|
|
The report published by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), the ACCA and the IFAC provides compelling evidence that “the presence of multidisciplinary firms in a large and evolving corporate reporting system fills a valuable market need” and simultaneously commends how the rules that have evolved over the past two decades “mitigate risks associated with audit firms providing non-audit services to some audit clients.”
The report, Audit Quality in a Multidisciplinary Firm, draws its findings from leading academic literature, views of policy experts, and an in-depth study of how regulators worldwide manage risk. It is meant to contribute constructively to the international debate on the multidisciplinary firm business model and auditors providing non-audit services.
The report notes that high quality audits require “a diverse skill base” and that “the multidisciplinary model is one of the best mechanisms to develop the skills, expertise and consistency needed for quality audits.”
The narrower issue of providing non-audit services to audit clients is more nuanced. The report notes, “There continues to be concern that independence is compromised in doing so, in spite of strict rules that prohibit or restrict firms from providing such services to audit clients.
“Services that are permitted quite often are complementary to the audit, and threats to independence can be effectively mitigated. However, demonstrating to the public that perceived conflicts of interest are being appropriately managed is challenging.”
The report continues: “As this issue continues to be considered, it is important to remember that evidence cited in this paper calls into question the need for sweeping regulatory changes that could have unintended consequences on audit quality” and notes that “the vast majority of non-audit fees actually come from clients for whom firms do not provide audit services.”
Full report Audit Quality in a Multidisciplinary Firm