Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine whether firms subject to an SEC enforcement action experience audit fee premiums in subsequent years. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a test sample with firms that are cited in Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases (AAERs)...

Many studies report that audit fees are discounted in the year of an auditor change and regulators have long been concerned that such fee discounting could impair audit quality. We find significant bias in the way studies have tested for fee discounting. The bias exists because interim...