Australia Big Four Dominate Audits for Top 200 Firms, Study Says

The Big Four accounting firms earned 99% of all audit fees from Australia’s top 200 companies in 2022, according to preliminary findings from a study released Thursday.

The study, conducted by the University New South Wales Business School, found that the Big Four—PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young— had fewer audit clients in 2022, a 4.5% decline compared to 2019, but they still had 96.5% of Australia’s top 200 listed companies as clients.

The findings come as lawmakers continue an inquiry into revelations PwC Australia shared confidential tax information from its work advising the government with clients and the ...