Corporate Social Responsibility
CSR Audit & Assurance Services
Internal review of CSR spending and implementation records to identify compliance gaps, unsupported expenditure and reporting issues.
- Estimate Cost
- ₹20,000 – ₹1,50,000
- Typical duration
- 14 days
Service overview
A review of whether CSR spending and documentation support the company's statutory reporting. The review tests what was recorded against what the company's CSR policy and approvals say should have happened.
Who needs it? / When is it needed?
Companies wanting an internal review before statutory reporting, or where the board has concerns about implementation.
The review is useful before board approval and annual disclosures.
What to expect from the WCP Professionals
WCP professionals would test the records against the CSR policy, approved projects and applicable requirements, identify gaps and prepare corrective recommendations.
How the work would proceed:
- WCP professionals would agree the review scope, select the projects and records to test, and compare the evidence of spending with approvals, invoices and reported outcomes
- They would record exceptions, ask responsible teams for explanations and distinguish a documentation gap from a substantive eligibility concern
- The report should identify corrective steps and clearly state that any statutory audit or independent certification must be performed by the qualified person required for that role
Key deliverables
- CSR compliance review
- Sample testing
- Gap report
- Corrective-action plan
Draft reports should be reconciled with the finance team's figures before they are finalised.
Standard turnaround time
1–3 weeks depending on the number of projects and documents.
Field visits or beneficiary information, if needed, can extend the timeline.
Government fees, timelines & key outcomes
No government fee for an internal review.
Where a statutory certificate is needed, it is issued by the person responsible under the CSR Rules, with any separate audit fees:
- The CFO's certification that CSR funds were utilised for approved purposes
- The implementing agency's utilisation certificate for funds it received
Key outcomes: a documented compliance assessment and a corrective-action plan before statutory reporting.
Forms & filings involved
Findings feed into Form CSR-2 and the annual report on CSR.
The review checks utilisation certificates, CSR-1 registration of implementing agencies, Unspent CSR Account transfers and website disclosures against the board-approved policy.
Documents required
- Invoices
- Utilisation certificates
- Implementing-agency records
- Bank statements
- Board approvals
- Project reports
What we need from you
Complete project-wise expenditure and implementation evidence.
A finance contact and a programme contact should both be available to explain exceptions.
Important conditions
An internal assurance review is not the same thing as a statutory audit or a legally mandated certification.
A project should not be described as eligible solely because it has a social objective; eligibility, accounting treatment and reporting obligations need to be checked against the current CSR framework.
Additional information
Where external certification or a statutory audit is required, it is performed by an appropriately qualified professional — a Chartered Accountant for financial audit and certification.
This service is an internal review; it does not by itself constitute a statutory audit or certification.
The estimated cost covers indicative professional fees only. Government fees, stamp duty and taxes are payable at actuals.
How it works
- 1. Raise a service enquiry describing your requirement.
- 2. A Relationship Manager reviews it and opens it for bidding.
- 3. Pay into escrow and assign the professional you select.
- 4. Track progress to completion, then accept and release payment.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CSR audit mandatory?
There is no separate statutory CSR audit, but CSR spend forms part of the statutory audit, and the CFO must certify fund utilisation for the board report.
What does a CSR assurance review check?
Whether spending matches approved projects, whether partners are CSR-1 registered, whether utilisation certificates exist and whether unspent amounts were transferred on time.
When should a CSR review be done?
Before the annual report and CSR-2 filing, so gaps can be corrected while there is still time.
Who issues CSR utilisation certificates?
The implementing agency issues utilisation certificates for funds it receives, and the company's CFO certifies utilisation to the board.