Measurement of Formal Convergence of Vietnamese Accounting Standards with IFRS

Convergence refers to the process of narrowing the differences between International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) and country‐specific accounting standards. The purpose of this study is to measure the formal convergence between Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS) and IAS/IFRS using a fuzzy‐based approach. We assess the extent of convergence between VAS and IAS/IFRS from the perspective of a single standard, clusters of standards and the standards as a whole. The levels of standards convergence are clustered into four categories: full convergence, substantial convergence, substantial difference and complete difference. Our results indicate that the level of convergence between the two sets of standards only achieves mid‐level convergence. The findings of this study should help policy makers improve VAS to meet international standards.     

The Influence of Improvements in Accounting Standards on Earnings Management: The Case of IFRS

This article examines the effect of improvements in the quality of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the level of earnings management. In order to achieve this aim, we study the accounting quality of German listed companies through discretionary accruals yielded from 1998 to 2006. We assess the effectiveness of efforts by the International Accounting Standards Board to improve IFRS by using two indices that consider the revision process of the standards, and their mandatory application. Our results indicate that the improvement of accounting standards quality significantly reduces the level of reported negative discretionary accruals of the German listed firms during the period of analysis, once incentive variables are controlled. Further, companies gradually assume the quality of the new standards from the moment they can be voluntarily applied.     

The Political and Unstable Nature of the IASB's 'Stable Platform': Post-Convergence Australian Experience

On 31 March 2004, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) established the 'stable platform' of new and revised standards applicable from 1 January 2005. We review the major changes made by the IASB to its stable platform of standards to illustrate how politics and lobbying influence the standard-setting process. Furthermore, Australian experience since International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption is used to illustrate the impact and extent of these and other changes within the local environment. Continuous changes to IFRS undoubtedly complicate the convergence process, particularly when they are largely indicative of political considerations rather than conceptual underpinnings.     

Mandatory Adoption of IASB Standards: Value Relevance and Country-Specific Factors

The objective of this study is to investigate if the value relevance of European-listed companies increased after the mandatory application of International Accounting Standards (IAS)/International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and how the value relevance of accounting information prepared under IAS/IFRS is shaped by the specific factors of the country in which companies are domiciled. Results show that the value relevance of financial information during the period companies applied mandatory IAS/IFRS is higher than for the period during which they applied local accounting standards. We also found that countries where accounting and tax are clearly separated show more relevant accounting information. Finally, we found that companies from countries with more legal and public enforcement mechanisms disclose less relevant accounting information under IAS/IFRS.     

An Investigation into the Potential Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards in the United States: Implications and Implementation

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have been adopted by most of the G20 countries. Given the broad worldwide acceptance of IFRS and significance of attaining comparability to facilitate free flow of capital, the US standard setter, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) made a commitment to jointly work with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to explore the possibilities of convergence of US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) with IFRS. In 2007, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) eliminated the requirement that foreign companies listed on the US stock exchanges reconcile their IFRS‐based financial statements with the US GAAP. In the same year the US SEC issued a concept release to the public requesting comments on a proposal to allow US issuers to prepare financial statements in accordance with IFRS. Following these initiatives by the FASB and SEC, the aim of the present study is to investigate the implications of a potential full adoption of IFRS by the US. The present study details the challenges and benefits of adoption and outlines the steps required for a successful outcome of this process.     

Post-Implementation Reviews for IASB and FASB Standards: A Comparison of the Process and Findings for the Operating Segments Standards

Abstract

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) have recently completed post-implementation reviews (PIRs) for their converged standards on operating segments IFRS 8 and SFAS 131. The two accounting bodies use PIRs as an additional standard assessment mechanism. This paper (1) provides an overview of the main differences and similarities between the two PIR processes and (2) compares the findings of the PIRs on the operating segment standards supplemented with insights from a survey of the segment information notes of a sample of STOXX Europe 600 companies. The IASB and the FAF set the specific PIR objectives and conduct the information gathering phase differently. For the IFRS 8 and SFAS 131 PIRs, these differences meant that the FAF focused more narrowly on how SFAS 131 performs compared to the previous standard, while the IASB is aimed to more broadly assess constituents' views on whether IFRS 8 works well in practice. Comparing the PIR findings for the operating segments standards is warranted given that the standards are converged and that the standard setters re-expressed their commitment to keep them substantially converged. Uniform PIR processes could have eased the cooperation in maintaining convergence. Given the different scope of the reviews, standard setters will need to find a common ground on how to proceed and which issues to address further.     

IFRS in the United States: If,When and How

This paper provides an overview of the convergence efforts of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. It begins with their 2002 Memorandum of Understanding and traces developments up to the December 2011 announcement by the IASB Chair that convergence has come to a close, and it is now time to incorporate IFRS into the US financial reporting system. The paper then assesses approaches being considered by the SEC for incorporating IFRS into the US financial reporting model. The conclusion calls on the SEC to ‘make a decision’ and set a date for US adoption of IFRS. Otherwise, the SEC effectively will have abandoned its goal of a single set of high quality global accounting standards.     

会计准则的信息含量:中国会计准则与IFRS之比较

在我国 ,对如何实现中国会计准则国际化问题一直存在不同的认识。一种观点认为 ,不应过多地考虑“国家特色” ,主张尽快全面国际化 ;另一种观点则认为在会计国际化的同时 ,应当考虑并体现会计的国家特色 ,不应片面追求国际化。那么 ,究竟应当如何解决这些争端 ,把握好借鉴国际惯例和考虑中国国情的辨证关系 ,掌握好两者之间的结合“度” ?我们认为 ,会计准则信息含量的比较研究 ,可以帮助我们进行这方面的分析。本文采用实证研究的方法 ,通过中国会计准则与国际财务报告准则 (IFRS)信息含量的比较研究 ,为哪一种会计准则对信息用户更具决策相关性提供量化证据。研究结果表明 ,按照中国会计准则提供的会计盈余数据比按照国际财务报告准则提供的盈余数据更有信息含量。因而 ,当前我国的会计准则建设仍应考虑国情 ,不应当全盘照搬国际财务报告准则     

The evolution of Indian accounting standards: Its history and current status with regard to International Financial Reporting Standards

This paper addresses the adoption and applicability of International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to India. Specifically, the paper highlights some major areas where the country lacked harmonization with IAS in 1993 and the rapid congruence with IAS in the decade that followed. The attempt to achieve congruence with IAS appears to be more a by-product of the country's rapid economic growth rather than its catalyst. However, continued growth and the attraction of foreign capital to domestic ventures will depend on the transparency of the financial dealings. The Institute of the Chartered Accountants of India, (ICAI), India's standard setting body, is increasingly attempting to provide this transparency by revisions and additions to accounting standards, and by Exposure Drafts which aim to bring India more in line with International Financial Reporting Standards.     

Commentary: Has Australia (or Any Other Jurisdiction) ‘Adopted’ IFRS?1

This paper replies to a statement made in this journal that ‘Australia definitely adopts IFRSs’. We analyse and compare the several methods that jurisdictions can use to implement International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These include adopting the International Accounting Standards Board's (IASB) process of setting standards, as well as various forms of standard‐by‐standard implementation. We conclude that the Australian method of implementation is different in major ways from those used in such countries as Israel and South Africa, which involve adopting the IASB's process. By contrast, Australia follows a multi‐step process of enrolling each new standard into a category still entitled ‘Australian Accounting Standards’. To refer to the Australian method as ‘adoption’ of IFRS might therefore mislead, even though Australian companies eventually comply with IFRS.     

Application of International Financial Reporting Standards in the Transition Economy of Serbia

This paper explores the attitudes of the preparers of financial statements in the emerging economy of Serbia towards International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Our research shows that preparers are mainly satisfied with the quality of IFRS and the environment for IFRS application in Serbia and that they generally support the process of global convergence of financial reporting standards. Nevertheless, we find that there is a need to improve the environment for IFRS application in Serbia, and we identify areas that financial reporting regulators in emerging economies should address when attempting to improve the environment for IFRS application. Our research also shows that perceived IFRS quality is dependent on the preparer's experience in applying IFRS and his or her perceptions of the environment in which IFRS are applied. Perceived IFRS quality and attitudes towards the compatibility between IFRS and the environment for application of IFRS affect the level of support for the global convergence of financial reporting standards.     

The Value Relevance of Direct Cash Flows under International Financial Reporting Standards

This study examines if there has been a change in the value relevance of direct cash flow components since the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Australia. Our results show that for both industrial and extractive firms direct cash flow statements are value relevant under Australian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (AGAAP) and remain so after the adoption of IFRS. In addition, for industrial firms there is a significant increase in the value relevance of direct cash flows after IFRS, along with an increase in the value relevance of accruals. These results are consistent with the proposition that direct cash flows play a reinforcing role that complements the more complex IFRS accounts. Consequently, if the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) were to mandate direct cash flow statements it would, in all likelihood, provide users of accounts with a valuable incremental source of hard transaction information.     

The global institutionalization of financial reporting: The case of the United Arab Emirates

Almost 100 countries have agreed to adopt or work towards convergence with the International Accounting Standards Board's international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Applying an institutional theory framework at a nation state level, and using publicly available data about the emerging economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a case, this paper identifies some of the global coercive, normative and mimetic pressures which have contributed to this widespread adoption. The challenge for emerging economies such as that of the UAE is whether the reality of IFRS implementation can match the image of IFRS adoption.     

Accounting Policies in the Extractive Industry: A Global and a Turkish Perspective

This paper investigates the influence of accounting standards on financial reporting for companies in the extractive industry. In Turkey, listed firms have prepared their financial reports according to the International Accounting Standards and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) since 2005, as has the European Union. The aim of this study is to determine the degree of compliance with IFRS 6, comparing global and Turkish extractive entities. We find that the entities reporting in accordance with IFRS 6 in Turkey are more likely to fail to declare their accounting policies, whereas global companies are more likely to be compliant with IFRS 6.     

Fifty-Seven Serious Defects in 'Australian' IFRS

Australian accounting standards commonly used in the preparation of company financial reports have a controversial origin. Under a protocol adopted by the Financial Reporting Council, Australian accounting standards since 2005 substantially replicate the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) made by the International Accounting Standards Board. These standards' continued development is largely outside the control of Australian authorities. The standards examined are found to have such a large catalogue of conceptual and technical deficiencies that the authors call to question the adoption of an Australian IFRS protocol.     

Assessing international accounting harmonization in Latin America

We draw on institutional theory and interviews with key informants to assess international accounting harmonization in the 13 countries of the Group of Latin American Accounting Standards Setters (GLASS). Some GLASS countries have effected full formal adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), but in others, IFRS are not permitted. In several GLASS countries, IFRS are supplemented by national standards for micro-entities and cooperatives. We conclude that it will be difficult to achieve material harmonization in GLASS countries due to a lack of trained accountants, unreliable enforcement systems, and competing institutional logics of taxation systems, banks and insurance companies.     

我国会计标准建设与国际协调

本文对全球经济一体化背景下会计国际协调的必然性进行了分析 ,对我国会计国际协调过程中存在的认识误区和协调中应注意的一些问题进行了探讨 ,并提出了我国会计标准建设与会计国际协调的策略及建议。指出要正确分析我国会计标准与国际会计标准的差异 ,正确理解国际会计准则 ,积极参与国际会计准则的制定过程 ,并引导社会各界正确理解会计标准和运用会计信息     

新会计准则对财务比率分析的影响

由于我国会计准则是根据我国特定的社会主义市场经济环境制定的,必然与国际会计准则存在差异,但与国际会计准则趋同是一种必然趋势。本文在考虑成本因素,我国的利益及我国的现实经济环境的同时,认为我国会计准则与国际会计准则趋同需要经历一个长期过程。     

An examination of the perceptions of auditors and chief financial officers regarding principles versus rules based accounting standards

The debate over the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by United States issuers, or its convergence with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) has been going on for several years now. However, as of this writing, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has still not taken a definitive position on the issue. This is in part due to issues involving the cost of adoption, independence concerns relating to the IFRS promulgation body, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and the debate over which type of accounting standards is superior for financial reporting: IFRS, which are said to be “principles-based,” or U.S. GAAP, which are said to be “rules-based.” In this paper we examined the views of two stakeholders in the U.S. financial reporting system, auditors in large public accounting firms and Chief Financial Officers in the Fortune 1000. We elicited their perceptions involving ten situations where specific rules are incorporated in U.S. GAAP. We asked if the elimination of the specific rule would be likely to better achieve the “qualitative characteristics of useful financial information” as defined by the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting adopted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2010 (FASB 2010) and the similar document adopted by the IASB at the same time (IASB 2010). We found that in eight of the ten situations both groups preferred the rules-based accounting regime (the current U.S. GAAP rules) over a principles-based approach.     

Layering of IFRS and Dual Institutionality of Accounting Standards in Belarus

There is an ongoing debate about the applicability and efficacy of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption in countries with diverse institutional infrastructures. We examine financial reporting in Belarus and factors that are shaping its development. In Belarus, IFRS has been adopted through layering where it is an additional requirement to the existing reporting specified by the national accounting regulations. We explore how global standards were transposed and function in a highly specific institutional context. Based on an examination of reporting in the banking sector, we conclude that different objectives of IFRS and local reporting contribute to dual institutionality of standards where differing formats target the needs of diverse users. Thus, adoption through layering is unlikely to contribute to convergence between different reporting standards used for different purposes, and parallel reporting is expected to persist. By examining financial reporting practices in Belarus, we provide insights for practitioners, regulators, and standard-setters on implementation of IFRS in countries with similar heavy state involvement, and still using local regulations and traditions in parallel with IFRS.