IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/rvmgts/v14y2020i5d10.1007_s11846-018-0306-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Non-audit services and audit quality: evidence from Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Hohenfels

    (Darmstadt University of Technology)

  • Reiner Quick

    (Darmstadt University of Technology)

Abstract

The study examines the impact of non-audit services (NAS) on audit quality. It is motivated by the new re-strictions on the joint provision of audit and NAS for EU Member State (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy 2016, Regulation 2014, EC 2011) which are based on concerns that auditors’ provided NAS may impair auditor independence. Empirical evidence in Germany as well as in other Continental European countries is limited. We use a sample of 2567 firm-year observations from German listed firms between 2006 and 2013 and test the association between the level and type of non-audit service fees (NAS fees) paid to the auditor and audit quality. Earnings management is used as a proxy for audit quality. The findings indicate that the higher levels of NAS fees negatively affect audit quality. Separating different types of NAS shows that especially other assurance and other consultancy services have a negative impact on audit quality, whereas the level of tax services has no impact on audit quality. In further tests we show that cap on NAS fees at 70% of averaged three prior years audit fees imposed by the EU fails to prevent an impairment of audit quality, but that a moderate level of NAS does not result in lower audit quality compared to audit quality of auditors providing no NAS.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Hohenfels & Reiner Quick, 2020. "Non-audit services and audit quality: evidence from Germany," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 959-1007, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:14:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1007_s11846-018-0306-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11846-018-0306-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11846-018-0306-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11846-018-0306-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Keith L. Jones & Gopal V. Krishnan & Kevin D. Melendrez, 2008. "Do Models of Discretionary Accruals Detect Actual Cases of Fraudulent and Restated Earnings? An Empirical Analysis," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(2), pages 499-531, June.
    2. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    3. Jere R. Francis & Jagan Krishnan, 1999. "Accounting Accruals and Auditor Reporting Conservatism," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), pages 135-165, March.
    4. La Porta, Rafael & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1997. "Legal Determinants of External Finance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(3), pages 1131-1150, July.
    5. Michael Firth, 2002. "Auditor-Provided Consultancy Services and their Associations with Audit Fees and Audit Opinions," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5&6), pages 661-693.
    6. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1998. "Law and Finance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(6), pages 1113-1155, December.
    7. Michael J. Ferguson & Gim S. Seow & Danqing Young, 2004. "Nonaudit Services and Earnings Management: UK Evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(4), pages 813-841, December.
    8. Heidi Vander Bauwhede & Marleen Willekens, 2004. "Evidence on (the lack of) audit-quality differentiation in the private client segment of the belgian audit market," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 501-522.
    9. Miguel Minutti‐Meza, 2013. "Does Auditor Industry Specialization Improve Audit Quality?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 779-817, September.
    10. Jones, Jj, 1991. "Earnings Management During Import Relief Investigations," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 193-228.
    11. K. Peasnell & P. Pope & S. Young, 2000. "Detecting earnings management using cross-sectional abnormal accruals models," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(4), pages 313-326.
    12. Bin N. Srinidhi & Ferdinand A. Gul, 2007. "The Differential Effects of Auditors' Nonaudit and Audit Fees on Accrual Quality," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(2), pages 595-629, June.
    13. Craswell, Allen & Stokes, Donald J. & Laughton, Janet, 2002. "Auditor independence and fee dependence," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 253-275, June.
    14. Ran, Guanggui & Fang, Qiaoling & Luo, Shuai & Chan, Kam C., 2015. "Supervisory board characteristics and accounting information quality: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 18-32.
    15. David F. Larcker & Scott A. Richardson, 2004. "Fees Paid to Audit Firms, Accrual Choices, and Corporate Governance," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 625-658, June.
    16. Connie L. Becker & Mark L. Defond & James Jiambalvo & K.R. Subramanyam, 1998. "The Effect of Audit Quality on Earnings Management," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, March.
    17. Charles Piot & Rémi Janin, 2007. "External Auditors, Audit Committees and Earnings Management in France," Post-Print halshs-00176969, HAL.
    18. Michael Firth, 2002. "Auditor–Provided Consultancy Services and their Associations with Audit Fees and Audit Opinions," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5‐6), pages 661-693.
    19. Gietzmann, M. B. & Quick, R., 1998. "Capping auditor liability: The German experience," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 81-103, January.
    20. E. Johnson & Inder K. Khurana & J. Kenneth Reynolds, 2002. "Audit†Firm Tenure and the Quality of Financial Reports," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), pages 637-660, December.
    21. Collins, Daniel W. & Kothari, S. P., 1989. "An analysis of intertemporal and cross-sectional determinants of earnings response coefficients," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2-3), pages 143-181, July.
    22. Charles Piot & Remi Janin, 2007. "External Auditors, Audit Committees and Earnings Management in France," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 429-454.
    23. Jeffrey L. Callen & Mozaffar Khan & Hai Lu, 2013. "Accounting Quality, Stock Price Delay, and Future Stock Returns," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 269-295, March.
    24. Reiner Quick & Bent Warming-Rasmussen, 2005. "The impact of MAS on perceived auditor independence-some evidence from Denmark," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 137-168, June.
    25. Andrew B. Jackson & Michael Moldrich & Peter Roebuck, 2008. "Mandatory audit firm rotation and audit quality," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 23(5), pages 420-437, May.
    26. Kang, Sh & Sivaramakrishnan, K, 1995. "Issues In Testing Earnings Management And An Instrumental Variable Approach," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 353-367.
    27. Ryan Davidson & Jenny Goodwin‐Stewart & Pamela Kent, 2005. "Internal governance structures and earnings management," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 45(2), pages 241-267, July.
    28. Francis, Jennifer & LaFond, Ryan & Olsson, Per & Schipper, Katherine, 2005. "The market pricing of accruals quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 295-327, June.
    29. Rick Antle & Elizabeth Gordon & Ganapathi Narayanamoorthy & Ling Zhou, 2006. "The joint determination of audit fees, non-audit fees, and abnormal accruals," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 235-266, November.
    30. Jeffrey S. Paterson & Adrian Valencia, 2011. "The Effects of Recurring and Nonrecurring Tax, Audit†Related, and Other Nonaudit Services on Auditor Independence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(5), pages 1510-1536, December.
    31. Domenico Campa & Ray Donnelly, 2016. "Non-audit services provided to audit clients, independence of mind and independence in appearance: latest evidence from large UK listed companies," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 422-449, June.
    32. Mark L. DeFond & K. Raghunandan & K.R. Subramanyam, 2002. "Do Non–Audit Service Fees Impair Auditor Independence? Evidence from Going Concern Audit Opinions," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(4), pages 1247-1274, September.
    33. Pelham Gore & Peter Pope & Ashni Singh, 2007. "Earnings management and the distribution of earnings relative to targets: UK evidence," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 123-149.
    34. Leuz, Christian & Nanda, Dhananjay & Wysocki, Peter D., 2003. "Earnings management and investor protection: an international comparison," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 505-527, September.
    35. Quick, Reiner & Eilifsen, Aasmund & Schmidt, F. & Umlauf, S. J., 2018. "Investors’ Perceptions of Non-Audit Services and Their Type in Germany: The Financial Crisis as a Turning Point," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 110653, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    36. Quick, Reiner & Warming-Rasmussen, B., 2005. "The impact of MAS on perceived auditor independence - some evidence from Denmark," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 24921, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    37. Chan Li, 2009. "Does Client Importance Affect Auditor Independence at the Office Level? Empirical Evidence from Going†Concern Opinions," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 201-230, March.
    38. Paul Hribar & D. Craig Nichols, 2007. "The Use of Unsigned Earnings Quality Measures in Tests of Earnings Management," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(5), pages 1017-1053, December.
    39. Kothari, S.P. & Leone, Andrew J. & Wasley, Charles E., 2005. "Performance matched discretionary accrual measures," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 163-197, February.
    40. Quick, Reiner & Warming-Rasmussen, B., 2009. "Auditor Independence and the Provision of Non-Audit Services: Perceptions by German Investors," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 39453, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    41. Ilias G. Basioudis & Evangelos Papakonstantinou & Marshall A. Geiger, 2008. "Audit Fees, Non‐Audit Fees and Auditor Going‐Concern Reporting Decisions in the United Kingdom," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(3), pages 284-309, September.
    42. Klein, April, 2002. "Audit committee, board of director characteristics, and earnings management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 375-400, August.
    43. Xie, Biao & Davidson, Wallace III & DaDalt, Peter J., 2003. "Earnings management and corporate governance: the role of the board and the audit committee," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 295-316, June.
    44. Monika Causholli & Dennis J. Chambers & Jeff L. Payne, 2014. "Future Nonaudit Service Fees and Audit Quality," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 681-712, September.
    45. Clive Lennox, 1999. "Non-audit fees, disclosure and audit quality," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 239-252.
    46. DeFond, Mark L. & Jiambalvo, James, 1994. "Debt covenant violation and manipulation of accruals," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1-2), pages 145-176, January.
    47. Rick Antle & Elizabeth Gordon & Ganapathi Narayanamoorthy & Ling Zhou, 2002. "The Joint Determination of Audit Fees, Non-Audit Fees, and Abnormal Accruals," Yale School of Management Working Papers amz2502, Yale School of Management, revised 02 May 2006.
    48. Christian Leuz, 2010. "Different approaches to corporate reporting regulation: How jurisdictions differ and why," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 229-256.
    49. Umlauf, S. J., 2013. "Prüfungs- und Beratungshonorare von Konzernabschlussprüfern : Honorardeterminanten und Unabhängigkeitswahrnehmungen auf dem deutschen Kapitalmarkt," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 62150, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    50. Allen D. Blay & Marshall A. Geiger, 2013. "Auditor Fees and Auditor Independence: Evidence from Going Concern Reporting Decisions," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 579-606, June.
    51. DeFond, Mark & Zhang, Jieying, 2014. "A review of archival auditing research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 275-326.
    52. Gul, Ferdinand A. & Fung, Simon Yu Kit & Jaggi, Bikki, 2009. "Earnings quality: Some evidence on the role of auditor tenure and auditors' industry expertise," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 265-287, June.
    53. William R. Kinney & Zoe‐Vonna Palmrose & Susan Scholz, 2004. "Auditor Independence, Non‐Audit Services, and Restatements: Was the U.S. Government Right?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 561-588, June.
    54. Chen‐Lung Chin & Shou‐Min Tsao & Hsin‐Yi Chi, 2007. "Non‐audit Services and Bias and Accuracy of Voluntary Earnings Forecasts Reviewed by Incumbent CPAs," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 661-676, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alzoubi, Ebraheem Saleem Salem, 2018. "Audit quality, debt financing, and earnings management: Evidence from Jordan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 69-84.
    2. .Reiner Quick & Matthias Sattler, 2011. "Beeinträchtigen Beratungsleistungen die Urteilsfreiheit des Abschlussprüfers? Zum Einfluss von Beratungshonoraren auf diskretionäre Periodenabgrenzungen," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 63(4), pages 310-343, June.
    3. Benjamin T. Albersmann & Daniela Hohenfels, 2017. "Audit Committees and Earnings Management – Evidence from the German Two-Tier Board System," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 18(2), pages 147-178, May.
    4. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    5. DeFond, Mark & Zhang, Jieying, 2014. "A review of archival auditing research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 275-326.
    6. Garcia-Blandon, Josep & Argiles-Bosch, Josep Maria & Castillo-Merino, David & Martinez-Blasco, Monica, 2017. "An Assessment of the Provisions of Regulation (EU) No 537/2014 on Non-audit Services and Audit Firm Tenure: Evidence from Spain," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 251-261.
    7. Yi-Hsing Liao & Pih-Shuw Chen & Teng-Sheng Sang & Chia-Hsuan Tseng, 2020. "Does Client Importance Matter to Book-Tax Differences?," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 10(5), pages 1-17.
    8. Domenico Campa & Ray Donnelly, 2016. "Non-audit services provided to audit clients, independence of mind and independence in appearance: latest evidence from large UK listed companies," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 422-449, June.
    9. Anastasia Kraft & Kerstin Lopatta, 2016. "Auditor fees, discretionary book-tax differences, and tax avoidance," International Journal of Economics and Accounting, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 7(2), pages 127-155.
    10. Tsipouridou, Maria & Spathis, Charalambos, 2012. "Earnings management and the role of auditors in an unusual IFRS context: The case of Greece," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 62-78.
    11. Tobias Svanstr�m, 2013. "Non-audit Services and Audit Quality: Evidence from Private Firms," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 337-366, June.
    12. Hsu, Audrey Wen-hsin & Liu, Sophia Hsin-Tsai, 2016. "Organizational structure, agency costs, and accrual quality," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 35-60.
    13. Timothy B. Bell & Monika Causholli & W. Robert Knechel, 2015. "Audit Firm Tenure, Non‐Audit Services, and Internal Assessments of Audit Quality," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 461-509, June.
    14. Bugeja, Martin, 2011. "Takeover premiums and the perception of auditor independence and reputation," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 278-293.
    15. Persakis, Anthony & Iatridis, George Emmanuel, 2016. "Audit quality, investor protection and earnings management during the financial crisis of 2008: An international perspective," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 73-101.
    16. Knechel, W. Robert & Thomas, Edward & Driskill, Matthew, 2020. "Understanding financial auditing from a service perspective," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    17. Mohamed Khalil & Aydin Ozkan, 2016. "Board Independence, Audit Quality and Earnings Management: Evidence from Egypt," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 15(1), pages 84-118, April.
    18. Sharad Asthana & Inder Khurana & K. K. Raman, 2019. "Fee competition among Big 4 auditors and audit quality," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 403-438, February.
    19. Filip, Andrei & Raffournier, Bernard, 2014. "Financial Crisis And Earnings Management: The European Evidence," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 455-478.
    20. Sarowar Hossain & Jenny Jing Wang, 2023. "Abnormal audit fees and audit quality: Australian evidence," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 48(3), pages 596-624, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Non-audit services; Audit quality; Independence in fact; Earnings management; Discretionary accruals; Germany;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:14:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1007_s11846-018-0306-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.