Royal Bank of Canada will pay $6 million in total penalties to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission and two Canadian regulators that it failed to properly record software development costs for more than a decade.
Accounting & Auditing
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Wirecard what happens when ‘those that are meant to check compliance don’t’
The Wirecard fraud highlights the result of regulators and auditors failing to act properly and underlines the importance of encouraging and protecting whistleblowers, said the reporter who exposed the firm in speaking at Compliance Week’s Europe conference in London.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
PCAOB fines Smythe $175K over unregistered firm use
Canada-based accounting firm Smythe agreed to pay a $175,000 penalty in settling with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding its use of unregistered firms across four issuer audits.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
FRC proposes auditors closer scrutinize noncompliance
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council is the latest regulator to propose standard changes that would require auditors to play a larger role in detecting and reporting instances of noncompliance when reviewing company financial statements.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Expert: SEC’s view on Prager Metis indemnity clauses ‘problematic’
Audit firms should carefully weigh the pros and cons of indemnity clauses in light of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent complaint against Prager Metis, according to a legal expert.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
PCAOB: Auditors ‘falling short’ on engagement quality reviews
A new staff report issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board seeks to provide best practices for auditors amid observations of rising deficiency rates related to engagement quality reviews.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Spanish labor ministry continues working condition crusade with Big Four fines
Spain’s labor ministry fined the Big Four accountancy firms at least €1.4 million (U.S. $1.5 million) total for overworking and underpaying their respective employees, continuing a recent trend in the country of the government cracking down on apparent labor violations.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
FRC fines KPMG $26M for ‘damning’ Carillion audit failings
KPMG accepted the conclusions and record penalties levied against it by the U.K. Financial Reporting Council for the “exceptional” level of deficiencies found to have taken place during the Big Four audit firm’s work at collapsed construction company Carillion.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Auditor independence on regulators’ radars
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and Securities and Exchange Commission have emphasized in public statements auditor independence is a critical enforcement area, prompting the need for firms to reacquaint themselves with each agency’s requirements.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
PCAOB rule update wave begins with confirmation standard
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced the adoption of a new standard regarding auditor use of confirmation that replaces the previous version that hadn’t been notably changed in more than 30 years.
