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EQR » Topics » REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTINGThis excerpt taken from the EQR 10-K filed Feb 28, 2007. REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM ON
INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders Equity Residential
We have audited managements assessment, included in the accompanying Managements Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting at Item 9A, that Equity Residential (the Company) maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, based on criteria established in Internal Control Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO Criteria). The Companys management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on managements assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, evaluating managements assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A companys internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A companys internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the companys assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, managements assessment that Equity Residential maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on the COSO Criteria. Also, in our opinion, Equity Residential maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, based on the COSO Criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Equity Residential as of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 and our report dated February 21, 2007, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Chicago, Illinois February 21, 2007
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EQUITY RESIDENTIAL This excerpt taken from the EQR 10-K filed Mar 8, 2006. REPORT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER
FINANCIAL REPORTING
To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders Equity Residential
We have audited managements assessment, included in the accompanying Managements Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting at Item 9A, that Equity Residential (the Company) maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO Criteria). The Companys management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on managements assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, evaluating managements assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A companys internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A companys internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the companys assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, managements assessment that Equity Residential maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on the COSO Criteria. Also, in our opinion, Equity Residential maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on the COSO Criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Equity Residential as of December 31, 2005 and 2004 and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2005 and our report dated February 28, 2006, except for the fourth paragraph of Note 21, for which the date is March 2, 2006, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Chicago, Illinois February 28, 2006
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