Republican lawmakers are advancing plans to dismantle the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the independent US audit regulator created after the Enron scandal more than 20 years ago. The proposal, part of a broader deregulatory agenda linked to US President Donald Trump, was introdu
Audits
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has fined EY nearly £4.9 million for "serious" breaches of standards in its audits of the failed travel company Thomas Cook. The penalty concludes a near six-year investigation into the firm's work on Thomas Cook's accounts for the financial years 2017 and
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has fined PwC £2.9mn for failures in its audit of since-collapsed Wyelands Bank, which was owned by businessman Sanjeev Gupta. The Big Four firm admitted to breaching audit requirements for the bank's 2019 accounts, particularly regarding risk assessment a
As part of its campaign to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access audit services, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has today published the first in its series of supporting materials to help SMEs to engage with the annual audit process effectively and confidently. The summary
The UK government is considering significantly reducing the scope of planned audit market reforms in an effort to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses and stimulate economic growth. Ministers are reportedly discussing abandoning a key measure of the Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill that
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a market study examining how effectively the audit market serves small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and exploring opportunities to reduce their reporting burden where possible. This study is the first phase of the FRC’s broader campaign
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a probe into KPMG's audit of gambling giant Entain's 2022 accounts. Entain, which owns brands including Ladbrokes, Coral, and Bwin, paid a £615 million fine in 2023 as part of a deferred prosecution agreement relating to a bribery probe into i
In what marks the first time the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined an audit firm, the regulator has issued PwC a £15 million penalty for failing to report suspicions of fraud at now-defunct London Capital & Finance (LCF).
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has censured the auditor Macintyre Hudson LLP (MHA) for failing to prepare client assets reports to the required standard.
The Financial Reporting Council's (FRC) Annual Review of Audit Quality revealed a disappointing performance from BDO and Forvis Mazars, whose audit results fell significantly below expectations. The results are based on a risk-based sample of the audits undertaken by 'Tier 1' audit firms, which
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has issued a record £48.2 million in fines last year, surpassing the previous year's total. This increase is due to the conclusion of several high-profile cases, including investigations into the audits of collapsed contractor Carillion and the scandal-hit
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has expressed its support for the new UK government's economic growth agenda, particularly welcoming the long-awaited commitment to audit reform and corporate governance, set out in a packed King’s Speech. The commitment to bring f
Audit firms have consistently failed to raise alarms ahead of three-quarters of major UK corporate collapses since 2010, according to The Audit Reform Lab, sparking concerns about auditors neglecting a key duty. A study by the University of Sheffield’s Audit Reform Lab revealed that 75% of aud
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), has imposed hefty fines on accounting giants PwC and EY, along with a smaller firm, Oliver Clive & Co, for audit failures related to London Capital & Finance (LCF), a collapsed investment group. PwC and EY were fined £4.9 million and £4.4m r
KPMG has been fined £1.5 million by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) for "serious failings" in its audit of prominent advertising agency M&C Saatchi.