审计师特征与审计质量

本文以2017年沪市A股上市公司为样本,手工收集了注册会计师个人特征数据(学历、专业、职位、执业年限与审计任期),研究了会计师个人特征与审计质量之间的关系。研究发现:注册会计师学历、专业、职位与审计质量之间呈显著的正相关关系;审计任期与审计质量呈负相关关系;执业年限与审计质量之间未通过显著性检验。     

共享审计师与"执业网络"的"传染效应":基于关键审计事项的证据

本文锁定2016-2019年为上市公司出具关键审计事项的会计师事务所,以这些事务所承接的上市公司为样本,将被出具关键审计事项的公司定义为"被联结公司",将与之共享至少一位签字注册会计师的公司定义为"联结公司",研究因共享审计师形成的"执业网络"在关键审计事项出具时的效应.结果表明:共享审计师可以在向"被联结公司"出具关键审计事项时获取经验和信息,增强自身的沟通能力和执业质量,并将之运用于"联结公司",提升"联结公司"的审计质量和审计效率.这种效应类似于网络研究中的"传染"现象,故将其命名为"传染效应".进一步研究表明,"联结公司"业务集中度越高、自身规模和所聘事务所规模越大,则"执业网络"内注册会计师沉淀的经验和累积的能力越多,"传染效应"越明显.     

独立审计技术与方法研究

独立审计准则是规范注册会计师执业行为的权威性标准.随着证券市场的发展和注册会计师行业建设的深入,注册会计师执业的规范与否对市场经济的影响愈加明显.对审计环境变化、独立审计技术与方法革新、独立审计管理等内容的探讨可以使执业人员认清国际形势,以期缩小国内外的差距,完善我国的审计技术与方法,更好地为企业提供公平、公正和优质的服务.     

独立审计准则推行中存在的矛盾与解决途径

独立审计准则是用来规范注册会计师执行审计业务，获取审计证据，形成审计结论，出具审计报告的专业标准。1985年以来我国先后发布了四批独立审计准则共38项，有力推动了我国注册会计师事业的快速发展。但由于注册会计师业务的不断扩展，社会对注册会计师执业质量的要求不断提高以及我国注册会计师执业环境不理想等原因，独立审计准则在执行中还存在诸多矛盾。     

审计证据的评价研究

<正>获取和评价审计证据贯穿审计工作的始终,有效地评价审计证据为审计师得出审计结论奠定了坚实的基础,注册会计师执业准则也要求注册会计师以质疑的思维方式评价所获取证据的有效性,并对相互矛盾的证据,以及引起对文件记录或责任方提供的信息的可靠性产生怀疑的证据保持警觉。审计证据要     

我国内部控制审计与财务报表审计整合的研究

2010年颁布的《企业内部控制审计指引》,为我国注册会计师执行内部控制审计工作提供了执业指南.为降低审计成本,将内部控制审计与财务报表审计进行整合已是大势所趋.本文对此进行研究,以期为我国注册会计师行业开展整合审计业务提供切实可行的操作性建议.     

签字注册会计师强制轮换制度提高了审计质量吗?——基于中国上市公司的实证研究

本文分析了我国签字注册会计师强制轮换制度对审计质量的影响,并检验了影响制度效果的主要因素。研究发现,强制轮换制度总体上没有显著提高审计质量,其原因一是强制轮换制度执行中存在规避行为,导致审计师变更频繁和过渡审计师的出现,其对应审计质量较低;二是强制轮换制度实施后,新任审计师的平均专业胜任能力下降,导致审计质量下降。而具有原客户审计经验的审计师在被强制轮换后重新审计该客户的审计质量较高,这能在一定程度上抑制上市公司审计质量的整体下滑。本文的发现对进一步完善签字注册会计师强制轮换制度有较好的参考意义。     

港澳台动态

香港会计师公会建议完善注册会计师审计制度香港会计师公会近日发布一份有关完善审计制度的咨询文件,拟加强对会计师和审计师的监管。内容包括重新检讨颁授执业证书制度、续牌制     

国际财经

美英就强制会计师事务所轮换征求意见近期国际上因金融危机引发对审计品质之争议,而审计品质又与注册会计师是否具备独立性、客观性及专业怀疑密切相关。审计师与公司客户间的长期关系,有可能导致会计师事务所缺乏对客户财务报表应有的专业怀疑或屈服于客户压力,继而引发投资人关切。据路透社8月3日报道,美国标普五百强公司委任同一家会计师事务所执业时间,有175家超过25年,有7家超过100年。     

注册会计师独立审计执业环境研究（上）

本文是上海市审计学会、上海市社会审计协会《注册会计师独立审计执业环境研究》课题组的研究成果。课题由徐惠勇负责并总纂定稿。文章论述全面、深入。现征得课题组同意，特分期在本刊发表。导言注册会计师制度是市场经济的产物，市场促进了注册会计师制度的建立和发展，注册会计师制度的发展又促进了市场经济的不断完善。随着我国社会主义市场经济体制的建立和运行，党和政府十分重视会计师事务所、审计师事务所等中介组织的发展。还在1992年10月，江泽民同志在党的十四大报告中就指出要发展“会计审计咨询”等第三产业。1993年11月，在党…     

The Market for External Audit Services in the Public Sector: An Empirical Analysis of NHS Trusts

This study investigates the market for audit services in the UK National Health Service (NHS). The market has a number of interesting features, including the presence of the Audit Commission as a regulator, appointer and provider of audit services. Following a theoretical overview of audit pricing in the NHS, evidence is provided on the behaviour of private sector auditors in an environment where audit risk characteristics differ from the private sector. The research also investigates, for the first time in the public sector, the relationship between audit fees and non–audit (consultancy) fees. Comparisons are also drawn between audit fees in the public and private sectors in an analysis of audit fees by industry. Despite some key similarities, the study shows that a number of differences exist between private and public sector audit fee models. In particular, we find no evidence of Big 6 (or mid–tier) auditor premiums, but we do find a significant negative relationship between audit and consultancy fees providing support for the 'knowledge spill–over' hypothesis. In addition, the fees charged to trusts appear significantly lower than their private sector counterparts, despite trust auditors having additional duties to perform. Possible explanations for this finding are offered in the paper.     

New Auditors’ Decisions for Released Firms from the Mandatory Auditor Designation Rule: Evidence From South Korea

This study examines the effect of the mandatory designation rule on audit fees charged and audit hours rendered by auditors for firms released from the mandatory auditor designation rule in the Korean audit market. Under the mandatory auditor designation rule, which took effect in 1991, problematic firms are assigned new auditors by the Financial Supervisory Service. Previous studies suggest that this regulation positively affects the quality of audits by promoting auditor independence. Thus, this study hypothesises that firms that have been subjected to mandatory auditor designation improve the quality of their financial reporting, and that auditors hired after the mandatory designation period account for reduced audit risks when determining audit fees and audit hours. This study shows that audit fees and audit hours of firms released from the mandatory auditor designation rule are lower than those of other initial audit engagements. Taken together, this study's findings reinforce the notion that auditors’ perceptions of changes in audit risk yield corresponding changes in the audit fees they charge and audit hours they render.     

Evidence on the Joint Determination of Audit and Non-Audit Fees

In this study we investigate whether the characteristics of clients, auditors, and the auditor‐client relationship simultaneously determine audit and non‐audit fees. As done in prior studies, we maintain that fees proxy for the level of service provided and follow the physical flow of knowledge. Estimating single‐equation models of audit and non‐audit fee models, we confirm prior findings of an association between audit and non‐audit fees. Studies conclude that such evidence is consistent with knowledge spillovers between the two services. However, we document empirically that audit and non‐audit fees are simultaneously determined. Because the data indicate audit and non‐audit fees are jointly determined, we then investigate whether previously documented associations between audit and non‐audit fees are the result of biased estimation induced by using endogenous variables in single‐equation models. In contrast to results from single‐equation estimations, we find no association between audit and non‐audit fees using a simultaneous specification of the fee system, suggesting that single‐equation estimations suffer from simultaneous‐equations bias. In sum, the findings are not consistent with the existence of economies of scope from the joint performance of audit and non‐audit services after controlling for the joint behavior of audit and non‐audit fees. Given the ongoing debate over the level of allowed non‐audit services by auditors, the argument for the joint provision of audit and non‐audit services is less justified than if joint‐supply benefits had been documented.     

Independent and joint effects of audit partner tenure and non-audit fees on audit quality

We examine the individual and joint effects of auditors’ non-audit services (NAS)/abnormal NAS fees and length of audit partner tenure on audit quality. Our results raise questions about the ‘one size fits all’ approach imposed by the current audit partner rotation requirement in Australia as a result of (1) a learning differentiation that we observe between Big 4 and non-Big 4 auditors and (2) higher discretionary accruals associated with non-Big 4 auditors. We find abnormal NAS fees to have a positive association with both absolute and positive (income-increasing) values of discretionary accruals for firms with short audit partner tenure. NAS/abnormal NAS fees are also negatively associated with the issuance of going concern opinions to financially distressed firms when partner tenure is short. In terms of policy implications, regulators are able to gauge the efficacy of the CLERP 9 reforms which currently impose a five year mandatory audit partner rotation requirement.     

The effect of political visibility on audit effort and audit pricing

This study examines whether auditors adjust their effort and pricing decisions for political visibility. We argue, from the behavioural literature, that political visibility will create the need for more justification by auditors. Using data on actual audit fees, hours and billing rates for a sample of New Zealand public sector companies, we find that total audit fees are positively related to the number of press mentions (our proxy for political visibility). Consistent with our expectations we find that audit fees are monotonically related to audit fees. We also find that auditors increase the hours spent on the audit but not billing rates, which further suggests defensive bolstering by auditors.     

Auditor quality,audit fees,organizational structure,and risk taking in the US life insurance industry

Using a system of simultaneous equations, this study examines the relation among external audit monitoring, in the US life insurance industry. We find insurers with higher leverage risk and surplus risk are more likely to use Big‐4 auditors and to pay higher fees. In return, insurers hiring Big‐4 auditors and paying higher audit fees have lower leverage risk and surplus risk. Second, the results suggest that mutual life insurers have a higher leverage risk and surplus risk than stock life insurers. This evidence is in contrast to that for property–liability insurance companies. Third, we find insurers are less likely to hire Big‐4 auditors and to pay higher audit fees after implementation of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX). Finally, life insurers with Big‐4 auditors or paying higher audit fees are more likely to take lower risks after the implementation of SOX.     

审计师收取客户债务风险溢价了吗?

已有研究发现,公司债务风险越高,审计师收取的审计费用越高;然而,审计费用提高的原因可能是审计投入的增加,也可能是审计师收取客户公司的债务风险溢价。由于缺少审计投入的数据,已有研究无法回答审计师是否收取客户公司债务风险溢价的问题。本文以我国A股上市公司为研究样本,运用我国独到的审计工时数据,就此展开相关问题研究。研究发现,在控制了审计投入之后,客户债务风险与审计费用显著正相关,表明审计师收取了客户公司的债务风险溢价。进一步研究表明,审计师对财务状况较差和治理较差的公司以及非国有企业收取更高的债务风险溢价,规模较小的会计师事务所收取的债务风险溢价高于规模较大的会计师事务所。     

Responses by Australian auditors to the global financial crisis

We examine the impact of the global financial crisis (GFC) on auditor behaviour in Australia. Using a sample of listed companies, we examine whether the GFC impacted the propensity of auditors to issue going concern modifications and increased audit effort as reflected in audit fees and audit reporting lag. Controlling for client characteristics, we find an increase in the propensity to issue going concern opinions during the period 2008–2009 compared with the period 2005–2007 and that Big N auditors responded to the GFC earlier than non‐Big N auditors. In relation to audit effort, we find evidence of increased audit fees during the period 2008–2009 compared with the period 2005–2007. There is, however, no evidence of increased audit reporting lags during the GFC.     

The impact of financial reporting flexibility on auditor risk judgement: Evidence from the implementation of FIN 46R

This paper investigates how auditors respond, in terms of their pricing and audit work, to a reduction of clients’ financial reporting discretion upon the implementation of FIN 46R, which requires firms to consolidate the variable interest entities (VIE) under their control. Using a difference-in-differences research design, we find that auditors charge relatively fewer audit fees and have shorter audit report lags for firms that are significantly affected by FIN 46R, compared to a group of control firms. This result concurs with the view that auditors react favorably to the reduction of clients’ financial reporting discretion. Our finding is concentrated among clients with higher accrual earnings management constraints, auditors with less client-specific knowledge, and auditors who have no recent experience of audit failures (e.g., severe client restatements). Our results are robust to alternative identifications of treatment and control samples, and our conclusion remains valid after controlling for the contemporaneous adoption of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act. We also show that the relatively reduced audit fees and audit effort do not lead to the deterioration of audit quality.     

Non-audit Services and Auditor Independence: New Zealand Evidence

Abstract:  This paper examines evidence in New Zealand about whether auditors providing more non-audit services are less independent. Three sets of tests are used to address the issue. The first examines whether there is a relation between non-audit fees and audit fees, the second examines whether there is a relation between non-audit fees and audit report qualification or modification, and the third examines whether there is a relation between non-audit fees and stability of audit tenure. The results suggest a potential for the impairment of auditor independence in appearance when auditors provide non-audit services but no evidence of any impact on independence of mind.