Three Big 8 Audit Firms Notify the AICPA in 1970 of Their Lack of Confidence in the Accounting Principles Board

The aim of this article is to display, for the first time in the literature, the letters written in November 1970 by the senior partners of three of the Big 8 audit firms, notifying the AICPA of their lack of confidence in the Accounting Principles Board (APB). The letters were provoked by the “embarrassing” and much criticized Opinions 16 and 17 on accounting for pooling of interests and intangible assets.

JEL Classification: M41.