Auditor independence: a qualitative study of the perceptions of auditors

• Autor(a) principal: Marques, I. S.
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Major, M., Da Veiga, M. R.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/18188
• topic: Financial auditing; Auditor independence; Trustworthiness; Perceptions

The trustworthiness of a financial audit report rests on the perception of auditor independence. However, several factors can affect those perceptions, ultimately affecting market confidence. This study aims at providing a deep understanding of auditors‟ perceptions of auditor independence, particularly analysing whether and how their perceptions are affected either by the provision of non-audit services, competition, the size and tenure of the audit firm or the client‟s financial condition. Qualitative research was held through semi-structured interviews. Both the provision of non-audit services and tenure have generated great consensus amongst interviewees as impacting auditor independence. Rotation and litigation exposure were mainly perceived as enhancement factors.