...Convergence or Adoption: From U.S. GAAP to IASB Deanna E. West American Public University Accounting 600 Professor: Dr. Kuhn Abstract This paper discusses how the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) signed the Norwalk Agreement in 2002, and agreed to work together towards the development of high-quality, compatible accounting standards that could be used globally. The creation of short-term and long-term convergence plans in order to assist the boards in prioritizing so that they could adhere to their agreement of “compatibility as soon as practicable.” The outcome of 37 key joint IASB/FASB projects based on the results of the Convergence table by Paul Pacter and the ongoing debate of convergence of IASB and FASB, or the sole adoption of IASB. Convergence or Adoption: From U.S. GAAP to IASB September 18, 2002, in Norwalk, Connecticut, the IASB and the FASB signed a memorandum of understanding in which the two boards promised to work hard to “(a) make their existing financial reporting standards “fully compatible” as soon as is practicable and (b) to coordinate their future work programs to ensure that once achieved, compatibility is maintained.” This became known as the Norwalk Agreement. Under the Norwalk Agreement the IASB and the FASB each agreed that they would commit to the development of high-quality, compatible accounting standards that could be used for both cross-border and domestic financial reporting...
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...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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...Recognition within the IASB and FASB Revenue Recognition within the IASB and FASB Revenue is a critical number to any user of financial statements in determining an organization’s financial position and performance. Although this is the case, there are many differences between revenue recognition for U.S. GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Standards under the FASB) and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards under IASB). Along with these differences comes need for improvement in both reporting methods. IFRS has fewer requirements for revenue recognition in comparison to U.S. GAAP, and is made up of two central revenue recognition standards: IAS 18 (revenue) and IAS 11 (construction contracts). These standards are said to be fairly difficult to apply and understand, and give little guidance on important topics for users. On the other hand, U.S. GAAP is made up of a very wide range of revenue recognition concepts and has countless requirements for specific transactions and specific industries. This makes is very difficult for users to apply these reporting standards and makes it even harder for users of these financial statements to determine the entity’s performance, as accounting for different transactions and industries can result in different numbers for economically similar situations. IFRS may not be perfect, but overall I believe it provides a simpler and more user-friendly set of accounting standards for revenue-recognition than U.S. GAAP. IASB’s and FASB’s...
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... 3 The SEC Work Plan........................................................................................ 4 FASB and IASB Convergence Efforts............................................................. 5 AICPA Participation ....................................................................................... 7 Two Sides of the Story ................................................................................... 7 Differences Remain Between U.S. GAAP and IFRS ....................................... 8 What CPAs Need To Know ............................................................................ 8 Appendix ..................................................................................................... 10 Organizations Involved ................................................................................ 12 1 Get Ready for IFRS The growing acceptance of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as a basis for U.S. financial reporting represents a fundamental change for the U.S. accounting profession. The number of countries that require or allow the use of IFRS for the preparation of financial statements by publicly held companies has continued to increase. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking steps to determine whether to incorporate IFRS into the financial reporting system for U.S. issuers and, if so, when and how. that could be used by developing and smaller nations unable to...
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...Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) began their joint commitment in 2002 to improve both generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and International Financial Accounting Standards (IFAS). The mission of these two boards is to try to make both methods of accounting standards as compatible as possible. The two boards are trying to come to a common denominator that will allow use for both domestic and cross-border financial reporting. The FASB and IASB are also working on a number of individual standard issues to help make FASB and IASB standards more compatible (Schroeder, Clark, & Cathy, pp. 79, 2011). The two boards were sure to have these projects completed by the end of 2011. Brief History of the Two Boards The concept of international convergence first arose in the late 1950s in response to post World War II economic integration and related increases in cross-border capital flows (“International Convergence Of Accounting Standards-Brief History”, n.d.). Convergence replaced harmonization in the 1990s, which is a high set of standards to be use in almost all the major capital markets. More than one hundred countries require or permit the use of IFAS. Since 1973, FASB has been the designated organization in the private sector for establishing standards of financial accounting and reporting in the United States (FASB and IASB Agree To Work Together Toward Convergence Of Global Accounting Standards”, 2002). These standards (GAAP) assist...
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...grading elements. Also, at present, WritePoint cannot detect quotations or block-quotes, so comments in those areas should be ignored. Please see the other helpful writing resources in the Tutorials and Guides section of the Center for Writing Excellence. Thank you for using WritePoint. The IASB and FASB have collaborated for the past 10 years. This collaboration was a goal toward convergence of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The convergence project began with the two organizations conducting a joint meeting in Norwalk, Connecticut, on September 18, 2002. The goal for creating the convergence project was for the “development of 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” (Schroeder, Clark & Cathey, p. 95). Since 2002, the two boards have described what convergence means...
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...Convergence Project Financial Accounting Standards Board and International Accounting Standards Board By: Lydia Ferdin Our world is changing and sometimes in business, there are times when we must change our policies, standards, and guidelines as well to keep up with the natural changes in our environment. This leads to the idea of convergence as it relates to accounting. One of the world’s greatest naturalist and Greek professor Heraclitus (535 BC - 475 BC), once coined the theory and phrase “the only constant in life is change”. This is the same theory and philosophy that is used in business, specifically within the principles of the governing bodies and policies of accounting, today. The mission of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is to improve domestic and international accounting standards for the benefit of present and future investors, including lenders, donors, creditors, and users of financial statements. The FASB and the IASB believes that pursuing convergence will make accounting standards and principles as similar as possible while adhering to the mission of the FASB. Convergence among national and international accounting standards would foster comparability with the use of internationally converged accounting standards. Comparable Standards would reduce costs to users and preparers of financial statements and make worldwide capital markets more efficient. The purpose of the FASB and the...
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...Running head: THE IASB AND FASB The IASB and FASB Amber Lynch ACC/541 Week 1 Paper March 10, 2014 The IASB and FASB Although the concept of the convergence of accounting standards is a new concept to some the idea has existed since the 1950’s. This idea came about as a solution for economic integration and the uptick in international business operations. When the project was first constructed it focused mainly on harmonizing the differences in principles that existed across many different capital markets throughout the world. The idea of harmonization remained in place until the 1990’s when the concept of convergence became the new priority. The concept of convergence centers on the concept of creating one set of accounting standards that would be used across all of the major financial markets in the world (FASB, n.d.). In order for this set of accounting standards to be uniform it requires the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to work together towards the creation and implementation of the standards. The FASB has been the organization in charge of establishing the standards for financial accounting in the private sector within the United States since 1973 (FASB, n.d.). These standards are formally recognized by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FASB, n.d.). They are more commonly known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles...
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...Standards Board (IASB) to independently develop and establish a single set of accounting procedures for international business. Since the reorganization of the IASB, the use of these international financial reporting standards (IFRSs) have been required or permitted in over 100 countries, including the European Union ("What Have IASB And FASB Convergence Efforts Achieved?", 2013). The IASB aims to make the entire world follow guidelines for financial reporting to make use and comparability of financial reports more consistent across all geographical areas. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is the independent body that is responsible for the creation of GAAP. The board is the standard setting body in charge of standards for nongovernmental companies operating in the United States. Since 2002, the IASB and FASB have been working together to improve and converge U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The United States is not the only country working toward convergence, as of 2009, Japan and China were both working toward convergence of IFRS as well as their accounting standards. In February 2010 the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) issued statements of support of the convergence in IFRS and U.S. GAAP. The FASB intends to analyze each of the differences within the scope and either (1) amend applicable U.S. GAAP literature to reduce or eliminate the difference or (2) communicate to the IASB the Board’s rationale for electing not to change U.S. GAAP. Concurrently, the IASB will review IFRS...
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...International Convergence Course Project Acct 525 June 22, 2014 Over history, corporations have increased cross-border activity and increased foreign direct investment in various countries. As these international activities have evolved, the concept of having one worldwide set of accounting practice standards has been talked about in various depths and stages along the way. There have been attempts to make international financial reporting more streamlined. This paper is intended to discuss the international financial reporting standards as they relate specifically to the United States convergence of U.S. GAAP to IFRS. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is an organization of people who are assigned the task of developing U.S. GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). The SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) recognizes U.S. GAAP as the rulebook for public companies in the United States to prepare financial statements. Similarly, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is an organization assigned the task of developing IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). With the realization that there would be great benefit for the United States to develop accounting practices more accepted internationally, the IASB and FASB joined together in Norwalk, Connecticut in 2002 to discuss the common goals for international reporting. This meeting resulted in “The Norwalk Agreement” which produced a Memorandum of Understanding that says...
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...Relationship between the IASB and the FASB ACC 541 Relationship between the IASB and the FASB The United States plays an enormous influence on the accounting standards set forth throughout 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...
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...http://www.academia.edu/640120/Convergence_of_Accounting_Standards_Internationalization_of_Accounting The concept of convergence first surfaced in the late 1950s in response to World War II economic integration showing that the idea of International Convergence of Accounting Standards is not new. At first, the convergence focused on the principles used in major capital markets around the world. By the 1990s, the idea of harmonization was replaced by the notion of convergence and the International Accounting Standards Committee was formed in 1973, which was the first international standards-setting body. The FASB and the IASB have been working together toward convergence since 2002. The Financial Accounting Standards Board believes that the ultimate goal of convergence is a single set of high-quality, international accounting standards that companies would use for financial reporting. Currently, the collaborative efforts of the FASB and IASB is used to both improve U.S. GAAP and IFRS to eliminate the differences between the two. In November 2009, a joint statement showed the IASB and the FASB reaffirmed a commitment to improving IFRS and US GAAP in achieving convergence. The plan gave priority to the major Memorandum of Understanding projects for which they believe the need for improvement of IFRS and GAAP is most urgent. The projects include joint projects on financial instruments, revenue recognition, fair value measurement, and the consolidation of investment companies...
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...The Relationship between IASB and FASB Doris Edwards ACC/541 – Accounting Theory and Research Instructor - Leslie Crews, JD, MBT March 28, 2011 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...
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...International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in 2001, SEC leaders have repeatedly indicated that the logical choice for globally accepted standards is the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the IASB. However, in line with other large economies, such as Japan, India and China, as of June 2012 the US had not adopted IFRS.1 This paper explores when and how, and indeed if, IFRS will become the basis for the financial reporting of domestic SEC registrants in the US. Readers are encouraged to first review Erchinger’s (2012) history of the SEC’s consideration of IFRS in the US included in this forum and especially Table 1 of this article, which provides a chronology of SEC releases regarding incorporation of IFRS into the US financial reporting model. This paper complements Erchinger’s by assessing approaches recently explored by the SEC for incorporating IFRS into the US financial reporting model. A decision can lead to correct or incorrect action. However, as articulated by many SEC constituents, uncertainty associated with repeated delays and hence ‘no decision’ by the SEC is clearly not in the best interest of investors and other financial statement users, registrants, auditors and students. Furthermore, as it considers various models for incorporation of IFRS into the US financial reporting model, the SEC and its constituents must understand that only if all countries, including the US, adopt IFRS as issued by the IASB will the SEC’s pursuit of global accounting...
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...International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) MBA 691: Managerial Accounting Professor: Prepared by: April 19, 2009 Bibliography: • Ernst & Young, “U.S. GAAP vs. IFRS: The basics”, January 2009. • Securities & Exchange Commission, “Roadmap for the Potential Use of Financial Statements Prepared in Accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards by U.S. Issuers”, www.sec.gov/spotlight/ifrsroadmap.htm (Release No. 33-8982; November 14, 2008). • The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), “Impact of IFRS in Europe”, www.accaglobal.com/publicinterest/activities/research/reports/global_integration/, October 7, 2008. • Internal Auditor, magazine, “Getting Up To Speed with IFRS’, October 2008. • International Accounting Standards Board, “IASB Responds to G20 Recommendation and US GAAP Guidance’, www.iasb.org/News/Press+Releases/IASB+Responds+to+G20+Recommendations+and+US+GAAP+Guidance.htm, April 7, 2009. • EU Finance Ministers Statement, www.eu2009.cz/en/news-and-documents/news/statement-by-the-informal-ecofin-15621/ , April 4, 2009. • National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) – Directors Monthly article, “IFRS – What The Board Needs to Know”, http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/us_assur_IFRS_DM%20Sep08_20080911pdf.pdf, September 2008. • Deloitte, www.deloitte.com/us/debates/IFRS. • Deloitte, “IFRS Conversion: Front or back...
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