Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the processing of information about economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activities and conveys this information to a variety of stakeholders, including investors, creditors, management, and regulators. Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants. The terms "accounting" and "financial reporting" are often used as synonyms.
Arthur Andersen was an American accounting firm based in Chicago that provided auditing, tax advising, consulting and other professional services to large corporations. By 2001, it had become one of the world's largest multinational corporations and was one of the "Big Five" accounting firms. The firm collapsed by mid-2002, as details of its questionable accounting practices for energy company Enron and telecommunications company WorldCom were revealed amid the two high-profile bankruptcies. The scandals were a factor in the enactment of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002.
The Big Four are the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG, and PwC. They are the four largest global accounting networks as measured by revenue. The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, particularly accounting, they are considered equally attractive networks to work in, because of the frequency with which these firms engage with Fortune 500 companies.
Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional services partnership. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, it is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms. It primarily provides assurance, tax, consulting and advisory services to its clients.
KPMG International Limited is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations, along with Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PwC. The name "KPMG" stands for "Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler". The initialism was chosen when KMG merged with Peat Marwick in 1987.
PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited is a multinational professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Deloitte, EY and KPMG.
Grant Thornton LLP is the American member firm of Grant Thornton International, the seventh largest accounting network in the world by combined fee income. Grant Thornton LLP is the sixth largest U.S. accounting and advisory organization. The firm operates 59 offices across the US with approximately 8,500 employees, 550 partners, and produces annual revenue in excess of US$1.9 billion.
Allen & Overy LLP is a British multinational law firm headquartered in London, England. The firm has 590 partners and over 5,800 people worldwide. In 2023 A&O reported an increase in revenue to GBP2.1 billion and is the second largest law firm headquartered in the UK by revenue.
RSM US LLP is an audit, tax, and consulting firm focused on the middle market in the United States and Canada and is a member of the global accounting network RSM International. It is the fifth largest accounting firm in the United States and employs more than 17,000 professionals across 93 cities nationwide and in Canada. RSM US also maintains offices in India and El Salvador. Since 2012, RSM US has been headquartered in downtown Chicago.
RSM Tenon was a professional services firm based in the United Kingdom, which was listed on the FTSE SmallCap Index and part of RSM Global. The company was formed from the merger of the Tenon Group with RSM Bentley Jennison in December 2009.
Mazars is an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting and consulting group employing more than 47,000 professionals in more than 95 countries through member firms. With head offices in Paris, France, Mazars has a network of correspondent partners and joint ventures in a further 21 countries and is a founding member of the Praxity alliance, a network of independent firms.
Grant Thornton is the world's seventh-largest by revenue and sixth-largest by number of employees professional services network of independent accounting and consulting member firms which provide assurance, tax and advisory services to privately held businesses, public interest entities, and public sector entities. Grant Thornton International Ltd. is a not-for-profit, non-practising, international umbrella membership entity organised as a private company limited by guarantee. Grant Thornton International Ltd. is incorporated in London, England, and has no share capital.
RSM UK is a provider of audit, tax, and consulting services to middle-market businesses. It is the seventh-largest business advisory firm in the United Kingdom and the sixth-largest globally.
FORVIS ranks among the U.S. top 10 public accounting firms, providing assurance, tax, and consulting services.
Moore Kingston Smith founded in 1923 is an accountancy firm located in the United Kingdom. The firm has six offices in London and the south-east and is the London member of the Moore Global Network. In 2022, the Moore UK network ranked 10th on Accountancy Age magazine's "UK Top 50 Accountancy Firms" list.
HLB International is a global network of independent advisory and accounting firms, comprising member firms in 157 countries. HLB International member firms offer audit, accounting, tax and business advisory services.
An accounting network or accounting association is a professional services network whose principal purpose is to provide members resources to assist the clients around the world and hence reduce the uncertainty by bringing together a greater number of resources to work on a problem. The networks and associations operate independently of the independent members. The largest accounting networks are known as the Big Four.
Baker Tilly International is a consulting and public accounting firm. It is currently the 9th largest accounting network in the world by revenue with 41,000 people in 700 offices across 145 territories with combined global revenues of $4.7bn. Baker Tilly International operates geographically through four regions: Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Latin America; and North America. Each region has a chair, appointed by the International Board, who leads an advisory council elected by members in that region.
Saffery is a firm of chartered accountants in the United Kingdom. It has nine offices across the UK as well as offshore. The firm acts for clients across specialty sectors including private wealth, landed estates and rural businesses, not-for-profit, entrepreneurs, sports and entertainment.
BDO is an international network of public accounting, tax, consulting and business advisory firms that provide professional services under the name BDO. It is the fifth-largest accounting network in the world. Global fee income of the member firms in the network for the year ended 30 September 2021, including the members of their exclusive alliances, totaled US$12.8 billion. Each BDO member firm is an independent legal entity in its own country. The network, founded in 1963 as Binder Seidman International Group by firms from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, is coordinated by BDO Global Coordination B.V., with an office in Zaventem, Belgium. In 1973, the organisation adopted the name BDO, made up from the initials of the three founding firms: Binder (UK), Dijker (Netherlands) and Otte (Germany).
US$1.6663 billion (2023) [1] 