Public accountants are being attacked from all sides. Stock and
bond holders, the United States Congress, the Securities and
Exchange Commission, clients, and even members of the profession
itself, all accuse accountants of failing in their watchdog duties
as auditors and of approving financial statements that follow
questionable accounting rules. Academic as well as other critics
fault the profession for failing to innovate, particularly in
respect to accounting for the effects of inflation. The attacks
often take the form of litigation that has resulted in the payment
of hundreds of millions of dollars in damages by firms and their
liability insurers. This situation is not unique to the United
States. Similar attacks can be observed in Canada, the United
Kingdom, and other countries. Indeed, the viability of the external
audit is today in question, as public accountants increasingly seek
to avoid potentially ruinous engagements and diversify into other
activities.
Drawing on his long and extensive experience as both
practitioner and academic, the author traces the history of
accounting and auditing, analyzing the factors---domestic and
international---that have led to the contemporary problems of the
profession. He prescribes measures that can and should be taken in
order to restore public accounting to its former status and esteem.
He proposes major changes in federal and state legislation, the
current system of accountancy education and training, accounting
and auditing standard setting, and existing models of historical
financial reporting. In addition, he presents a blueprint for a new
type of financial report designed to improve the utility of
financial statements for investment decisions.
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