Introduction:

When performing audit testing, internal auditors must consider the risk that their sample may lead to incorrect conclusions about the accuracy of account balances.

Understanding Incorrect Acceptance Risk:

This risk refers to the possibility that the sample used might support the conclusion that the recorded account balance is not materially misstated when, in fact, it is. This is a type of sampling risk that auditors need to mitigate through proper sampling techniques and sufficient sample sizes.

Options Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect rejection risk is the risk that the sample leads to the conclusion that the account balance is materially misstated when it is not.

Option B: Incorrect acceptance risk directly addresses the concern described, where the sample fails to detect a material misstatement.

Option C: Tolerable misstatement risk relates to the maximum error in a population that the auditor is willing to accept.

Option D: Anticipated misstatement risk is not a standard audit term and does not describe the risk in question.

Conclusion:

The auditor’s concern best describes the incorrect acceptance risk, which is the risk of concluding that the account balance is accurate based on a sample when it is actually misstated.