EY’s talks on potential split to continue into Autumn September 1, 2022 EY’s talks on whether to separate its audit segment from its consulting arm are set to continue into this Autumn – despite initial suggestions the Big Four firm could reach a decision by the end of summer. The accounting firm’s internal negotiations over plans to split out its advisory business, in an effort to free [...]
KPMG shakes up UK executive committee in line with £300m growth strategy September 1, 2022 KPMG today set out plans to shake up its UK executive committee in line with efforts to bolster high-growth areas of its business by investing £300m over the next three years. The executive reshuffle will see KPMG’s chief financial officer Chris Hearld take the reins from current chief operating officer Tim Jones from 1 October. [...]
Some audit partners retiring early fearing regulatory scrutiny, accounting body warns August 29, 2022 Some audit partners are retiring early over fears that they might be subject to regulatory scrutiny from the UK’s audit watchdog, a major accounting body has cautioned. “It can have negative consequences for your career if there is any deficit in the audit work you’ve done,” Michael Izza, chief executive of the Institute of Chartered [...]
Deloitte to hire 6,000 new UK staff over next five years August 22, 2022 Deloitte today set out plans to hire more than 6,000 new UK employees over the next five years in a bid to boost the quality of its audit work. The plans will see the accounting firm recruit at least 1,200 audit and assurance professionals each year from 2022- 2027, including around 5,000 new auditors. The [...]
PwC to face Hong Kong probe over Evergrande audit August 15, 2022 Hong Kong’s audit watchdog has launched an investigation into PwC over its audit of embattled Chinese real estate developer Evergrande. The city-state’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) today said it had opened an investigation into the Big Four accountancy firm’s audit of the heavily-indebted property firm’s 2020 results. The probe comes after PwC signed off [...]
KPMG restarts UK government contract bids August 8, 2022 KPMG has restarted competing for UK government contracts, after the Big Four accounting firm withdrew from public sector tenders last December, following a series of high-profile accounting scandals. The Big Four accountancy firm re-commenced bidding for UK public sector contracts in early-June, after it pulled out of competing for lucrative UK government contracts at the [...]
PwC fined over BT audit failings following discovery of £512m fraud August 8, 2022 The UK’s accounting watchdog today fined PwC £2.5m over claims it failed to properly scrutinize BT accounts following the discovery of a half-a-billion-pound fraud within the telecommunications firm. The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said PwC and former partner Richard Hughes failed to treat BT’s management with sufficient professional scepticism following the discovery of a [...]
Big Four auditors up advisory fee incomes as challengers capture larger share of audit work August 5, 2022 The UK’s challenger auditing firms are increasingly capturing a larger share of Britain’s audit market, as the Big Four increasingly generate their revenues through non audit work, new data from the UK’s accounting watchdog shows. The research shows smaller auditors upped their audit fee incomes at almost twice the rate of the Big Four, as [...]
Auditors should stop ‘complaining’ about fines and improve the quality of their work, FRC chief says August 3, 2022 The head of the UK’s accounting watchdog has said Britain’s major auditors should stop “complaining” about fines and start improving the quality of their work instead. In an interview with the Financial Times, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) chief executive Sir Jon Thompson said “the solution” to auditors’ problems with fines is “entirely” in their own [...]
EY’s split could have ‘distinct benefits,’ FRC chief says August 2, 2022 EY’s plans to split its business would have “distinct benefits,” the head of the UK’s accounting watchdog has said. The Big Four accounting firm’s plans to separate its advisory arm from its consulting division could let EY “grow further” by removing “significant conflicts of interest,” Financial Reporting Council (FRC) chief executive Sir Jon Thompson told [...]