We investigate whether auditor independence is compromised by either the mix of audit and non audit services (NAS), or simply unusually large NAS or audit fees. The results help reconcile apparently conflicting evidence in prior studies linking NAS and indicators of earnings management, as well...

This paper simultaneously examines, for the first time, the determinants of external audit fees of UK companies drawn from the quoted sector (Main Market, the Alternative Investment Market and Ofex), and the unquoted sector (public and private limited companies). The paper also provides new...

Despite the huge audit pricing literature, there is a dearth of evidence on the temporal dynamics of audit fee adjustments and the persistence of audit prices. Based on a sample of 76,867 panel observations for a sample of UK listed and unlisted companies audited by the big 4 over the period...

In its October 2010 Green Paper on audit policy, the European Commission suggested that joint audits might be a way of improving the audit market in Europe. However, some parties consider that a joint audit system is not an efficient solution because the perceived improvements in audit quality,...

We find that quasi-indexer ownership is negatively associated with the ratio of non-audit service fees to total fees paid to the audit firm performing the audit service and with the likelihood of paying the audit firm more non-audit service fees than audit service fees. Using the annual Russell...

We examine whether personality differences between the CEO and CFO influence audit fees. Audit fees should reflect engagement risk associated with a client. We use personality differences between the CEO and CFO as a proxy for potential poor communication, reluctance to share information, and...

Recent actions by regulators and legislators reflect the belief that compliance with Section 404 of SOX is quite costly for non-accelerated filers. In this paper, we examine (a) the associations between the presence and remediation of internal control problems and audit fees for non-accelerated...

Drawing on herding behavior theory, prior studies regarding the use of peers for investment decisions and compensation practices and the recent reports which suggest that firms use peer information for audit pricing, we examine the effect of peer groups on the audit pricing process of a sample...

We provide evidence on the long standing concern on auditor conflicts of interest from providing non-audit services (NAS) to audit clients by using rarely explored NAS fee data from 1978-80. Using this earlier setting, we find cross-sectional evidence of improved earnings quality when auditors...

Current waves of corporate collapses have brought the discussions about auditor independence into spotlight. In this context, the debate about the propriety of auditors' joint provision of audit and non-audit services to their audit clients has featured considerably. One approach to this debate...