............................................................... 2 SEC Leadership in International Effort .......................................................... 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...
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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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...Accounting Standards Board In 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...
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...The U.S. Convergence toward IASB This paper will touch on some key points, relationships, differences, and issues concerning the FASB and IASB that exist in the convergence from FASB to IASB in the U.S. They both were created to improve regulations of accounting standards, and uphold the integrity of the financial statements related to the accounting process. In the world we live in accounting standards are essential for the world economy to run smoothly. We have seen over the past decade what can happen when the standards aren’t’ used properly, or used at all. The Eron scandal, the collapse of markets in some countries like Greece, and the 2008 recession in the U.S. just to name a few examples of why they are so important. There are boards worldwide to oversee that accounting standards are being properly implemented, this paper will be concerning the two most used, the FASB, and the IASB. These boards use different accounting concepts and standards for financial reporting that guides many agencies and company’s in their day to day operations. Some examples found in the public who must rely on these standards are issuers, auditors, and any users of financial information. The International Accounting Standards Committee was from in the 70’s as the first international standards board created. Later when accounting practices were under much criticism; especially in the U.S., IASC became a self-governing international standard setter known as the International Accounting...
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...Definition There is significance between accounting harmonisation and accounting standardisation where harmonisation allows countries to have different accounting standards provided that they do not have logical conflict with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Therefore the accounting standards in different countries are not identical but very similar from one to another which allows convergence of accounting practices. However, standardisation of accounting has the direct opposite meaning of harmonisation where the standardisation requires all accounting practices in various countries to be exactly the same. Harmonisation tends to be associated with IASB which carries out the process of coordination whereas standardisation is the process of uniformity that can be seen in the European Union (EU) where transnational legislation occurs. According to various accounting scholars, they said it is important to distinguish between harmonisation of accounting practices (de facto) and harmonisation of accounting regulations (de jure). De facto is often associates with harmonisation while de jure is associated with standardisation. Reasons for Harmonisation RELIABILITY OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE USERS One of the reasons that international harmonisation of accounting standards should be carried out is to ensure comparability, reliability and quality of financial reports and disclosure of foreign enterprises. This allows investors and financial analysts to understand...
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...Accounting Standards Boards Cherish Malbrue Accounting 541 July 2, 2012 Bethany Kessel Accounting Standards Boards The Financial Accounting 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...
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...replaced by the global standards known as the International Financial Reporting Standards. This paper will provide a history of IFRS and discuss the time frame of the conversion, along with is effects on U.S in the accounting perspective. Over the past few years, much talk of U.S adopting the IFRS as the basis for accounting principles has circulated amongst the accounting and business world. Although many may resent the conversion from U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to the London-based International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the movement has already began. Plans for this movement have already been proposed and put into effect, project and trials are being observed, and results are soon to come as the SEC and others make their final decision. However, with such a complex transition one must propose many questions such as, how will the movement affect us? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages? How do we adjust, and what is the ultimate benefit and purpose of converting? GAAP and IFRS are two separate sets of accounting standards used in different countries of the world. Although they both have the same goal- to ensure that financial reports are transparent, informative and useful to present to potential investors and creditors- they use different approaches to achieve this goal. GAAP was created by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 1973. It was created to work in accordance with the AICPA (American Institute of...
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...was found in various parts of the world that are dated several thousand years ago. The world knew how to record their transactions since they knew trade. The more complicated the trading transactions get the more the need for more developed financial recording. In the United States the interest in improving the financial statements started after the great depression. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the American Institute of Accountants (AIA) met to discuss how to protect the investors. The cooperation between the NYSE and the AIA introduced legislations and two of the most important of those legislations were the Securities act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 1936 The AIA and the American Society of Certified public Accountants merged together to establish a bigger organization called the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The AICPA established Committee on Accounting Procedure and the Accounting Principles Board failed to achieve the goals that they were created for. The AICPA appointed two Committees, the Wheat Committee and the Trueblood Committee. The Wheat Committee’s responsibility was to study how financial accounting principles should be established. The Committee’s recommendations were the abolishment of the APB and the establishment of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The mission of the FASB is to establish and improve standards of financial...
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...problems, creating a demand for a new language that is universally accepted and understood. The convergence of IFRS and GAAP is what came of this demand. Understanding U.S. GAAP and more importantly its transition to IFRS is extremely crucial for anyone pursuing a career in Accounting or related fields. At the time of the stock market crash in 1929, there was no structure setting accounting standards. As the nation plunged into the Great Depression, there were calls for increased government regulation of financial institutions. The result was the establishment of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); a federal agency that administers the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and several other acts. Most companies that issue securities to the public or are listed on a stock exchange were then required to file audited financial statements with the SEC. The SEC originally relied on two private standard-setting bodies, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Financial Accounting Standards...
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...Abstract International Accounting Standards are not always implemented into companies around the globe. Most industrialized countries have their own organizations, such as the United States Financial Accounting Standards Board, that govern their accounting standards. This can cause major difficulties for multi-country corporations, as well as confusing for investors who are trying to compare company financials. To rectify this problem, the SEC has prepared a roadmap that proposes requiring all U. S. companies to implement an improved version of International Financial Reporting Standards as soon as 2014. What would be required to implement these changes? Are accountants today ready and able to implement these news standards or will continuing education be vital to prepare them? If the U. S. takes on these changes, are other countries willing and able to implement changes as well? What will be accomplished with the implementing of a more universal system? Implementing International Financial Reporting Standards As the countries of the world become increasingly interdependent, language barriers must be transcended in order to promote adequate communication. This is true not only of spoken language, but also of accounting, which is commonly known as the language of business (Spiceland, Sepe & Nelson, 2011, p. 4). Global commerce has sounded the call for financial entities worldwide to speak one common language. Historically, the standardization of accounting...
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...Contents Contents Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1 Main Body……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 1. Harmonisation – what it means……………………………………………………………………………………………….…2 2. IASB’s reasoning for financial reporting harmonisation…………………………….………………………………..3 3. Approaches to harmonisation………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..4 4. Obstacles in harmonisation………………………………………………….……………………………………………………..6 5. The convergence between IASB and FASB today and the Changes within the IASB towards achieving their goal ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 References & bibliography………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………..9 1. Harmonisation – what it means Harmonisation is the process which aims to converge the accounting practices around the world and to increase the compatibility between countries in regards to financial statements. However, we must keep in mind that this process does not target uniformity in the accounting practice, but to reduce the differences over time. Standardising the accounting practices around the world comes as a boomerang effect of capitalisation. We have companies that trade in different countries and thus they must oblige with each of the accounting practices of every country where the company produces financial statements. This leads to the situation where you have a company reporting a shareholders’...
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...Revenue Recognition: IFRS and FASB Convergence With the growth of international business there is a need to standardize financial statements globally. Presently there are “approximately 120 foreign private issuers currently that report to the Commission using IFRS financial statements.” By standardizing accounting practices investors will be able to make informed decisions based on comparability and accuracy of financial statements. The SEC released this statement in 2008, “We believe that IFRS has the potential to best provide the common platform on which companies can report and investors can compare financial information.” The SEC has created a “Roadmap” or plan to convert US GAAP over to IFRS. According to The Committee of Sponsoring Organization of the Treadway Commission (COSO) Analysis of Fraudulent Financial Reporting 1998-2007, the most common fraud technique involved improper revenue recognition. This fact emphasizes the importance of proper revenue recognition and detailed standards in place to guide companies. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) developed standard IAS 18, which defines the accounting treatment for revenue arising from certain types of transactions and events. According to IAS 18, “revenue is recognized when it is probable that future economic benefits will flow in the entity and these benefits can be measured reliably.” The development of IAS 18 began with an Exposure Draft E20 in 1981. IASB formally issued standard IAS...
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...AN EXAMINATION OF INVENTORY COSTING CONVERGENCE UNDER GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS Casey Reineking Department of Accounting Murray State University Murray, KY 42071-3314 E-mail: casey.reineking@hotmail.com Don H. Chamberlain Department of Accounting Murray State University Murray, KY 42071-3314 Holly R. Rudolph Department of Accounting Murray State University Murray, KY 42071-3314 L. Murphy Smith* Department of Accounting Murray State University 351 Business Building Murray, KY 42071-3314 Tel: 270-809-4297 Email: msmith93@murraystate.edu *Corresponding author Forthcoming in Journal of International Business Research AN EXAMINATION OF INVENTORY COSTING CONVERGENCE UNDER GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS ABSTRACT Accounting principles in the United States are converging toward international standards. If convergence continues, and there are proponents and detractors, then the U.S. system of accounting, called Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), will eventually be replaced by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Convergence has profound implications for publicly traded companies and their many stakeholders such as investors, lenders, government agencies, and employees. A key issue facing accounting standard-setters is the treatment of inventory costing, an area in which GAAP and IFRS differ. This study addresses three...
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...Street s described by Erchinger (2012), for decades various United States (US) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairs and Chief Accountants have expressed support for the development of one set of globally accepted accounting standards. Since the formation of the 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...
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...years, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued several standards that are considered more principles-based than rule-based. Nonetheless, that does not mean that principles-based accounting is better. Therefore, this paper will examine the pros, cons, ethics and virtues of both rules-based accounting and principles-based accounting. Keywords: GAAP; FASB; SEC; Principles-Based Accounting; Rules-Based Accounting Introduction Accounting can be a very confusing and intimidating subject for many individuals. Reason being, is that accounting has its’ own language per say. It is imminent that one learns the key terms to this challenging subject in order to obtain a better understanding of the matter. For starters it is key that one learns the differences and similarities of principles-based accounting and rules-based accounting. Once gaining that knowledge it is important to know what the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are and what effect they have on principle-based and rules-based accounting. As well as, the effect they have on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), and ethics. This will allow one to better understand the dos and don’ts on financial statements. GAAP What is generally accepted accounting principles? According to Spiceland, Sepe, Nelson and Thomas, “generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) is a dynamic set...
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