Big Four auditors will be forced to share FTSE business December 10, 2021 Plans to force FTSE 350 companies to use challenger audit firms have been signed off by the business secretary as pressure for reform mounts, according to reports. Kwasi Kwarteng wants to push ahead with a proposal to break up the dominance of the Big Four accounting firms: Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – and is [...]
Exclusive: BDO’s managing partner on audit reforms, staffing issues and the company Christmas party December 3, 2021 This week accounting giant BDO saw its profits jump to over three quarters of a million pounds per partner, putting them ahead of their peers at rival firms EY and KPMG. At £760,000 per BDO partner, the firm leads the payout battle as EY partners were paid an average of £749,000 this year and KPMG [...]
Partner pay of £760m puts BDO ahead of Big Four rivals EY and KPMG as challenger firm sees revenue surge December 2, 2021 Partners at BDO saw their profits increase to over three quarters of a million pounds, putting them ahead of their peers at rival firms EY and KPMG. Profit per equity partner before tax increased to £760,000 at BDO following a 14 per cent drop last year, while EY partners were paid an average of £749,000 [...]
On the job hunt: These are the hardest vacant roles to fill in the UK November 30, 2021 Veterinary surgeons, senior auditors and HGV technicians are among the hardest jobs to fill in the UK, according to new research. Only 16 per cent of all job postings on job site Indeed fall into the ‘hard to fill’ category, meaning they have stayed on the website for over two months but over half of [...]
HSBC’s $94m-a-year audits may not be enough to woo Big Four accountants November 22, 2021 Fears that the UK’s biggest lender will struggle to attract the Big Four accounting firms have been stoked as HSBC prepares to tender the audits of its accounts next year, according to reports. The heads of HSBC reached out to the Big Four auditors but found they were reluctant to bid for the bank’s audits [...]
Accounting watchdog: Third of all audits ‘unsatisfactory’ amid fears sector reforms will be watered down November 18, 2021 An “unacceptably high” number of audits still need improving, according to the UK accounting watchdog’s latest report, amid increasing concerns that the government may scale back long-awaited corporate governance and audit reforms. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) today published its latest annual report on UK audits, finding that 33 per cent of all audits still [...]
After 12 years: PwC likely to be replaced by EY as Aviva auditor November 18, 2021 Aviva has proposed EY as its new auditor from 2024, replacing PwC after 12 years.
Prospect of watered down UK audit reforms draws criticism November 17, 2021 Audit groups and investors have warned the government that scaling back long-awaited corporate governance and audit reforms could lead to more corporate scandals, according to reports. In a letter to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, John Wood, said stronger regulation of internal controls were fundamental to [...]
UK audit reforms and governance to be watered down after business backlash November 9, 2021 The UK’s reform package to overhaul corporate governance and auditing will be “scaled back” following pushback by businesses, according to reports. Officials working on the plans, which are being finalised, are expected to water down some of the proposals, the Financial Times reported. The reform package, which has been touted as the biggest overhaul to [...]
KPMG gave ‘untruthful defence’ in tribunal over £13m Silentnight fine October 13, 2021 The UK accounting watchdog has today denounced KPMG for knowingly giving an “untruthful” defence over its conflict of interest in the 2011 sale of Silentnight, for which it was fined £13m. The verdict of the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) disciplinary tribunal marks the first time ever that the body has found an accountancy to have [...]