With the rapid advancement of technology, auditing digital assets is becoming increasingly complex. This issue was discussed at the 2024 Audit Workshop, “Digital Asset Accountability: Auditing in a World Beyond Borders,” held on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at the Learning Center Building, FEB UGM.
The event was organized by the Career Preparation Department of the Gadjah Mada Accounting Student Association (IMAGAMA) UGM and featured audit practitioner Chairul Wismoyo from RSM Indonesia. Chairul opened the workshop by explaining that digital assets such as cryptocurrencies lack clear legal identification. Cryptocurrencies are not backed by any government or formal entity, making it difficult to recognize them as intangible assets with official certification or legal recognition. As a result, digital assets are not recorded in official financial statements because they must meet the criteria for financial or intangible assets.
According to Chairul, this challenge is particularly significant in Indonesia. “The use of digital assets is growing globally, but Indonesia is still struggling to regulate and record digital assets. According to current accounting standards,” he said on Saturday (11/9), this creates difficulties for companies with digital assets to account for them properly.
He also highlighted how technological developments are impacting audit tools and methodologies. In today’s digital age, auditors are no longer limited to tools like Excel or spreadsheets but are using more advanced tools to handle large and complex data.
“Today’s auditors no longer rely solely on commonly used tools such as Excel or spreadsheets. More advanced tools are being developed to handle the rapid growth of transactions, including the increasingly complex world of digital assets,” he explained.
During the event, Chairul also shared insights on career opportunities in public accounting with FEB UGM accounting students. According to him, accounting graduates have various career options in government, private, and public accounting firms. As a reputable public accounting firm, RSM Indonesia offers many career opportunities for new graduates. The firm provides various services, from financial statement audits resulting from audit opinions to management consulting, tax, and IT services. These services allow employees to gain diverse experience according to their interests and skills.
Earlier, a representative from the Department of Accounting, Dewi Fatmawati, S.E., M.Ec., Ph.D., expressed her hope that this event would provide a valuable learning opportunity for accounting students to learn directly from practitioners and help them prepare for careers in auditing.
The workshop was attended by 48 FEB UGM accounting students who had completed the auditing course. The event served as a hands-on learning opportunity for students or future accountants to develop skills and acquire competencies needed in the workforce, particularly auditing skills.
Reportage: Shofi Hawa Anjani
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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