Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its effective application

The thesis aims to raise the knowledge about operation of Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its effective application. The thesis describes historical background and arguments for its creation. It presents each section of the law with a focus on the internal control section. The thesis characterizes recommended methodes of successful application of the SOX Act. The main factors of effective control environment are discussed on the example of the COSO control framemork along with a description of the testing. Then, the thesis examines the impact of the law on external audit. Next chapter clarifies progression of the law followed with an analysis of the impact on the economy and companies. High-quality internal control system has positively influenced accuracy and reliability of the financial statements and has also improved investor´s confidence and reduced likelihood of a fraud. For effective application of the SOX Act it is crucial to understand internal processes and clearly determine the internal control objectives.