The Pricing of Auditor Market Power: Evidence from Iran

This study examines audit pricing in an emerging audit market characterized by increasing competition but segmented by the continued presence of a government audit firm, and the exclusion of international audit firms. Using traditional audit fee modeling, we find that: (1) despite the absence of international “brand names”, audit firm size or market power remains associated with audit fee premium; (2) companies precluded from switching to a private sector pay a fee premium to the quasi-monopolistic audit firm. This study extends the audit pricing literature by identifying the extent of discretionary pricing relative to variations in auditor competition.