PCAOB Firm Inspection Reports

The purpose of this mini-research project is to help generate ideas and experience for the final research project.

Go to https://pcaobus.org/Inspections/Reports/Pages/default.aspx

Do a search for revenue recognition. You should get 175 results (as of May 28, 2018).

Further narrow your search by limiting the inspection report year to 2017. You should get 13 results (as of May 28, 2018), including three of the Big 4:

Ernst & Young LLP

Deloitte & Touche LLP

KPMG LLP

Repeat the search for 2016. This time there are 11 results, including three of the Big 4

Ernst & Young LLP

Deloitte & Touche LLP

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Next, open each of the six reports. First do a word search for revenue recog (not recognition; do you know why not?). Record the number of times mentioned in each report. Then do a broader search for just the word revenue. You should get a lot more instances. Please complete the table below.

Number of instances of revenue recognition in the report
	2016		2017
	Revenue Reocg	Revenue	Revenue Reocg	Revenue
Ernst & Young LLP
Deloitte & Touche LLP
KPMG LLP	NA	NA
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP			NA	NA

Questions:

1. What pattern do you notice?

2. Why did I tell you to search for revenue Reocg, not recognition?

3. Describe one situation that you understood and/or found interesting. Properly cite that report.

4. Please include a proper reference for all the reports:

Example (This is Ernst & Young 2017, even though it covers the 2016 inspection):

PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 2017b). Report on 2016 Inspection of Ernst & Young LLP (Headquartered in New York, New York) Issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board December 19, 2017. PCAOB RELEASE NO. 104-2018-018

https://pcaobus.org/Inspections/Reports/Documents/104-2018-018-Ernst-Young.pdf

I labeled this 2017b because the Deloitte report will be 2017a, since it comes first alphabetically.