Ball (2006) posits “the notion that uniform standards alone will produce uniform financial reporting seems naïve.” Discuss, with aid of relevant literature and examples, to what extent you agree with the above statement.
According to Alexander et al. (2011), stakeholders around the world uses information from financial statements in their decision-making process for many different purposes and it is almost the same on how they use the information in every country. However, there can be differences on the communication that information when different types accounting standards are used. Ball defines that “IFRS are accounting rules (‘standards’) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), an independent organisation based in London, UK” (2006, p6). Therefore, they are set of rules where public companies globally should apply to when producing financial reporting. This essay will be looking further into how local institutional and economic factors influence arise with uniform standards while preparing financial reporting in different countries. Based on the findings, this essay will conclude that it is possible to produce uniform financial reporting with uniform standards with some changes to the current IFRS.
Alexander et al. (2011) claimed that setting a uniform standards known as harmonization can increase the comparability of financial information, which allows more transparency for users of the information. Uniform standards can result in a decrease in
Despite those enormous advantages, it has been argued that IFRSS adoption lead to significant costs. The main argument is that IFRSs do not consider local needs and priorities as every country has their own ‘business environment, legal systems, cultures, language and political environment’ (Henderson and Peirson, 2000 cited from Malthus, S., 2004). However, to overcome this problem, IASB can accommodate flexible reporting standards that enable companies to choose alternatives that are more suitable for their external condition. It is opinion of some opponents of IFRS adoption that IAS is ‘insufficiently detailed’ (Uddin,M.S., 2005, p.4) that require accountants’ and auditor’ professional judgment. However, overly detail might be contra productive and not flexible in anticipating every changes and differences.
SFAC No. 8 addresses the cost constraint on useful financial reporting, “Cost is a pervasive constraint that standard setters, as well as providers and users of financial information, should keep in mind when considering the benefits of a financial reporting requirement.” (SFAC No. 8 BC 3.47) However, the ability to place a dollar value and fully enumerate a cost or benefit is almost an impossible task for standard-setters. Additionally, there is no way to successfully identify and measure all of the economic consequences associated with a new standard. The FASB should be applauded though for advancing uniformity in accounting standards, however; uniform financial reporting suggests a one size fits all approach. “Smaller, non-publicly listed firms (and their auditors) argue that accounting standards are formulated mainly for larger, publicly traded firms” and that “compliance costs are disproportionately higher and the
The IOSCO plan does not cover accounting standards.(66) These standards are important for providing financial statements in a scheme that are prepared in the similar manner as those by issuers from other countries. The development of international accounting standards is the subject of a distinct project by IOSCO, and many accounting professionals who are concomitant with that undertaking are hopeful that a satisfactory solution is within reach.(67) Supposing, however, that an agreement is possible on a core set of financial standards and that they too are embraced by securities regulators as compulsory for foreign issuers, the road to commonality has at least two other impediments.
Lobbing of commercial and political interests in the establishing of the standards is a fact, which leads to believe that there might be large groups of the financial information users, who are interested in the particular way of reporting. If it is beneficial to them and to the market without compromising any ethical issues related to the financial reporting, if the market gains from such interests, than the standards should be formed under such influence. The question is who is going to decide if there are benefits. I guess, this is the area where the real politic starts. At this level of decision making, I think there should be people free of any political or economic pressure. However, more often commercial and political interests do
Since 2002, Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) have been working toward “convergence” of US General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). They have made significant progress in efforts to converge critical accounting standards such as those dealing with revenue recognition, financial instruments and leases. Once these projects are complete, the "era" of convergence will be at an end. Nevertheless, the benefits for investors of eventually getting to consistently applied, high-quality, globally accepted accounting
Our aim in this paper is to analyse and justify the facts that support and object the main issue of whether the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards have in fact increased Financial Reporting Quality.
For nearly half a century, a movement has been underway to establish a high-quality, comprehensive set of international accounting standards, with the goal of facilitating international trade and investment. In the global capital market, differences in the rules of accounting for the purposes of recognition, measurement, and reporting of financial results have impaired the smooth transfer of information across borders. Given that it accounts for nearly a third of the global market, there is considerable pressure for the United States to conform to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as promulgated by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). While moving to a single set of accounting standards could create
A set of internationally recognized accounting standards facilitates capital flows across borders. Globally accepted standards make financial information readily comparable for its users. Foreign investors are more inclined to put money into a U.S. company if they are familiar with the company’s financial reporting. Conversely, U.S. investors will find it easier and less risky to invest in foreign companies when they know the local accounting standards (Epstein 2009). This will make U.S. companies and capital markets more competitive, since it saves costly reconcilition of different standards. Preparers, investors, auditors, and others will benefit from these cost effieciencies, since a Results of an IFAC Survey among accounting leaders around the world with respect to the importance of convergence to International Financial Reporting Standards for economic growth in their countries:
This essay will critically evaluate the adoption of International Accounting Standards by UK companies. IAS (International Accounting Standards) created by IASC (International accounting standards committee) are a set of standards stating how particular types of transactions and other events should be reflected in financial statements. Since 2001 the IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) succeeded the IASC to create the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) which are “a single set of accounting standards, developed and maintained by the International Accounting Standards Board (the Board) with the intention of those standards being capable of being applied on a globally consistent basis—by developed,
The globalization of markets over the past 50 years has led to the demand for increasingly comparable financial statements across countries. In response to this demand, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) was formed with the purpose of developing a set of high quality global accounting standards. Although a majority of developed markets have adopted the international standards, the United States has not. One reason for the delay in adoption is that many of the standards are very similar. However, there are also several key differences between the two. Presently, the United States Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the IASB have
This report has been compiled for the Chief Accountant of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Its aim is to provide an analysis of how international financial reporting standards (IFRS) have improved reporting quality. This report found that there has been a recent move to using these standards as a blanket standard in most Western countries as the need for consistency in financial reporting is obvious in a more globalised world.
Likeness between business enterprise statements not being achieved is reality for the U.S. to abort switching to IFRS. Although supporters of IFRS espousal in the U.S. converse that it will give a likeness between business enterprise statements worldwide, which is not the case. The purpose for the goal of comparability monetary units will not succeed in this. Dissenting the backgrounds of people in many countries applying IFRS means interpretive difference of opinion will arise due to different humanities exercises (Taub, September 2007). SEC Presiding officer Helmsman declared, “Securities control can be converted to a far higher degree than we have already attained. It is unrealistic to think we should take a leak supposable, because of differences in national laws, economic conditions, and goal” (November 2008). Granted Chairman Cox supports the switch from U.S. GAAP to IFRS, he blatantly admits that there would still be differences in financial reporting, and financial statements even if IFRS will enforce. Benefactor discourse that one
After a thorough analysis of several U.S. accounting failures such as those at ENRON, Worldcom, and others, individuals in the European Union and around the world claim that had the U.S. followed International Financial Reporting Standards, instead of U.S. GAAP, these debacles might never had happened. For many years, the accounting profession had faced several challenges developing a set of guidelines that would be generally accepted and universally practiced around the globe. In more recent years, more than 100 countries around the world, have adopted International Financial Reporting Standards in order to settle on a common worldwide accounting language. In today’s business world, the marketplace is demanding for increasing conformity. As gradually more companies start to adopt IFRS, a need for a single set of high quality standards rises and poses pressure on the United States to converge.
As people need to speak the same language to understand each other while talking, participants on the global market also need to have similar accounting language in order to communicate in between. For that reason, it is not a surprise that the business world is moving towards establishment of International Financial Reporting Standards,
The harmonization of reporting practices continued in the European Union with the adoption of the Transparency Directive on January 20th, 2007, which set the minimum standards on periodic financial reporting for all issuers of securities. Despite the efforts towards