In the wake of the Companies Act of 1895, which stipulated that limited companies should appoint an auditor, an auditing field gradually emerged in Sweden. Our historical review from the end of the nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century reveals a reciprocal relationship between audit regulation and the development of the auditing profession. Laws and additional rules both codified auditing practice and paved the way for a strengthening of the profession’s position. The findings also show that critical events have triggered these developments. In 1932, a corporate financial scandal forced the profession to improve auditing methods and formulate ethical rules, and the law that followed was considered a significant indication of the importance of auditors in Sweden. The profession’s position was further strengthened in the 1970s when auditors’ associations became rule-making bodies, and the state decided upon additional assignments for auditors. To meet the 1983 prescription in the Companies Act that at least one auditor in a limited company should be authorized or approved, the number of authorized public accountants increased significantly.
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