This study examines the perceptions of users of financial statements with regard to the level of auditor independence in Greece, and locates the factors affecting auditor independence in a country exhibiting characteristics including a high corruption index, a fluctuating economic, political and social setting, an inhospitable business environment, while research has been conducted in the midpoint of a prolonged economic crisis. A structured questionnaire was addressed to a random sample of four groups of users of financial statements. Main results indicated that auditor independence in Greece is delimited to a moderate level and that the factors mostly affecting auditor independence are related to “the economic dependence of the auditor on the auditee”, “the provision of non-audit services by the auditor”, “the financial interest of the auditor” and “the risks for the auditor arising from poor audit quality”.
