The Level of Audit fees - current issue in Auditing with special Essay

The Level of Audit fees - current issue in Auditing with special emphasis to FTSE 100 Companies in UK - Essay Example In UK, the â€Å"Big Four audit firms namely Ernst & Young , Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and KPMG are acting as auditors for almost all the FTSE 100 companies and has major lion share of audit fees of about 99% in the FTSE 350. The reason why FTSE companies prefer the Big Four as it offers two major service elements namely high profile audit services together with the insurance coverage against reputational risk and catastrophes. It is to be noted that in UK, the top ten accounting firms are earning an income of above ? 1.5 billion annually as audit fees. (Oxera 2006: i). As per Francis (2006), there is direct correlation between share prices of US companies and the level of non-audit service fees paid to auditors as the shares of those companies, which pay higher NAS (Non Audit Services) have been observed to be poignantly lower. As per Basioudis et al. (2008) research study which was conducted among UK companies in 2003 found that high NAS fees and exorbitant a udit fees badly affect going companies revealing analysis for financially impacted companies in UK. Through UK market data study of 1999-2006, Holland and Lane (2009) found that shareholders are of the opinion that auditor’s independence will be at stake due to high level of both audit and NAS fees. (Beattie, Fearnley and Hines 2009:6). A research study carried over by POB over the NAS fees charged by the Big Four audit forms for the period between 2003 and 2008 reveal that there had been a steep fall in NAS fees from their clients as it came to just 17% in 2008 from that of 25% in 2003. However, the fee income earned for non-audit customers increased to 59% of total income in 2008 from that of 49% of total income in 2003. (Beattie, Fearnley and Hines 2009:7). Deloitte (2009) research... According to the research findings in UK, the level of audit fees is seemed to be higher as there is a high market concentration, especially in the FTSE 100 sector. Through UK market data study of 1999-2006, Holland and Lane found that shareholders are of the opinion that auditor’s independence will be at stake due to high level of both audit and NAS fees. However, the research study carried out by Srinidhi & Gul, Abbott et al. and Carcello et al., the quality of audit is gauged by the quantum of audit fees paid to an auditor of a company. Higher audit engagement effort is reflected by high levels of audit fees and would always result in better audit quality. In case of risk prone companies, the auditor has to incur insurance cost which in turn result in an increase in the audit fees. Further, the level of audit fees might have increased substantially due to changes in the general economic scenarios and due to change in regulations and rules pertaining to audit. Further, the a uditor independence will be at jeopardy if he has been awarded with substantial non-audit work also like consultancy services, accounting services, internal audit, corporate transactions, internal audit, regulatory compliances, merger and acquisitions, advise on restructuring and advise on taxation. It is to be noted that higher audit fees always result in supporting the corporate frauds.Researchers have pointed out that Arthur Andersen have received $27 million for their audit services in addition to $29 million for non-audit services from Enron in 2000.