KPMG may rebuild restructuring arm one year after selling it for over £350m July 29, 2021 KPMG is reportedly creating a new division to advise on corporate restructurings, less than a year after it sold its UK insolvency advisory business for over £350m. The big four auditor made the move as a result of new competition laws which made achieving profits from its non-auditing services harder, according to the report in [...]
Deloitte fined for pension scheme audit failures November 6, 2020 Big Four firm Deloitte has been fined £362,500 for failures relating to the audit of a former client’s defined benefit (DB) pension scheme and the carrying value of the company’s intangible assets. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) described the former client as one of the largest local and regional multimedia organisations in the UK responsible [...]
Accounting watchdog floats strengthening auditors’ obligation to spot fraud October 21, 2020 The UK’s accounting regulator has proposed increasing the requirements on auditors to detect fraud in company accounts following a spate of high-profile accounting scandals. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a review into the international accounting standard outlining auditors’ responsibilities to identify fraud. The watchdog is proposing revisions to the standard to provide “increased [...]
KPMG partner blasts “witch hunt” case at Silentnight tribunal November 25, 2020 A partner at KPMG who is wrapped up in a case involving KPMG, Silentnight and the FRC has described the case as a “witch hunt” during an outburst at the tribunal. David Costly-Wood, a restructuring partner at KPMG is, along with the big four firm, accused of helping private equity firm HIG Capital force the [...]
Internal audit and its role in corporate governance June 11, 2021 Internal audit plays a key part in the corporate governance environment. Alan Simpson CA considers its role. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for the organisation’s effective governance. Corporate governance is the collective name given to the various policies, rules, practices and processes established by authority of the board to govern the organisation effectively, [...]
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 [...]
The ICAS public voice – the corporate ecosystem post-covid September 23, 2021 As we begin to emerge from Covid-19, a key strand in the public policy work undertaken by ICAS relates to reforming the corporate ecosystem. From a public interest perspective, our role is to share insights, shaped and informed by the views of ICAS Members, into the many complex issues and decisions involved in developing high-quality [...]
Watchdog slams Grant Thornton over ‘unacceptable’ public sector audits October 30, 2020 The accounting watchdog has criticised Grant Thornton over its ‘unacceptable” record on public sector audits, after five out of six of the firm’s local audits were found to fall below the expected standard. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) singled out Grant Thornton and Mazars for criticism following a review of 15 major audits of health [...]
KPMG rubbishes ‘conspiracy theory’ it helped private equity business dump Silentnight pension liabilities November 17, 2020 KPMG has refuted claims it helped US private equity firm HIG Capital force the insolvency of Silentnight so it could acquire the business without the burden of Silentnight’s £100m pension scheme. Speaking at a tribunal today Mark Phillips QC, who was representing KPMG, said the idea that the big four auditor had jeopardised Silentnight’s ability [...]
Deloitte hit with record £15m fine over Autonomy audit September 17, 2020 The FRC has announced sanctions against Deloitte and two audit partners following an investigation into its audit of software firm Autonomy. The Big Four accounting firm, and two of its now former partners, Richard Knights and Nigel Mercer, were investigated in relation to their audit of Autonomy’s financial statements for 2009 and 2010. Autonomy was [...]