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Accounting & Tax vocabulary · Auditing & Internal Control

Audit trail

Meaning in accounting & tax, with examples

nounCommon term

In accounting & tax, audit trail means: A record in time order that shows who entered, changed or approved each transaction and when, so it can be traced back to its source documents.

In Turkish: denetim izi, işlem izi

How it is used

Modern accounting systems keep an automatic audit trail with user names and timestamps. Auditors and tax inspectors rely on a clear audit trail; manual workarounds in spreadsheets can break it.

Example sentences

  1. Every change to supplier bank details must leave an audit trail.

  2. Without an audit trail, we can't show who approved the payment.

Common collocations

  • leave an audit trail
  • clear audit trail
  • system audit trail
  • audit trail report
  • internal controlThe policies and procedures a company uses to protect its assets, prevent errors and fraud, and make sure its financial reporting is reliable.
  • auditAn independent examination of a company's financial statements and records to check that they are accurate and follow the applicable rules.
  • journal entryA record of one business transaction in the accounting system, showing the date, the accounts affected, the debit and credit amounts and a short description.
  • receiptA document that proves money has been paid or goods have been received, given to the person who paid or delivered.

More terms: Auditing & Internal Control

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not financial advice.