Audit Reports Delay of Iraq's Listed Companies

The financial information timely disclosure through audited financial reporting plays a significant role in reducing the asymmetric dissemination of financial information. This investigates the determinants of audit reporting delays for companies listed in Iraq Stock Exchange. The problem, which is highlighted in this study, is that Iraqi companies lacks in terms of audit report delay. An efficient audit can help speed up the review of the audit reporting. The variables which are use in this study are company's size, audit firm technologies and signs of income. The objective of the research is to determine the extent of the audit delays of audit reports in Iraq's listed companies; to examine the relationship between company size and audit report delays, to investigate the relationship between audit firm technologies and audit report delay and lastly to examine
the relationship between the signs of the income and audit report delays. The questionnaire is used as an instrument to collect the data. There were 110 companies listed in both main board and second board of Iraq Stock Exchange but only 89 companies were used. The unit of analysis of this study is the auditors of the companies. The findings suggest that there is positive relationship between audit company size, audit firm technology and sign of income on audit reporting delay. Therefore, this study confirms that company's size, audit firm technology and sign of income do have positive relationship with audit report delay in Iraq's listed companies. Hence, Iraq's listed companies should speed up their audit report process and publish timely financial report for the benefits of internal and external interest of the company.