EX-99.8 9 phys-20171231ex998311056.htm EX-99.8 phys_Ex99_8

Exhibit 99.8

Picture 1

 

kpmg LLP

 

 

Chartered Professional Accountants

 

 

Bay Adelaide Centre

Telephone:   (416) 777-8500

 

333 Bay Street Suite 4600

Fax:             (416) 777-8818

 

Toronto, ON   M5H 2S5

Internet:       www.kpmg.ca

 

Canada

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To Sprott Asset Management LP, the Trustee and the Unitholders of Sprott Physical Gold Trust

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We have audited Sprott Physical Gold Trust’s (the “Trust”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework  (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. 

In our opinion, the Trust maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. 

Report on the Financial Statements

We also have audited, in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the financial statements of the Trust, which comprise the statements of financial position as at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the statements of comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, and the related notes, comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”), and our report dated March 28, 2018 expressed an unmodified (unqualified) opinion on those financial statements.  

Basis for Opinion

The Trust’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Responsibility for Financial Information. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB and in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in Canada.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

 

 

KPMG LLP is a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm

of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with

KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity.

KPMG Canada provides services to KPMG LLP.

 

 


 

Picture 2

 

Page 2

 

 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

/s/ KPMG LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants 

Toronto, Canada

March 28, 2018