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The formation and early development of German audit firms

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  • Reiner Quick

Abstract

This paper examines the emergence of audit firms in Germany through an analysis of contemporary sources. Special attention is paid to the range of services offered, their legal forms and ownership structure. In Germany, the demand for external audits developed because the corporate supervisory boards had been unable to fulfil their monitoring task satisfactorily. As a consequence of the major economic crisis of 1929-1931 and the collapse of large corporations caused by the fraudulent actions of managing directors, statutory audits for stock corporations were introduced in 1931. The first German audit and trust company, the Deutsche Treuhand-Gesellschaft, was established much earlier in 1890. Like other trust companies which emerged from 1905 onwards, it was owned by large banks. After the First World War, large commercial groups on the one hand, and the state on the other hand, started to form their own audit firms. Most of the audit and trust companies used the legal form of a corporation. Originally, the main activities of the trust companies were trustee activities and audits. Subsequently, they also offered tax and business advisory services. These features (a broad range of services offered, the corporation as the dominant legal form, and clients who are also owners) help us to understand key characteristics of modern German audit firms such as their limited liability to third parties.

Suggested Citation

  • Reiner Quick, 2005. "The formation and early development of German audit firms," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 317-343.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acbsfi:v:15:y:2005:i:3:p:317-343
    DOI: 10.1080/09585200500284252
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    Cited by:

    1. Heidhues, Eva & Patel, Chris, 2011. "A critique of Gray's framework on accounting values using Germany as a case study," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 273-287.
    2. Teodora Viorica Farcas & Adriana Tiron Tudor, 2015. "An Overlook into the Accounting History Evolution from a Romanian Point of View – A Literature Review," Knowledge Horizons - Economics, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accountancy Bucharest,"Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University Bucharest, vol. 7(3), pages 14-27, September.
    3. Meuwissen, Roger & Quick, Reiner, 2019. "The effects of non-audit services on auditor independence: An experimental investigation of supervisory board members’ perceptions," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Löhlein, Lukas & Müßig, Anke, 2020. "At the boundaries of institutional theorizing: Individual entrepreneurship in episodes of regulatory change," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Vlad‐Andrei Porumb & Abe De Jong & Carel Huijgen & Teye Marra & Jan Van Dalen, 2021. "The Effect of Auditor Style on Reporting Quality: Evidence from Germany," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(1), pages 1-26, March.

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