.16

The auditor's standard report implies that the auditor is satisfied that the comparability of financial statements between periods has not been materially affected by changes in accounting principles and that such principles have been consistently applied between or among periods because either (a) no change in accounting principles has occurred, or (b) there has been a change in accounting principles or in the method of their application, but the effect of the change on the comparability of the financial statements is not material. In these cases, the auditor should not refer to consistency in the report. If, however, there has been a change in accounting principles or in the method of their application that has a material effect on the comparability of the company's financial statements, the auditor should refer to the change in an explanatory paragraph of the report. Such explanatory paragraph (following the opinion paragraph) should identify the nature of the change and refer the reader to the note in the financial statements that discusses the change in detail. The auditor's concurrence with a change is implicit unless he or she takes exception to the change in expressing his or her opinion as to fair presentation of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. ^fn 12 When there is a change in accounting principles, there are also other matters that the auditor should consider (see paragraphs .50 through .57). [Paragraph renumbered by the issuance of Statement on Auditing Standards No. 79, December 1995.]