Regulation or deregulation of the accounting profession in a sustainable economy? : evidence from Poland

Objective: The article aims to examine how accountants assess the effects of deregulation in the accounting profession in Poland. Our study also included accountants’ expectations regarding the regulation of the accounting profession in the future.

Research Design & Methods: The article presents an analysis and assessment of deregulation’s impact on the quality of accounting services, the prestige of the profession, and business security, which, in our opinion, are the indicators of the sustainable development of the accounting profession. The data source was the responses of 3307 respondents in a survey conducted by the Accountants Association in Poland.

Findings: Accountants with higher, documented qualifications see more negative consequences of deregulation than accountants without such qualifications. However, a similar relationship was not observed when analysing the age, position, or size of the company with which the accountant was associated.

Implications & Recommendations: The research results indicated disruptions in the functioning of the main pillars of sustainable development of the accounting profession and the need to introduce changes in the regulatory sphere of this profession, including the partial re-introduction of the professional certification.

Contribution & Value Added: Our study contributes to enhancing the knowledge regarding the consequences of introducing deregulation in the accounting profession in Poland from the perspective of a sustainable economy. The results of our study are the starting point for the next research stage concerning the impact of international conditions in the accounting profession on economic development in other countries.