The effect of forensic accounting expertise on independent audit quality in Iraq and Iran: A comparative study

Abstract

Skill, experience, and expertise are three factors that might influence the quality of an audit; forensic accountants can conduct higher-quality audits since they have completed a specialized fraud course. Thus, the purpose of this article is to examine how forensic accounting methods affect the caliber of audits. All of the businesses that are listed on the stock exchanges in Tehran and Iraq make up the statistical population. To determine the sample, 35 enterprises from 2013 to 2020 in Iraq and 100 companies from 2014 to 202 in Iran were chosen using the systematic elimination approach. The study hypotheses were tested using the multi-variate regression model that was based on the combined data. The findings indicated that the quality of audits in Iran and Iraq is positively impacted by forensic accounting techniques. Additionally, the findings demonstrated that the number of independent audit report paragraphs in Iran and Iraq is not significantly impacted by the forensic accounting technique. The importance and application of accounting and forensic auditing are felt more than before due to the lack of professional activities related to forensic accounting in the Iraqi economic environment, the rise in cases of financial embezzlement and corruption, the need for financial discipline along with economic development, and the preservation of public trust in the accuracy of financial information. Thus, doing this research can help enhance the corporate climate in Iran and Iraq by determining the significance and requirement of implementing forensic auditing.