The Impact of Adopting International Accounting Standards on the Harmonization of Accounting Practices

Over the past few decades numerous organizations have been actively participating in the efforts to improve the comparability of financial reporting. Many studies have discussed the benefits and drawbacks of comparability. This study investigated the affect on the harmonization, or comparability, of accounting practices when a sample of companies choose to use international accounting standards (IASs) when preparing financial reports.This study analyzed trends in the I index, a measure of concentration for the use of a particular accounting practice introduced by van der Tas, to determine if the choice of accounting methods by a sample of Swiss companies became more aligned with a sample of companies from three other countries. The study included a control sample of Swiss companies that did not switch from reporting using local Swiss standards during the same time period, 1988 through 1995. Four accounting practices were included; depreciation, inventory, financial statement cost basis, and consolidation practices. The practices used were compared with a sample of companies from three countries; Japan, the UK, and the US.The results indicated that across the 8-year period, the majority of the I indices comparisons were positive and statistically significant. However, the results did not support that these increases were due primarily to the adoption of IASs.     

The Impact of the UK Price Codes on Accounting Functions in Organisations: A Power Perspective

The literature on pricing has hardly used the concepts of organisation theory to emphasise the internal factors that seem to influence the mechanics of pricing decisions. It is this missing theme to which this article attempts to draw attention by arguing that pricing decisions are influenced by organisational subunits ‘power which is not necessarily constant over time. This was made possible by examining the impact of the Price Commission, which operated in the UK between 1973 and 1979, on companies’ pricing decision making processes.     

The Incidence of Accounting-based Covenants in UK Public Debt Contracts: An Empirical Analysis

Accounting-based covenants are of particular interest to accounting researchers in view of their potential to influence management's accounting policy choices and their attitudes to new accounting standards. This exploratory paper provides evidence on the incidence of accounting-based covenants in 108 UK public debt contracts for the period 1987-1990. Thirty percent of the agreements contain such covenants, the majority of which are affirmative gearing covenants. Focusing on the institutional differences between the UK and the US, the paper examines relationships between the presence of accounting-based covenants and (a) characteristics of the issuing firm, and (b) other control mechanisms included in the debt agreement. UK firms raising public debt are of good credit quality and UK insolvency procedures afford unambiguous protection to secured creditors. As a result, accounting-based covenants are associated with long-term unsecured debt and with firms having high values for assets-in-place but, in contrast with US findings, are unrelated to gearing. Convertibility appears to reduce the need for accounting-based covenants, especially when the debt is also subordinated. The relationship between accounting- based covenants and security depends on the nature of the security (fixed or floating). Longer term non-convertible debt agreements are, therefore, particularly likely to contain covenants that could influence management's accounting behaviour. This paper provides a starting point for further research into these issues.     

The Ex‐Ante Monitoring Role of Accounting Covenants in Public Debt

In contrast to what is known about accounting covenants in private debt, little empirical evidence on the role of accounting covenants in public debt exists. Diffuse ownership, arm's length monitoring, and collective action problems are unique to the public debt setting and raise the question of whether these covenants serve their intended role. As such, this study investigates whether including covenants reliant upon accounting inputs influences borrowers’ actions to prevent adverse credit events. Accounting covenants in the public debt setting provide firms with a disciplining mechanism to renegotiate ahead of costly technical default – a stark contrast to the ex‐post renegotiation ‘trip wire’ role covenants play in private debt. In particular, the results show that including accounting covenants in public debt is associated with an increased probability of ex‐ante renegotiation, that is, negotiation through consent solicitations ahead of covenant violation. This ex‐ante renegotiation, in turn, is associated with decreased adverse credit events. Cross‐sectional results support these findings as the ex‐ante renegotiation role of accounting covenants varies with bondholders’ and trustees’ monitoring ability.     

《改进国际会计准则》项目13项国际会计准则主要变化(五)

(十)<国际会计准则第28号--对联营企业的投资>本次改进中理事会保留了改进前的<国际会计准则第28号>中所规定的对联营企业投资的基本处理方法,对准则的适用范围、重要影响的判断因素、豁免使用权益法的标准、联营企业的会计政策与报告日的要求、联营企业亏损的确认限额等进行了改进,改进后的准则不再适用于单独财务报表中对联营企业投资的会计处理.改进后的该准则还取代了原国际会计准则委员会常设解释委员会的<解释公告第3号--消除与联营企业交易中的未实现利润和损失>、<解释公告第20号--权益法:损失的确认>和<解释公告第33号>.     

我国会计标准与国际会计标准的差异分析及国际趋同的思考

本文从我国B股上市公司、金融类上市公司双重审计的制度背景出发 ,以B股和金融类上市公司的年度报告中的双重审计差异为基础 ,对我国会计标准和国际会计标准进行综合比较研究 ,对存在的差异做出了分析与评价 ,并提供了有关的政策建议。     

《改进国际会计准则》项目13项国际会计准则主要变化(三)

<正> (八)《国际会计准则第24号——关联方披露》 虽然理事会保留了改进前《国际会计准则第24号》中关于关联方定义和披露的基本方法,但是对准则的体例结构进行了较大的调整,增加了准则目标段和关联方披露的目的部分,取消了对关联方定价方式的论述和披露要求,对准则的范围和术语定义进行了大量补充,扩展了对关联方的界定,在披露上也提出了不少新的要求,并提供了更加详细的指南。较之改进前的准则,改进后的准则明确了准则的目标,体例结构更加完整,逻辑上更加严密。     

公允价值计量对债务契约有用性的影响研究

公允价值计量模式的采用本质上为了确保债务契约的公平公正,但在实际运用过程中,管理层对公允价值相关会计政策选择的操控性,以及公允价值"持有收益"的未实现性和暂时性,往往会使契约相关利益者做出不理性的决策。本文通过机理分析和实证检验探究公允价值计量对债务契约有用性的影响,得出结论:企业总体债务规模与经常性损益的相关性高于公允价值变动损益,短期债务规模与公允价值变动损益正相关,长期债务规模与公允价值变动损益负相关,这些现实状况都证实了债务契约的有用性;但在短期和长期债务契约的回归分析中,债务规模与经常性损益类收益不存在显著相关关系的结果有悖常理,揭示了债务契约决策中的不理性。     

A Comparative International Analysis of the Impact of Accounting Principles on Profits: The USA versus the UK,Sweden and The Netherlands

This paper explores the extent to which there are material quantitative differences in profits reported under US GAAP compared to profits reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands. From an analysis of Form 20-F reports filed with the SEC in the USA, there is support for the hypothesis that UK GAAP are significantly less conservative than US GAAP. On the basis of a case study approach, it seems that Swedish GAAP tend to be more conservative than US GAAP, particularly when the transfers to reserves are analysed, but there is insufficient evidence to establish a systematic pattern. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, there is evidence to suggest that Dutch GAAP are at the less conservative end of the spectrum of financial reporting measurement practices, in a position relatively similar to that of UK GAAP, although again the evidence is insufficient to establish a systematic pattern.     

Converging to International Accounting Standards: Views from Japan

Many countries, including the European Union member states and Australia, adopted international accounting standards in 2005. This year was also critical in Japan for convergence activities. Based on a review of 2005 financial statements and a survey of securities analysts, this study identifies key issues for convergence of Japanese and international accounting standards. We find that accounting requirements relating to fair value measurement, comprehensive income items, leases and business combinations are relevant to Japanese firms. A survey of 974 members of the Security Analysts Association of Japan about these issues indicated support for convergence and the use of fair value measurement, disclosure of comprehensive income, recognition of leases and use of the purchase method for consolidation. We report support for several positions favoured by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), a positive signal for achieving convergence goals in Japan, which will be of interest to capital market participants in Japan and other countries .     

会计准则国际发展的利益关系分析

本文从会计准则的经济后果出发 ,讨论了会计准则制定的政治化问题 ,并以此为基础对会计准则国际发展的利益关系进行了探讨。文章探讨了国际会计准则委员会改组后的准则立项所涉及的利益关系 ,分析了欧盟、美国和澳大利亚等国采纳国际会计准则的利益所在 ,论证了会计准则的国际发展过程的政治化程序的必然性 ,指出了建设中的国际会计准则体系将主要是发达国家利益争斗的结果。本文对我国的会计准则发展战略、分析和利用国际层面的会计信息将有所裨益。     

会计国际协调:一个新的分析视角

会计标准的国际协调一直是我国会计理论界和实务界非常关注的一个重要问题。对此 ,理论界就净利润的双重披露差异进行了大量的实证研究 ,研究的结果也常常为我国会计标准改革所借鉴。然而 ,我们的研究发现 ,2 0 0 0年底《企业会计制度》及随后一系列会计准则颁布和修订后 ,境内外净资产差异与净利润差异之间的联系明显降低 ,仅有净利润之间的国际协调还不足以说明会计信息总体上已经实现国际协调。因此 ,单纯从净利润的角度来研究会计标准的国际协调可能存在一定的片面性。本文试图从净利润、净资产以及两者对比的净资产收益率三个角度来判断我国会计标准的国际协调程度     

国际会计准则改革:回顾与展望

改革开放以来 ,中国的会计改革进程都是朝着借鉴国际会计准则的大方向迈进的。因此 ,关注国际会计准则委员会 (IASC)的重组进展 ,把握其发展前景 ,对深化中国的会计改革意义重大。基于此 ,本文拟介绍国际社会对IASC改革的回应、国际会计准则理事会 (IASB)自去年 4月正式运行以来所取得的进展和面临的难点热点问题 ,并对建立一套高质量全球性会计准则的前景进行展望。     

Harmonising with Overseas Accounting Standards: A New Zealand Perspective

Standard-setting in New Zealand has graduated from the early wholesale adoption of overseas pronouncements to an autonomous approach which recognises unique characteristics of the country's legislation and culture. However, close cooperation is observed with Australian standard-setting.     

The Impact of the Type of Accounting Standards on Preparers' Judgments

This article examines preparers' consolidation judgments and how they are impacted by the precision of accounting standards (substance-over-form versus rules-based). The examination is performed via two laboratory experiments in a consolidated accounting setting. In Experiment 1 it was found that when subjects used a substance-over-form accounting standard they justified their consolidation judgments on case specific information rather than on different interpretations of the phrase 'capacity to control'. In Experiment 2 it was found that when subjects used a rules-based standard, incentives were found to impact on accountants' consolidation judgments and more aggressive judgments were made through their assessments of case specific information. Comparison of the judgments made in Experiment 1 with one of the treatment groups in Experiment 2 enabled a comparison to be made of consolidation judgments of subjects under both substance-over-form and rules-based accounting standards. While both groups had the same incentive not to consolidate, marginally significantly more subjects using the rules-based standard did not consolidate than subjects using the substance-over-form standard. This finding is contrary to anecdotal claims that the imprecision of substance-over-form standards may be less effective in stopping biased financial reporting than rules-based standards.     

Domestic Accounting Standards, International Accounting Standards, and the Predictability of Earnings

We investigate (1) whether the variation in accounting standards across national boundaries relative to International Accounting Standards (IAS) has an impact on the ability of financial analysts to forecast non-U.S. firms' earnings accurately, and (2) whether analyst forecast accuracy changes after firms adopt IAS. IAS are a set of financial reporting policies that typically require increased disclosure and restrict management's choices of measurement methods relative to the accounting standards of our sample firms' countries of domicile. We develop indexes of differences in countries' accounting disclosure and measurement policies relative to IAS, and document that greater differences in accounting standards relative to IAS are significantly and positively associated with the absolute value of analyst earnings forecast errors. Further, we show that analyst forecast accuracy improves after firms adopt IAS. More specifically, after controlling for changes in the market value of equity, changes in analyst following, and changes in the number of news reports, we find that the convergence in firms' accounting policies brought about by adopting IAS is positively associated with the reduction in analyst forecast errors.