“Discuss and explore issues surrounding the recognition of elements in financial statements”

Contents Title: 3 Introduction & Objectives 3 Definitions 5 Recognition 5 Measurement 6 Discussion 6 Revenue Recognition (IAS 18) 6 Property, Plant and Equipment (IAS 16) 8 Xerox Revenue Recognition Scandal 9 Recognition in the Annual Statements 10 Conclusion 13 Bibliography 14 Appendices 17 Appendix 1 – Standards from IASB 17 Appendix 2 – Proposed plan for FASB and IASB 18 Appendix 3 – TUI Travel Plc Annual Statement 21 Appendix 4 – Thomas Cook Annual Statement 27 Appendix 5 – PSA Peugeot Citroen Annual Statement 31 Appendix 6 – Daimler AG Annual Statement 37 Appendix 7 – Xerox Annual Statement 42

Title:

Discuss and explore issues surrounding the recognition of elements in financial statements
Introduction & Objectives
Accounting has many elements to producing an annual statement each fiscal year; these different elements have regulations in which organisations have to abide by. Regulations have three categories; legislation, accounting standards and stock exchange regulations (Melville, 2008). Legislation can differ from country to country, which is the same for accounting standard board as each country has individually developed their own standards (Accounting Standards Board for the UK, also, International Accounting Standards Board that is trying to consolidate standards, which can be accepted globally).
Attempts by theorist to create a single accounting theory that is accepted b all involved. Hendriksen (1970, p.1) describes accounting theory as:
“A coherent set of hypothetical, conceptual and pragmatic principles forming the general framework of reference for a field of inquiry”

In addition, Most (1982) defines accounting theory as:
“A theory is a systematic statement of the rules or principles which