A Survey of Audit Pricing in Ireland

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted on the market for audit services in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries, but many countries, including Ireland, have not been studied in detail. This paper examines the audit services market in Ireland. The findings indicate broad similarities in the market for audit services in Ireland and countries previously studied. In addition to extending the results of prior studies of the audit services market to a country not previously examined in detail, this study makes an additional contribution by examining whether the large audit‐firm fee premium is a general phenomenon or is attributable to specific audit firms. The results suggest that the large audit‐firm fee premium documented in many countries may be attributable to only a few large accounting firms rather than to all large accounting firms. In this regard the market for audit services in Ireland may differ from many of the countries previously studied.