Audit Fees and Auditor Size: A Study of Audit Market in Taiwan

會計師事務所規模與審計公費關聯性之研究

本文藉由探討會計師事務所規模與其審計公費間之關聯性，以衡量台灣審計市場之審計品質及競爭程度。近年來，臺灣地區資本市場蓬勃發展，上市上櫃公司家數遽增，帶動會計師事務所服務業的需求增加。同期間，考選部也大幅擴增會計師的錄取人數，促成審計市場的供給大量增加。除了這些大量新血之投入外，預期在我國加入國際貿易組織而全面開放審計市場後，全球其他會計師事務所亦將進入我國審計市場，我國審計市場的審計品質及競爭程度必然受到相當之衝擊，因而探討我國會計師事務所規模以及審計公費間之關聯性迫不容緩。雖然國內近年來有較多學者投入審計實證研究的探討，但針對會計師事務所規模與其審計公費間關聯性之實證研究卻相當罕見。到底臺灣會計師事務所之規模與其審計公費間是否存有關聯，乃為探討臺灣審計市場審計品質及競爭程度的重要關鍵，而定期檢討與衡量審計品質與競爭程度更為健全審計市場的重要步驟。

The purpose of this study is to test the size-quality hypothesis proposed by DeAngelo (1981), and to assess the extent of competitiveness of the audit market in Taiwan by examining the relationship between auditor size and audit fees, using the empirical model suggested by Simunic (1980). The empirical results reveal that the Big Three accounting firms as a group charge higher fees, which suggests that auditor size could be a proxy in measuring the audit quality. Furthermore, the significant evidence exists that the Big Three accounting firms charge higher fees in both large and small auditee segments. The empirical evidence in this study also suggests that the audit market of listed companies in Taiwan provides differentiated audit quality service and is competitive in pricing.