Fees rise as Big Four still dominate FTSE 100 audits market July 14, 2021 Long-standing plans to increase competition in the auditing market appear to have been delayed slightly longer, as the Big Four accounting firms continue to dominate. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the regulator for auditors, said that KPMG, EY, Deloitte and PwC audited all FTSE 100 companies in a roughly even four-way split. Government-backed reviews had [...]
Audit reforms: IoD call for caution in plans to break Big Four dominance July 8, 2021 The government should approach its plans for an audit and corporate governance reform with greater caution, said the Institute of Directors (IoD). A government white paper aimed at breaking up the concentration of the Big Four auditing firms – Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and EY has stirred criticism from the business group, who said that the [...]
Support jobs at risk at Deloitte as firm moves to flexible working July 5, 2021 A total 150 employees at Deloitte are at risk of losing their job, as the firm’s decision to pivot to permanent flexible working has reduced the number of admin tasks at the company. Around a quarter of the 560 secretaries employed by the Big Four firm could lose their jobs, saving Deloitte some £4m annually [...]
EY creates independent audit board ahead of operational separation July 5, 2021 EY has appointed two independent non-executive directors to its newly created UK Audit Board, ahead of plans to operationally separate its UK audit practice from its consultancy business. Last summer the accounting watchdog asked the Big Four firms to separate their audit units from the rest of their business by 2024. Auditors have come under increased regulatory [...]
Deloitte tells staff they can work from home forever June 20, 2021 Staff working at Deloitte will be able to work wherever they want when Covid restrictions are eased and work from home guidance is scrapped. Staff at the Big Four firm will not be obligated to work from the office for a minimum number of days per week, as has been a typical response of Deloitte’s [...]
PwC to hire 100,000 new staff in next five years June 15, 2021 PwC plans to go on a hiring spree in the next five years that will see it employ 100,000 more staff as part of a $12bn investment. The new hires will increase the firm’s total headcount by nearly a third to around 384,000. The new staff form part of PwC’s strategy ‘The New Equation’, announced [...]
Big Four lobbying may dilute Government’s audit reform, says ex-accounting watchdog June 14, 2021 Big Four lobbying will dilute Government's audit reform, says ex-accounting watchdog
EY to centralise power in Europe in break from typical Big Four model June 1, 2021 EY will centralise power in a new European executive team, in a move that breaks away from the typical model employed by Big Four firms. The European executive team will pool resources from across the region, the Financial Times first reported. Big Four firms typically operate a federal model, with profits and resources largely kept [...]
‘Risky’ FTSE firms could be shunned by worried auditors fearing backlash May 29, 2021 There are worries that the crushing weight of public criticism combined with record-breaking fines could see perceived ‘risky’ FTSE companies shunned by auditors. Following large-scale collapses like Carillion and Patisserie Valerie, the audit sector has faced harsh criticism, having come under both the media and government’s spotlight for failing to do their jobs properly. According [...]
Deutshe Bank mulls ditching EY as auditor following Wirecard scandal May 28, 2021 Deutshe Bank is inviting firms to compete for its 2020 audit just two years after hiring EY to replace KPMG, in a move that could see EY ditched in favour of another company. The chair of Germany’s biggest lender Paul Achleitner told shareholders that the company wants “to keep all its options open” when it [...]