What are three drivers of audit quality according to the Financial Reporting Council
(FRC)’s “The Audit Quality Framework”?
Newburg Company is in an industry in the early development stage, where there are
minimal barriers to entry to the client’s business model. Newburg Company’s audit
committee decided to put their 2014 audit out for bids. One of the Big Four CPA firms
had performed their audits from 2011-2013, and although happy with the previous
auditor, the audit committee believed they should rotate to another firm. On the last
audit, the Big Four’s audit fees were $500,000. Barnaby, CPAs, came in as the low
bidder, making a proposal to Newburg Company regarding audit fees for 2014. Their
proposed audit fee was $250,000.
Required:
(1) Based on this scenario, describe the ethical decisions that an auditor must make
during portfolio management decisions such as the client acceptance and client
continuance decision. What is the relationship between ethics and high audit quality?
(2) What issues should the client’s audit committee consider before going with the
lowest bid?