PwC strikes deal with San Francisco startup to let lawyers and tax experts use AI chatbot March 15, 2023 PwC has struck a deal to start using an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to speed up work in its tax and legal divisions as the world’s top professional services firms increasingly look towards tech to boost efficiency. The accounting firm’s initial 12-month contract with San Francisco startup Harvey will see all 4,000 staff in PwC’s [...]
EY puts global split on hold following fight over tax business March 9, 2023 EY’s plans to split its audit division from its consulting arm are on the brink of collapse amid a fight over the future of its tax business. The Big Four accounting firm has “paused” its plans for a global split, in the face of fierce disagreements over the extent to which its tax division should [...]
PwC fined £7.5m over repeated failures in audit of Babcock International’s accounts March 8, 2023 Britain’s accounting watchdog has fined PwC and two of its former partners a combined sum of almost £8m over repeated failures in the firm’s audits of UK defence company Babcock International and its Plymouth dockyard subsidiary. The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) hit PwC with a £7.5m fine – discounted to £5.625m for the firm’s [...]
China tells state-owned companies to cut ties with the Big Four February 22, 2023 China has told its state-owned companies to stop working with the Big Four auditors – EY, KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte – and asked them to use local accounting firms instead. China’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) has called on the country’s state-controlled firms to let their audit contracts with the Big Four expire, Bloomberg reported today. [...]
Darktrace hires EY in bid to win back credibility after short seller questions accounts February 20, 2023 Cybersecurity company Darktrace has hired EY to review its finances in a bid to win back credibility after a short seller questioned its accounts. Darktrace has recruited the Big Four auditor to carry out an independent review after New York investment fund Quintessential Capital Management cast doubt over the “validity” of the tech firm’s financial [...]
Audit reform plans ‘ready to go’ but government delays now holding UK back, accountancy chief warns February 20, 2023 The UK government’s failure to overhaul the country’s audit sector risks seeing Britain lose its position as a world-leading investment hub, the head of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales has warned. ICAEW chief Michael Izza told City A.M. continued delays to the UK’s planned reshaping of the country’s audit sector could see foreign investors [...]
The Square Mile and Me: PwC chair Kevin Ellis on favourite city haunts and the pub he started his career in February 16, 2023 This week PwC’s chair and senior partner Kevin Ellis tells us the stories of his beloved City haunts, including the pub where he started his career and the spots he uses to lift his spirits. What was your first job? My first job was delivering double-glazing leaflets around Chingford in East London where I grew [...]
Mazars UK business posts ‘record’ growth as firm pushes to tackle Big Four’s dominance February 16, 2023 Mazars today said its UK audit business grew 37 per cent over the previous year, as the accounting firm seeks to take on the Big Four and capture a larger share of the market. Mazars’ UK business posted “record” growth, despite rising costs, after its revenues increased by more than a fifth (23 per [...]
Big Four: EY, Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC step on law firms’ toes increasing legal revenue to £1.25bn February 15, 2023 The Big Four accounting firms – EY, Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC – are capturing an ever-larger share of the global market for legal services. The accounting giants are rapidly expanding their legal businesses, in boosting their own sales and taking work away from traditional firms, the research from Said Business School shows. The world’s four [...]
Big Four look to hire London’s laid-off bankers to bolster their M&A teams February 6, 2023 The Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – are seeking to hire laid-off bankers to bolster the ranks of their M&A advisory arms in the City. Top execs told City A.M. the world’s biggest professional services firms are seeking to capitalise on the downturn in big M&A deals by poaching talent [...]