SEC Comment Letters: An Unlikely Secret Weapon for Forensic Accountants, Short Sellers, and Other Financial Statement Users

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Grove ◽  
Tomajean Johnsen ◽  
Pei Lung
Keyword(s):  
Financial Statement ◽  
Short Sellers ◽  
Comment Letters

scholarly journals Auditor style and common disclosure deficiencies : evidence from SEC comment letters

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Matthew Baugh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Auditor Tenure ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Comment Letters ◽  
Decision Errors

Prior literature documents that auditor style increases financial statement comparability, implicitly making financial statements more useful to outsiders. Auditor style results from policies and procedures that centralize decision-making within the audit firm. A potential hazard of centralized decision-making is the propagation of decision errors throughout the entity. I predict, and find evidence to suggest, that auditor style is associated with a set of common disclosure deficiencies among clientele as measured by receipt of similar SEC comment letters. Clients also converge in both style and disclosure deficiencies as auditor tenure increases. Further, after changing auditors, clients appear to assume the style and disclosure deficiencies of the subsequent auditor. These results provide the first evidence that auditor style, while potentially a net benefit to users of the financial statements, has potential costs as well.

scholarly journals The Accounting Profession's Engagement with Accounting Standards: Conceptualizing Accounting Complexity through Big 4 Comment Letters

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Baudot ◽  
Kristina C. Demek ◽  
Zhongwei Huang
Keyword(s):  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Financial Accounting Standards Board ◽  
Significant Issue ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms ◽  
Comment Letters

SUMMARY Regulators, standard setters, and the accounting profession maintain that complexity in accounting standards is a significant issue. However, it is unclear what complexity means in the context of accounting standards. This study examines, via comment letter submissions, the accounting profession's engagement with complexity in accounting standards. We analyze comment letters submitted to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) over a 12-year period and find the profession characterizes complexity through three dimensions—multiplicity, diversity, and interrelatedness. We examine the Big 4's discourse on these dimensions and observe consistency between audit firms in their discourse on several features. For instance, we find that firms primarily oppose proposed FASB changes when firms perceive those changes to increase rather than decrease complexity. Additionally, firms perceive proposed changes to affect financial statement preparers more often than other stakeholders. However, the Big 4 do not hold universal opinions as to the root causes of complexity. At the cross-firm level, we find inconsistencies that imply heterogeneity in the Big 4's discourse on root causes. Such inconsistency may, in and of itself, construct accounting complexity. Ultimately, we maintain that the Big 4's engagement with accounting standards has consequences for how complexity is thought about and acted upon in accounting standards.

The Determinants and Consequences of Big 4 Lobbying Positions on Proposed Financial Accounting Standards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R. Monsen
Keyword(s):  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Textual Features ◽  
Comment Letters ◽  
Accounting Standard Setting

Despite the considerable participation of Big 4 accounting firms in accounting standard setting, there is no systematic evidence on what factors shape Big 4 support or opposition toward proposed accounting standards or whether their lobbying positions materially influence standards. Using textual features of Big 4 comment letters on FASB proposals, I find that Big 4 firms' lobbying positions reflect profit motives through support for standards that will generate more fees or are supported by their clients. Big 4 lobbying support is concentrated in proposals exhibiting both characteristics, with some evidence suggesting client agreement dominates fee-generating incentives. Big 4 lobbying positions are significantly associated with standard setting outcomes, both in isolation and relative to other FASB constituents, including financial statement users. Although I primarily focus on Big 4 accounting firms, results indicate the tone of comment letters submitted by users is unassociated with the standard setting outcomes measured in this study.

SEC Comment Letters and Financial Statement Restatements

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice E. Lawrence ◽  
Gao Lei ◽  
David B. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Financial Statement ◽  
Comment Letters

scholarly journals The Standard Auditors Report: Preparer, User, And Student Reactions To The PCAOB Concept Release

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 113-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don E. Giacomino ◽  
Michael D. Akers
Keyword(s):  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Audit Report ◽  
Short History ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Comment Letters ◽  
Student Reactions

Concerns about the usefulness of the Standard Audit Report (SAR) have been expressed by investors and other users of corporate financial statement for several decades. During 2011 the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) reacted to those concerns by issuing Concept Release on Possible Revisions to the PCAOB Standards Related to PCAOB Standards (Release). This article provides a description of the SAR, a short history (timetable) of the pressures (surveys) to improve the SAR and events that have led to the eventual Release by the PCAOB. Feedback (comment letters and surveys) from professionals and professional organizations regarding the Release are examined and discussed. Accounting and finance majors, future preparers and users of the financial statements, were surveyed to determine both their reactions to the PCAOBs SAR and whether their reactions were different than practitioners. This article concludes with an analysis of the results and implications for audit practice and education.

Pengaruh Faktor Demografi Dan Iklim Organisasi Terhadap Niat Whistleblowing Internal

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22
Author(s):  
Priyastiwi Priyastiwi
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Research Use ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Financial Statement Fraud ◽  
Internal Whistleblowing ◽  
Collection Methods

This study aimed to examine the effect of demographic factors and organizational climate on the intention of internal whistleblowing. The sample was an accountant who had worked as an auditor. Data collection methods using questionnaires with financial statement fraud case scenarios. This research use ANOVA data analysis method to examine demographic factors include age, gender, and experience, as well as organizational climate on the intention of internal whistleblowing. The results showed only the experience of demographic factors that influence internal whistleblowing. Besides internal whistlelowing also influenced by organizational climate in the company.Keyword: Demographics, Organizational Climate, Whistleblowing

Comprehensive Income: which potential effects on firms' performance evaluation and users' decision process?

2016 ◽  
pp. 55-94
Author(s):  
Pier Luigi Marchini ◽  
Carlotta D'Este
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Comprehensive Income ◽  
Other Comprehensive Income ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
The Impact

The reporting of comprehensive income is becoming increasingly important. After the introduction of Other Comprehensive Income (OCI) reporting, as required by the 2007 IAS 1-revised, the IASB is currently seeking inputs from investors on the usefulness of unrealized gains and losses and on the role of comprehensive income. This circumstance is of particular relevance in code law countries, as local pre-IFRS accounting models influence financial statement preparers and users. This study aims at investigating the role played by unrealized gains and losses reporting on users' decision process, by examining the impact of OCI on the Italian listed companies RoE ratio and by surveying a sample of financial analysts, also content analysing their formal reports. The results show that the reporting of comprehensive income does not affect the financial statement users' decision process, although it statistically affects Italian listed entities' performance.

Telaahan Penerapan Sistem Informasi Akuntansi Berbasis Komputer Akuntansi (Menggunakan Microsoft Excel) dalam Penyajian Laporan Keuangan (Studi Kasus pada Rumah Sakit Islam Bogor)

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (02) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Syarief Gerald Prasetya
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Accounting Information ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Accounting Information System ◽  
Achievement Data ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Processing Data

Hospital was established to serve the medical needs of the citizen. In addition to serving, hospitals also need to explore the benefits for the sustainability and the development of the hospital. To achieve financial reports have involved a large role. Accounting information system computer-based accounting will help serving the financial reports, so that more accurate and faster. Errors can be diminished.  Research object is selected by the author to conduct research is Bogor Rumah Sakit Islam. A hospital that is located on Jl. Perdana Raya. 22 Budi Agung, Jakarta Utara. This hospital was established on May 12, 1991. The location is strategic as it is in the center of Bogor. In doing activity, accounting information system based on computerized accounting still not yet common use. Computer already exist but support application to create an accurate and fast financial statement does not exist. So much weaknesses if we still using manual method. Like slowly processing data, still using much worker and much step while processing. The information result is still contained high mistake. To solve all problems above we need accounting software as tool for accounting division. For that I try to apply computerized accounting using Microsoft Excel for helping creating financial statement. By doing observation and interview with related employee, this research can do well. Journalize transaction process by using Microsoft Excel is to make a column for each transaction such as Journal Voucher, General Ledger, Balance Sheet. After making a column, the next step is inputing achievement data to Journal Voucher. After inputing data, General Ledger and Balance Sheet can automatically fill up. By using computer, processing data is more faster, information result is more accurately, human resource is less needed. Related management can get information they need more faster, because amount recalculated every doing transaction.

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