Factors Influencing Hesitation to Gain Quality Accreditation of Thai Accounting Firms in Lower-Northern Region
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Abstract
Accounting profession is one of several professions that have been liberalised across ASEAN. For many years, in order to promote the credibility and quality of accounting service in Thailand, the Department of Business Development has introduced the accounting quality accrediting programme for accounting firms that provide bookkeeping services to acquire. Granting accreditation would benefit accounting professions in terms of credibility of accounting services. Accordingly, the clients of accounting firms, especially SMEs, would gain good quality of financial information for making a sound business decision. However, throughout the country there has been a somewhat small number of accounting firms accredited which raises question about difficulties of Thai accounting firms to acquire accreditation. The objective of this study is to gain insight into factors that influence the hesitation to gain quality accreditation of accounting firms that provide bookkeeping services in Thailand. Based on a qualitative field study focusing on the interviews of 24 accounting firms in the lower-northern region of Thailand, the study finds four factors that apparently influence their hesitation including 1) costs of gaining the accreditation, 2) unprepared working system and staffs, 3)
a concern over business data privacy, and 4) an influence of tax law on accounting practices.
Keywords: Bookkeeping Services, Quality Control, Service Standard, Quality Accreditation
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