W

Walkthroughs - The most effective means for an AUDITOR to confirm his understanding how internal control over financial reporting is designed and operates to evaluate and test its effectiveness. It includes making inquiries of and observing the personnel who actually perform the controls; reviewing documents that are used in, and that result from, the application of the controls; and comparing supporting documentation to the accounting records. In a walkthrough, the auditor traces a transaction from origination through the company"s information systems to the point where it is reflected in the company"s financial reports.

Walkthroughs provide the auditor with evidence to:

1. Confirm the auditor"s understanding of the process flow of transactions.
2. Confirm the auditor"s understanding of the design of controls identified for all five components of internal control over financial reporting, including those related to the prevention or detection of fraud.
3. Confirm that the auditor"s understanding of the process is complete by determining whether all points in the process at which misstatements related to each relevant financial statement assertion that could occur have been identified.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the design of controls.
5. Confirm whether controls have been placed in operation.

Warrant - Option to purchase additional SECURITIES from the issuer.

Wash Sale - A wash sale occurs if stock or securities are sold at a LOSS and the seller acquires substantially identical stock or SECURITIES 30 days before or after the sale. Stock or securities for this purpose includes contracts or operations to acquire or sell stock or securities. Losses incurred in a wash sale cannot be deducted. It does not matter if the total 60 day period begins in one tax year and ends in another. However, the disallowed loss is not permanently lost. Instead, the basis in the newly acquired stock or securities is the same basis as of the stock or securities sold, adjusted by the difference in price of the stock or securities.

Withholding - Amount withheld or deducted from employee salaries by the employer and paid by the employer, for the employee, to the proper authority.

Withholding Allowance - Each taxpayer is allowed to claim a withholding allowance, which exempts a certain amount of wages from being subject to WITHHOLDING. The allowance is designed to prevent too much taxes being withheld from a taxpayers wages and a person can compute this by completing form W-4 and submitting it to their employer.

Working Capital - Excess of CURRENT ASSETS over CURRENT LIABILITIES.

Working Papers - (1) Records kept by the AUDITOR of the procedures applied, the tests performed, the information obtained, and the pertinent conclusions reached in the course of the AUDIT. (2) Any records developed by a CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (CPA) during an audit.

Work in Progress - INVENTORY account consisting of partially completed goods awaiting completion and transfer to finished inventory.

Wrap-Around Mortgage - Second MORTGAGE which conveniently expands the total amount of borrowing by the mortgagor without disturbing the original mortgage.