Section 301 of the Corporations Act requires companies to have their financial reports audited. Academic research suggests that Big-4 auditors charge higher fees than other auditors and their audit reports are more credible than those issued by other auditors. Required: In times of economic recession would you expect: the demand for audits to increase or decrease? clients to shift from large (Big-4) auditors to smaller auditors, or from smaller auditors to Big- 4 auditors? Why or why not?

Section 301 of the Corporations Act requires companies to have their financial reports audited. Academic research suggests that Big-4 auditors charge higher fees than other auditors and their audit reports are more credible than those issued by other auditors. Required: In times of economic recession would you expect: the demand for audits to increase or decrease? clients to shift from large (Big-4) auditors to smaller auditors, or from smaller auditors to Big- 4 auditors? Why or why not?

Contemporary Auditing

11th Edition

ISBN:9781337650380

Author:KNAPP

Publisher:KNAPP

Chapter1: Comprehensive Cases

Section1.11: New Century Financial Corporation

Problem 3Q

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Section 301 of the Corporations Act requires companies to have their financial reports audited. Academic research suggests that Big-4 auditors charge higher fees than other auditors and their audit reports are more credible than those issued by other auditors.RequiredIn times of economic recession would you expect:(a) the demand for audits to increase or decrease?(b) clients to shift from large (Big-4) auditors to smaller auditors, or from smaller auditors to Big-4 auditors? Why or why not?
The following factors describe a potential audit client. For each factor, indicate whether it is indicative of poor corporate governance. Explain the reasoning for your assessment. Finally, determine the risks to reliable financial reporting that are associated with each factor. a.The company is in the financial services sector and has a large number of consumer loans, including mortgages, outstanding. b.The CEO’s and CFO’s compensation is based on three components: (a) base salary, (b) bonus based on growth in assets and profits, and (c) significant stock options. c.The company has an internal auditor who reports directly to the CFO and makes an annual report to the audit committee.
Your long-time client, Central Office Supply, has been rapidly expanding, and the board of directors is considering taking the company public.CEO Terry Puckett has heard that costs of operating a public company have increased significantly as a result of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. Puckett is particularly concerned with reports that audit fees have doubled because of internal control provisions of the act and PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 2201. Puckett has asked you to explain the possible effects on the audit of complying with the requirements of Sarbanes–Oxley.Required:Draft a letter to Puckett outlining the changes in the company’s responsibilities for internal control and changes in the audit due to Sarbanes–Oxley and PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 2201.
Which of the following is not part of Sarbanes–Oxley?a. An increased duty on the part of auditors to identify financial statement fraud.b. A requirement that the CEO and CFO certify the financial statements.c. Increased penalties for destruction of records in federal investigations.d. Increased penalties for mail fraud and criminal violations of the Securities Exchange Actof 1934
Which of the following is NOT an implication of Section 302 of SOX?a. Auditors must determine whether changes in internal control have materially affected, or are likely to materially affect, internal control over financial reporting.b. Auditors must interview management regarding significant changes in the design or operation of internal control that occurred since the last audit.c. Corporate management (including the CEO) must certify monthly and annually their organization’s internal controls over financial reporting.d. Management must disclose any material changes in the company’s internal controls that have occurred during the most recent fiscal quarter.
In 2001 and 2002 there were several high-profile US corporate collapses associated with misleading financial statements and accounting practices. Following these collapses, new laws were introduced to improve the quality of financial reporting. a) In your opinion, will further regulation prevent deliberately misleading reporting? Explain. b) Are additional laws likely to prevent corporate collapses? Why or why not? c) How important is the enforcement of financial reporting requirements in promoting high quality reporting?
From the article below, 1) What caused the SEC to question EY's independence? 2). Explain the findings in the history for EY's other instances where its independence was called into question. Accounting reform occurred after significant corporate misconduct was discovered in the early 1980s. Some of the reform sought to require public companies to put the hiring and pay of their auditors in the hands of an independent audit board committee. There has been concern that management still has significant influence on the evaluation and final decisions. Phillip Lamoreaux, an accounting professor at Arizona State University, conducted a study of more than 2,000 auditor changes in publicly traded companies. He found that companies whose top executives had worked with a Big Four accounting firm were twice as likely to select that firm. Many executives make their way into corporate America through the largest accounting firms in the world. A chief accountant in the Securities and Exchange…
Rules governing the investment practices of individual certified public accountants prohibit them from investing in the stock of a company that their firm audits. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) became concerned that some accountants were violating this rule. In response to an SEC investigation, PricewaterhouseCoopers fired 10 people and spent $25 million educating employees about the investment rules and installing an investment tracking system. Why do you think PricewaterhouseCoopers took such extreme steps in response to the SEC investigation?
Both Siemens and their accountant KPMG and Walmart and their accountant EY failed to resolve the conflict between the integrity and independence of the external auditors and the business interests of the accounting firms. Instead, the two accounting firms put self-interest before the public interest and shareholder interest of their respective clients when their clients sought to maximize company profits by: a. Bribery of foreign government officials b. Customer Identity theft c. Aggressive Inventory method of accounting d. Aggressive Revenue Recognition inconstant with GAAP e. Failing to book interest income from special purpose entities.
In thinking about overcoming the negative publicity and securities fraud fines related to revenue fraud, some companies succeed and move on, while others fail following the fraud. What forces might influence corporate “survivability” in the face of financial reporting fraud related to revenue?
“The public's perception of corporate ethics changed dramatically with the revelation of theunethical decision-making at Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, Tyco International, PeregrineSystems and iVillage. The scandals took a toll on consumers' confidence and portfolios, andundermined their faith in the accounting profession. Corporate stakeholders have called formore transparent financial reporting and evidence of better ethical conduct” Describe THREE (3) broad categories of fraud schemes that may arise base on the situationabove. Give one example for each category.
Which of the following characteristics is most likely to heighten an auditor’s concernabout the risk of material misstatements due to fraud in an entity’s financial statements?(1) The entity’s industry is experiencing declining customer demand.(2) Employees who handle cash receipts are not bonded.(3) Internal auditors have direct access to the board of directors and the entity’smanagement.(4) The board of directors is active in overseeing the entity’s financial reporting policies.