关于雷曼破产事件审计问题的探析

2008年9月,雷曼兄弟向美国联邦破产法庭递交破产申请,引起世界金融界的一场轩然大波,其高管粉饰报表行为和外部监管失灵等问题一直是学术界关心的重要话题。本文以2010年3月美国联邦破产法庭对雷曼兄弟破产事件调查结果为契机,针对雷曼管理层如何利用对商业不动产的不合理估计,以及如何大量采用REPO 105交易方式严重粉饰财务报表进行剖析,着重分析了安永会计师事务所在给雷曼兄弟提供相关审计服务时所存在的问题,认为审计师缺乏应有的职业谨慎以及审计程序履行不到位是关键所在;注册会计师在提供审计服务时只有秉持重视审计目标,保持应有职业怀疑,以及坚持"实质重于形式"的三项基本原则,才能在市场中占有一席之地。

Discussion on Auditing Issues on Lehman Bankruptcy

In September 2008,Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,which then caused a great uproar to the whole world.Some issues about concealing financial reporting and failure of external supervision soon became the hot topics.Based on the investigation report issued by the U.S.Federal Bankruptcy Court in March 2010,the essay analyzes in detail how Lehman takes advantage of unreasonable valuation of Commercial Real Estate asset portfolio and extensive use of "REPO 105" to conceal the deteriorating financial result,and then focuses on the the problems raised when Ernst & Young had been providing auditing service to Lehman Brothers.It comes to a conclusion that the EY auditors had been lack of due professional care and the audit procedures had not been properly performed during the auditing period.Only when certified accountants uphold to the audit objectives,maintain due professional skepticism and persist to the basic principle of "substance over form",can they take a place in the competitive and challenging market.