International Audit

Our Expertise

International audits are complex. We make them easier.

Between rapidly accumulating costs, the potential for cascading delays, and country-specific audit requirements, international audits come with many potential pitfalls. An uncoordinated audit approach can present serious risks to your organization — that’s why it’s critical to have an international partner with the expertise and resources to ensure your global audit runs smoothly and that your foreign operations remain in compliance and coordinated with your global needs and goals.

We have extensive experience helping middle-market, PEG-owned, and foreign-owned companies with their international audit needs. Whether you’re outgrowing your current auditor and managing too much of the process yourself, or you’ve developed a global footprint but lack the support necessary to manage rapid growth, we’re ready to help. This is where we excel — our collaborative, customizable approach will provide you with a transparent, predictable, and value-added international audit.

We work with more than 850 international and multinational companies, conducting global and subsidiary audits under U.S. generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and the International Standards on Auditing (ISA). We’re supported by tens of thousands of professionals in over 120 countries around the world. We’ll provide you with the right people and processes to ensure your international operations thrive, no matter where you go.

Our international audit expertise includes:

Enterprise risk management
Internal controls are increasingly important as your organization grows internationally. Whether it’s Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404 compliance, the Japanese Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (J-SOX), or other international requirements, we have you covered with internal advisory services and support or external assurance.
Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
The requirements and standards surrounding environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) are evolving quickly. Companies with global operations are much more likely to have local or global filing requirements in the near future. Whether it’s navigating the SEC, ISSB, CSRD/ESRS, CBAM, customer requirements, or other concerns — we’re here to help.
Foreign acquisitions

Integrating an acquired company can be burdensome – increasingly so when acquiring foreign operations. Different policies and practices, acquisition accounting, opening balance sheets, foreign currencies, and new statutory requirements create even more complexity. We have the experience and resources globally to support this process and integrate it seamlessly into the global audit plan.

International financial reporting standards (IFRS)

Managing global US GAAP audits is an everyday occurrence for us, but we’re also fluent in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which is increasingly common for global businesses. We have the right experience to tackle the day-to-day needs of IFRS reporting in addition to more complex needs, such as first-time IFRS conversions or technical IFRS support.

Statutory audits
Statutory audits aren’t common in North America, so the requirements can be unfamiliar to many companies. We have the experience to help streamline and coordinate your global statutory requirements and integrate them directly into the global audit plan.
System and Organization Controls (SOC) reporting
The expectations of service organizations are increasingly stringent and SOC audit requirements from stakeholders are becoming more common. In a global business, crafting a streamlined global SOC approach that accomplishes the needs of all users can be complex, but we have the experience and resources to help.
US GAAP

Our experts can help you properly manage the financial statements of a global company under US GAAP, which can become increasingly complex as you grow.


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Client Experience

Local team, global resources

We make international coordination seamless. Our focus on personalized service includes assigning you a single domestic point of contact and accountability to quickly learn your challenges, provide the resources and solutions you need, and take sole responsibility for your satisfaction across your markets and subsidiaries.

We take pride in closely collaborating with your staff to identify risks and develop appropriate global, regional, and local processes and project plans. We keep you current and deliver practical guidance on accounting principles and regulatory changes. Our strong, transparent relationships with parent and component auditors ensure ongoing engagement monitoring and coordinated timing of deliverables.

As our International Audit Lead Partner, Keith Piwko, says, “One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to international audit engagements. We really take the time to listen to you and understand your goals and objectives. Is a particular country giving you problems? We can help with that. Have you recently uncovered an issue that’s threatening to delay the whole audit? Let’s figure it out together.”

Our clients say

As the CFO from a European-headquartered company, I have been working with Plante Moran for many years now. My experience in a nutshell: highly professional partners to our business not only in the USA but also internationally. Practical and down-to-earth advice combined with broad expertise in our businesses (plastics and healthcare) — their advice is worth real money! Highly recommendable to any non-American-headquartered company!

Hannes Moser
CFO, Greiner Holdings AG