Audit Preparation & Support · $1,800 USD
Walk into your next audit with everything in order.
When documentation is organized and schedules are prepared ahead of time, an external audit becomes a straightforward process rather than a pressured one. Pallmark works through your financials before the auditors arrive.
What this engagement delivers
Complete records, ready when the auditors arrive
An external audit doesn't have to be a scramble. When your documentation is in order and your schedules are prepared, the process moves smoothly — and you can answer questions from a position of clarity rather than uncertainty.
This engagement is structured to get you to that place. By the time it concludes, your financials have been reviewed, gaps are addressed, and the materials auditors typically request are organized and ready to hand over.
The practical outcome is straightforward: less time during the audit fielding requests for documentation that should have been ready. The less tangible outcome matters too — there's a real difference between entering an audit knowing you're prepared versus hoping nothing surfaces unexpectedly.
Statements reviewed for completeness
Each financial statement checked for internal consistency and completeness before auditors see them.
Documentation gaps identified and addressed
Missing records noted, prioritized, and worked through before the audit window opens.
Auditor schedules prepared and organized
The standard schedules external auditors request most, ready to hand over when asked.
Structured engagement with clear timeline
Work structured across three to six weeks, timed around your audit schedule.
The situation many businesses face
Audit preparation tends to land on whoever has the least time for it
For most small and mid-sized businesses, the period before an external audit arrives with existing obligations already in motion. There's the regular workload, the day-to-day financial operations — and then this additional layer of documentation review, reconciliations, and schedule preparation that has to happen in parallel.
The result is often a compressed, pressured stretch where records are pulled together quickly and materials get handed to auditors with more hope than certainty. It usually works out, but it rarely feels like a controlled process — and when it doesn't work out, the consequences show up mid-audit, when they're hardest to fix.
If this is your first external audit, the uncertainty compounds it further. What do auditors typically ask for? Which documentation areas are most likely to have gaps? What should be prepared in advance versus addressed when requested? These are questions that get answered through experience — or through working with someone who already has it.
Records scattered across systems
Invoices here, statements somewhere else, supporting documents in a third place — difficult to assemble under a deadline.
Gaps surfacing mid-audit
Missing documentation discovered when the auditor requests it, rather than in advance when it can still be addressed quietly.
Uncertainty about what's expected
Without direct audit experience, it's not always clear which schedules and supporting materials auditors expect to receive.
How Pallmark approaches this
A structured review, working through your records methodically
The work starts from where your records currently are — not where they ideally would be. Each area of documentation gets reviewed, gaps get noted clearly, and then the work of addressing them begins in order of priority. Nothing gets glossed over, but nothing gets overstated either. The goal is an accurate picture followed by systematic work to get it ready.
Financial statement review
Your current financial statements — balance sheet, income statement, cash flows — reviewed for completeness, internal consistency, and any items that may draw auditor questions.
Documentation gap analysis
A methodical review of supporting documentation across key areas — what's present, what's incomplete, and what's missing. Each gap is noted with a clear explanation of what it means for the audit.
Gap remediation
Where records can be located, reconstructed, or supplemented, the work gets done. Where gaps can't be closed, they're documented clearly so you can address them directly and on your own terms.
Schedule preparation
The schedules auditors commonly request — fixed asset rollforwards, debt reconciliations, prepaid schedules, and others — prepared and organized for prompt handover when requested.
What the engagement looks like
Three to six weeks of structured, supported work
The engagement is sized to your situation. A business with well-organized records and a narrow audit scope may work through this in three weeks. A business with more complex financials or a wider scope may use the full six. Either way, the structure is the same: a clear start, steady progress with visibility throughout, and a finished product before the audit begins.
Week 1
Orientation & review
We begin by reviewing your current records — understanding what's in place and mapping the audit scope. Nothing changes in this phase; the goal is an accurate picture first.
Weeks 2–4
Gap identification & remediation
Documentation gaps are identified, clearly noted, and worked through in order. You'll have visibility on what's been addressed and what remains outstanding at any point.
Weeks 4–6
Schedule preparation & handoff
Auditor schedules are prepared and organized. At the end, a handoff review ensures you understand the complete package before the audit begins.
What you'll have at the end
A reviewed set of financial statements, a documented record of gaps and how they were addressed, and a complete set of prepared auditor schedules — organized in a way that's straightforward to hand over. Plus a brief written summary you can reference during the audit itself.
The investment
$1,800 USD for the full engagement
This is a flat-fee engagement covering the full scope described — from the initial records review through to prepared auditor schedules. There are no hourly overruns or mid-engagement price adjustments.
If your situation is significantly more complex than a standard engagement — unusually large records volume, multiple entities, or a very broad audit scope — that gets discussed clearly before work begins. The $1,800 fee is designed for a typical small to mid-sized business preparing for an external audit.
One thing worth considering: the cost of preparation is typically small compared to the internal time spent during an audit fielding requests for documentation that wasn't ready beforehand.
Payment terms are straightforward. Half at engagement start, the remainder on completion. If your audit timeline requires different arrangements, that can be discussed during the initial conversation.
What's included
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Full review of current financial statements
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Documentation gap analysis across key areas
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Remediation work on addressable gaps
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Preparation of commonly requested auditor schedules
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Written documentation of remaining gaps with context
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Handoff review at engagement close
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Reference summary for use during the audit
How progress is measured
Concrete outcomes, tracked throughout
Progress on audit preparation isn't abstract. At any point in the engagement, you'll know which areas have been reviewed, which gaps have been addressed, and which schedules are complete. The work moves toward a specific end state — and that end state is measurable.
Gap tracking list
Every documentation gap recorded and updated as it's addressed. You see what's open, in progress, and resolved at any time.
Schedule completion log
Each auditor schedule tracked from in-progress to complete. No schedule gets handed over without a review pass.
Final review package
At engagement close, a structured summary of work completed, remaining items, and how to use prepared materials during the audit.
Realistic expectations
This engagement addresses documentation organization and schedule preparation. It is not a substitute for the external audit itself, nor does it guarantee any particular audit outcome. What it does is put you in a stronger position entering the audit — with organized records and fewer reactive scrambles when auditors make requests.
Some gaps in records may not be closeable, depending on how old the documentation is or how the original transactions were recorded. When that's the case, it gets communicated clearly and early — not surfaced at handoff.
Working with confidence
Transparent work, clearly communicated throughout
The goal of this engagement is a practical outcome: your documentation organized, gaps addressed, and schedules prepared. If at any point the work isn't moving toward that objective, that gets discussed directly — not left to surface at the end.
Progress is communicated regularly. If something unexpected comes up in your records — a gap that's harder to address than anticipated, or a complexity that affects the timeline — you'll hear about it promptly, with a clear explanation of what it means and what the options are.
Starting with a conversation costs nothing. If after discussing your situation it turns out this engagement isn't the right fit — scope is outside what's typically covered, or your audit timeline doesn't allow for it — that gets said clearly, without pressure or obligation.
No hidden scope
Engagement scope is defined before work begins. Anything outside it is discussed and agreed on — not added quietly along the way.
Clear progress visibility
You'll know where things stand at each stage. Progress isn't delivered as a complete surprise at engagement end.
Direct communication when things change
If your records present complications that affect timeline or scope, that gets surfaced as soon as it's identified — not held back.
No obligation to start
An initial conversation is exactly that — a conversation. You'll receive a clear engagement proposal before anything is agreed to.
Getting started
A simple path forward
You don't need to have your records already organized or a complete picture of your audit scope to get started. Part of what this engagement establishes is exactly that picture. All that's needed to begin is a willingness to share where things currently stand.
Send a message
Use the contact form to describe your situation — audit date, current record state, any specific concerns you have.
Initial conversation
A short call to understand your audit scope, timeline, and what's currently in place. No preparation needed on your end.
Engagement proposal
If the engagement is a fit, you'll receive a clear proposal with scope, timeline, and fee before anything is agreed to.
Work begins
Once agreed, the engagement starts with a clear point of contact and visibility on progress at every stage.
Audit Preparation & Support
Start the conversation about your upcoming audit
Tell us about your audit timeline and current record state. We'll come back with a clear picture of how the engagement would work for your specific situation.
$1,800 USD · flat fee per engagement
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