‘Future Trends in Auditors’ External Reporting: Inspiration from the UK?

Abstract

For the time being, the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) and, for Public-Interest Entity (PIE) audit reports, the PIE Regulation constitute the regulatory foundation for audit reports within the EU, together with the national act in each Member State that implements the Auditing Directive and with any other relevant national legislation or regulation. However, further changes to auditors’ external reporting may lie ahead. The purpose of this article is to discuss these possible changes. The article focuses on the UK, where a number of important and possibly ‘game changing’ reports have recently been published – especially following the collapse of Carillion. Admittedly, after Brexit, the UK will of course no longer have a direct influence on EU legislation, including audit legislation. However, there is reason to believe that the UK will remain one of the ‘driving’ countries within auditing and UK hence continue to exert significant influence on audit regulation. Besides a brief description of Carillion and its collapse, the article discusses the Kingman Review and the Brydon Report, which both include interesting considerations on auditors’ external reporting. Only time can tell which changes will actually be implemented, how, when and not forgetting where. Auditing, Auditors, Audit Legislation, Auditing Directive, Public-Interest Entities (PIEs), PIE Regulation, International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), Audit Reports, Key Audit Matters (KAMs), Carillion, Kingman Review, Brydon Report, Company Law, UK Companies Act