The Effective Factors on Timeliness of Audit Report: Evidence from Iran

An important qualitative attribute of financial statements is timeliness of their information. The recognition that the length of the audit may be the single most important  determinant  affecting  the timeliness of reporting, has motivated recent research on audit delay. The present study investigates the determinants of audit delay in Iran. We examine the determinants of "audit delay," the number of calendar days from fiscal year-end to the audit report date. The sample comprises233 companies listed in the Tehran Stock Exchange during the period 1382-1384. Descriptive statistics indicate the average audit delay to be 84 days for the three years under study. Five hypotheses relating audit delay to company size, company profitability, company risk (financial risk), auditor and year-end are tested in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses and t-test of differences are performed to test the hypotheses of the study. The results for the sample of 233 listed Iranian companies showed that audit delay was significantly related to the companies that have 29 Esfand year-end. Other four hypotheses found not to be significantly associated with audit delay.