...and the Potential Adoption of IFRS by the U.S. (Part I): Conceptual Underpinnings and Economic Analysis Luzi Hail, Christian Leuz, and Peter Wysocki SYNOPSIS: This article is Part I of a two-part series analyzing the economic and policy factors related to the potential adoption of IFRS by the United States. In this part, we develop the conceptual framework for our analysis of potential costs and benefits from IFRS adoption in the United States. Drawing on the academic literature in accounting, finance, and economics, we assess the potential impact of IFRS adoption on the quality and comparability of U.S. reporting practices, the ensuing capital market effects, and the potential costs of switching from U.S. GAAP to IFRS. We also discuss the compatibility of IFRS with the current U.S. regulatory and legal environment, as well as the possible macroeconomic effects of IFRS adoption. Our analysis shows that the decision to adopt IFRS mainly involves a cost-benefit trade-off between ͑1͒ recurring, albeit modest, comparability benefits for investors; ͑2͒ recurring future cost savings that will largely accrue to multinational companies; and ͑3͒ one-time transition costs borne by all firms and the U.S. economy as a whole, including those from adjustments to U.S. institutions. In Part II of the series ͑see Hail et al. 2010͒, we provide an analysis of the policy factors related to the decision and present several scenarios for the future evolution of U.S. accounting standards in light of the current...
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...acceptance of IAS/IFRS accounting standards: The logic and implications of the principles-based system q Salvador Carmona *, Marco Trombetta IE Business School, Calle Pinar, 15-1B, 28006 Madrid, Spain a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t The widespread acceptance of International Accounting Standards (IAS)/International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) makes it timely to examine their technical determinants as well as their implications for the accounting profession and the process of accounting harmonization. In this respect, we suggest that the principles-based approach to the standards and its inner flexibility enables the application of IAS/IFRS to countries with diverse accounting traditions and varying institutional conditions. Furthermore, the principles-based approach involves major changes in the expertise held by accountants and, hence, in their educational background, training programs, and in the organizational and business models of accounting firms. Finally, we submit that the standards set by the IAS/IFRS constitute a step forward in the process of accounting harmonization, although there is still far to go in the comparability of accounting measures across countries and regions. Ó 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Globalization Accounting harmonization Convergence Principles-based standards Rules-based standards 1. Introduction The harmonization of accounting standards has made considerable progress within a relatively short period...
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...The contribution of IFRS to UK accounting standards Name Institutional Affiliation INTRODUCTION International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are principles based on standards and the interpretations implemented by the Board of International Accounting Standards as the global financial reporting framework. IFRS are guidelines and definitions that require to be applied in the preparation of financial statements by the international companies. Before IFRS was referred to as International Accounting Standards (IAS), then in 2001 the board of the international accounting standards (IASB) took the control of setting the IAS. Then the IASB developed the standard known as IFRS. According to (Shim, Siegel, Shim & Shim, 2012), the designing of IFRS is done as a common language to be used by business affairs so that the accounts of the company are comparable and understandable across the international boundaries. They result from the rapidly growing trade and international shareholding, and they offer best solutions to the companies trading in several countries. Many different national accounting standards are progressively being replaced by the IFRS. They provide set rules to be followed by the accountants in the provision and maintenance of the accounts books which are reliable, comparable, relevant and understandable as per the users external and internal. IFRS was adopted in the UK in 2005, and all the public companies were required to use the IFRS policies for...
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...thank Karsten Detert for some of the data used in this study. Applying IFRS in Germany – Determinants and Consequences Abstract: We address three research questions motivated by the recent ascent of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Europe. First, analyzing the determinants of voluntary IFRS adoption by publicly traded German firms during the period 19982004, we find that size, international exposure, dispersion of ownership, and recent IPOs are important drivers. Second, using the results from this determinant model to construct propensity score-matched samples of IFRS and German-GAAP (HGB) firms, we document significant differences in terms of earnings quality: IFRS firms have more persistent, less predictable and more conditionally conservative earnings. Third, analyzing information asymmetry differences between IFRS and HGB firms, we show that IFRS adopters experience a decline in bid-ask spread of 70 base points and an average of 17 more days with price changes per year. On the other hand, IFRS adopter’s stock prices seem to be more volatile. In the light of some important limitations of our study, we discuss IFRS-related research opportunities in post-2005 Europe. Keywords: IFRS, earnings quality, earnings attributes, information asymmetry, standard setting, IAS Regulation, Europe, propensity-score matching,...
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...Choosing Cost versus Fair Value: International Evidence from the European Real Estate Industry Upon Adoption of IFRS Karl A. Muller, III Pennsylvania State University Edward J. Riedl * Harvard Business School Thorsten Sellhorn Ruhr-Universität Bochum PRELIMINARY – PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE WITHOUT PERMISSION December 2007 ABSTRACT: We examine the determinants of investment property firms’ choice to use the cost or fair value model to account for their primary asset, real estate. Our examination exploits the European Union’s adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards, which require firms to make this choice under IAS 40 – Investment Property. We hypothesize and find evidence that firms are more likely to choose the fair value model when the firm’s pre-IFRS domestic standards permitted or required fair values on the balance sheet, and when the firm exhibits a greater commitment to reporting transparency. We also find limited evidence that firms are more likely to choose the fair value model when ownership is more dispersed, and when the property market in which they operate has higher liquidity. Overall, our results reveal both the occurrence and causes of variation in firms’ reporting choices when differing accounting treatments are permitted. Key Terms: Fair value, accounting choice, IFRS, real estate, investment property, IAS 40 JEL Classification: M41, G15, G38 Acknowledgements: We appreciate useful discussion and data assistance...
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...Accounting Standards Building international opportunities for Australian business Corporate Law Economic Reform Program Proposals for Reform: Paper No. 1 © Commonwealth of Australia 1997 ISBN 0 642 26110 5 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Australian Government Publishing Service. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction rights should be directed to the Manager, Commonwealth Information Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601. The Government is seeking comments from interested parties on the detail of the proposals in this paper which should be forwarded to the following address: First Assistant Secretary Business Law Division The Treasury Parkes Place PARKES ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6263 3960 Fax: 02 6263 2882 Email: clerp@treasury.gov.au Copies of this paper are available from the Australian Government Publishing Service and on the Treasury web site (http://www.treasury.gov.au). Enquiries concerning the paper can be made to: Ms Veronique Ingram Assistant Secretary The Treasury Telephone: 02 6263 3970 Printed by the Australian Government Publishing Service TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abbreviations PART 1: PART 2: Reform Proposals Introduction 2.1 2.2 PART 3: Background Key economic principles v 1 9 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 16 17 19 19 19 20 22 23 The Case for Reform 3.1 3.2 Impetus...
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... THE CANADIAN FINANCIAL REPORTING ENVIRONMENT Multiple Choice—Conceptual Answer No. Description d 1. Accounting characteristics. a 2. Nature of financial accounting. c 3. Definition of financial accounting. a 4. Financial reporting entity. d 5. Efficient use of resources. d 6. Capital allocation process. c 7. Assessing management stewardship. c 8. Objectives of financial reporting. a 9. Role of AcSB. c 10. Body responsible for setting GAAP. b 11. Preparation of biased information. d 12. Parties instrumental in development of reporting standards. d 13. Stakeholders in the financial reporting environment.. a 14. “Due process”. d 15. Causes of subprime lending crisis. d 16. Management bias. b 17. Adoption of IFRS. c 18. Role of OSC. d 19. Definition of GAAP. b 20. Changing nature of the economy. d 21. Exercise of professional judgement. c 22. Major factors in the reporting environment. a 23. Impact of technology on financial reporting. b 24. Nature of the “Balanced Scorecard”. a 25. Responsibility for financial statements. d 26. GAAP for private enterprises. d 27. Reporting principles b 28. SOX. a 29 AcSB’s standard setting process Exercises Item Description E1-30 Objectives of financial reporting. E1-31 Role of securities commissions and stock exchanges. E1-32 User needs. E1-33 Sources of GAAP. E1-34 Standard Setting. E1-35 Challenges facing financial reporting. E1-36 Stakeholders...
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... THE CANADIAN FINANCIAL REPORTING ENVIRONMENT Multiple Choice—Conceptual Answer No. Description d 1. Accounting characteristics. a 2. Nature of financial accounting. c 3. Definition of financial accounting. a 4. Financial reporting entity. d 5. Efficient use of resources. d 6. Capital allocation process. c 7. Assessing management stewardship. c 8. Objectives of financial reporting. a 9. Role of AcSB. c 10. Body responsible for setting GAAP. b 11. Preparation of biased information. d 12. Parties instrumental in development of reporting standards. d 13. Stakeholders in the financial reporting environment.. a 14. “Due process”. d 15. Causes of subprime lending crisis. d 16. Management bias. b 17. Adoption of IFRS. c 18. Role of OSC. d 19. Definition of GAAP. b 20. Changing nature of the economy. d 21. Exercise of professional judgement. c 22. Major factors in the reporting environment. a 23. Impact of technology on financial reporting. b 24. Nature of the “Balanced Scorecard”. a 25. Responsibility for financial statements. d 26. GAAP for private enterprises. d 27. Reporting principles b 28. SOX. a 29 AcSB’s standard setting process Exercises Item Description E1-30 Objectives of financial reporting. E1-31 Role of securities commissions and stock exchanges. E1-32 User needs. E1-33 Sources of GAAP. E1-34 Standard Setting. E1-35 Challenges facing financial reporting. E1-36 Stakeholders...
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...How International Differences in the Ownership and Financing of Companies Could Lead to Differences in Financial Reporting Introduction The major objective behind the development of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) has been to achieve financial reporting across different countries, which could be easily compared. In order to achieve this kind of comparability, it is very crucial that the IFRS be used by all the countries involved in the same way, and that these standards be interpreted as well as applied in a manner that is quite consistent in these countries thus leading to consistency in terms of rules or form of application and consistency in the actual manner in which they are applied. However, there are many factors that make it hard for countries and companies to apply these rules consistently (Whittington, 2005). Differences in the ownership structure and the way these companies are financed have been singled out as leading to the differences in financial reporting of these companies. In cases where countries do come up with very drastic changes or the professional accountants also fail to clearly interpret and use these IFRS in a manner that is consistent, then there is the risk of not achieving comparability. The differences in accounting practices across countries are not obvious when it comes to all accountants. Such differences that have been widely noted have to do with the ownership and financing practices of companies, which have the...
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...Accounting Standards Building international opportunities for Australian business Corporate Law Economic Reform Program Proposals for Reform: Paper No. 1 © Commonwealth of Australia 1997 ISBN 0 642 26110 5 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Australian Government Publishing Service. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction rights should be directed to the Manager, Commonwealth Information Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601. The Government is seeking comments from interested parties on the detail of the proposals in this paper which should be forwarded to the following address:| First Assistant SecretaryBusiness Law DivisionThe TreasuryParkes PlacePARKES ACT 2600|Telephone:Fax:Email:|02 6263 396002 6263 2882clerp@treasury.gov.au| Copies of this paper are available from the Australian Government Publishing Service and on the Treasury web site (http://www.treasury.gov.au).Enquiries concerning the paper can be made to:Ms Veronique IngramAssistant SecretaryThe TreasuryTelephone: 02 6263 3970| Printed by the Australian Government Publishing Service Table of Contents Page Abbreviations v PART 1: Reform Proposals 1 PART 2: Introduction 9 2.1 Background 9 2.2 Key economic principles 10 PART 3: The Case for Reform 11 3.1 Impetus for reform 11 3.2 What the Government is seeking...
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...é The Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption in the EU: A Review of Empirical Research October 2014 Information for Better Markets An initiative from the ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty The Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption in the EU: A Review of Empirical Research forms part of the Information for Better Markets thought leadership programme of ICAEW’s Financial Reporting Faculty. ICAEW operates under a Royal Charter, working in the public interest. As a world leading professional accountancy body, ICAEW provides leadership and practical support to over 142,000 members in more than 160 countries, working with governments, regulators and industry to ensure the highest standards are maintained. The ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty provides its members with practical assistance and support with IFRS, UK GAAP and other aspects of business reporting. It also comments on business reporting issues on behalf of ICAEW to standard setters and regulators. Its Information for Better Markets thought leadership programme subjects key questions in business reporting to careful and impartial analysis so as to help achieve practical solutions to complex problems. The programme focuses on three key themes: disclosure, measurement and regulation. We welcome comments and enquiries on this report and on the other aspects of the Information for Better Markets programme. To contact us, please email bettermarkets@icaew.com. © ICAEW 2014 All rights reserved. If you want...
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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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...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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...Master programme in Economic Growth, Innovation and Spatial Dynamics Corporate social responsibility as an organizational innovation: a comparative analysis of its implementation in the institutional frameworks of Sweden and the United Kingdom Klara Simcikova klara.simcikova.111@student.lu.se Abstract: Corporate social responsibility is a management concept originating from the Anglo-Saxon background and associated with the tradition of arm’s length relations between business and institutions in society. However, different institutional systems handle organizational innovations in dissimilar ways, and in the age of globalization, national institutions often interact with global ones. This study discusses how these mechanisms might affect CSR’s implementation in contrasting institutional frameworks – that is, Sweden and the UK, and finds that while explicit CSR seems to have converged, likely due to global pressures for equivalence, on a more fundamental level, domestic institutions remain major actors in influencing what version of CSR will develop. Even though the use of the concept, practices and motivation may appear similar, important differences emerge. CSR in Sweden seems to have a normative justification and an international focus due to the Swedish tradition of corporatist integration whereas in the UK, CSR is justified instrumentally, with a national focus, and is viewed as a complement to or substitute to state action. Key words: Corporate social responsibility,...
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...Note: This Introduction appears in Christopher Napier & Roszaini Haniffa (eds) Islamic Accounting (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2011), pp. xiii-xx. The printed version may differ slightly from the text set out below, and the printed version should be regarded as definitive. An Islamic Perspective of Accounting: Introduction and Overview Christopher Napier and Roszaini Haniffa Introduction The emergence of Islamic banks and other Islamic financial institutions since the 1970s has stimulated a modern literature that has identified itself as addressing “Islamic Accounting”. What does the term “Islamic Accounting” mean in the rapidly growing contemporary literature? Napier (2009) has proposed three interrelated aspects: a historically-oriented sense, in which “Islamic Accounting” refers to ideas and practices in Muslim-majority countries in past periods; a practice-oriented sense, where the focus is on how entities describing themselves as “Islamic” account for and report their transactions and activities; and a principle-oriented sense, where fundamental accounting concepts and methods form a coherent body of ideas and practices based on the religion of Islam. The word “Islam” means total submission or surrender to the will of God (Allah), and a Muslim is one who so submits. However, this raises the question of how Muslims can determine what the will of God is. The principal sources are the Qur’an, which is considered by Muslims to be the exact words of revelation from...
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