...ATTACHMENT E THE FASB’S CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: RELEVANCE AND RELIABILITY Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council September 2004 INTRODUCTION At the March and June 2004 FASAC meetings, FASAC members discussed aspects of the Board’s conceptual framework, including the need to update, refine, and complete it, and issues relating to the liabilities definition. At today’s meeting, FASAC members will consider other issues relating to the conceptual framework, specifically issues related to the qualitative characteristics of relevance and reliability. Some FASAC members and other FASB constituents have questioned certain of the trade-offs between relevance and reliability that the Board has made in setting accounting standards. Specifically, they have questioned the appropriateness of the trade-offs that the Board has made in requiring financial statement measures that reflect fair values rather than historical costs. Their underlying presumption seems to be that historical costs, while perhaps not as relevant as fair values, are clearly more reliable. In those instances, they assert that the trade-off between relevance and reliability should favor historical costs rather than fair values. Some who question the Board’s trade-offs seemingly believe that reliability should be the dominant characteristic of financial statement measures. Others appear to interpret reliability as having a meaning that differs in at least certain respects from how that term is defined in the conceptual...
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...Research Assignment 2015 1. The measurement concepts in relation to historical cost and fair value accounting. IASB framework defines that measurement is the process to determine the monetary amount of the financial statements’ elements are to be recognized and carried on the balance sheet and income statements ( IASB Framework 2010). 1.1 Historical cost Historical cost is an accounting method about the original nominal monetary value of an economic item at the time of transaction (IFRS). Under this method, assets and liabilities listed on the balance sheet with the value at their purchase or acquisition, rather than the current market value. According to the historical cost principle, most assets or liabilities are recorded at historical cost on the balance sheet even if there is a significantly change in the value over a period. Hence the balance sheet value of the items may differ from the real value and this value is never adjusted by the changing of market and economy. For example, 10units of one item were purchased for $10 each. The price of this item today is $11 per unit. Therefore the inventory should appear on the balance sheet at $100 and not at $110. 1.2 Fair Value According to IFRS13, fair value is regarded as a scientifically true measurement concept. To be more specific, fair value is a market-based measurement; it is not an entity specific measurement. In other words, fair value is the price that the company will be received to sell assets or paid...
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...Cost is then subject to depreciation with to write off cost of the asset over its estimated useful life down to the recoverable amount ASSET AND LIABILITIES IN DOMINATED CORRENT Monetary items such as cost balance receivable and payable which are dominated in foreign currency using the closing exchange rate under IFRS. EXCEPTION TO THE HISTORICAL COST BASIS OF ACCOUNT REVALUATION OF PROPERTY PLANT EQUIPMENT Under IFRS it is acceptable, but not required to restate the values of property, plant and equipment to a fair value; fair value is the amount for which an asset could be exchanged or a liability settled between knowledgeable, willing partners in an arm’s length transaction. Such a policy must be applied to all asset of a particular class. It would therefore be acceptable for an entity to revolve free hold properties every three (3) years. The revaluation must be made with sufficient regularity to ensure that the carrying value does not differ materially from market value in subsequent years. A surplus on revaluation would be recovered as a reserve movement not as income. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT Under IFRS and US GAAP derivative financial instruments are stated at fair value (mark to market) with movement recorded in the income statement. FINANCIAL REPORTING IN HYPER INFLATIONARY ECONOMIES IFRS requests a separate method of accounting in currencies deemed to be hyper inflationary. The characteristics of a hyper inflation include the population keeping...
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...In accounting, historical cost is the original monetary value of an economic item.[1] Historical cost is based on the stable measuring unit assumption. In some circumstances, assets and liabilities may be shown at their historical cost, as if there had been no change in value since the date of acquisition. The balance sheet value of the item may therefore differ from the "true" value. While historical cost is criticised for its inaccuracy (deviation from "true" value), it remains in use in most accounting systems. Various corrections to historical cost are used, many of which require the use of management judgment and may be difficult to implement or verify. The trend in most accounting standards is a move to more accurate reflection of the fair or market value, although the historical cost principle remains in use, particularly for assets of little importance. Depreciation affects the carrying value of an asset on the balance sheet. The historical cost will equal the carrying value if there has been no change recorded in the value of the asset since acquisition. Improvements may be added to the cost basis of an asset. Historical cost does not generally reflect current market valuation. Alternative measurement bases to the historical cost measurement basis, which may be applied for some types of assets for which market values are readily available, require that the carrying value of an asset (or liability) be updated to the market price (mark-to-market valuation) or some other...
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...Current financial statements of financial institutions are combinations of values derived from fair-value, cost-basis, depreciation, amortisation, impairment and other accounting standards. During the past two decades, there has been considerable interest in the reporting by financial institutions of the fair values of their financial instruments either as complements or substitutes for historical book value. The generally accepted accounting definition of “fair value” is based on the rule FASB Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (FAS 157). FAS 157 outlines a hierarchy of inputs to derive fair value of an asset or liability. When quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities are available, they have to be used as the measurement for fair value (Level 1 inputs). If not, Level 2 or Level 3 inputs should be used. Level 2 applies to cases for which there are observable inputs, which includes quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices from identical or similar assets in inactive markets, and other relevant market data. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs, typically model assumptions, and can be used if observable inputs are not available. Arguments for Fair Value Accounting (FVA) Firstly, FVA provides the most relevant information for financial decision-making. This allows investors as a group have to get a better understanding of what the volatility means since they want to live in a perfect world and would...
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...generate cash and cash equivalents if they are provided with information that focuses on the financial position (provided in a balance sheet), performance (provided in an income statement) and changes in financial position of an enterprise. * The Framework first of all outlines the users of accounting information in a manner broadly * Investors The providers of risk capital and their advisers are concerned with the risk inherent in and return provided by, their investments. They need information to help them determine whether they should buy, hold or sell. Shareholders are also interested in information which enables them to assess the ability of the enterprise to pay dividends. * Employees Employees and their representative groups are interested in information about the stability and profitability of their employers. They are also interested in information which enables them to assess the ability of the enterprise to provide remuneration, retirement benefits and employment opportunities. * Lenders Lenders are interested in information that enables them to determine whether their loans, and the interest attaching to them, will be paid when due. * Suppliers and other trade creditors Suppliers and other creditors are interested in...
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...http://hbr.org/2013/03/why-fair-value-is-the-rule/ar/2 For the past two decades, fair value accounting—the practice of measuring assets and liabilities at estimates of their current value—has been on the ascent. This marks a major departure from the centuries-old tradition of keeping books at historical cost. It also has implications across the world of business, because the accounting basis—whether fair value or historical cost—affects investment choices and management decisions, with consequences for aggregate economic activity. The argument for fair value accounting is that it makes accounting information more relevant. However, historical cost accounting is considered more conservative and reliable. Fair value accounting was blamed for some dubious practices in the period leading up to the Wall Street crash of 1929, and was virtually banned by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from the 1930s through the 1970s. The 2008 financial crisis brought it under fire again. Some scholars and practitioners have connected its proliferation in accounting-based performance metrics to the actions of bankers and other managers during the run-up to the crisis. Specifically, as asset prices rose through 2008, the fair value gains on certain securitized assets held by financial institutions were recognized as net income, and thus sometimes used to calculate executive bonuses. And after asset prices began falling, many financial executives blamed fair value markdowns for accelerating...
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...A critical review of the trade-offs between the concepts of relevance and reliability in financial reporting Theme: Financial Accounting Classification: M41 Author: Prof D Coetsee Affiliation: Department of Accountancy, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Contact address: Department of Accountancy R-Ring 607 University of Johannesburg PO Box 524 Auckland Park Johannesburg South-Africa 2006 Telephone: +27-11-559-3047 Fax: +27-11-559-2777 E-Mail dcoetsee@uj.ac.za A critical review of the trade-offs between the concepts of relevance and reliability in financial reporting |Abstract | |In an information orientated system of financial reporting the move from historical cost to fair value | |accounting has created numerous debates surrounding the trade-offs of the concepts of relevance and | |reliability. This article contributes to the debate by critically reviewing the current developments of | |these trade-offs to determine whether current financial reporting guidelines are appropriate to deal with | |the difficulties and uncertainties of financial reporting. The article found that the proposals of the joint| |framework discussion paper goes a long way in resolving the issues around the trade-offs of relevance and | |reliability. Changing the concept of reliability to faithful representation...
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...Research Journal of Finance and Accounting ISSN 2222-1697 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2847 (Online) Vol 3, No 8, 2012 www.iiste.org COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FAIR VALUE AND HISTORICAL COST ACCOUNTING ON REPORTED PROFIT: A STUDY OF SELECTED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN NIGERIA BESSONG, PETER KEKUNG and CHARLES, EFFIONG DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR, P.M.B.1115, CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA Tel: +234 8037079607 ABSTRACT This study aimed to critically examine the effects of fair value accounting and historical cost accounting on the reported profits. However, since the major objective of any business organization is to make profit and continue in business, what they face in the course of doing their business and the method of accounting they use in reporting their profit may make this noble objective to be unrealistic particularly during inflationary period. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources and presented and analyzed using ordinary least square. The study revealed that both historical cost and fair-value accounting have significant effect on reported profit. Conclusively, Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that the amount calculated as depreciation, charged as taxes and paid as dividends greatly influence the operating profit of the company. This simply means that the method of profit measurement will greatly influence the amount charged as taxes, depreciation and dividend on the profit of...
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...1 historical cost accounting (hca) is the situation in which accountants record revenue, expenditure and asset acquisition and disposal at historical cost: that is, the actual amounts of money, or money's worth, received or paid to complete the transaction. 2 nature of historical cost accounting this is one of those idiosyncratic headings that teachers dream up (me too, probably!) that meant nothing to me without further explanation 3 the big advantage of hca is that it leads to absolute certainty and it fits in perfectly with the cash flow statement. Hca tells us exactly what has been paid and what has been received and therefore there is no doubt about balance sheet amounts. The alternatives, where accountants attempt to take inflation into account, can lead to many problems. There have been several forms of current cost accounting, purchasing power accounting and so on since the mid 1970s that have been proposed as alternatives to hca. The reason the alternatives have not survived, and IAS 15 on inflation accounting is about to be replaced, if it hasn't been already, is that no one can agree on the best way to represent accounting values. Hca provides definite values, other methods don't! 4 the disadvantages of hca include the fact that hca values can relate to transactions that could be a year old, 10 years old and as much as 100 years old. It's true that some businesses have old equipment and old stocks (inventories) that are still working well but that were bought a...
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...a) In the era of free trade and globalization, businesses having interest and investment in different countries and enjoying fruits of joint venture with group of companies. In the given scenario there is a prime necessity to establish such a system that gives true and fair view of accounting reports. These consistencies in reports are intended to provide easier reports to stakeholders across the borders to measure and compare performance in international accounting reports standard. In earlier times UK accounting is providing useful information to shareholders, with a distinct from tax reporting. The implementation of IFRS has brought about significantly greater consistency in accounting recognition and measurement and far greater disclosure of information in financial statements. The implementation of IFRS in the UK brings better resource allocation decision. Because of all these reasons UK have adopted International Financial Reporting Standards. b) Apart from the global benefits of using similar accounting standards, convergence of UK GAAP with IFRS. The IFRS financial statements are significantly more complex than financial statements based on national accounting standards of UK. This complexity threatens to undermine the decision usefulness of IFRS financial statements. According to reports of Earnest & Young in 2006 UK businesses are upset as there are small number of technical experts have a good understanding of the more complex accounting standards to interpret...
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...acct 1511 notes Chapter 6 – Financial Reporting Principles, Accounting Standards and Auditing 6.2 Accounting Principles and the use of Accounting Information Doing accounting takes expert knowledge, considerable experience and continuous attention to new problems and solutions. Concepts and principles are important, as they form logical structure that practising accountants use every day to consider problems to make recommendations GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) applied differently for different entities Rules, standards and usual practices that companies are expected to follow when preparing financial statements Stock market crash of 1929 brought GAAP AASB (Aust Accounting Standards Board) IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) AASB uses IASB as foundation, but includes more details applicable to Aust environment SACS – Statement of Accounting concepts SAVS established for general concepts and principles to be used in preparing financial statements SAC 1 – Definition of a Reporting Entity SAC 2 – Objective of General Purpose Financial Reporting SAC 3 – Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Information SAC 4 – Definition and Recognition of the Elements of Financial Statements Now, SAC 3 and SAC 4 is replaced with “Framework for Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements” FYI: Difficulties that face accounting and managers by GAAP Difference in company structures – e.g. ABC = not for profit, publicly...
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...Degree Title: | Management with Accounting | Question No. & Title: | Fair Value Accounting Standard | Candidate Number: 1401240 Fair Value Accounting International Accounting Standard Board defines Fair Value and it gives a guide on how to measure it in the IFRS13 section. Fair Value is “ the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measure date”. (Financial Accounting Series, 2006) In IFRS13 dictate the measurement, which is market value, meaning assets and liabilities should be adjusted to a value which reflect the actual market value. On the fair value basis, balance sheet provides timely and reliable information as compared to other measurement basis like historical cost. Similar to historical cost fair value accounting method also ignore the transaction cost and only consider the asset itself. (Financial Instrument Working Group, 2007) According to IFRS13 fair value price is an exit price not an entry price. Exit price means the price for an assets or liability which is different from the contractually transaction price or entry price. The main objective of fair value measurement of exit price applies to all assets regardless the company intended to use or sell the asset. (Fair Value Measurement, 2012) The fair value is a market based measure and not an entity based measurement means in order to measure assets in fair value, companies must have used the...
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...accepted financial accounting model in the world” (Paananen et. al, 2009). Therefore, it is no surprise that the two German auto makers, Daimler and BMW that have been selected for this report follow IFRS, and their two latest annual reports date back to 2009 and 2010. Both of those companies are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and since 2006, they have been using IAS 39 for the recognition and measurement of their financials instruments. Furthermore, KPMG AG audited BMW’s 2009 financial statements on February 26, 2010, and BMW’s 2010 financial statements on February 25, 2011. Furthermore, KPMG AG audited Daimler AG’s 2009 financial statements on March 1, 2010, and the company’s 2010 financial statements on February 28, 2011. The purpose of this report is to examine the differences in numbers, and disclosures concerning the reporting of items under IAS 39, between and within the two companies, for 2009 and 2010. Further, this report will examine the controversies which have led to the establishment of IAS 39 fair market value procedures, and will investigate the differences between the reporting under IAS 39 (Fair value procedures), and its equivalent under US GAAP, SFAS 157. “The introduction of IAS 39 was aimed at bringing more visibility to financial statements users with regard to the accounting and disclosure of financial instruments (journal), especially derivatives, since prior to the enactement of IAS39, “derivatives were recorded as off balance sheet items...
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...61) Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing, ISSN 1548-6583, USA Fair value accounting under financial crisis HE Cai-xia1, ZHANG Chi2 (1. School of Accounting, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan 430073, China; 2. School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430073, China) Abstract: The recent financial crisis has led to a vigorous debate about the pros and cons of fair-value accounting (FVA). This debate presents a major challenge for FVA going forward and standard setters’ push to extend FVA into other areas. In this article, we highlight three important issues as an attempt to make sense of the debate. First, much of the controversy results from confusion about what is new and different about FVA. Second, while there are legitimate concerns about marking to market (or pure FVA) in times of financial crisis, it is less clear that these problems apply to FVA as stipulated by the accounting standards, be it IFRS or U.S. GAAP. Third, historical cost accounting (HCA) is unlikely to be the remedy. There are a number of concerns about HCA as well and these problems could be larger than those with FVA. Key words: fair value accounting; historical cost accounting; financial crisis 1. Introduction The recent financial crisis has turned the spotlight on fair-value accounting (FVA) and led to a major policy debate involving among others the U.S. Congress, the European Commission as well banking and accounting regulators around the...
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