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Changes in audit effort and changes in auditors’ disclosures of risks of material misstatement

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  • Zhang, Penny F.
  • Shailer, Greg

Abstract

This paper investigates whether auditors' year-to-year modification to risks of material misstatements (RMMs) in extended auditors' reports (EARs) are associated with changes in underlying audit effort, as proxied by changes in audit fees. We examine the dynamics of RMMs over time in terms of adding or dropping specific RMMs. Our main results show that, on average, audit fees increase more from the previous year's fees when more RMMs are added to the current year's EAR. This increase is partially offset by dropping RMMs that were disclosed in the previous year, but changes in audit fees are not significantly affected by dropping RMMs without adding new RMMs. Further analysis suggests the effect of added RMMs is attributable to “new” RMMs originating with the auditor and that added RMMs that were previously known, based on related disclosures in the prior year's audit committee report, do not significantly impact on changes in audit fees. Overall, our results suggest that changes in the choice of RMMs included in EARs reflect changes in underlying audit effort.

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  • Zhang, Penny F. & Shailer, Greg, 2021. "Changes in audit effort and changes in auditors’ disclosures of risks of material misstatement," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:53:y:2021:i:3:s0890838920300901
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2020.100970
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    Cited by:

    1. Emad Noureldeen & Mohamed Elsayed & Ahmed A. Elamer & Jianming Ye, 2024. "Two-tier board characteristics and expanded audit reporting: Evidence from China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 195-235, July.
    2. Cao, June & Ee, Mong Shan & Hasan, Iftekhar & Huang, He, 2024. "Asymmetric reactions of abnormal audit fees jump to credit rating changes," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(2).

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