異常審計公費與實際及認知審計品質關聯之研究：臺灣的近期證據

The Associations between Abnormal Audit Fees and Actual and Perceived Audit Quality: Recent Evidence from Taiwan

近年來，在歷經主管機關積極推動公司治理、加強審計監理、積極接軌國際會計及審計準則等一系列改革，及揭露審計公費金額之公司比重大幅上升的背景下，本研究採用台灣近期資料（2014 年以後），並以裁決性應計數、小額正盈餘及股價異質性三個審計品質代理變數，檢測上市櫃非金融業公司異常審計公費與審計品質之關聯。本研究發現，平均而言，異常審計公費與審計品質呈現正向關係。進一步分析發現，此效果係顯現在正異常審計公費。另外，本研究發現正異常審計公費子樣本之審計品質顯著高於負異常審計公費子樣本。以上發現，在正異常審計公費部分，支持其係代表審計人員超額投入的部分。然而，本研究未發現負異常審計公費與審計品質有顯著相關之原因，可能係在聲譽損失及訴訟風險等考量下，審計人員即便收取低於正常水準之審計公費，也不願意減少必要的查核程序因而損害審計品質。

In recent years, Taiwan has undergone a series of institutional reforms (e.g., promoting corporate governance, enhancing audit supervision, and adopting international accounting and auditing standards). In the same period, we also observe an increasing trend for public companies to disclose audit fee amounts. Using data of listed non-financial companies in and after 2014, we investigate the association between abnormal audit fees (“AAFs” in the abstract) and audit quality (proxied by discretionary accruals, small profits, and stock price idiosyncratic volatility). Empirical results indicate AAFs are positively associated with all audit quality proxies. We further find the significant associations manifest only in firm-years with positive AAFs. Moreover, on average, the audit quality of firm-years with positive AAFs is better than those with negative AAFs. The significant findings support positive AAFs represent an above-the-normal level of inputs from external auditors. The insignificant findings of negative AAFs may be due to external auditors’ reluctance to abdicate necessary audit processes under reputation and litigation concerns.