However, we felt that we did not have a sufficiently secure theoretical base to develop a priori expectations regarding the relationship between hierarchical level and independence commitment. Finally, tax is often considered as a core area of accountancy, along with financial accounting and auditing (e.g. Abbott, 1988). However, the profession’s regulatory
standards of auditor independence are generally not binding in the tax domain, making it less likely that the practitioner is reminded of the notion of auditor independence when carrying out tax work.