Mercedes 2008 Annual Report Download - page 147

Consolidated Financial Statements | Responsibility Statement |Independent Auditors’ Report |143
Independent Auditors’ Report
We have audited the consolidated financial statements prepared
by the Daimler AG, Stuttgart, comprising balance sheet, income
statement, statement of changes in equity, cash flow statement
and notes to the consolidated financial statements, together
with the management report for Daimler AG and subsidiaries
(the Group) for the business year from January 1 to December 31,
2008. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements
and the Group management report in accordance with IFRSs as
adopted by the EU, and the additional requirements of German
commercial law pursuant to § 315a (1) HGB (Handelsgesetzbuch;
German Commercial Code) are the responsibility of the parent
company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on the consolidated financial statements and on the group
management report based on our audit. In addition, we have
been engaged to express an opinion as to whether the consolida-
ted financial statements comply with IFRS as promulgated
by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB-IFRS).
We conducted our audit of the consolidated financial statements
in accordance with § 317 HGB and German generally accepted
standards for the audit of financial statements promulgated by
the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer [Institute of Public Auditors
in Germany] (IDW). Those standards require that we plan and per-
form the audit such that misstatements materially affecting
the presentation of the net assets, financial position and results
of operations in the consolidated financial statements in accor-
dance with the applicable financial reporting framework and in
the Group management report are detected with reasonable
assurance. Knowledge of the business activities and the economic
and legal environment of the Group and expectations as to
possible misstatements are taken into account in the determina-
tion of audit procedures. The effectiveness of the accounting-
related internal control system and the evidence supporting the
disclosures in the consolidated financial statements and the
group management report are examined primarily on a test basis
within the framework of the audit. The audit includes assessing
the annual financial statements of those entities included in conso-
lidation, the determination of entities to be included in consoli-
dation, the accounting and consolidation principles used and sig-
nificant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating
the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements
and the Group management report. We believe that our audit
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Our audit has not led to any qualifications.
In our opinion, based on the findings of our audit, the consolida-
ted financial statements comply with IFRSs as adopted by the
EU, the additional requirements of German commercial law pur-
suant to § 315a Abs. 1 HGB and IASB-IFRS and give a true and
fair view of the net assets, financial position and results of opera-
tions of the Group in accordance with these requirements. The
Group management report is consistent with the consolidated
financial statements and as a whole provides a suitable view
of the Group’s position and suitably presents the opportunities
and risks of future development.
Stuttgart, February 24, 2009
KPMG AG
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
(formerly
KPMG Deutsche Treuhand-Gesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft)
Prof. Dr. Nonnenmacher Krauß
Wirtschaftsprüfer Wirtschaftsprüfer