refers to clients seeking successor auditors who are willing to issue a clean audit opinion when the incumbent threatens to issue a GC.
Opinion shopping can harm audit quality if either the incumbent or the successor yields to client pressure to issue a clean opinion when a GC is warranted, thereby impairing auditor independence.
One way US regulators attempt to curtail opinion shopping is by requiring auditor change 8-Ks to disclose auditor–client disagreements and auditors’ concerns about clients’ internal controls.
In addition, predecessor auditors must make their working papers available to successors, which may also curtail opinion shopping.