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No More Sticky Notes: How to Build a Working Paper File That Defends You – 18 June 2025

Whether you’re dealing with SARS, CIPC, or a grumpy reviewer, your working paper file is your shield. This session takes the mystery (and misery) out of file prep, giving you the structure, tools, and shortcuts to build files that stand up to scrutiny—and save you from backtracking at year-end. Because “I thought I saved that somewhere” is not a defence. 

Date:

18 June, 2025

Time:

14:00

Hours:

2 hours

CPD Units:

2

Category:

Practice Management

Group:

Channel 2: Growth

Format:

Live Event

R230,00 VAT incl.

Product Information

You don’t get paid for neat files—but you do get protected by them. Whether you’re in practice or commerce, your working paper file is the silent evidence that backs your work, protects you from risk, and keeps compliance tight. In this session, we’ll unpack exactly what should go into your file, how to avoid the biggest mistakes, and how to prepare a file that’s reviewer-ready—even if you’re short on time. Templates, checklists, structure: it’s all here. 

Presenter/s

Eszter Rapanos
Eszter Rapanos is a Technical Manager at CIBA, bringing extensive audit and quality control experience from her work with international agencies and accounting firms.

What will set you apart

By attending this webinar you will gain the following competencies

  • How to structure a working paper file for reviews, audits or independent reviews 
  • The golden rules: what to include, how to document it, and what’s overkill 
  • How to link supporting documents to trial balances and journals like a pro 
  • Tips for preparing digital files that reviewers (and regulators) will actually thank you for 
  • Real examples of good (and bad) files—and what to learn from them 

Event breakdown

  1. Why Working Paper Files Matter

– What SARS, reviewers, and clients expect (and what they’ll challenge) 

– The hidden risks of poor documentation 

– How your file protects you in disputes, reviews, and future audits 

  1. Building the File Step-by-Step

– From engagement letter to signed financials: the file journey 

– Planning documentation, evidence, adjustments, and final review 

– File naming, version control, and logical structure 

  1. Digital vs Paper: Best Practices

– PDF vs Excel vs cloud: what works best 

– Using bookmarks, hyperlinks, and index pages 

– Tools and platforms that save time and reduce chaos 

  1. What Goes In—and What Doesn’t

– Materiality, relevance, and sufficiency of evidence 

– Supporting documentation: invoices, schedules, reconciliations 

– Notes to self vs audit trail: where to draw the line 

  1. Making It Reviewer-Read

– Real-world examples of strong and weak files 

– Common mistakes (and how to fix them fast) 

– Final checks before sign-off 

Certificate

The following event is awarded 2 CPD units in Practice Management.

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