The SEC Only Gives Out Wrist-Slaps to the Big 4 When They Break Independence Rules On Providing Non-Audit Services to Audit Clients
The big news in the accounting profession yesterday afternoon from Dave Michaels of the Wall Street Journal was that the SEC is investigating the Big 4 and other public accounting firms on whether the consulting and non-audit services they sell to clients is conflicting with their independence as the auditors of said clients. Michaels reported […]
A Few EY Partners Didn’t Get the Auditor Independence Rules Right
The SEC on Dec. 10 decided that two EY partners and one principal didn’t take the auditor independence rules seriously and doled out a few fines and sanctions. And like many of these auditor independence violations that get firms in hot water with the SEC or the PCAOB, the flagrant rules bending by EY had […]
EY Learns the Hard Way Not to Screw Around with the SEC’s Auditor Independence Rules
Back on Aug. 12, 2019, Bubble Wrap maker Sealed Air Corp. disclosed in an 8-K that it had fired EY as its “independent” registered public accounting firm and stated that it had hired PwC. OK, no biggie, the auditor carousel is always going round and round in the Big 4. But the most interesting tidbit […]
(UPDATE) Auditor Swap: Bubble Popped On EY’s Engagement with Sealed Air Corp.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Aug. 15, 2019. Update is at the bottom of this article. Bubble Wrap maker Sealed Air Corp. disclosed in a securities filing earlier this week that it dumped EY as its external auditor and hired PwC, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. Now, EY losing an audit […]
PwC Fined $7.9 Million By the SEC for Making Pretty Dumb and Obvious Independence Violations
About a month ago, we chided RSM US for being fined $950,000 by the SEC for getting caught providing non-audit services to audit clients, saying that a firm like RSM should’ve known better. But PwC got busted today by the SEC for also doing non-audit work for audit clients, which pretty much reinforces how shady […]
Marcum’s Microcap Conference Seemed Like a Great Event for Auditor Independence Violations
In the storied history of auditor independence violations by PCAOB-registered accounting firms, Marcum broke the rules in a rather unique and spectacular way: it publicly advocated its audit clients as investment opportunities. The PCAOB was probably giddy writing and sending out this press release on Sept. 10: The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board today announced […]
RSM US’s $950,000 Fine Is a Reminder That Performing Non-Audit Services for Audit Clients Can Get You Into Trouble
You’d think a firm like RSM US would know this by now, but guess not. The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged public accounting firm RSM US LLP with violations of the agency’s auditor independence rules in connection with more than 100 audit reports involving at least 15 audit clients. Yes, auditor independence is a […]
PwC Mexico Partners Must Have Thought Auditor Independence Rules Did Not Apply to Them
A friendly reminder to audit firms: an auditor must maintain independence in both fact and appearance. Maybe PwC Mexico forgot this when it took over in fiscal year 2016 as the auditor of one of the largest financial services holding companies in Mexico. It just so happened that at the time the engagement letter was […]
PCAOB Fines Deloitte Canada $350,000 for Breaking Independence Rules Thrice on Audits of Banro
Deloitte Canada scored a hat trick of sorts on Oct. 16, but I doubt it was celebrated among the firm’s management. The firm was censured and fined $350,000 by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board on Tuesday for failing to maintain independence during its 2012, 2013, and 2014 audits of Canadian gold-mining company Banro Corp. […]
PwC Toeing Thin Line Between Independent Auditor and Client Lobbyist for Tax Reform
Francine McKenna of MarketWatch reported on July 30 that PwC has earned $10.74 million since 2013 as the exclusive registered lobbyist on tax reform for a coalition that includes several audit clients, which some say is a conflict of interest. Members of the Alliance for Competitive Taxation—which calls itself “a group of America’s leading companies […]
The SEC is Not Pleased With KPMG’s Independence
Oh man. It's been a pretty crappy week for KPMG except for that whole Phil Mickelson sponsorship renewal… hopefully that will make up for this: The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged public accounting firm KPMG with violating rules that require auditors to remain independent from the public companies they’re auditing to ensure they maintain […]