資訊不對稱下的審計訴訟模型

An Asymmetric Information Model of Auditing Litigation

過去的數十年來，美國會計師界由於訴訟案件及賠償金額不斷增加，而面臨極大的挑戰，不過大部分的審計訴訟案件是以庭外和解處理，實際進入法院正式審判的比率並不高。此外，許多審計訴訟案件的內容薄弱，不值得興訟，然而會計師仍可能為了避免龐大的訴訟費用而庭外和解。雖然我國有關會計師的法律訴訟案件尚不多見，但我國政府亦應事先預防會計師法律責任增加所可能產生之問題。本研究考慮一個資訊不對稱下的審計訴訟賽局，並求解其完全貝氏均衡，以分析會計師及投資人間策略互動的關係。會計師的策略在於決定查核努力程度及在投資人提出告訴後決定和解的金額；投資人的策略則在決定是否要對會計師提出告訴及是否接受會計師的和解，研究結果對審計市場具有實是性與規範性的經濟意涵，本研究亦利用審計訴訟賽局所求解之均衡，實際應用於分析台灣財團法人證券投資人及期貨交易人保護中心之成立，對投資人、會計師以及法院審判程序之影響。

The CPAs in the U.S. have been afflicted for decades by the rampant lawsuits against them and the punitive damages paid to the plaintiffs. Nevertheless, the trial rate is low, indicating that most legal disputes between the investors and the CPAs are settled out of court. In addition, most suit cases brought against the CPAs were meritless. Due to the dear litigation cost, the CPAs would rather settle with the plaintiffs than take on the legal fees. It is likely that the CPAs in Taiwan will face an increase in their liability burden in the future. Thus, the government of Taiwan needs to prevent this problem. The purpose of this study is to propose an auditing litigation incomplete information game model that incorporates an auditor's effort-rendering decision, an investor's litigating decisions against the auditor and the auditor's settling-dispute decision with the investor. The theoretical results from the model analysis have positive and normative implications for audit market. Finally, since the Securities and Futures Investors Protection Center was set up in 2003, we analyze the impacts of this establishment on investors, auditors, and the legal process using the comparative analysis of the auditing litigation game's equilibrium.