One of the PCAOB’s most controversial oversight mechanisms is mandatory audit firm inspections, which replace
voluntary peer reviews conducted under the AICPA.
Comparing the AICPA peer reviews with the PCAOB inspections
provides an opportunity to contrast self-regulation versus government regulation in the auditing profession.
PCAOB
inspectors differ from AICPA peer reviewers on two fundamental dimensions: independence and expertise.
The PCAOB chooses inspectors with an emphasis on independence from the auditing profession.
As such, the inspectors cannot be
practicing CPAs.
This contrasts with AICPA reviewers, who are practicing CPAs.
This contrast presents a classic trade-off
between independence and expertise, a central feature in the debate between the benefits of self-regulation versus
government regulation