 188 of companies act, 2013 where applicable and the details have been disclosed in the financial statements etc., as required by the accounting standards and the companies act, 2013. Or according to the information and explanations given to us, the company has not undertaken any transactions with related parties as mentioned in section 177 and 188 of companies act, 2013, accordingly the provisions of clause 3(xiii) of the order are not applicable to the company;
XIV.
(a) According to the information and explanations given to us, the company has an internal audit system commensurate with the size and nature of its business;
(b) We have considered the reports of the internal auditors for the period under audit; or according to the information and explanations given to us, the company has no internal audit system;
XV. According to the information and explanations given to us, we are of the opinion that the company has not entered into any non-cash transactions with directors or persons connected with him and accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(xv) of the order is not applicable. Or the company has entered into non-cash transactions with directors or persons connected with him and according to the information and explanations given to us, the requirements of section 192 of the companies act, 2013 have been complied with;
XVI. According to the information and explanations given to us, we are of the opinion that the company is not required to be registered under section 45-ia of the reserve bank of india act, 1934 and the company is not a core investment company (cic) as defined in the regulations made by the reserve bank of india, accordingly the provisions of clause 3(xvi) of the order are not applicable; or
(a) The company is a non-banking financial company as registered under section 45-ia of the reserve bank of india act, 1934
(b) 1934, accordingly the provisions of sub-clause (b) of clause 3(xvi) of the order is not applicable;
(c) The company is not a core investment company (cic) as defined in the regulations made by the reserve bank of india, accordingly the provisions of sub-clause (c) and (d) of clause 3(xvi) of the order are not applicable;
XVII. According to the information and explanations given to us and based on the audit procedures conducted we are of opinion that the company has not incurred any cash losses in the financial year and the immediately preceding financial year;
XVIII. There has been no resignation of the statutory auditors during the year and accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(xviii) of the order is not applicable;
XIX. On the basis of the financial ratios, ageing and expected dates of realization of financial assets and payment of financial liabilities, other information accompanying the financial statements, our knowledge of the board of directors and management plans and based on our examination of the evidence supporting the assumptions, nothing has come to our attention, which causes us to believe that any material uncertainty exists as on the date of the audit report indicating that company is incapable of meeting its liabilities existing at the date of balance sheet as and when they fall due within a period of one year from the balance sheet date. We, however, state that this is not an assurance as to the future viability of the company. We further state that our reporting is based on the facts up to the date of the audit report and we neither give any guarantee nor any assurance that all liabilities falling due within a period of one year from the balance sheet date, will get discharged by the company as and when they fall due.
XX. The provisions of section 135 towards corporate social responsibility are not applicable on the company. Accordingly, the provisions of clause 3(xx) of the order is not applicable.
XXI. The reporting under clause (xxi) is not applicable in respect of audit of standalone financial statements of the company. Accordingly, no comment has been included in respect of said clause under this report.
For __________________
Chartered accountants
Firm registration no……………….
Partner
Membership no.
Note: reasons to be stated for unfavorable or qualified answers:
- Where, in the auditor’s report, the answer to any of the questions referred to in paragraph 3 is unfavorable or qualified, the auditor’s report shall also state the basis for such unfavorable or qualified answer, as the case may be.
- Where the auditor is unable to express any opinion on any specified matter, his report shall indicate such fact together with the reasons as to why it is not possible for him to give his opinion on the same.