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Note on audit fee premiums to client size and industry specialization

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  • Elizabeth Carson
  • Neil Fargher

Abstract

This research note examines the impact of client size on the estimation of audit fee premiums in the Australian market for audit services. Previous research suggests that higher audit fees are expected for both larger clients and for industry specialization. We find that in the Australian market for audit services, the fee premium attributed to industry specialist audit firms is concentrated in the audit fees paid by the largest clients in each industry. One reason for higher fees paid by larger clients is the demand for additional audit services. We find higher fees for companies cross‐listed on US exchanges. We also find that fee premiums to auditors that are city‐industry leaders are strongly related to client size.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Carson & Neil Fargher, 2007. "Note on audit fee premiums to client size and industry specialization," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 47(3), pages 423-446, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:47:y:2007:i:3:p:423-446
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2007.00213.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Larry & Islam, Silvia Z., 2019. "Firm and industry specific determinants of capital structure: Evidence from the Australian market," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 425-437.
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    3. Yang Xu & Elizabeth Carson & Neil Fargher & Liwei Jiang, 2013. "Responses by Australian auditors to the global financial crisis," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(1), pages 301-338, March.
    4. Clive Gaunt & Steven Cahan, 2014. "Accounting and Finance: authorship and citation trends," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 54(2), pages 441-465, June.
    5. Stergios Leventis & Emmanouil Dedoulis & Omneya Abdelsalam, 2018. "The Impact of Religiosity on Audit Pricing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 53-78, March.
    6. R. Mithu Dey, 2010. "The effect of client industry structure on client preference for privacy and auditor concentration," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 25(4), pages 361-376, April.
    7. Fukukawa, Hironori & 福川, 裕徳 & Karube, Masaru & 軽部, 大, 2013. "Personal Knowledge of Audit Partners and Organizational Knowledge of Audit Firms and the Impact on Audit Fees," IIR Working Paper 13-06, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    8. Wouter Dutillieux & Donald Stokes & Marleen Willekens & Gary Monroe, 2013. "Strategic pricing by Big 4 audit firms in private client segments," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(4), pages 961-994, December.
    9. Verbruggen, Sandra & Christiaens, Johan & Reheul, Anne-Mie & Van Caneghem, Tom, 2011. "Audit pricing in a reformed nonprofit market," Working Papers 2011/29, Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel, Faculteit Economie en Management.
    10. Duellman, Scott & Hurwitz, Helen & Sun, Yan, 2015. "Managerial overconfidence and audit fees," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 148-165.
    11. Kharuddin, Khairul Ayuni Mohd & Basioudis, Ilias G & Farooque, Omar Al, 2021. "Effects of the Big 4 national and city-level industry expertise on audit quality in the United Kingdom," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    12. Johl, Shireenjit & Subramaniam, Nava & Mat Zain, Mazlina, 2012. "Audit Committee and CEO Ethnicity and Audit fees: Some Malaysian evidence," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 302-332.
    13. Svitlana Shulha & Iaroslav Petrakov, 2016. "Non-Linearity Of Audit Prices And Reputation In Developing Countries: Shift To Or From?," Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, Publishing house "Baltija Publishing", vol. 2(5).
    14. Susana Escaloni & Mercedes Mareque, 2021. "Audit Report Lag. Differential Analysis between Spanish SMEs and Non-SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-21, November.
    15. Srinidhi, Bin & Lim, Chee Yeow & Hossain, Mahmud, 2009. "Effects of country-level legal, extra-legal and political institutions on auditing: A cross-country analysis of the auditor specialization premium," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 34-46.
    16. Neal Arthur & Medhat Endrawes & Shawn Ho, 2017. "Impact of Partner Change on Audit Quality: An Analysis of Partner and Firm Specialisation Effects," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 27(4), pages 368-381, December.
    17. Elizabeth Carson & Roger Simnett & Ulrike Thürheimer & Ann Vanstraelen, 2022. "Involvement of Component Auditors in Multinational Group Audits: Determinants, Audit Quality, and Audit Fees," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1419-1462, September.
    18. Bugeja, Martin, 2011. "Takeover premiums and the perception of auditor independence and reputation," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 278-293.
    19. Habib, Ahsan, 2011. "Audit firm industry specialization and audit outcomes: Insights from academic literature," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 114-129.
    20. Paul A. Griffin & David H. Lont & Yuan Sun, 2009. "Governance regulatory changes, International Financial Reporting Standards adoption, and New Zealand audit and non‐audit fees: empirical evidence," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 49(4), pages 697-724, December.

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