Apple Computer on Friday announced that it has adopted a new policy prohibiting its auditors from doing any non-financial consulting work. The possibility of conflicts of interest between auditors and their clients has come under increased scrutiny since the accounting scandals surrounding Enron and other high-profile companies. Many auditing companies also act as consultants, although most of the "big five" accounting firms have announced plans to split up their auditing and consulting businesses.
Apple said it will continue to use its auditors to perform financial consulting in such areas as statutory filings of foreign subsidiaries, 401-K, SEC registrations, and tax compliance and planning.