Audit Quality
Mohammad hossein Setayesh; Younes Masoudi; Elias Dehdari; Mina Sadeghi
Abstract
This research explores the impact of mental accounting on audit quality, particularly focusing on how auditors' cognitive biases influence their judgments and decision-making. By understanding these biases, auditors can better identify risks and improve audit processes. The study is applied, quantitative, ...
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This research explores the impact of mental accounting on audit quality, particularly focusing on how auditors' cognitive biases influence their judgments and decision-making. By understanding these biases, auditors can better identify risks and improve audit processes. The study is applied, quantitative, and descriptive, conducted through surveys with 203 certified accountants in Iran. The findings indicate that mental accounting affects auditors' judgments, the allocation of partners' working time, and performance defense costs in lawsuits, but it does not impact auditor independence. The research concludes that mental accounting influences overall audit quality. By increasing auditors' awareness of mental accounting and its effects, the quality of their audits can improve. These insights highlight the importance of recognizing behavioral biases in auditing to enhance the effectiveness and accuracy of audit practices. IntroductionIn a world without audits, trust in financial reporting would erode, leading to chaos in financial statements. Audit quality is essential for ensuring reliability and transparency, serving as a safeguard against errors and fraud. Understanding auditors' cognitive processes, particularly mental accounting, is crucial for enhancing audit quality and improving decision-making in the classification of financial resources.In the 1980s, Richard Thaler and Amos Tursky popularized the concept of mental accounting, demonstrating how mental limitations can lead to irrational financial decisions. This theory, widely accepted by psychologists, economists, and auditors, consists of three key elements: the coding, classification, and evaluation of mental accounts. Additionally, expectations theory addresses decision-making under risk. By understanding mental accounts, auditors can gain valuable insights into financial behaviors, ultimately improving audit quality. This makes mental accounting a vital tool for combating financial abuses and enhancing overall financial integrity.Research hypothesesMental accounting influences audit quality.Mental accounting affects the auditor's judgment.Mental accounting impacts the ratio of partners' work time to the total work time in the audit budget.Mental accounting influences the auditor's independence.Mental accounting affects the process of defending performance costs in lawsuits.Literature ReviewAudit quality is rooted in trust and confidence, stemming from auditors' adherence to professional standards and their ability to provide reliable information. It can be likened to a trustworthy friend who keeps promises, relying on key elements such as competence, independence, honesty, and professional skepticism. Definitions of audit quality vary but generally emphasize auditors’ ability to detect violations and ensure high-quality financial reporting. Compliance with audit standards serves as a key indicator of audit quality. Furthermore, the theory of mental accounting enhances audit quality by enabling auditors to better understand financial processes and how individuals categorize their resources, making it a valuable tool for improving overall audit practices.Integrating mental accounting with audit quality can significantly enhance the audit process and build trust in financial reporting. Mental accounting identifies behavioral biases that influence auditors' decision-making by examining how financial resources and decisions are categorized. By recognizing these biases, auditors can implement strategies to mitigate their effects, thereby improving audit quality. Additionally, applying mental accounting principles helps auditors select effective methods for gathering and interpreting evidence, ensuring more reliable and accurate audits. This synergy fosters greater accuracy and reliability in financial reports, ultimately strengthening public trust in the audit system.MethodologyThis research adopts an applied approach and a survey method to enhance auditing knowledge, focusing on partners, managers, and certified accountants from A-grade audit institutions in Iran. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire, whose validity was confirmed through face validity and necessary revisions. Reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha, ensuring the questionnaire is a reliable tool for measuring the research variables.ConclusionThis research highlights the role of mental accounting in enhancing audit quality, building on Thaler's foundational work. It identifies four specific variables to measure audit quality, demonstrating that mental accounting affects auditors' judgments, partners' work time allocation, and defense costs in lawsuits, but not auditor independence. The findings confirm that mental accounting positively influences audit quality, aligning with earlier studies by Bonabi Ghadim and Karbasi Yazdi (2013) and Stephen (2018).Additionally, the research examined the influence of participants' demographic information on the hypotheses, concluding that these factors did not affect the outcomes, as the results remained consistent across all demographic groups.AcknowledgmentsIn conclusion, we extend our gratitude to the partners, managers, and members of the public accountants’ community in Iran for their invaluable assistance and the generous time they dedicated to supporting this research.
Capital Structure
Seyed Alireza Hossieni,; Hasan Valiyan; Mohammadreza Abdoli; Maryam Shahri
Abstract
The purpose of this research is the startup accounting development field’s framework and appraisal in the context of capital market companies. This study is exploratory in terms of the type of objective, and it is considered mixed in terms of the type of data collection. In order to measure the ...
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The purpose of this research is the startup accounting development field’s framework and appraisal in the context of capital market companies. This study is exploratory in terms of the type of objective, and it is considered mixed in terms of the type of data collection. In order to measure the reliability of the identified dimensions, the fuzzy Delphi process was used to examine the confirmed axes from the phase of the fuzzy Delphi analysis, based on pairwise comparison in the quantitative section through the Micmac matrix. The results of this study in the qualitative part, during 13 interviews, identified four categories, 8 components, and 41 themes of the concept and developed them in the form of a multidimensional theoretical framework. In the quantitative section, it was also determined that the effectiveness of the "G_1" educational field strengthening dimension is higher than the other examined dimensions, and this dimension was selected as the most central factor in the development of startup accounting in the context of capital market companies. IntroductionFinancial startups are considered one of the most emerging ways of managing financial resources and accounting of the third generation. While accelerating the liquidity circulation cycle in industries, they also possess higher competitive capacities to leverage the advantages of financial markets. However, the importance of the development of startups is not necessarily tied to their novelty or uniqueness in driving competitive business dynamics, but rather to their ability to provide financial services at lower costs, with greater speed and universality at the financial market level, meeting the needs of beneficiaries. This can gain legitimacy for companies through their financial and accounting functions. Literature ReviewOne of the most exemplary business models is startups, which are often created as small and flexible units within organizational structures, or as start-up businesses in the form of small and medium-sized companies through innovative plans, they consistently aim to provide goods and new services that are competitive in the market. Therefore, startups can be defined in two ways. On the one hand, startups can be described as companies with the goal of achieving rapid growth in a specific market or situation. On the other hand, startups can be considered human institutions designed to create new products or services under uncertain conditions. Accordingly, startups should be considered a valuable resource for generating new knowledge, which has gradually transformed into innovation with the development of entrepreneurial infrastructure, as they leverage emerging technologies to invent new products and business models. MethodologyThis study is considered exploratory in terms of its goal within the methodology because it uses the analysis of foundational data theory based on Glazer's approach to identify the background procedures of accounting development for the implementation of financial startups in the context of capital market companies. In terms of the study’s results, it is developmental because the phenomena investigated lack theoretical coherence and an integrated content framework in the study’s context. Regarding the type of data, this study should be considered mixed. In the qualitative part, using foundational data theory and conducting interviews, the effective background procedures for the development of accounting for the implementation of financial startups are identified in the form of a theoretical framework, ensuring the reliability of the identified dimensions through Delphi analysis. In the quantitative part of this study, using the MicMak matrix, an attempt is made to identify the most central area of startup accounting development in the context of capital market companies by comparing the criteria in the row " " and the column " ". ResultIn the qualitative part, through the approach of analyzing foundational data theory and conducting interviews with experts, a total of 41 conceptual themes; 8 components, and 4 categories were identified during the three stages of open, central, and selective coding. Based on this, a theoretical, multidimensional framework was developed, focusing on key axes effective in the development of startup accounting. Subsequently, the reliability of the axes identified through the foundational data theory was measured by performing a fuzzy Delphi analysis. The results indicate the confirmation of all dimensions within the analysis threshold of 0.7. DiscussionIn the following, the axes identified through the Micmac matrix were compared in pairs between the positive pole "+ve" and the negative pole "-ve" to determine the level of influence of row "i" on column "i" or vice versa. The results of the placement of the 8 confirmed axes in the 4 quadrants of the Micmac matrix are significant. Based on this analysis, it was determined that the two dimensions of strengthening the ecosystem fields "G5" and strengthening the educational fields "G1" respectively have a higher level of influence and effectiveness than the other dimensions.The results indicate that capital market companies, to advance their goals of implementing start-up accounting procedures, should focus on strengthening the skill capacities of accountants to effectively use these types of software platforms, based on structural needs assessments.
Audit Quality
Alireza Javadipour; jafar Babajani; Ghasem Blue; Vajhollah Ghorbanizadeh
Abstract
Considering the goals of forming the audit committee and its extensive duties, evaluating the performance of the audit committee in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses is very important. The present study presents a model for evaluating the performance of the audit committee and a practical ...
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Considering the goals of forming the audit committee and its extensive duties, evaluating the performance of the audit committee in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses is very important. The present study presents a model for evaluating the performance of the audit committee and a practical model for the use of the activities of the audit committee by the beneficiaries. The model obtained in the current research includes 3 parts of evaluating the individual characteristics of the members of the audit committee, evaluating the work processes and reporting of the audit committee, and evaluating its duties and responsibilities, and the final model includes 3 dimensions, 13 components, and 78 indicators. The results of the research showed that the working and reporting processes of the audit committee have the most weight in evaluating the performance of the audit committee, and the evaluation of the audit committee meetings as the focus of the audit committee's activities is the most important among the performance evaluation components.ObjectiveThe optimal performance of the audit committee is an important variable in improving the processes and structure of corporate governance as well as financial reports. The duties of audit committees around the world are in sync with developments in the economic environment, and in Iran, according to the approved charter of the audit committee, the purpose of forming an audit committee in companies is to help fulfill the supervisory responsibility of the board of directors and to improve it in order to obtain assurance of reasonable quality of financial reporting, effectiveness of the internal audit process, ensuring the independence of the independent auditor and its effectiveness, adapting the company's activities to the laws, and ensuring the effectiveness of the activities of the corporate governance system, its committees, and other components. Considering the goals of forming the audit committee and its extensive duties, evaluating the performance of the audit committee in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses is very important. Due to the lack of comprehensive research in the country to provide a model to evaluate the performance of the audit committee, the present research has addressed this issue and a practical model for the use of the activities of the audit committee has been presented.MethodThe research method used in the first stage of the study involved extracting the dimensions, components, and performance evaluation indicators of the audit committee from the theoretical sources of the research. Then, the Fuzzy Delphi method was used to screen the indicators, and the Best-Worst Method (BWM) multi-criteria decision-making method was used to weigh each dimension, component, and index. Finally, to determine the gap between the existing situation in the field of audit committee performance evaluation and the model obtained in the current research, the Fuzzy Gap method has been used.FindingsBy studying the theoretical sources of the research, 96 indicators were determined to evaluate the performance of the audit committee, which were classified into 3 dimensions and 15 components using theoretical foundations. In the next step, to check the indicators, interviews were first conducted with 10 experts. In the interviews conducted regarding 6 indicators, revisions, and content adjustments were made to adapt to the current conditions of the country's economic environment. One index was also removed due to the lack of a legal structure for the index in Iran. In the next step, 95 finalized indicators were presented to the research experts for screening, and the responses given by the research experts were analyzed using the Fuzzy Delphi method. By calculating the fuzzy average of the numbers and then de-fuzzifying them, indicators with a de-fuzzified number less than 0.7 were removed, and 78 indicators were approved by the research experts. The model obtained in the current research includes three parts: evaluating the individual characteristics of the members of the audit committee, evaluating the work processes and reporting of the audit committee, and evaluating its duties and responsibilities. The final model includes 3 dimensions, 13 components, and 78 indicators.4- ConclusionAccording to the findings of the research, the important components in evaluating the performance of the audit committee are the audit committee meetings, the audit committee resources, communication with the board of directors, the audit committee charter, and monitoring of financial reporting. The results of the research showed that the working and reporting processes of the audit committee carry the most weight in the evaluation of the audit committee's performance, with a weight of about 66%, and the evaluation of the audit committee meetings as the focus of the audit committee's activities is the most important among the evaluation components. Also, proper communication with the board of directors, provision of sufficient resources for the activities of the audit committee, the existence of an approved charter of the audit committee, and monitoring of internal controls and financial reporting are important areas for evaluating the performance of the audit committee. The results of the research also indicated the existence of a significant gap between the current status of the audit committee's performance evaluation and the model obtained in the research. In this regard, it is suggested that the legislator (Securities and Exchange Organization) obliges the listed companies to evaluate the performance of the audit committee under their supervision. Furthermore, it is recommended to use the model presented in the current research, considering the importance of dimensions and components. Additionally, the board of directors of the companies can improve the performance of these committees by taking into account the important components of the audit committee's performance, by holding the audit committees under their supervision accountable in these areas, and also making a reasonable and logical assessment of their performance.Enhancing KnowledgeThis research has presented a practical model to evaluate the performance of the audit committee according to the characteristics of Iran's economic environment, which can serve as the basis for analyzing the performance of the audit committee based on its different functional dimensions.
Audit Quality
Akram Afsay
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between financial expertise and the experience of the audit committee chairman with auditor selection, audit fees, and audit quality. To achieve the research goal, a sample equal to 99 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during the period ...
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The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between financial expertise and the experience of the audit committee chairman with auditor selection, audit fees, and audit quality. To achieve the research goal, a sample equal to 99 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during the period from 2015 to 2023, equivalent to 792 company-years, was analyzed using multiple regression analysis based on combined data. The findings showed that the companies whose heads of the audit committee possess financial expertise are more likely to choose the Audit Organization or audit institutions with quality control ‘A’ as their independent auditors. Also, according to the findings, the financial expertise of audit committee heads leads to an increase in audit fees and audit quality. However, this study did not identify a significant relationship between the audit committee chairman's experience with auditor selection and audit fees, but a positive and significant relationship between the audit committee chairman's experience and audit quality was identified. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by documenting that financial expertise and experience of audit committee heads are important for improving the audit process and audit quality.1. IntroductionIn recent years, the significant impact of the audit committee on the effectiveness of the audit process has been confirmed by various researchers (Azizkhani et al., 2023). The chairman of the audit committee is considered the chief executive officer of the audit committee (Ernst & Young, 2013). It is necessary for the chairman of the audit committee, as a leader, to understand the culture of the organization, set clear expectations for the committee members, and consider both management and auditors in their decisions. The chairman of the audit committee, who is more responsible than other members of the committee, plays a vital role in controlling financial reporting and evaluating the effectiveness of the audit committee (Bromilo & Keeler, 2011). The chairman of the audit committee plays a key role in ensuring the quality of financial reports through cooperation with the members of the audit committee, setting the agenda of the committee, communicating with the board of directors, management, and independent auditors, and helping to select the members of the audit committee (Azizkhani et al., 2023). In Iran, the audit committee is one of the basic committees of a company. In 2013, the Securities and Exchange Organization required all listed companies to form an audit committee. This committee is responsible for supervising the work of internal and independent auditors, proposing independent auditors to the general meeting of shareholders for the purpose of appointing, determining the fees, and dismissing independent auditors, reviewing the frequency of audits, receiving audit reports, and ensuring that corrective actions are taken in a timely and correct manner. It is the responsibility of management to address weaknesses and shortcomings, non-compliance with policies, laws, and regulations, and resolve other problems identified by the auditors (Nazari et al., 2019). MethodologyThe present research is a descriptive, correlational study in terms of its applied purpose and the relationship between variables. The data and information used are historical and post-event. The statistical population of this research includes all the companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. The statistical sample of the research comprises all the companies that were active in the stock market from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2023 and meet the following conditions: 1. Their membership in the Tehran Stock Exchange must have continued throughout the research period. 2. The data needed for the research must have been available to them during the research period. 3. They must not belong to investment, financial mediation, holding, bank, or leasing companies. 4. The end of the financial year for these companies should not have changed during the research period and must coincide with the end of March. Finally, after applying the above conditions, 99 companies (equivalent to 792 company-years) were selected as the statistical sample. To collect the data, the database of Rahavard Novin and the reports published on Codal were used. Research hypotheses were tested based on combined data and using multivariate regression models. ResultIn this study, the effect of financial expertise and the experience of the head of the audit committee on auditor selection, audit fees, and audit quality was investigated. The findings indicate that the heads of the audit committee who possess accounting and financial expertise are more likely to choose a first-rate auditor (The Audit Organization or audit institutions with a quality rating of ‘A’) as an independent auditor. Additionally, audit committee heads with accounting and financial expertise tend to pay higher audit fees and enhance audit quality. These findings are consistent with the results of studies by Azizkhani et al. (2023), Lari Dasht Beyaz et al. (2017), and Ghafaran and Yasman (2018). Therefore, the accounting and financial expertise of the head of the audit committee, as an important and influential factor in the audit process, should receive attention from supervisory and legislative institutions. Due to its significance, it should become a legal requirement for companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. ConclusionAlthough the accounting and financial expertise of the head of the audit committee was identified as an influencing factor in the selection of the auditor and the audit fee, the results of this study showed that the greater experience of the heads of the audit committee does not lead to the selection of a first-class independent auditor and does not significantly affect the audit fee. This finding is not compatible with the results of the studies by Elsayani et al. (2023) and Lari Dasht Beyaz et al. (2017). However, the findings indicate that the greater experience of the heads of the audit committee increases the quality of the audit, which is consistent with the findings of the study by Azizkhani et al (2023). These results indicate that the accounting and financial expertise of the head of the audit committee, as an internationally proven factor, demonstrates the expected performance in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. However, the experience of the head of the audit committee is not as effective as accounting and financial expertise. In this regard, it may be possible to attribute the weak role of audit committee heads in the selection of auditors and audit fees in our country as a reason for this lack of influence. It is expected that with the passage of time and future legal and regulatory reforms, audit committees will become more efficient and effective, and their heads will play a greater role in improving the audit process.
Audit Risk
Mandana Taheri; Ghasem Blue; Ramin Parvarpour
Abstract
Information asymmetry and economic uncertainty are features of the capital market in today's complex business environment, which increase audit risk and litigation risk, and can be effective in explaining audit fees. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of legal claims risk, information ...
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Information asymmetry and economic uncertainty are features of the capital market in today's complex business environment, which increase audit risk and litigation risk, and can be effective in explaining audit fees. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of legal claims risk, information asymmetry and economic uncertainty in explaining audit fees. The time domain of the research is the period from 2013 to 2021 and the research sample includes 120 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Research findings, based on analysis using multivariable regression models on combined data, show that among the macroeconomic variables investigated (including economic growth rate, inflation rate, exchange rate, and interest rate), both economic growth rate and inflation rate have a direct and significant relationship with the audit fee. Additionally, there is a direct and significant relationship between the risk of lawsuits and information asymmetry with the audit fee. The results indicate that the risk of lawsuits, economic uncertainty and information asymmetry play an effective role in explaining auditors' fees. IntroductionAudit fees indicate the amount of auditors' effort to reduce the audit risk to the reasonable level. It is a measure to control financial risk and some legal claims that are threatening audit firms. According to litigation risk, auditors try to control this risk by increasing their efforts and audit fees. Chen (2019) and Frino et al. (2022) state that information asymmetry and economic uncertainty increase audit risk and litigation risk, and can influence audit fees. In other words, audit services are necessitated by the conflict between shareholders and managers. Information asymmetry and economic uncertainty increase agency costs, thereby heightening the necessity for auditing to control and manage these costs. Consequently, auditors increase audit fees to manage audit risks and ensure the thoroughness of their audit work. Therefore, this research aims to explain the effect of litigation risk, information asymmetry, and economic uncertainty on audit fees. MethodologyOur data were collected using financial statements, notes, and audit reports in CODAL[1] database and Rahavard-e-Novin[2] software. The final sample for a period of 2013-2021 consists of 1080 firm-year observations. In addition, the GARCH models were employed to measure the independent variables. To test the first and second hypotheses of this research, model 1 is used:Afeet= litig riskt+ Asymmetryt+ Sizet+ INVRECt +Levt + ROAt+ losst+ CHANGEt +Adu sizet + Specialistt+ LIQUIDt + SALEt +Year Effects+ Industry Effects (1)To test the third hypothesis of research, model 2 is used:Afeet= Economic Growtht-1+ Inflation Ratet-1+ Exchange Ratet-1+ Interest Ratet-1+ Sizet+ INVRECt +Levt + ROAt+ losst+ CHANGEt +Adu sizet + Specialistt+ LIQUIDt + SALEt +Year Effects+ Industry Effects (2)Where, SIZE represents the natural logarithm of total assets; INVREC denotes the amount of inventory and receivables divided by total assets; Lev indicates total liabilities divided by total assets; ROA signifies net profit divided by total assets; LOSS is assigned 1 if a firm has experienced a loss in any of the last three years, and 0 otherwise; CHANGE is assigned 1 if a firm has changed its auditor, and 0 otherwise; LIQUID represents current assets divided by total assets; SALE represents the ratio of sales to assets; Adu size is a dummy variable that equals 1 if the audit firm was either the Iran Audit Organization (IAO) or Mofid Rahbar (an audit firm belonging to IACPA), and 0 otherwise. SPECIALISR is assigned 1 if the auditor is an industry specialist, and 0 otherwise. Audit Fee (AFEE): is the natural logarithm of the audit fee.Information Asymmetry (Asymmetry): According to the model of Venkatesh and Chiang (1986).Economic Uncertainty (RM): Economic uncertainty is the inability of agents to accurately predict the outcomes of decisions. In this research, it has been measured by four indicators, including the fluctuation of economic growth, inflation rate, exchange rate, and interest rate. In addition, a GARCH model was used to index these criteria. For this purpose, a volatile measure of changes in the Gross National Product (GNP) index was considered to be an indicator of the risk of macroeconomic factors that the firm faces in its financial and production decisions. The results of the estimation of the GARCH model led to conditional variances, which ultimately lead to the standard deviation or the concept of uncertainty upon taking the square root.Litigation Risk (Litig risk): We measure this variable based on Lowry and Shu (2002), Krishnan and Zhang (2005), and Sun and Liu (2011). ConclusionThe results of testing the first and second hypotheses indicate that the risk of lawsuits and information asymmetry have a positive and significant relationship with audit fees. In the third hypothesis, the effect of lack of economy on remuneration was investigated. In this research, four indicators including economic growth, inflation rate, exchange rate, and interest rate have been used to measure the economic uncertainty of macroeconomic variables. In this regard, the results of the hypothesis testing show that economic uncertainty based on inflation and economic growth criteria has a positive and significant relationship with audit fees. Additionally, economic uncertainty based on interest rate criterion has a negative and significant relationship with audit fees. However, the exchange rate indicator does not have a significant effect on audit fees. Therefore, it can be seen that audit risk as an indicator of determining audit fees is influenced by some economic variables such as inflation and economic growth.In order to strengthen the results and address potential endogeneity in the research models, we redefined the dependent variable as imaginary (bivariate) and re-estimated the initial models of all three hypotheses. The results of these re-estimations confirmed the findings of the least squares regression in the first model for the first and second hypotheses. In the third hypothesis regarding economic uncertainty, economic growth and inflation rate criteria, as well as exchange rate, lead to an increase in the audit fee, while interest rate causes a decrease in the audit fee. Additionally, new control variables were added to the initial models based on the information provided in previous sections. The results of these additions confirm the findings of the initial estimation of the hypotheses.
Audit Quality
Mahdi Saghafi; Azam Pouryousof; Ali Shirzadi
Abstract
In this research, the relationship between the discovery of audit distortions and the readability of financial reports has been investigated, as well as the moderating effect of management ability on this relationship. This research is practical in terms of its purpose, and the correlation method is ...
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In this research, the relationship between the discovery of audit distortions and the readability of financial reports has been investigated, as well as the moderating effect of management ability on this relationship. This research is practical in terms of its purpose, and the correlation method is causal (post-event). In this research, the data of 129 companies listed on the Iran Stock Exchange during a seven-year period (from 2015 to 2021) were gathered to test the hypotheses using panel data. The collection of information in this study was done using library methods. Related data to measure the variables were collected from the Codal website and financial statements of the companies. Basic calculations were done in Excel. Then, Stata software was used to test the research hypotheses. The results of the research show that the discovery of audit distortions has a direct and significant effect on the readability of financial reports. Additionally, the results indicate that the ability of managers can not only moderate the positive relationship between the discovery of audit distortions and the readability of financial reports, but also increase the intensity of this relationship.IntroductionA significant part of the companies' information is presented through the annual reports. A clear presentation of this amount of information is important for the clear understanding and interpretation of the information in the financial statements. There is a possibility that company managers change the readability of financial reports in order to attract the attention of investors, and control the perceptions of information users. The possibility of managers exploiting loopholes in accepted accounting principles and standards for personal gain necessitates a thorough evaluation and review by auditors. This evaluation aims to identify potential opportunities for fraud and weaknesses in these principles and standards for rectification. In this way, auditors can play an important role in making financial reports more readable through the quality of the audit. At the same time, the motivation and ability of managers to apply personal interests can also be an obstacle to high-quality auditing. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine the effect of audit quality on the readability of financial reports and to investigate how managers' ability can influence this relationship.Research Question(s):Does audit quality have a significant effect on the readability of financial reports?Can managers' ability moderate the relationship between audit quality and readability of financial reports?Literature ReviewBlanco et al. (2021) stated in their research that when annual reports are less readable, auditors spend more effort on auditing financial statements. Furthermore, Hassan (2017) indicated that companies with capable managers publish more readable financial reports. Ghanizadeh et al. (2021) also concluded that financial knowledge and ability of managers have a positive and significant effect on audit quality.MethodologyThe data needed for the research were collected through Rahvard Navin software and Codal website, as well as from the audited financial statements of the companies and their audit reports. The statistical population of the research consists of the companies listed on the Iran Stock Exchange. Thus, 129 companies were selected from the statistical population over seven years (903 observations) from those active between 2015 and 2021, after applying restrictions.ResultsThe findings of the research show that the increase in sensitivity of the auditors in their proceedings, which has led to the discovery of more and more accounting distortions and finally the improvement of audit quality, has led to effective communication with managers in choosing simple words and phrases. This results in an increase in the use of simple language and a reduction in the complexity of financial report content, thereby enhancing the readability of financial reports. Additionally, the ability of managers can not only moderate the positive relationship between audit quality and the readability of financial reports, but also increase the intensity of this relationship.DiscussionThe readability of managers' explanatory reports is crucial for influencing information users. However, the absence of a universal standard for reading such reports presents management with numerous choices regarding content and even formatting. It is possible for managers to mislead the users of information when choosing the right decision by manipulating the readability of financial reports. This issue underscores the essential role of auditors, given its financial consequences and the potential for economic crises. Auditors play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of financial reports and mitigating opportunistic motives of managers. As the CEO is a key figure in the company's economy with significant influence, they can impact the company's value and profitability through their presentation of news and reports. Therefore, audit quality as one of the most important factors in the implementation of audit operations in audit institutions should be considered, so that the mission of auditing, which is ensuring financial statements, is carried out at the highest level of confidence. However, in situations where managers possess high abilities, there is a possibility of adjusting and being affected by this relationship. In this situation, there is a contradiction regarding the managers' ability to provide clear or complex reports and the quality of the audit. This issue originated from theories such as representation and stakeholders. Therefore, the moderating effect of managers' ability on the relationship between audit quality and readability of financial reports is important. In other words, capable managers in different situations send a positive sign of the company's status to the market by providing clear information and thus reduce agency costs. Thus, these managers have a greater ability to clearly express information to the market, which helps create a competitive advantage, maintain reputation, and foster self-motivation.ConclusionIn general, the results of this research indicate that the quality of auditing has improved, and the ability of managers plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality and transparency of financial reports. Therefore, it can be said that audit quality is an important and influential variable in ensuring financial statements and gaining the trust of information users. Additionally, capable managers demonstrate a greater inclination towards information transparency due to their superior performance.