REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Trustees of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII:
In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII (the "Trust"), including the First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry and Digital Economy ETF, First Trust Income Opportunities ETF, First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF, First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF, First Trust Active Factor Large Cap ETF, First Trust Active Factor Mid Cap ETF, First Trust Active Factor Small Cap ETF, First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF, First Trust Expanded Technology ETF, First Trust Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF, First Trust Multi-Manager Large Growth ETF, and First Trust Multi-Manager Small Cap Opportunities ETF as of and for the year ended August 31, 2024, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A fund'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 fund'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 fund; (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 fund are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the fund; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of a fund'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.
A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the fund’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Our consideration of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls for safeguarding securities that we consider to be a material weakness, as defined above, as of August 31, 2024.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Chicago, Illinois
October 23, 2024
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Trustees of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII:
In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII (the "Trust"), including the FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - January, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - February, FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - February, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - March, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - March, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - April, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May, FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - June, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - June, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - July, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August, FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - September, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - September, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - October, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - November, FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - November, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - December, FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - December, FT Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF, FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF, First Trust TCW Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF, First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF, First Trust TCW Securitized Plus ETF, and First Trust TCW Emerging Markets Debt ETF as of and for the year/period ended August 31, 2024, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A fund'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 fund'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 fund; (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 fund are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the fund; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of a fund’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.
A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the fund’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Our consideration of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls for safeguarding securities that we consider to be a material weakness, as defined above, as of August 31, 2024.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Chicago, Illinois
October 25, 2024
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Trustees of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII:
In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII (the "Trust"), including the FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – January, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – January, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – February, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – February, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – March, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – March, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – April, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – April, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – May, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – May, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – June, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – June, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – July, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – July, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – August, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – August, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – September, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – September, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – October, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – November, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – November, FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – December, FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – December, FT Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF, FT Vest Buffered Allocation Growth ETF, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – January, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – February, FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – March (formerly known as FT Vest International Equity Buffer ETF – March), FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Buffer ETF – March, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – March, FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Conservative Buffer ETF – April, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – April, FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Moderate Buffer ETF – May, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – May, FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – June (formerly known as FT Vest International Equity Buffer ETF - June), FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Buffer ETF – June, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – June, FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Conservative Buffer ETF – July, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – July, FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Moderate Buffer ETF – August, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – August, FT Vest International Equity Buffer ETF – September (now known as FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September), FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Buffer ETF – September, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – September, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – October, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – November, FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – December (formerly known as FT Vest International Equity Buffer ETF – December), FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Buffer ETF – December, FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – December, FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (formerly known as FT Vest Fund of Buffer ETFs), FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (formerly known as FT Vest Fund of Deep Buffer ETFs), and FT Vest Laddered Nasdaq Buffer ETF (formerly known as FT Vest Fund of Nasdaq-100® Buffer ETFs) as of and for the year/period ended August 31, 2024, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A fund'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 fund'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 fund; (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 fund are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the fund; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of a fund’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.
A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the fund’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Our consideration of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls for safeguarding securities that we consider to be a material weakness, as defined above, as of August 31, 2024.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Chicago, Illinois
October 24, 2024