The PCAOB’s recent $2 million fine against WithumSmith+Brown, PC has sent shockwaves through the audit profession, and for good reason. A prominent audit firm is in hot water due to severe audit quality issues.
In a recent episode of The Accounting Podcast, I discussed this alarming development with Chris Vanover, a former Big 4 firm chief auditor who now leads CPAClub. Our conversation highlighted the root causes behind Withum’s missteps and the broader implications for the audit profession.
As Chris Vanover pointed out, “I think this is the PCAOB’s shot across the bow, where they’re starting to hammer firms with respect to whether they actually have the resources to execute the audits… The crux of the issue is they didn’t have enough people to get through the significant number of audits they decided to take on.”
SPAC Audits: A Lucrative but Risky Opportunity
Chris highlighted a startling fact from the PCAOB disciplinary order: Withum’s issuer audits skyrocketed from a mere 76 in 2020 to a staggering 445 in 2021 – a nearly 500% increase in just one year! This explosive growth can be attributed to the rise of SPACs, which have become a lucrative opportunity for audit firms as the market for these investment vehicles has soared.
However, the allure of SPAC audits has come with a heavy price for Withum, which failed to properly assess the resources needed to handle such a massive uptick in engagements.
Overworked and Overwhelmed Partners & Staff
Chris pointed out that the firm’s partner headcount only increased from 15 to 23 despite the nearly 500% increase in issuer audits. A mere eight additional partners were expected to handle an extra 369 engagements – an equation that doesn’t balance.
Partners found themselves drowning in an overwhelming number of audits. Chris revealed that according to the PCAOB, just five partners were responsible for a staggering 62% of the firm’s issuer audits, with one partner reported working an astonishing 200 hours in a mere two-week period.
The Consequences: Audit Deficiencies Galore
But the pain didn’t stop at the partner level. Chris said, “Imagine what the ripple effect is for the senior managers, the managers, the seniors, and the associates on the engagement.”
The strain on Withum’s people greatly affected the firm’s audit quality. The PCAOB’s investigation revealed a litany of deficiencies, including inadequate consultation with external resources when faced with complex accounting issues and improper auditing of estimates. These are just a few examples of how Withum’s audit quality suffered due to the firm’s overstretched resources.
Partner Incentives: The Elephant in the Room
As we dig deeper into the root causes of Withum’s audit quality issues, it’s impossible to ignore the role that partner incentives may have played. In many audit firms, partner compensation is heavily tied to revenue growth and client acquisition. This incentivizes partners to prioritize short-term profits over long-term quality and sustainability.
In Withum’s case, the explosion of SPAC audits presented an irresistible opportunity for partners to boost their bottom lines at the risk of creating a toxic work environment. This contributes to staff burnout and turnover and increases the risk of errors and oversights.
As Chris told me, “This is the fundamental issue with audit quality. People are overworked, and they’re missing things that are critically important to executing a qualified audit.”
Was the PCAOB Fine Enough to Deter Future Misconduct?
The PCAOB’s decision to slap Withum with a $2 million fine signals that the regulatory body is taking a harder line on audit firms that fail to prioritize quality, especially considering that the PCAOB also levied a $3 million fine on Marcum in June 2023 for similar problems.
But are these penalties enough to change behavior and deter future misconduct?
On one hand, a multi-million dollar fine like this represents a serious reputational blow. No one wants to be the next firm in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the threat of public embarrassment may be enough to spur some much-needed introspection and reform.
However, there are also reasons to be skeptical about the deterrent effect of this fine. Chris argues, “At the end of the day, you need a higher penalty for what they did wrong.”
While it sounds like a lot, a one-time $2 million fine may not be enough to change the calculus for large audit firms, which generate hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars in revenue. Withum brings in $550 million per year. For firms that prioritize profits via their partner compensation model, a fine of this size may be seen as simply a cost of doing business.
How to Build A Stronger, More Resilient Audit Profession
The Withum case is a stark cautionary tale for the entire audit profession, highlighting the dangers of taking on too many engagements without adequate resources.
Only time will tell whether Withum learns from its mistake. We cannot rely on fines to drive meaningful, lasting change. To address these issues, the profession must examine the incentive structures and cultural norms prioritizing short-term revenue growth over long-term quality and sustainability. This may require a significant overhaul of partner compensation models and a renewed focus on talent development, work-life balance, and technological innovation.
For insights from industry experts like Chris Vanover, subscribe to The Accounting Podcast. We aim to spark meaningful conversations and drive positive change in the accounting profession. By coming together as a profession and facing these challenges head-on, we can build a stronger, more trusted, and more valuable audit function for the future. Will you join me?
