Service
Assurance Services
Independent verification that gives you confidence in your business decisions
Sometimes you need more than numbers. You need someone independent to verify that what you're seeing is what’s happening. Whether you’re about to make a major acquisition, facing regulatory scrutiny, or simply want peace of mind about your internal processes, there are moments when “trust but verify” becomes essential to protecting your interests.
Think of it like buying a house. You wouldn’t just take the vendor’s word that the foundations are sound or the plumbing works properly. You’d get an independent building inspection. Business assurance works the same way.
We’re the experts who dig deeper to give you confidence in decisions that could make or break your future success.
Need independent verification or compliance assurance? Let’s discuss how we can provide the confidence you’re looking for.
OurAssurance Servicescapabilities
Our Assurance capabilities are as follows. Refer to our Capability Statements to see how we execute to meet your business needs.
Why independent assurance matters
In New Zealand’s regulatory environment, assurance work has become increasingly important. With approximately $1 billion in money laundering occurring annually, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance alone represents a significant need across legal and real estate sectors. As the world’s second-cleanest country from an AML perspective (behind Finland), New Zealand takes these obligations seriously.
Whether you’re conducting due diligence on a potential acquisition, need compliance reporting for regulatory requirements, or want assurance about your internal controls, having an independent expert review provides credibility that internal assessments simply cannot match.
How we provide assurance across diverse needs
Our assurance work spans everything from supporting businesses wanting to acquire others through comprehensive due diligence to helping law firms and real estate agencies meet their AML compliance obligations.
Take the property acquisition where our due diligence work revealed significant environmental liabilities that weren’t disclosed in the vendor’s materials. By conducting a comprehensive investigation covering asset ownership, encumbrances, productivity assessment, and risk identification, we helped our client restructure the deal to protect their investment.
We also work with law firms across New Zealand on AML compliance, helping them meet the complex requirements established under the AML/CFT (Countering Financing of Terrorism) Act. With many transactions involving international money entering New Zealand, particularly from Asian markets, proper compliance verification requires specialist expertise and independence.
Ready to gain independent assurance for your specific needs? Contact UHY Haines Norton today to arrange a discussion about your assurance requirements.
Relationship-driven assurance expertise
What makes our assurance work effective is our focus on understanding your specific situation rather than applying generic solutions. Assurance work demands broad knowledge across industries and the ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders, from boards and management teams to regulatory bodies and external parties.
When you need assurance, you want experts who understand both the technical requirements and the practical implications for your business.
We maintain independence requirements, for example, we cannot provide AML compliance services to our own firm, but we can work with your other advisors to provide coordinated assurance that serves your overall objectives.
You get expertise that covers “everything about everything” because assurance work requires curiosity and broad business knowledge.
Our team includes specialists dedicated to growing our assurance portfolio, ensuring you receive focused attention rather than assurance being treated as an add-on service.
Our five assurance specialties
- Assurance Review
Provides independent verification of specific business circumstances without the complexity of a full audit, giving you confidence in particular areas of concern or opportunity. Read more.
- Compliance Reporting
Ensures your regulatory obligations are met with external certification, providing assurance to authorities and stakeholders that requirements have been properly addressed and documented. Read more.
- Internal Audit
Examines your risk management frameworks, internal controls, and operational processes to identify weaknesses and strengthen your organisation’s overall control environment and reporting systems. Read more.
- Due Diligence
Conducts comprehensive investigation of potential acquisitions or investments, covering asset ownership, productivity assessment, risk identification, and verification of vendor claims to protect your investment decisions. Read more.
- AML Compliance
Supports law firms, real estate agencies, and other reporting entities in meeting Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act obligations through independent verification and compliance reporting. Read more.
Curious about which assurance services could benefit your specific situation? Let’s discuss your verification and compliance needs.
The assurance gaps you can address
Many organisations operate with compliance obligations they don’t fully understand or internal controls that haven’t been independently verified. This creates risks that compound over time, from regulatory penalties and operational inefficiencies to fraud vulnerabilities and data security weaknesses.
Due diligence failures in business acquisitions can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars through undisclosed liabilities, overvalued assets, or operational dependencies that weren’t properly assessed. Without independent verification, you’re relying on vendor representations that may not tell the complete story.
AML compliance breaches can result in significant penalties and reputational damage. For law firms and real estate agencies, it’s a regulatory requirement that demands specialist expertise to implement effectively.
What this means for your success
- Confidence in compliance submissions.
When regulatory obligations need to be met, you want assurance that requirements are properly addressed and you’re confident in what’s finally submitted to authorities.
- Tailored service for peace of mind.
Whether you have specific concerns or compliance requirements, you get service and team allocation tailored to pursue the right outcomes and provide genuine peace of mind.
- Strengthened risk management confidence.
Your risk management frameworks get independent review that raises confidence in your processes and reporting, ensuring measures are working as intended and identifying improvement opportunities.
- Stronger organisational outcomes.
Independent assurance delivers improved data security, reduced fraud risk, efficient operations, and lower costs whilst strengthening weaknesses, eliminating errors, and investigating new opportunities for improvement. Your data gets captured right the first time.
Your assurance journey with our team
Your assurance needs start with understanding what specific verification or compliance requirements you’re facing. We’ll assess the scope involved and recommend the appropriate level of assurance needed to meet your objectives without creating unnecessary complexity or cost.
Our systematic approach covers the technical requirements whilst keeping focus on practical business implications. You’ll receive clear explanations of what our findings mean for your specific situation, not just technical compliance reports.
We work within your timeframes and coordinate with your other advisors to ensure assurance activities support rather than disrupt your business operations and strategic objectives.
Ready to gain the assurance you need? Call us and connect to possibility.
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