Hi folks, do we think the audit profession will survive? It seems between declining accounting majors, decreasing cpa exam interest, and increasing enforcement/standards/other painful bullshit, we’re looking at a very precarious future. What’s wrong with my logic? I could use a dose of optimism and apologize for the negative post but this is a helpful place for examining these concerns. Thanks.

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From an audit perspective, Supply and demand, less of us to do the work, higher rate, higher comp which may bring interest back to the profession. Need to shorten the path to partner. Work won’t go away unless no one relies on comparability anymore. The needs will eventually evolve to only provide assurance on figures investors require such as revenues, cash flows from ops, Ebitda, free cash flow, taxes etc. Increase in technology / data tools still requires people and judgement and new skills, more interest. More tech will also bring interest. Structure change to corporations may also help keep interest. PA is ripe for an evolution. Either that or the government takes over the assurance service. The other services get spun out and stay in private sector.

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Have heard this for 15+ years.
Here is reality: Clients need to create complexity to obtain a competitive advantage. Complexity generates demand for our services.

It’d be awesome if every company automated their financial data flows to every exchange (not going to happen, but it’d be great). Competitive companies would find a way to generate an advantage and you’d still need an independent verification.

I love the idea of automating the data flows. No one wants to pay for manual tick and tie- but they would pay for IT specialist assessments.

And the latter is harder, more complex, and has less talent availability. Ie, more profitable.

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I can very much see in the next 10-15 years, companies send mapped transactional data to the SEC which then prepares financial statements, then our assurance teams become advisory in nature much how Tax is going with the digital reporting to governments.

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Continue to adapt and evolve and one has little need to worry.

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Plenty of good people around now and in the pipeline. There is a market and will continue to be a market for the services in the future. I’d trust in the viability of audit businesses over data analytics providers….

I’m not so pessimistic. I agree there are short term problems in accounting, but with talent shortages we’ll end up with hopefully higher RPH and compensation. And the pendulum will swing back. I do think we have to think of recalibrating our years to partner to make the career more appealing long term to the younger generations. Or coming up with more positions between SM and partner, as a way to include more promotions and along the way.

There are lots of audits that happen outside of SEC reporters. Those industries are way behind in technology and adopting new tech, so the firms that focus in those will be fine, unless other regulators relax those requirements.

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