Valuation Issues, Auditor Fraud, and PCAOB Confirmation: Findings From an Analysis of Lawsuits Against Large Public Accounting Firms

In this article, we bridge the gap between academia and practice by analyzing and presenting the results of allegations in more than 200 lawsuits against the largest public accounting firms. Our findings are critical as the lawsuits damage the firms’ reputations, the credibility of the profession in general, and may result in large monetary losses and loss of clients. We find three key results not found in previous legal research. First, we find that Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issues, especially those focused on valuation, dominate Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) issues in the allegations. Second, fraud allegations against the auditors themselves are a significant problem, although often ignored in the fraud literature. Third, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) reports on the accounting firms provide an unintended source of information for third parties in future legal allegations against those same firms.

Determinants of Audit Quality at Public Accounting Firms

Objective – This study aims to examine and prove the effect of education, experience and audit fee on audit quality. Methodology – The data used are primary data in the form of questionnaires distributed to auditors, both senior and junior auditors at Public Accounting Firms located in Sulawesi. The questionnaires distributed to respondents were 46 auditors and 42 questionnaires were returned and able to processed. Findings – This research used a quantitative approach by measuring the objective data through scientific calculations, derived from samples of certain objects to answer a number of questions. The sampling technique used in this study is purposive sampling by using certain criteria and the model used is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that education, experience and audit fee have an effect on audit quality. Novelty – Audit quality is a representation of the auditor's performance as an audit service provider and also the auditee as an audit service user. As a liaison between the interests of financial statement users and the company, auditors are required to improve the quality of their services which in turn will have an impact on quality of the audit results. Auditors with adequate education and experience and appropriate audit fee in performing audit services will have an effect on the quality of the resulting audit. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: M40, M49. Keywords: Audit, Education; Experience; Fee; Quality

Pengaruh Profesionalisme dan Etika Profesi Terhadap Pertimbangan Tingkat Materialitas Dalam laporan Keuangan

ABSTRACT This study aims to determine how the influence of professionalism and professional ethics on the consideration of the level of materiality in financial statements in public accounting firms, especially in the provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java. This research is a survey research conducted on auditors who work in public accounting firms with a sampling technique by distributing questionnaires both in person and online. The number of questionnaires processed was 40 questionnaires, with details of 20 questionnaires from google form and 20 questionnaires from questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The data used in this study used primary data obtained from the questionnaire method given directly to the auditors of public accounting firms in Yogyakarta and also Central Java, namely Surakarta and Semarang. The results of the study show that Professionalism and Professional Ethics affect the consideration of the level of materiality in the financial statements Keywords: professionalism, professional ethics, materiality level considerations

Effect of Debt Ratio, Company Size, Reputation of Public Accounting Firms and Company Growth on Going Concern Audit Opinions on Consumer Goods Companies Listed on The Indonesia Stock Exchange For The 2016-2019 Period

Go public companies are required to audit their financial statements by an independent auditor, namely an auditor who works at a public accounting firms. This study aims to examine the effect of debt ratio, company size, reputation of public accounting firms and company growth on going concern audit opinions on Consumer Goods Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2016-2019 period. This study uses a quantitative descriptive approach. The population is 51 Consumer Goods Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2016-2019 period. The sample is 15 companies. The data analysis method used is logistic regression. The results of the study are the debt ratio, company size, reputation of public accounting firms and company growth simultaneously effect on going concern audit opinions on Consumer Goods Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2016-2019 period. Debt ratio, company size, reputation of public accounting firms and company growth partially have no effect on going concern audit opinions on Consumer Goods Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2016-2019 period.

Kompetensi Auditor, Independensi, Skeptisme Profesional dan Kualitas Audit

The emergence of several cases that befell well-known Public Accounting Firms in Indonesia makes researchers want to test so that the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of auditor competence, auditor independence, and professional skepticism on audit quality. This study uses a survey method with a questionnaire. The sample in this study is an auditor who works at a Public Accounting Firm in South Jakarta. The sampling technique used was random sampling method. The sample of this research was conducted in 10 Public Accounting Firms with 77 auditors as respondents. The results of this study indicate that auditor competence, auditor independence, and professional skepticism have a positive effect on audit quality. This result implies that it is important for an auditor to have adequate competence, independent attitude and professional skepticism while carrying out audit engagements.How to Cite:Renaldi., & Mawardi, R. (2021). Kompetensi Auditor, Independensi, Skeptisme Profesional dan Kualitas Audit. Akuntabilitas: Jurnal Ilmu Akuntansi, 14(2), 153-168.

The Effect of Auditor Independence and Ethics on Audit Quality with Audit Fee as a Moderating Variable in Public Accounting Firms in Medan

This study discusses the effect of auditor independence and ethics on audit quality with audit fees as a moderating variable. This analysis used two independent variables: independence and auditor ethics. Audit quality was the dependent variable, while audit fees were the moderating variable. This research was conducted in 4 Public Accounting Firms (KAP) in the Medan City area, using 70 auditors from 21 Public Accounting Firms (KAP). A quantitative method was employed in this research. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling. In this study, data was collected by surveys or the distribution of questionnaires. Primary data was used as a source. The statistical method employed Partial Least Square Analysis with partial statistical test hypothesis testing (t) in the coefficient of determination (R2 ). SmartPls program was used in this research. The results of this study indicate that independence has a significant effect on audit quality, partially. Meanwhile, auditor ethics has no significant effect on audit quality, and audit fees cannot be a moderating variable on the effect of independence and auditor ethics on audit quality.

The post-SOX comparative dynamics of public accounting firm efficiency

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the differences in the efficiency of public accounting firms across both firms and countries in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley world. It also investigates the issues surrounding the dynamics of their efficiency gaps. Design/methodology/approach This study uses four-stage data envelopment analysis to estimate the efficiency of public accounting firms in the USA, the UK and Canada over the period 2008–2015. The ß- and σ- convergence tests are applied to analyze the dynamics of the efficiency gaps across firms and countries. Findings The results show that market competition in the accounting sector increases efficiency. Gross domestic product growth also increases it while inflation decreases it. The analytical results indicate that the lagging public accounting firms are catching up to the leading public accounting firms within the same country, within the Big 4 group and within the non-Big 4 group. They also show that the non-Big 4 groups are catching up to the Big 4 group and that the countries with less efficient accounting firms are catching up to the country with the more efficient accounting firms. Originality/value This study accounts explicitly for the effect of business environmental factors on public accounting firm efficiency. Furthermore, the research also adds to the literature by investigating the comparative dynamics of the efficiency gaps of public accounting firms.

DETERMINAN KUALITAS AUDIT DI KANTOR AKUNTAN PUBLIK JAKARTA TIMUR

The purpose of This study is to study the effect of accounting knowledge, auditor experience, auditor independence, and auditor integrity on audit quality in East Jakarta public accounting firms. The method used in this research is quantitative method, where the variables studied are accounting knowledge, auditor experience, auditor independence and auditor integrity as independent variables and Audit Quality as the dependent variable. The population used in this study were all public accounting firms registered in the East Jakarta area. The sample selection technique used purposive sampling and the data were collected using a questionnaire and processed using SPSS software. Data processing and analysis techniques used in this study are accounting analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, data quality test, multiple linear regression analysis, classical assumption test, hypothesis testing and coefficient of determination. The results of the study show that Accounting Knowledge, Auditor Experience, Auditor Independence, and Auditor Integrity have an influence on the dependent variable (Audit Quality).

Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: Collaborating for Diversity

The Center for Accounting Education at Howard University partnered with public accounting firms, professional accounting associations, state CPA societies, and accounting academics to formulate recommendations to improve the advancement and retention of Black accounting professionals. Black accountants make up 9 percent of all U.S. accountants and auditors, but in public accounting firms they account for only 4 percent of professional staff and a mere 1 percent of partners (U.S. BLS 2019; AICPA 2019). An important indicator of the collaboration’s success is that public accounting firm leaders sought out its findings and are implementing its recommendations. This paper presents the formation, operation, and outcomes of the collaboration. It also describes the value each group gained from collaborating and provides recommendations for managing collaborations. Our descriptions are offered as a model for others to translate the results of academic research into industry action.