IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/jaarpp/jaar-05-2023-0135.html

The effect of non-audit fees on interest payments classification shifting: does internal governance and firm financial well-being matter?

Author

Listed:
  • Mohamed Hessian
  • Alaa Mansour Zalata
  • Khaled Hussainey

Abstract

Purpose - This study examines the effect of non-audit fees (NAF) provisions on interest payments classification shifting. In addition, we investigate to what extent the NAF economic bonding and interest payments classification shifting is contingent on internal governance and firm financial well-being. Design/methodology/approach - This study employed probit regression using a sample of UK non-financial firms indexed in FT UK (500) over the period from 2009 to 2017. Findings - We find evidence that the economic bonding of NAF between external auditors and their clients is more likely to encourage managers in UK firms to manipulate operating cash flows through interest payment classification shifting. In addition, and interestingly, our results evince that classification-shifting may be the less costly and soft choice of managers in firms with strong governance and charging higher NAF. Furthermore, we show that financially distressed firms associated with their auditors in purchasing non-audit services are more prone to attempting to manipulate and engage in interest payments classification-shifting. Our result did not provide a significant effect of external auditor tenure on the interest payments classification shifting. Research limitations/implications - Our findings are subject to the following limitations: First, this study uses a composite index to measure the quality of internal corporate governance. It focuses only on the board of directors, but this index does not reflect other internal governance mechanisms. Second, this study is subject to limited study time due to the implementation of key IFRS standards (IFRS 9 Financial Instruments and IFRS 15 Revenue from Contract with Customers) from 2018–2019. Practical implications - This study was motivated by the UK’s Financial Reporting Council regulators' pressure on the Big 4 audit firms to move more audit time into main auditing activities, reduce cross-selling to audit clients and separate their audit practices by 2024. Overall, we provide new evidence that directs a close spotlight on the threats of NAF that are potentially useful to regulators, shareholders and investors. Originality/value - It is motivated by the UK’s Financial Reporting Council regulators' pressure on the Big 4 to move more audit firm time into main auditing activities, reduce cross-selling to audit clients and separate their audit practices by 2024. Overall, we provide new evidence that directs a close spotlight on the threats of NAS that are potentially useful to regulators, shareholders and investors.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Hessian & Alaa Mansour Zalata & Khaled Hussainey, 2024. "The effect of non-audit fees on interest payments classification shifting: does internal governance and firm financial well-being matter?," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(1), pages 57-89, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:jaarpp:jaar-05-2023-0135
    DOI: 10.1108/JAAR-05-2023-0135
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JAAR-05-2023-0135/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JAAR-05-2023-0135/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/JAAR-05-2023-0135?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hoppe, Eva I. & Schmitz, Patrick W., 2018. "Hidden action and outcome contractibility: An experimental test of moral hazard theory," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 544-564.
    2. Andreas Charitou & Irene Karamanou & Anastasia Kopita, 2018. "The determinants and valuation effects of classification choice on the statement of cash flows," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(6), pages 613-650, September.
    3. 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.
    4. David F. Larcker & Scott A. Richardson, 2004. "Fees Paid to Audit Firms, Accrual Choices, and Corporate Governance," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(3), pages 625-658, June.
    5. Paul Klumpes & Iliya Komarev & Konstantinos Eleftheriou, 2016. "The pricing of audit and non-audit services in a regulated environment: a longitudinal study of the UK life insurance industry," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 278-302, April.
    6. Hui-Wen Tang & Chong-Chuo Chang, 2015. "Does corporate governance affect the relationship between earnings management and firm performance? An endogenous switching regression model," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 33-58, July.
    7. Henry L. Friedman & Lucas Mahieux, 2021. "How Is the Audit Market Affected by Characteristics of the Nonaudit Services Market?," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 59(3), pages 959-1020, June.
    8. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    9. DeAngelo, Linda Elizabeth, 1981. "Auditor size and audit quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 183-199, December.
    10. Ho-Young Lee, 2008. "The association between audit committee and board of director effectiveness and changes in the nonaudit fee ratio," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(8), pages 629-638.
    11. Zachary T. Kowaleski & Brian W. Mayhew & Amy C. Tegeler, 2018. "The Impact of Consulting Services on Audit Quality: An Experimental Approach," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 56(2), pages 673-711, May.
    12. Eliza Xia Zhang, 2020. "The impact of cash flow management versus accruals management on credit rating performance and usage," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1163-1193, May.
    13. Reynolds, J. Kenneth & Francis, Jere R., 2000. "Does size matter? The influence of large clients on office-level auditor reporting decisions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 375-400, December.
    14. DeFond, Mark & Zhang, Jieying, 2014. "A review of archival auditing research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 275-326.
    15. Nagar, Neerav & Raithatha, Mehul, 2016. "Does good corporate governance constrain cash flow manipulation? Evidence from India," IIMA Working Papers WP2016-03-23, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    16. Noreen, E, 1988. "An Empirical-Comparison Of Probit And Ols Regression Hypothesis Tests," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 119-133.
    17. 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.
    18. Sarowar Hossain & Jeff Coulton & Jenny Jing Wang, 2023. "Client Importance and Audit Quality at the Individual Audit Partner, Office, and Firm Levels," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 59(2), pages 650-696, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Aref M. Eissa & Ahmed Diab & Arafat Hamdy, 2025. "Business Strategy and Auditor Report Lag: Do Board Characteristics Matter? Evidence from an Emerging Market," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-20, January.

    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. 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.
    2. Alhababsah, Salem & Alhaj-Ismail, Alaa, 2023. "Does shared tenure between audit committee chair and engagement partner affect audit outcomes? Evidence from the UK," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    3. 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).
    4. María Consuelo Pucheta‐Martínez & Inmaculada Bel‐Oms & Lúcia Lima Rodrigues, 2019. "The engagement of auditors in the reporting of corporate social responsibility information," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 46-56, January.
    5. Bryan, David B., 2017. "Organized labor, audit quality, and internal control," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 11-26.
    6. Hessian, Mohamed & Zalata, Alaa Mansour & Hussainey, Khaled, 2025. "Does the board of directors and their stock ownership mitigate interest payment classification shifting? UK evidence," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    7. Alain Gilles FOKA TAGNE & Prince Dubois KENFACK HIKOUATCHA & Joséphine Florentine MBADUET & Joseph NDASSI YEPGNOU, 2018. "Qualité d’audit, concentration de l’actionnariat et reporting financier," Journal of Academic Finance, RED research unit, university of Gabes, Tunisia, vol. 9(1), pages 27-54, June.
    8. Liwei Shan & Albert Tsang & Xiaoxue Zhang, 2024. "Transporting Audit Quality Across Countries: Returnee CEOs and Audit Fees," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(4), pages 845-874, July.
    9. Knechel, W. Robert & Thomas, Edward & Driskill, Matthew, 2020. "Understanding financial auditing from a service perspective," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. 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.
    11. Inder K. Khurana & K. K. Raman, 2006. "Do Investors Care about the Auditor's Economic Dependence on the Client?," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(4), pages 977-1016, December.
    12. Kam-Wah Lai & Ferdinand A. Gul, 2021. "Do failed auditors receive lower audit fees from continuing engagements?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1159-1190, April.
    13. 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.
    14. Nitai Chandra Debnath & Suman Paul Chowdhury & Safaeduzzaman Khan, 2022. "The impact of audit quality on real earnings management: evidence from Bangladesh," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(2), pages 218-231, June.
    15. 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.
    16. Silvia Ferramosca & Giulio Greco & Marco Allegrini, 2017. "External audit and goodwill write-off," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 21(4), pages 907-934, December.
    17. Breuer, Matthias & Le, Anthony & Vetter, Felix, 2023. "Audit mandates, audit firms, and auditors," Working Papers 333, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    18. O. J. Ilaboya & M. O. Izevbekhai & G. Ohiokha, 2017. "Determinants Of Abnormal Audit Fees In Nigerian Quoted Companies," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 26(1), pages 65-83, june.
    19. 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.
    20. Bum†Jin Park, 2017. "Auditors’ Economic Incentives and the Sensitivity of Managerial Pay to Accounting Performance," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 27(4), pages 382-399, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:eme:jaarpp:jaar-05-2023-0135. 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: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.