Kvalitetsstyring i revisionsvirksomheder: Hvilke udfordringer har de mindre revisionsvirksomheder i forhold til at leve op til lovgivningens krav til kvalitetsstyring og hvordan kan disse håndteres?

Abstract

The object of this master’s thesis is to investigate, which challenges small audit firms face in regard to meeting quality management law requirements. The object is also to describe, how these requirements can be handled. The international and national corporate scandals, which have occurred in recent years, have caused distrust to the reliability of accountants as public shop stewards (“offentlighedens tillidsrepræsentant”). This has resulted in an increased focus on the quality of accountants’ work. It has also resulted in requirements being incorporated in the Danish Accounting Act (“Revisorloven”), which states that audit firms are obligated to undergo a law-required quality control performed by The Danish Supervisory Authority on Auditing (“Revisortilsynet”). This requires that a quality management system must be established and implemented in audit firms. Elements in the quality management system must include written policies and establishment of procedures in the areas of: Management responsibility for the quality of audit firms, ethical guidelines, client accept and continuation of client relations, human resources, performance of assignments and internal surveillance of the quality management system. Especially smaller audit firms face several challenges with the implementation of a quality management system. The size and structure of the audit firm can put a limit on the possibility of for example establishing internal surveillance of the audit firm’s quality control system as well as professional assistance, which smaller audit firms more often have to get outside the firm. In 2003, The Danish Supervisory Authority on Auditing was appointed the supervisory duty of carrying out the law required quality control in audit firms. The Danish Supervisory Authority on Auditing publishes an annual report, which contains a summary of results from the controls they have carried out. In the period 2003 to 2007 all audit firm had a quality control visit and resulted in quite a lot audit firms withdrew from ReviReg. In this thesis there is also included a case example, which analyses how a one-man audit firm has established a quality management system and how he has succeeded with implementing the system in his firm.