...Advantages of IFRS compared to GAAP reporting standards 1.1 Focus on investors One of the significant advantages of IFRS compared to GAAP is its focus on investors in the following ways: 1. The first factor is that IFRS promise more accurate, timely and comprehensive financial statement information that is relevant to the national standards. And the information provided by financial statements prepared under IFRS tends to be more understandable for investors as they can understand the financial statement without the necessity of other sources which makes investors more informed 2. This also helps new or small investors by making the reporting standards simpler and better quality as it puts small and new investors in the same position with other professional investors as it was impossible under the previous reporting standards. This also helps to reduce the risk for new or small investors while trading as professional investors can not take advantage due to the simple to understand nature of financial statements. 3. Due to harmonization and standardization of reporting standards under IFRS, the investors do not need to pay for processing and adjusting the financial statements to be able to understand them, thus eliminating the fees of analysts. Therefore, IFRS reduces the cost for investors. 4. Reducing international differences in reporting standards by applying IFRS, in a sense removes a cross border takeovers and acquisitions by investors. Based on...
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...International Financial Reporting Standards Colin Erskine DU- Accounting 301 03/13/2014 International Financial Reporting Standards “Over the last decade, progress has been made to harmonize financial accounting standards and practices into one set of single standards to be implemented by businesses domestically and internationally” (Harper, A. Leatherbury, L. Machuca, A. Phillips, J.). There has been some controversy among accounting professionals regarding the impact that switching to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) will have on United States corporations and investors. On November 14, 2008 there was a proposal that was later made mandatory, issued by the SEC making corporations within the United States switch to International Financial Reporting Standards for fiscal years ending after 2014. There are many disadvantages and advantages that could arise when moving to a global set of standards. International Financial Reporting Standards are a set of international accounting standards, which state how transactions and other events should be reported within financial statements. These standards are becoming the global standard for the preparation of public companies financial statements. “Approximately 120 nations and reporting jurisdictions permit or require IFRS for domestic listed companies, although approximately 90 countries have fully conformed with IFRS as promulgated by the IASB and include...
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...analysis of four issues and discuss how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act affected the following subjects: A. 1. Audit committees of public company board of directors responsibilities since SOX 2. Sarbanes-Oxley section 404 on internal control 3. The accuracy of public company financial statements and the cost of capital for public companies 4. The main advantages and disadvantages of Sarbanes-Oxley Act B. Can legislation guarantee the accuracy of public company financial statements? Why have previous laws failed? Why CEOs and CFOs are paying so much attention to this law? Audit Committees of Public Company Board of Directors Responsibilities since Sarbanes-Oxley Act Since its enactment, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has significantly increased the authority and responsibilities of audit committees and the board of directors in overseeing their companies’ financial reporting processes (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA], 2005). The board of directors and its audit committee are responsible for overseeing the actions of management. A proactive audit committee and board of directors promotes the likelihood of preventing, deterring, and detecting fraudulent financial reporting (2005)....
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...requires their financial statements to be reported under the same guidelines and standards. All of these countries abide by the International Financial Reporting Standards, making it easier for companies abroad to have financial cohesion. Unfortunately the United States has yet to adjust their financial standards, but many feel this necessary change is coming. Signs of a possible change arose when the SEC approved the use of International Financial Reporting Standards by non-U.S. registrants as long as they included reconciliation between the IFRS and the U.S. GAAP standards. Further signs of change arose when the SEC dropped this reconciliation requirement only a year after enacting it. As the SEC is noticing, the need for a uniform financial standard is not only growing but it is a necessary change as there is many advantages to having one set of accounting standards. One of these advantages is that having one global set of accounting standards will eliminate the costs of preparing multiple financial statements under various standards. Another advantage is that this will also reduce the need for multiple audit opinions that multinational firms currently deal with. Having one set of accounting standards will also allow for more efficient and centralized accounting functions that will reduce costs along with confusion. Lastly these financial statements can be produced centrally and distributed globally, leading to the upmost efficiency in financial reporting. Since the IFRS...
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...Advantages of accounting concepts, conventions and regulations. There are many advantages that accounting concepts have on financial statements. Four important accounting concepts that underpin the preparation of any sets of accounts one of which is going concern that helps an account to assume for any future problems that occur in a business. This helps companies to make future plans and gives them time to gather money to sort out any financial problems. Consistency also has an advantage in helping in accounting by users of accounts can make more meaningful comparisons of financial performance. Prudence helps investors sort out financial performance such as future problems and cost of the business before recognising any signs of profits. Accruals also help financial data to be useful for users by all business revenues and cost are recorded in the appropriate statements and at the appropriate time. Conventions also have many advantages in influences financial statements to be useful for investors. Separate entity is one example this convention seeks to ensure that all private transactions and matters relating to the owners are segregated from transactions that relate to the business. This is an advantage because owner’s transactions are kept private. Also they are not mixed with the business finance so that users can clearly see the business financial state. Also materiality is also an important convention in a business financial statement use for users. The preparation...
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...comparisons between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); which is designed to be a common global language for business affairs and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP); which refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting. There are certain ways that the format of a statement of financial position under the IFRS often differ from the balance sheet presented under the GAAP. At a minimum the statement of financial position shall include items that present the following information: property, plant, and equipment, investment property, intangible assets, financial assets, investments accounted for using the equity method, biological assets, inventories, trade and other receivables, cash and cash equivalents, total assets classified as held for sale to include disposable group classified as held for sale in accordance with the IFRA 5, trade and other payables, provisions, financial liabilities, liabilities and assets for current tax, deferred tax liabilities and assets, and non controlling interests presented within equity. Unlike the IFRA, the GAAP does not prescribe a standard format. The United States Security Exchange Commission (SEC) regulation does not require precise like items to appear on the face of the balance sheet. The IFRS and GAAP conceptual frameworks hold opposing views from the objective of financial reporting but are very comparable in the way of thinking that all financial reporting should have the quality of information...
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...uniform accounting standards within international countries through its issuing of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Today, over 100 countries including Canada, India, and Japan have adopted these standards for financial reporting. The growth of multinational companies such as Coca Cola and the increasing desire of cross-border investing have made it apparent that the U.S.accounting standards known as the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) can no longer remain separate from IFRS. Under the request of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), FASB and IASB signed the Norwalk Agreement, which promised the convergence of GAAP and IFRS by as early as 2015. As a result, it appears that the importance of FASB will decline as IASB becomes the primary responsibility holders of the new merging accounting standards. What advantages and disadvantages can come of GAAP and IFRS integration? Once finalized, the convergence of GAAP and IFRS will create high quality financial reporting that will be uniform amongst companies both domestic and abroad. This will allow investors to interpret and compare financial statements from domestic and foreign countries according to the same accounting standards, which will enable them to make better investment decisions.As the ease of interpretation of financial records increases for investors, the risk of the investment and cost of capital decreases as investors...
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...Table of content Part 1……………………………………...…………………….…………2-5 Advantages of harmonization…………………….…….2-3 Disadvantages of harmonization……….…………...…3-5 Part 2…………………………………………………...………...…………6-8 Importance………………...…………….………….….6-7 Challenges in reducing disclosures……………………7-8 Reference……………………………………...……………………………9-10 Coursework Part 1: Harmonization of international accounting standards Every organization has their own accounting systems and standards. If every organization is preparing its financial reports in their own way, it is difficult for the users of accounting to use the financial reports. (Kirk, & Miller, 1986) Harmonization of international accounting standards as the trend for globalization in business becomes increasingly important for economic success, many issues arise through international business practices for corporations, governments, and investors. There are many potential advantages and disadvantages/challenges associated with harmonization of accounting standards. (John, 2013) Advantages 1) Reduced Reporting Costs Multinationals operating in countries with different accounting standards would incur high costs of preparing financial reports in accordance with each country’s accounting principles, then repeating the whole process for consolidation purposes. Harmonized accounting standards benefits multinational corporations because they can prepare one report rather than one...
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...International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): Pros and Cons for Investors by Ray Ball* Sidney Davidson Professor of Accounting Graduate School of Business University of Chicago 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave Chicago, IL 60637 Tel. (773) 834 5941 ray.ball@gsb.uchicago.edu Acknowledgments This paper is based on the PD Leake Lecture delivered on 8 September 2005 at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which can be accessed at http://www.icaew.co.uk/cbp/index.cfm. It draws extensively on the framework in Ball (1995) and benefited from comments by Steve Zeff. Financial support from the PD Leake Trust and the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago is gratefully acknowledged. 1 Abstract Accounting in shaped by economic and political forces. It follows that increased worldwide integration of both markets and politics (driven by reductions in communications and information processing costs) makes increased integration of financial reporting standards and practice almost inevitable. But most market and political forces will remain local for the foreseeable future, so it is unclear how much convergence in actual financial reporting practice will (or should) occur. Furthermore, there is little settled theory or evidence on which to build an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of uniform accounting rules within a country, let alone internationally. The pros and cons of IFRS therefore are somewhat conjectural, the unbridled enthusiasm...
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...A conceptual framework for financial reporting A conceptual framework, in the field we are concerned with, is a statement of generally accepted theoretical principles which form the frame of reference for financial reporting. The financial reporting process is concerned with providing information that is useful in the business and economic decision-making process. Therefore a conceptual framework will form the theoretical basis for determining which events should be accounted for, how they should be measured and how they should be communicated to the user. Although it is theoretical in nature, a conceptual framework for financial reporting has highly practical final aims. The danger of not having a conceptual framework is demonstrated in the way some countries' standards have developed over recent years; standards tend to be produced in a haphazard and fire-fighting approach. Where an agreed framework exists, the standard-setting body act as an architect or designer, rather than a fire-fighter, building accounting rules on the foundation of sound, agreed basic principles. The lack of a conceptual framework also means that fundamental principles are tackled more than once in different standards, thereby producing contradictions and inconsistencies in basic concepts, such as those of prudence and matching. This leads to ambiguity and it affects the true and fair concept of financial reporting. Another problem with the lack of a conceptual framework has become apparent in the...
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...teSeeking an effective way to report intellectual capital Summary In today’s knowledge economy, intellectual capital has been playing an increasingly significant role in creating corporate sustainable competitive advantages and becomes instrumental in determining the enterprise value. Though measuring the value of intellectual capital is difficult, with the emerging of intellectual capital valuation models, a number of leading companies have decided to make additional intellectual capital disclosure. This paper discusses and illustrates the intellectual capital statement. How to effectively measure and disclose intellectual capital in external financial reporting and how the accounting rules for reporting intangibles limit the recognition of intellectual capital and will also be discussed. The final part is proposed approaches to intellectual capital reporting. Introduction Our world is in the rise of new economy, principally driven by the information and knowledge. Today, a number of companies and organizations rely heavily on the knowledge and skills of their stuff and the network of the customer. As these intangible assets became increasingly critical, the limitations on financial statements in explaining a company’s value stress the fact that the source of economic value is no longer the production of material goods but the creation of intellectual capital. Background Definition Stewart first defined intellectual capital as intellectual material-knowledge, information...
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...a. Financial process management and control is improved with automation. IFRS transition offers a classic opportunity to exploit the benefits of ERP. The inherent value of consolidated transaction management and reporting systems becomes clear in a financial data conversion process. The ledger and subledger systems (where core data resides and feeds the GAAP-based GL) are the sources of the data conversion process. In the same way that ERP efficiently consolidates large volumes of financial and operational data for management visibility and reporting, companies can leverage the ERP system to consolidate multi-GAAP reporting for IFRS conversion. b. Financial information management is improved with a streamlined global chart of accounts. Comprehensive financial data management that includes financial controls, transparent reporting, and audit and security management is embedded in ERP systems like Epicor. A globally standardized accounting regimen will reduce the time and resources required to provide manual conversions still seen today. Combined with the consolidated financial resources of ERP, a globally streamlined chart of accounts under IFRS c. Teams work together to efficiently achieve a common objective. Internal best practices developed over many years of project and program management are immediately valuable to the IFRS transition project. Costs escalate, time and again, when companies extensively outsource these competencies or abdicate internal program management...
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...CPA Report ACC 545/Financial Reporting November 21, 2011 Deborah Asbury Introduction Certified public accountants (CPAs) have many professional responsibilities whether completing a review or an audit of the client’s financials. CPAs can also ask the opinion of other CPAs during the course of completing work for clients. The firm has been asked to provide information on the correct way to calculate deferred taxes, the correct way to report accounting changes and error corrections, and why a company would want to establish a subsidiary as a corporation. CPAs Professional Responsibilities According to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) CPAs not only have responsibilities to those who use their services but they must also cooperate with other CPAs to improve the accounting principles, maintain the public’s confidence, and carry out the responsibility of self-governance (www.aicpa.org, 2011). All CPAs must exercise a level of integrity showing they are exercising due care with all responsibilities. CPAs must practice objectivity by being impartial, honest, and free of conflicts of interest. A CPA must also make certain that any relationship they have with clients would not impair the objectivity while completing attestation services, therefore maintaining independence (www.aicpa.org, 2011). Review versus Audit A review and audit both look at the data provided in a company’s financials. The main difference between the two is how in depth the information...
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...This article was downloaded by: [Library Services City University London] On: 26 July 2013, At: 08:32 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Accounting and Business Research Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rabr20 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): pros and cons for investors Ray Ball a a University of Chicago Published online: 28 Feb 2012. To cite this article: Ray Ball (2006) International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): pros and cons for investors, Accounting and Business Research, 36:sup1, 5-27, DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2006.9730040 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2006.9730040 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information...
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...(Choi & Meek, 2011). The organization wants to expand into foreign markets and considers the Swiss Exchange to help meet its financial needs. Introduction This paper will discuss the case study of organization e-Centives Inc. In particular, it will discuss the factors that are relevant to e-Centives Inc.’s decision to raise capital and list on the Swiss Exchange’s New Market. It will also discuss why e-Centives chose not to raise public equity in the United States and their decision not to raise capital on the U. S. Stock exchange as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using the U. S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Also discussed will be the requirement for e-Centives Inc. to prepare its financial statements using Swiss accounting standards as well as the reporting requirements and whether or not e-Centives met those requirements. Factors to the Swiss Exchange Many factors contributed to e-Centives Inc.’s decision to enter the Swiss Exchange instead of the U. S Stock Exchange. These factors include ease and availability of capital and investors, reputation of the exchange, and corporate profile and branding. While e-Centives has primarily focused their business in the United States, they are considering “expanding into Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Germany” (Choi & Meek, 2011, pg. 28). Due to their current financial situation, this expansion would require capital and investors. To raise capital and gain investors in Switzerland, e-Centives...
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