When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol 175 years ago this year, it was at least a generation before any of the Big Four auditing firms would be created. Scrooge PLC may not have needed an audit back then, but he certainly had use of the consultancy services of the three ghosts.

A modern version of this popular seasonal tale would need to carefully reflect on the current influence of the Big Four on auditing, and the perceived conflict of interest with their consultancy divisions.