环保信用评价制度会影响审计收费吗?

Can the Environmental Credit Evaluation System Affect Audit Fees?

本文以环保信用评价制度的实施作为一项准自然实验,利用2006—2021年沪深A股上市公司样本数据,构建三重差分模型,考察了环保信用评价制度对审计收费的影响.结果发现:环保信用评价制度的实施显著降低了审计费用,且企业获得的环保信用评价等级越高,被收取的审计费用越低.影响机制分析表明,环保信用评价制度通过信息风险机制和经营风险机制降低了审计收费,即环保信用评价制度通过提高公司的环境信息透明度、缓解盈余波动抑制了公司的信息风险和经营风险,进而使审计师收取了更低的审计费用.进一步研究还发现,环保信用评价与审计收费之间的负向关系在非国有企业、法治环境薄弱以及信任环境较差地区的企业中更加明显.本研究丰富了环保信用评价制度经济后果的相关研究,拓展了审计收费影响因素的研究文献,对政府部门进一步推行环保信用评价制度、合理引导企业持续改善环境行为、助力审计师提供高质量审计服务等均具有启示意义.

Taking the implementation of environmental credit evaluation system as a quasi-natural experiment,this paper uses Chinese A-share listed companies from 2006 to 2021 as samples,and constructs a difference-in-difference-in-differences model to explore the impact of environmental credit evaluation system on audit fees.The results show that the implementation of environmental credit evaluation system can significantly reduce audit fees,and the higher the environmental credit rating,the lower the audit fees.The impact mechanism analysis indicates that the environmental credit evaluation system can reduce audit fees through the information risk and operating risk mechanisms.That is,the environmental credit evaluation system will suppress the information risk and operating risk of companies by improving the transparency of environmental information and easing the volatility of earnings,thereby reducing audit fees.Further analysis finds that the negative relationship between the environmental credit evaluation and audit fees are more obvious in non-state-owned enterprises,those located in poor legal environment and low level of trust.This study not only enriches the relevant research on the economic consequences of environmental credit evaluation system,but also expands the literature on the factors affecting audit fees.It has revelatory significance for government departments to further promote the environmental credit evaluation system,reasonably guide enterprises to continuously improve environmental behavior,and help auditors offer high-quality audit services.