Auditors’ and Specialists’ Views about the Use of Specialists during an Audit*

Abstract

With the greater spotlight on the quality of auditing in the context of increasing complexity of accounting, auditors are more frequently seeking the assistance of specialists from such fields as tax, information technology, valuation, and forensic accounting. This interview-based study of 40 practitioners from Big 4 2 firms - 18 auditors (partners, managers, seniors) and 22 specialists (tax, IT, valuation, and forensic) - examines auditors’ and specialists’ views about the current state of specialist use, sources of conflict, auditors’ overconfidence in their ability to perform specialist work, firm policies, and future expectations about utilization of specialist services.