The Economics of Audit Quality

The Economics of Audit Quality PDF Author: Benito Arrunada
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475767285
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
This book focuses on market mechanisms which protect quality in the provision of audit services. The role of public regulation is thus situated in the context defmed by the presence of these safeguard mechanisms. The book aims to contribute to a better understanding of these market mechanisms, which helps in defining the con tent of rules and the function of regulatory bodies in facilitating and strengthening the protective operation of the market. An analysis at a more general level is provided in the three chapters making up Part 1. In the four chapters of Part 2, on the other hand, this analysis is applied to a particular problem to determine how those non-audit services often provided by auditors to their audit clients should be regulated. Finally, Chapter 8 contains a summary of the analysis and conclusions of the work. The conclusion with regard to non-audit services is that their provision generates beneficial effects in terms of costs, technical competence, professional judgment and competition and, moreover, need not prejudice auditor independence or the quality of these services. This as sessment leads, in the normative sphere, to recommending a legislative policy aimed at facilitating the development and use of safeguards provided by the free action of market forces. Regulation should thus aim to enable the parties-audit firms, self-regulatory bodies and audit clients-to discover through competitive market interaction both the most efficient mix of services and the corresponding quality safeguards, adjusting for the costs and benefits of each possibility.

The Economics of Audit Quality

The Economics of Audit Quality PDF Author: Benito Arrunada
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475767285
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 203

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book focuses on market mechanisms which protect quality in the provision of audit services. The role of public regulation is thus situated in the context defmed by the presence of these safeguard mechanisms. The book aims to contribute to a better understanding of these market mechanisms, which helps in defining the con tent of rules and the function of regulatory bodies in facilitating and strengthening the protective operation of the market. An analysis at a more general level is provided in the three chapters making up Part 1. In the four chapters of Part 2, on the other hand, this analysis is applied to a particular problem to determine how those non-audit services often provided by auditors to their audit clients should be regulated. Finally, Chapter 8 contains a summary of the analysis and conclusions of the work. The conclusion with regard to non-audit services is that their provision generates beneficial effects in terms of costs, technical competence, professional judgment and competition and, moreover, need not prejudice auditor independence or the quality of these services. This as sessment leads, in the normative sphere, to recommending a legislative policy aimed at facilitating the development and use of safeguards provided by the free action of market forces. Regulation should thus aim to enable the parties-audit firms, self-regulatory bodies and audit clients-to discover through competitive market interaction both the most efficient mix of services and the corresponding quality safeguards, adjusting for the costs and benefits of each possibility.

The Impact of the Provision of Non-audit Services on Auditor Independence

The Impact of the Provision of Non-audit Services on Auditor Independence PDF Author: Saleh Juma Kh Alhajh
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


The Impact of Independence-related AAERs on the Provision of Non-audit Services

The Impact of Independence-related AAERs on the Provision of Non-audit Services PDF Author: Kevin Hsu
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Book Description
This study examines the differences in the provision of non-audit services (NAS) for audit offices that receive SEC Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases (AAERs). While prior research examines the links between the provision of non-audit services and impaired auditor independence, less attention has been paid to the contagion effects of independence violations. However, I do not find any evidence of a significant difference in the amount of NAS provided by offices that receive an independence-related AAER, relative to offices that receive other auditor-related AAERs. Broadly, my findings suggest that clients do not differentiate between independence violations and other audit-related violations and that no contagion effect exists for independence violations.

Does the Provision of Non?Audit Services Impair Auditor Independence?

Does the Provision of Non?Audit Services Impair Auditor Independence? PDF Author: Allen T. Craswell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The provision of management advisory and other services by auditors to their audit clients has long been regarded, by regulators in Australia and overseas, as a threat to auditor independence. Evidence of the impact of non?audit services on auditors' independence has been derived using case studies and questionnaires and has focused on perceptions of independence. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the provision of non?audit services impairs auditor independence by testing for an association between the provision of non?audit services and auditors' reporting opinions. Based on publicly available information for Australian listed companies for several years, the evidence suggests that auditors' decisions to qualify their opinions are not affected by the provision of non?audit services.

Association Between Audit Opinion and Provision of Non-Audit Services

Association Between Audit Opinion and Provision of Non-Audit Services PDF Author: Nasrollah Ahadiat
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Purpose - While a few US studies on the impact of the provision of non-audit services on auditor judgment have found potential harm to independence, it is the purpose of this study to investigate whether the British and Australian auditors' involvement with both audit and non-audit services for the same clients may also produce similar results.Design/Methodology/Approach - The parametric t-tests and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney tests are used in this study on the empirical data from the British and Australian companies to examine the potential for loss of independence when high levels of non-audit services are provided to audit clients.Findings - The results corroborated the US Securities and Exchange Commission's contention that the provision of non-audit services may indeed impair independence.Research Limitations/Implications - No attempts were made to isolate the effects of other factors that could result in the issuance of qualified opinions. In addition, the sample used in this investigation is comprised of firms that had voluntarily disclosed non-audit fees in the early years of the study. This could potentially introduce a self-selection bias. Nevertheless, this study is one of a kind in the international arena.Originality/Value - This paper extends the line of research examining the impact of non-audit services on the auditor's independence.

Professionalism Vs. Commercialism

Professionalism Vs. Commercialism PDF Author: Jagdish Singh Sidhu
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Auditing
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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The Relation Between Auditors' Fees for Non-audit Services and Earnings Quality

The Relation Between Auditors' Fees for Non-audit Services and Earnings Quality PDF Author: Richard M. Frankel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Auditing
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
We examine the association between the provision of non-audit services and earnings quality. Because of concerns regarding the effect of non-audit services on financial reporting credibility, the Securities and Exchange Commission recently issued revised auditor independence rules requiring firms to disclose in their annual proxy statement the amount of fees paid to auditors for audit and non-audit services. Using data collected from proxy statements filed between February 5, 2001 and June 15, 2001, we present evidence that firms purchasing more non-audit services from their auditor are more likely to just meet or beat analysts' forecasts and to report larger absolute discretionary accruals. However, the purchase of non-audit services is not associated with meeting other earnings benchmarks. We also find that the unexpected component of the non-audit to total fee ratio is negatively associated with stock returns on the filing date. These results are consistent with arguments that the provision of non-audit services strengthens an auditor's economic bond with the client and that investors price this effect. Keywords: Auditor independence; Auditor fees; Earnings management; Discretionary accruals. JEL Classification: G12, M41, M43, M49, L84.

Non-Audit Services and Auditor Independence

Non-Audit Services and Auditor Independence PDF Author: Sun Min Kang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
In 2014, the EU adopted a bill limiting the non-audit services of auditors, reflecting societal concern that non-audit services provided by auditors can compromise auditor independence. But different from the expectation that the provision of non-audit services by external auditors affects auditor independence, previous studies have shown inconsistent results. What could be the reason? Contracts for non-audit services start from the purchase motive of the company with a need for non-audit services (Firth, 1997; Parkash and Venable, 1993). Simunic (1984) argued that only abnormal companies with special problems purchase non-audit services. However, not all non-audit services sales compromise auditor independence. This study analyzed and illustrated whether the purchase of non-audit services affects auditor independence by the examining the interaction between the performance of audit clients with earnings management incentives and the quasi-rents of the auditor. The results show that the discretionary accruals of corporations with poor management performance increased with statistical significance when they purchased non-audit services from an external auditor. However, among companies with excellent management results, no statistical significance between the purchase of non-audit services and discretionary accruals was identified. Thus, to analyze the effects of non-audit services on auditor independence, researchers should consider the purchase motives of audit clients asking for non-audit services.

Restricting Non-Audit Services in Europe - The Potential (Lack Of) Impact of a Blacklist and a Fee Cap On Auditor Independence and Audit Quality

Restricting Non-Audit Services in Europe - The Potential (Lack Of) Impact of a Blacklist and a Fee Cap On Auditor Independence and Audit Quality PDF Author: Nicole V.S. Ratzinger-Sakel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 37

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Book Description
The European audit reform aims to stabilize financial markets by enhancing trust in the statutory audit. To strengthen auditor independence and to increase audit quality the provision of non-audit services to audit clients is further restricted. The supranational introduction of a blacklist, including prohibited non-audit services, and of a cap on the volume of non-audit fees is a novelty on the European level. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we analyze these measures in light of both current national restrictions of non-audit services and auditor fee disclosure requirements in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Second, we assess the potential impact of the cap on the volume of non-audit services by providing descriptive evidence on current fee levels in these three countries. Third, we critically assess the impact of the audit reform regarding non-audit services in light of audit research by analyzing the state-of-the-art. On this basis, we doubt whether the European reform of auditor-provided non-audit services is effective and efficient. The main goal of enhancing perceived auditor independence and, thus, public trust in audited financial statements of public-interest entities may be hardly achieved and the blacklist might present a tradeoff between auditor independence and audit quality.

Non-Audit Services Provided to Audit Clients, Independence of Mind and Independence in Appearance

Non-Audit Services Provided to Audit Clients, Independence of Mind and Independence in Appearance PDF Author: Domenico Campa
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This paper investigates whether the provision of non-audit services (NAS) to audit clients impairs auditor independence of mind and independence in appearance. The main contributions of this paper are in terms of its timeliness with respect to regulatory changes, the simultaneous examination of both forms of auditor independence and the methodological innovation whereby it uses a variable derived from the level of abnormal audit fees as a moderating variable in order to capture the direct impact of the NAS fee level on auditor independence as well as how its influence is moderated by the level of unexpected audit fees. Our results indicate that auditor independence of mind is compromised by the size of NAS fees, particularly for clients who pay below the level of expected audit fee. The stock market perceives that auditor independence is compromised by NAS fees but, at the same time, additional tests indicate that there are benefits that accrue from NAS and, in particular, the relation between return and non-discretionary net income is increasing in NAS fees. The balance of evidence suggests that the EU is correct in undertaking some reform of the auditing market.