Vilken betydelse har revisorn jämfört med redovisningskonsulten vid kreditgivning? : - en studie ur bankens perspektiv

Sammanfattning: Background: Small- and medium- sized businesses have during a long time had difficulties in raising long-term funding from external financiers, a reason for this is that these companies may have more information about their own business than the bank has. One way to reduce this problem is to hire a certified public auditor or a certified accounting consultant. Much has changed in recent years in the accounting profession. Mandatory audit has been abolished for small- and medium-sized businesses, which has led to major changes. Auditors are now not mandatory for these companies, which opens up the market for accounting consultant´s. The certified accounting consultant´s role has become more extensive. The auditor and the accounting consultant’s roles will converge more and more in the future.  Problem: What is the importance of certified public auditors compared to certified accounting consultant´s for the banks when granting loans to small- and medium- sized businesses in Sweden?  Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe from the bank’s perspective the importance of certified p ublic auditors compared to certified accounting consultant´s when granting loans to small- and medium- sized businesses. The aim is also to identify and analyze the similarities and diffrences between the importance of certified public auditors and certified accounting consultant´s when granting loans and identify the reasons for this. We also want to contribute with a model to explain the similarities and differences in the importance of certified public auditors and certified accounting consultants.  Method: The study is based on previous research and has an abductive approach. The study has also adopted a qualitative approach in the form of eight interviews with bank officers. The sample of respondents included experienced bank officers from well known banks in Sweden.   Results and conclusion: The study confirms that banks still prefer an auditors report to secure that facts and figures are correct. But lately banks have increasingly opened up to accepting the reports from a certified accounting consultant. This development has started by banks accepting accounting consultants work concerning small and uncomplicated companies. But banks still see an auditors report as a reliable and decisive security stamp. We will propose that our study shows that the role of accounting consultant will be and even are being modernized and developed in order to be a more effective complement to an auditors report. That will give all parties a win – win situation.