...International Convergence of Accounting Standards Standardization is a common theme across many sectors as the world continues an ever developing push towards globalization. This globalization requires the economic integration of nations into an international economy. In order to achieve integration it was recognized that there needed to be a standardized accounting system for financial information to be exchanged and interpreted. Thus, a goal and a path were developed to obtain the International Convergence of Accounting Standards. To understand the International Convergence of Accounting Standards knowledge is needed of its meaning, the roles of the IASB and FASB, it's history, where the world is in its process, futures plans, its benefits, and what the International Convergence means for Accounting in the US. Meaning of International Convergence of Accounting Standards: The FASB believes that the goal of convergence is to establish an exclusive set of reputable, international accounting standards. Convergence allows for companies both domestic and internationally to use the same standards for financial reporting. The path needed to develop such standards involves the FASB and the IASB to facilitate their efforts to improve upon the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and the International Financial Reporting Standards and eradicate the differences between the two. Description of IASB & FASB and their roles: The International Accounting Standards Board...
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...opportunities. This, in turn, made the need of financial information essential in international capital market. Relevant and reliable financial information aids in making economic decisions relating to the reporting entity. Also enables its users to measure and quantify the economic and financial aspects of an enterprise. Kothari and Barone (2006:23) believe that 'accounting is becoming increasingly globalized'. However, ‘current accounting practice does not meet the information needs of capital market in the 21st century ’(View Point, 2007:1). To meet the diversified needs and expectations of the users a single framework of financial reporting is essential. Payne and Raagan (2008:15) also consider that 'A universal financial reporting standard would help participants in the world's capital markets and other users make economic decisions'. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Barth (2006) explains that the definitions of financial statement elements along with the objective and the qualitative characteristics of financial reporting are set by the conceptual framework. It is aimed at the current and prospective equity and debt capital providers to help them in their capital allocation decision. Consequently, the conceptual framework ensures relevant and reliable financial reporting and thus meets the need of shareholders and other users. It is an important element, which forms the frame of reference for financial reporting. It also establishes a theoretical basis...
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...Accounting Standards Boards Paper The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) started the Convergence program back in 2002 and stated that a three-part strategy for seeking greater comparability in accounting standards internationally should be implemented.. FASB sought out to develop a higher quality for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) standards and improve the relations and communication with additional nationwide standards setters. The convergence program is to help increase the quality of recording standards. FASB and IASB recognized that increasing the comparability of principles will not be as easy as they thought. To do so, they will need the help of setters around the world to have an agreement amongst the standards. We also have to remember that FASB priority is to improve financial reporting. Doing so will help investors. Eliminate any other alterations between IFRSs and U. S. GAAP that may remain on January 1, 2005 by undertaking projects that both Boards would address simultaneously. Carry on the progress on the joint projects presently proceeding. Inspire their consistent interpretative bodies to organize their activities. FASB has been the nominated union in the private division for generating standards of financial bookkeeping that administer the training of financial reports by non-governmental entities. To improve and establish principles of financial accounting and reporting that substitute financial reporting by nongovernmental entities that...
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...–FAC501 | Challenges facing the accounting profession and how I see them affecting me in the future with regards to IFRS companies submitting IFRS on US stock exchanges? Macdonald Felix Rusoto Muchemedzi Student Kaplan University As the Stock exchange affords different investors the opportunity to actively trade in the non-US companies and also provide an avenue for non-US companies to raise capital will the investment and accounting community be able to fully understand the information and make rational and informed decisions. In this discussion paper I will discuss the key requirement that participants should be financial bilingual to fully understand both sets of financial reports (IFRS and USGAAP) in order to be able to compare them, thus comparability is the main challenge facing the accounting profession and harmonization/convergence is a current and future requirement to ensure comparability, other factors will come into play as will be discussed later. My future has already started to be affected as I work in a US subsidiary in South Africa and we are required to provide USGAAP reconciliation from our IFRS financial reports and with greater convergence I strongly believe my work will be less as there will be no longer a need to be financially bilingual as there will be one set of financial reports. Literature review Both IFRS and USGAAP financial reporting standards are developed from the conceptual framework, hereafter IFRS conceptual framework referred...
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...10/1/11 Project 1 US GAAP Convergence with IFRS As the business world has become more global, regulators, investors, large companies and auditing firms began to realize the importance of the establishment of a single set of high quality accounting standards. With a common accounting language around the world, investors will be able to have greater comparability and greater confidence in the transparency of financial reporting worldwide. IFRS, acronym for International Financial Reporting Standards are financial reporting standards that have been adopted by International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). Increasing number of publicly held companies in many countries are now requiring or allowing the use of IFRS for the preparation of financial statement. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have also proposed a “Roadmap” in incorporating the convergence of US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) to IFRS with the help of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and IASB. The IASB and FASB, committed to improving IFRS and US GAAP and achieving their convergence, are also committed in providing public transparency and accountability by reporting their process in achieving their goals. In 2006, the IASB and FASB began to set out their plans of completing major projects in their issued Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). These priority major projects comprises of their joint projects on financial instruments, revenue recognition...
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...the last decades, there is a significant increase in corporations, which operate in different regions of the globe, and resulted in an increased demand for global financial reporting. In this research paper, we will analyze the relationship between the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The research paper will discuss also how the Master’s of Science in Accounting (MSA) at University of Phoenix prepares students for a successful carrier within the accounting profession. The increasing number of multinational companies, especially, after 1990 s made it difficult for the accounting information users to analyze the financial statements. As a result, there is an increasing need to have one set of accounting standards to enhance comparability. Historically, the issuers of the financial statement where in the same country and had the same standards as the users of the accounting information. Many multinationals companies generate a significant part of their revenue from different parts of the world, and it became difficult to allocate efficiently the scarce resources without a reliable accounting system. Investors and creditors are skeptic to invest or lend money in corporations that operate on transnational markets without a good understanding of their financial positions. To enhance the understanding of investors and creditors there is a move to harmonize the accounting standards between different countries. FASB is the...
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...questions raised by the financial crisis over the objective of general purpose financial reporting, and how the IFRS Foundations Trustees wish to resolve them”. The financial crisis which started during the summer 2007 is, by its magnitude and its scale, the strongest crisis that happened since 1929. Begun as a bank crisis which have destroyed and “all the major US bulge-bracket firms” (Molyneux & Valdez, 2010, page 263), the crisis spread like wildfire and has rapidly engulfed the entire financial world. Even if everybody agree to recognise that accounting was not the root cause of financial crisis, its role to prevent future financial crisis could be significant. Many questions have been raised by financial crisis over the objective of general purpose financial reporting. The first question is related to the purpose of the financial reporting. In fact, the actual crisis has showed that, more than ever, the financial sector needs prudential regulators (Goodhart, et al.,2003, page 10) (Molyneux & Valdez, 2010, page 470) (Spencer, 2000, page 211); because the information given by the financial reporting is an important tool for regulators, standard setters and regulators need then to collaborate. However, their interest could overlap or be in conflict. In these cases, it is important to formulate clearly the main aim of financial reporting. The lacks of global standard as well as the inconsistency of some standards are two other weaknesses of the financial crisis that, by...
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...as well. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) have worked diligently through the years to ensure these guidelines are followed. The following discussion will be about the convergence project of boards, their relationship and the relations between their original pronouncements. Discussion will also reflect how the Master’s of Science in Accountancy program prepares the student for a professional life within the accounting vocation. International Accounting Standards Board The IASB, which was once the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), is the first international standard-setting body (International Convergence of Accounting Standards—A Brief History) organization based in the United Kingdom that formed in 2001 to advocate harmonization. They strove to make the standards uniformed for national and international companies and have one set of financial statement to accommodate both parties. Their purpose is also to maintain and ensure the standards for accounting are followed and understood. There are at least 100 companies who abide by the guidelines set forth by the IASB (International Accounting Standards Board). “Capital-seeking firms must reconcile their financial statements to the accounting rules of the nation in which they are seeking capital, and investors must identify foreign reporting differences” (Schroeder, Clark, & Cathey, 2011, p. 26)....
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...Writing Assignment 1 The convergence of financial reporting and accounting standards is a valuable process that contributes to the free flow of global investment and achieves substantial benefits for all capital markets stakeholders. It improves the ability of investors to compare investments on a global basis and thus lowers their risk of errors of judgment. It facilitates accounting and reporting for companies with global operations and eliminates some costly requirements. It has the potential to create a new standard of accountability and greater transparency, which are values of importance to all market participants including regulators. It reduces operational challenges for accounting firms and focuses their value and expertise around an increasingly unified set of standards. It creates an unprecedented opportunity for standard setters and other stakeholders to improve the reporting model. Convergence is a long-term process. While it may take years to reach the important goal of a single set of standards, progress has already been achieved. Current accounting and reporting practices fall short of meeting the information needs of the capital markets in the 21st century. A critically important element in the solution to this problem is the convergence of US GAAP and IFRS, a process now under way at an early stage. The goal is an improved reporting model built on principle-based standards that can be applied in a cost-effective manner. The convergence of accounting standards...
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...Accounting Standards Boards Miranda Arnold ACC/541 Cecil Lucy March 17, 2014 Accounting Standards Boards The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) first converged in 2002 following the Norwalk Agreement (Whittington, 2007). The convergence was inspired by the need of the boards to produce a solid infrastructure by uniting the two frameworks represented by each board in a bid to harmonize accounting practices worldwide (Whittington, 2007). Additionally, the convergence was also inspired by the need to attain improvement in accounting standards by achieving completeness, and improving coherence (Whittington, 2007). In the IASB framework for example, Bullen, and Crook (2005) note that there were specific areas of difficulty that benefited from the convergence. Some of these areas include the explicit meaning of what liability is, and the distinction between equity and liability. Joining Forces During the FASB/IASB convergence announcement in 2002, the two boards stated that they would work together to develop accounting standards for both cross-border and domestic financial reporting. They also stated that they would work toward making their respective standards compatible, and that future work programs would be done with the need to retain compatibility (Schroeder, Clark & Cathey, 2011). Another development in the FASB/IASB relationship took place in 2004 when the two bodies...
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...Accounting Standards Boards Name ACC/541 Date Instructor Name Accounting Standards Boards The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) first converged in 2002 following the Norwalk Agreement (Whittington, 2007). The convergence was inspired by the need of the boards to produce a solid infrastructure by uniting the two frameworks represented by each board in a bid to harmonize accounting practices worldwide (Whittington, 2007). Additionally, the convergence was also inspired by the need to attain improvement in accounting standards by achieving completeness, and improving coherence (Whittington, 2007). In the IASB framework for example, Bullen, and Crook (2005) note that there were specific areas of difficulty that benefited from the convergence. Some of these areas include the explicit meaning of what liability is, and the distinction between equity and liability. Joining Forces During the FASB/IASB convergence announcement in 2002, the two boards stated that they would work together to develop accounting standards that would be used for both cross- border, and domestic financial reporting. They also stated that they would work toward making their respective standards compatible, and that future work programs would be done with the need to retain compatibility (Schroeder, Clark & Cathey, 2011). Another development in the FASB/IASB relationship took...
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...The BIGGER Picture (Ch. 1) Why do we need financial reporting? What is its purpose? Who are some of the key players in financial reporting? PROVIDER EXTERNAL USERS REGULATORS Your textbook (as most out there) evaluates accounting issues from a FASB perspective. We will discuss issues from the FASB’s conceptual framework, but also will try to think about others’ perspectives as well. Before we talk about the conceptual framework, we will discuss the structure of the ultimate product of the financial reporting process – the company’s annual report/10-K. What does it look like? What information is typically included? 1. Description of the company’s business and risk factors 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) 3. Comparative Financial Statements (including notes to financial statements) 4. Independent Auditor’s Report on Financial Statements 5. Management’s Report on Financial Statements and Internal Controls 6. Auditor’s report on internal controls 7. Who develops financial reporting standards in the U.S.? That is, who influences Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)? (1) Securities and Exchange Commission (2) AICPA (1938-1973) (3) FASB What constitutes GAAP? Generally accepted accounting principles have authoritative support. * Either a rule-making body has established a principle or, over time, a practice has been adopted as appropriate because of universal application. What are the sources of GAAP...
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... Financial Accounting Standards Board History The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is a private sector organization that was established in 1973. The FASB is governed by the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF). The FAF appoints the members of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC), the council is the entity that informs the FASB of pressing issues or topics to be reviewed (2003, Webster’s). The goal of the FASB is to set standards for financial accounting practices and the production of financial reports. The FASB works to ensure that financial reporting is; transparent, reliable, relevant, comparable, and consistent. It is the responsibility of the FASB to regularly review standards, to check for deficiencies within the current standards, and to also look for methods to improve reporting based on current day needs. As set by Section 108 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act any standard set by the FASB is recognized to be “generally accepted” for the purpose of the federal securities laws (Schroeder, 2011). The FASB initially issued standards through two different types of pronouncements, these are more commonly known as Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS’s) and Interpretations. Today the pronouncements are issued as Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts (SAFC’s), which disclose the objective and concepts the FASB uses to determine standards for financial accounting and reporting. Technical...
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...Board Paper Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) is a private, not-for-profit organization responsible for setting accounting standard for public companies in the United States. It was created in 1973 as a replacement for the Committee on Accounting (CAP) and the Accounting Principle Board (APB). Financial Accounting Standard Board mission is stated as “to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting that foster financial reporting by nongovernmental entities that provides decision-useful information to investor and other users of financial reports.” The International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) is an independent, privately funded accounting standard-setter based out of England. It replaces the International Accounting Standard Committee and was founded April 1, 2001. International Accounting Standard Board is responsible for development and publication of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). The International Accounting Standard Board mission is to converged global accounting standard; develop a single set of high quality, understandable, and enforceable global accounting standards; provide high quality transparent and comparable information in financial statement and help the world’s capital market and other financial statement user make sound economic decision. Since more companies are doing business and seeking financing from outside their home countries, investors from other countries are now reading their financial statement...
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...the world in the global economy. The United States follows the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) which has created a large number of accounting standards that are interpreted and accepted by international companies and by the International Accounting Board (IASB). The IASB plays a similar role like the FASB for the rest of the global economy. The IASB is located in London, England and is an independent, privately funded accounting standard-setter. The IASB board consists of members from nine different countries with the IASB’s sole purpose to ‘achieve convergence in accounting standards throughout the world’ (Cellucci, 2011). The IASB and FASB have been collaborating since 2002. This collaboration was derived to create a convergence of the United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The convergence project started when the two organizations met during a joint meeting in Norwalk, Connecticut on September 18, 2002. The two board’s goal for the convergence project was for developing a high-quality compatible accounting standards that can be used for both domestic and cross-border financial reporting. They also promised to use their best efforts to make their existing financial reporting standards compatible as soon as practicable and to coordinate their future work programs to maintain compatibility. Since this time, the IASB and FASB have provided in greater detail what convergence means and what tactics are needed in order to achieve these specific...
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