Auditor Resignations and Dismissals

The auditing profession has seen tremendous change over the last 10 years. The Big Five have become the Big Four, the profession is now externally regulated, specific consulting services can no longer be provided to audit clients, audit committee roles and responsibilities have been expanded, manage...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The CPA journal (1975) 2008-01, Vol.78 (1), p.28
Main Authors: Owens-Jackson, Lisa A, Robinson, Diana R, Shelton, Sandra Waller
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accounting firms
Audit committees
Audit engagements
Audit fees
Auditing
Auditing profession
Auditor changes
Big Four accounting firms
Internal controls
Liability insurance
Litigation
Professional malpractice
Public companies
Resignations
Trends
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The auditing profession has seen tremendous change over the last 10 years. The Big Five have become the Big Four, the profession is now externally regulated, specific consulting services can no longer be provided to audit clients, audit committee roles and responsibilities have been expanded, management must assess the effectiveness of internal controls, and auditors must render an opinion on the effectiveness of internal controls. Given the more stringent client-acceptance/retention policies of the Big Four, the movement of SEC registrants to regional and other national firms is expected. Over the last eight years, the number of auditor resignations and client dismissals has grown significantly, and the trend picked up sharply between 2001 and 2004. Audit firms have realized the extent of their potential liability and have tried to protect themselves with malpractice insurance. Lawsuits against CPA firms are estimated to have increased, with many asserting conflicts of interest and poor audit quality.
ISSN:0732-8435