'Major Impact': Here's What the Big Four Firms Have to Say About the 2024 Election

Nov 05, 2024 11:59 PM - 4 months ago 168878

The Big Four consulting firms, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG, collectively employed more than 1.5 million group past year.

Deloitte is the biggest, pinch $65.1 cardinal in world revenue successful 2023 compared to PwC's $53 billion, EY's $49.4 billion, and KPMG's $36.4 billion.

These firms, which lead successful accounting and auditing, conducted investigation connected the statesmanlike predetermination to show what business leaders deliberation arsenic we caput to the polls Tuesday.

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The Big Four had complete $200 cardinal successful world revenue, collectively. (Graphic by Visual Capitalist via Getty Images)

Here's what the Big Four's investigation says astir the 2024 election.

Deloitte: Survey says workplace issues matter

In an predetermination survey released successful mid-September, Deloitte asked 200 North American main financial officers (CFOs) astatine organizations pinch astatine slightest $1 cardinal successful gross what they cared astir up of the election.

Instead of taxation policy, which topped the database successful 2016 and 2020, workforce issues for illustration talent shortages and costs ostentation were the astir pressing issues for CFOs successful 2024.

"Only 12% of CFOs opportunity now is simply a bully clip to beryllium taking greater risks, compared to 26% successful the 2nd 4th of 2024," Deloitte researchers wrote. "A twelvemonth ago, the number was 41%. The upcoming predetermination whitethorn coming the astir important changes of all."

Related: 10 Significant Ways Your Taxes Will Be Impacted By A Kamala Harris Administration

PwC: Executives expect a divided government

PwC conducted a study of 709 U.S. executives, including CFOs, main accusation officers (CIOs), and main exertion officers (CTOs), and released the results successful October.

The mostly of executives, complete 3 successful four, said they expect a divided authorities adjacent year, pinch 77% expecting much executive orders and 75% predicting much regularisation and litigation.

If Democratic campaigner Kamala Harris wins, executives reported higher taxes and ambiance policies arsenic consequence areas. If Republican campaigner Donald Trump wins, they foresee waste and acquisition and overseas relations arsenic consequence areas.

Related: 10 Significant Ways A Second Trump Administration Could Impact Your Taxes

Meanwhile, executives are keeping their AI investments steady, sloppy of who becomes President.

"Regarding AI, for example, 52% opportunity they would summation their finance nether a Harris administration, and 53% opportunity the aforesaid nether a Trump administration," the study stated.

EY: The predetermination will person a sizeable effect connected tech

EY released a poll of 503 tech manufacture leaders successful October that showed astir three-quarters (74%) stated that the predetermination will person a "major impact" connected the U.S. tech manufacture and its expertise to enactment competitory successful a world market.

"Notably, they deliberation that the result of the US predetermination would astir effect the pursuing areas of regulation: cybersecurity/data protections, AI and instrumentality learning, and personification information and contented oversight," EY researchers wrote.

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Many tech leaders (82%) reported plans to summation investments successful AI by 50% aliases much successful 2025, nary matter who wins. AI talent is astatine the apical of the database of what they're looking for (60%), followed by cybersecurity (49%).

KPMG: Businesses person to enactment alert

KPMG looked into U.S. waste and acquisition policies nether some Trump and Harris successful a comparative reappraisal report released successful precocious September.

Trump "favors a much protectionist stance, prioritizing American industries done tariffs and renegotiated waste and acquisition deals aimed astatine reducing the waste and acquisition deficit," while Harris "is a proponent of a multilateral approach, advocating for taxation incentives to beforehand home production." These 2 approaches are "stark contrasts," according to the report.

The study advises businesses that trust connected imports to stay "agile and informed" sloppy of who wins the election.

Related: What The 2024 Election Results Could Mean for D&O Insurance Costs

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