CPA Journal Editor-in-Chief Robert Colson observed in his March 2004 column, "Auditor
Independenee Redux." the concept of auditor independence has varied over the last 150 years.
In a general sen.se, auditor independence has borne a relationship to the prevailing commercial
environment in different time periods. There has not. however, been a clear transition from one
concept of auditor independence to another. Frequently, more than one idea of auditor independence
has been present in the discussion about independence between professional accountants
and auditors, regulators, and the general public.
The initial concept of auditor independence, which arose during the 19th century, was based on the
premise, primarily British in origin, that a principal duty of professional accountants and auditors was the
oversight of absentee investments in the existing and former colonies of the British Empire. During this
period, a relatively small number of accounting firms could perform audits for a relatively large number
of entities. Professional accountants and auditors could render reports on the financial performance of different
entities and could work for different investor groups.
The concept of auditor independence during this era did not conceive of auditors as advocates for
audited entities; British investors explicitly forbade auditors from investing or working in the businesses
that they audited. At the same time, as long as auditors maintained their primary loyalty to the
investors back home, the scope of professional accounting services eould be reasonably broad. Eor example,
auditors were permined to keep the books and prepare the financial statements for the entities they
audited.