财务报告质量评估的探讨

为了打击“数字游戏”和对付“盈利操纵” ,美国证券交易委员会原主席阿瑟·利维特 (ArthurLevitt)多次谈到高质量会计准则的重要性。什么是高质量会计准则的含义 ,或者说什么会计信息特征可以认为是对“使用者需要”和“股东 /投资人保护”有用的多层次的质量 ?本文试图审视一系列有关评估财务报告质量的不同方法 (模式或框架 ) ,包括 :美国财务会计准则委员会的概念框架、美国证券交易委员会用于评估国际会计准则质量的模式、关于改进公司审计委员会效率的“蓝带委员会”第 8号建议、美国第 6 1号审计准则公告、美国注册会计师协会的《改进企业报告———面向用户》的建议 ,特别是安达信会计师事务所合伙人Jonas&Blancher的建议框架 ;提出一份有关高质量财务报告的建议 ,重点关注透明度这一质量 ,并引用了Jonas&Blancher的“评估财务报告质量的问题”作为本文的一个附录。     

高质量能成为会计信息的质量特征吗?

美国证券交易委员会(SEC)前主席Levitt首先提出准则必须高质量。何谓高质量?高质量能不能成为会计信息的质量特征或者会计准则的质量要求?本文辨析认为,高质量定义存在见仁见智。"高质量"本身不能作为会计信息的质量特征。同时,我们赞同会计准则的高质量,但同样高质量不能成为会计准则的评价标准。"高质量"会计信息质量特征不过是其基本质量特征和强化质量特征的不同词汇表达而已。     

会计准则、内部控制与公司治理相关问题研究——海峡两岸会计学术交流动态

<正>目前,大陆会计准则与国际财务报告准则采取的是持续趋同原则,而台湾地区计划于2013年直接采用国际财务报告准则,可以说,无论是"持续趋同"还是"直接采用",都说明两岸会计准则与国际财务报告准则差异不大,因此,纯粹从准则的角度看,如果国际财务报告准则是高质量的,那么两岸会计准则也应该是高质量的。但是,高质量的会计准则并不必然产生高质量的会计信息,因为高质量的会计信息不仅要求会计准则是高质量的,而且要求     

论会计准则质量特征及其影响因素

会计准则是指导会计报表和其他财务报告以及财务会计处理程序的指针。要使企业的财务报告达到高质量,就外部条件来说,必须保证会计准则的高质量。只有高质量的会计准则才能产生高质量的会计信息。因此,提高会计准则的质量对于会计目标的实现,对于维护社会经济和资本市场有序运行和健康发展以及保护投资者利益等,有着举足轻重的作用。财政部已陆续颁布了九个具体会计准则。我国的会计准则体系正在形成。因此,当前在我国开展会计准则质量问题的研究,有着重要的现实意义。一、会计准则的质量特征要制定出高质量的会计准则,必须首先明确“什么是…     

国际会计领域的新生力量——亚洲-大洋洲会计准则制定机构(AOSSG)

随着全球资本市场的进一步发展,财务报告在提升投资者信心、确保国家和世界经济健康稳定发展方面的重要性越来越凸显。各利益相关方普遍认同建立并实施一套高质量的、全球通用的会计准则是保护投资者的重要手段。正因如此,国际财务报告准则受到越来越多的国家或地区青睐,这些国家或地区正在采用国际财务报告准则或使国内公认会计原则与之进行趋同。二十国集团和金融稳定理事会等重要国际组织提出倡议,希望世界主要准则制定机构共同努力,制定一套被全球认可的高质量会计准则体系。在会计准则日益全球化趋同背景下,尤其是为应对国际金融危机,会计准则制定机构团结协作,形成一致声音,对参与国际财务报告准则的制定,增强话语权,建立和完善全球统一的高质量会计准则体系具有重用意义。     

严格遵守会计准则提供高质量财务报告认真履行社会责任

财务报告具有决策有用和受托责任双重目标以及公共产品的特征,属于企业对社会承担的法律责任,因此高质量的财务报告意义重大。本文基于上市公司和各类非上市企业执行财会[2009]16号文件的背景,从财务报告的编报、内控规范的落实、会计师事务所的整合以及加强财务报告的监督检查等几个方面,对企业遵守会计准则、提高财务报告质量和履行社会责任提出个人看法。     

论会计准则质量保障体系的构建

1997年美国证监会主席Livitt在一次演讲中提出了“高质量会计准则”的呼吁，在美国会计界引起了强烈的反响，国内有关人士也对此发表了相关见解。综合各种观点，高质量会计准则应具备以下特征：第一，高质量会计准则在理论上应该运用在全世界基本达成共识的财务会计概念框架中的基本概念，如财务报告的目标、信息质量的标准、财务报表要素及其确认计量手段等；第二，高质量的会计准则应当符合所有的质量要求，特别是相关性、可靠性、可比性、公允性和充分披露；第三，高质量的会计准则应当提供新的信息，便于理解，具有可操作性；第四，高…     

言论

导言经济危机发生以来,建立高质量的全球会计准则成为各国关于金融准则最重要的呼声,在伦敦举行的G20峰会和中美战略经济对话也提出推进全球会计准则趋同问题。近日,财政部也向社会企业公开就我国会计准则与国际财务报告准则全面趋同征求意见。     

论高质量会计准则的特征

会计准则是约束和规范会计信息生成和披露的技术标准。高质量的会计准则是高质量会计信息的必要条件。文章总结高质量会计准则应具备的基本特征是：理论上以财务会计概念框架为基础;形式上具有逻辑一致性;内容上保持中立;可理解性。     

论公允价值计量与资产减值会计计量的统一

本文从财务报告模式的转换讨论了建立与财务报表目标、会计信息质量特征和要素定义相符的计量标准,进而分析了现行主要准则体系中公允价值计量与资产减值会计计量的分离及其不利后果。在此基础上,提出了基于财务报告"价值观"的要求统一公允价值计量与资产减值会计计量的可能途径,从而为解决以FASB和IASB为主的不同准则制定机构关于资产减值会计计量的分歧,实现会计准则的全球趋同,以及建立全球统一的高质量会计准则提供了可行的思路。     

Business-model (intent)-based accounting

We discuss how basing financial reporting on an entity's business model is, in effect, basing financial reporting on management's intent with respect to the use, transfer or other disposition of an asset or liability. We provide several examples of existing International Financial Reporting Standards and US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles that permit or require intent-based accounting. We describe the meaning and consequences of basing the accounting for financial assets on management's intentions for realising value from those assets. We analyse the positive and negative features of intent-based accounting in the context of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's and International Accounting Standards Board's conceptual frameworks, specifically, the qualitative characteristics relevance and comparability and the objective of financial reporting, and apply that analysis to existing and proposed guidance for measuring financial assets. We also discuss evidence from academic research on the measurement of financial assets.     

Derivative accounting and financial reporting quality: A review of the literature

The financial crisis of 2008 increased the call for standard setters and financial regulators to review the effectiveness of derivative regulation in improving financial reporting quality. Prior literature defines financial reporting quality as the extent to which financial statements provide information that is useful to investors and creditors in their investment decisions (Schipper, 2003; Schipper & Vincent, 2003). This review summarizes the empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of derivative regulation in achieving its stated objective. Extant literature shows that although derivative regulations have improved information provided to investors, there is still room for improvement. Recommendations from this stream of literature suggest that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) require managers to provide more complete, transparent, and forward-looking disclosures surrounding their derivative positions (Campbell, 2015; Franco-Wong, 2000). This review may be useful to standard setters, practitioners, and accounting academics by providing a synthesis of extant academic literature on the effectiveness of current derivative regulation. As the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) continue to expand derivative accounting rules, this review may also be useful in identifying areas for future academic research.     

Advances in the Financial Reporting of Mexican Banks: An Evaluation of Post-Devaluation Reporting Practices

In 1994, Mexico underwent a severe peso devaluation. Thereafter, the country’s financial system experienced severe financial stress as loan defaults forced the government to undertake a program to rescue the country’s banks and obtain international financial assistance. One of the measures involved the reformulation of the financial reporting principles used by the country’s banks. The standards, which are contained in the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission’s Circular 1343 (1997), were designed to provide Mexican banks with a comprehensive set of financial reporting standards and to bring the financial reporting practices of Mexican financial institutions closer to international standards. However, while the standards contain several improvements in the fundamental aspects of financial reporting for Mexican banks, they lack some important measurement and disclosure provisions contained in international standards. Given this tendency, this paper examines the post-devaluation (1998) financial reporting practices of Mexican banks. Emphasis is placed on comparing the reporting practices contained in the banks’ 1998 financial statements with the requirements of Circular 1343, the standards published by the Mexican Institute of Public Accountants (MIPA), International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) standards, and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rules.     

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.     

国际公共部门会计准则的回顾、基本框架及其启示

本文通过回顾国际公共部门会计准则 (IPSASs) 的发展史, 从公共部门财务报告的目标、会计核算基础、会计要素的分类、定义、确认和计量, 以及财务报表的列报等方面, 简要地介绍了国际公共部门会计准则的基本框架及其对我国开展公共部门会计改革和会计标准制定的启示。     

Does the Control-based Approach to Consolidated Statements Better Reflect Market Value than the Ownership-based Approach?

Motivated by the recent Discussion Paper (DP) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) on how to define reporting entities, this study investigates the value relevance of consolidated statements under the ownership-based approach of U.S. Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51 (ARB 51) and the control-based approach of International Accounting Standard No. 27 (IAS 27). The results show that consolidated financial statements based on a broader definition of control provide more useful accounting information than those based only on majority-ownership control. We also address one concern raised in the DP, namely, whether a reporting entity should use the common control model to include entities that are under common control of an individual investor or family. The results suggest that accounting standard boards should include the common control model in defining the group reporting entity for firms with complex ownership structures.     

Understanding participation in accounting standard-setting: the case of AASB ED 192 Revised Differential Reporting Framework

This paper explores the motives of participants in the standard-setting process, based on the premise that standard-setters strive for standards that are useful for decision-making by a wide range of financial statement users. Our setting is the development of a contentious but contained Australian accounting standard, Reduced Disclosure Requirements. A consultative process initiated by the Australian Accounting Standards Board to create a specific Australian accounting standard for differential reporting provided an opportunity for interested parties to participate. We analyse the motives of participants through semi-structured interviews with members of the Australian Accounting Standards Board and comment letter writers who responded to the relevant exposure draft. Our findings identify participants’ economic and political motivations and question the ability of the current standard-setting process to extract decision-making requirements from a wide range of users of financial statements and to reflect these in financial reporting standards. We find that the perspectives gathered are homogenised and that the process privileges the voices of powerful elites.     

会计环境对企业会计准则执行效果的影响——基于应计质量的经验证据

本文旨在调查两个相互关联的问题:企业会计准则施行后财务报告应计质量是否发生了显著变化?这种变化是否与会计环境相关?我们采用经典的截面琼斯模型估计操控性应计利润,以其绝对值计量应计质量,利用2001~2009年7722个上市公司样本观察值进行了统计检验,发现企业会计准则施行后应计质量下降。在给定企业会计准则是一套高质量准则的前提下,我们进一步分析应计质量下降的原因。经验证据表明:在会计环境不同的地区,上市公司应计质量的变化存在系统性差异。这反映会计环境影响了企业会计准则的执行效果。     

Practical Problems In The Reporting Entity Concept

The concept of a reporting entity has been introduced into financial reporting in Australia through a number of statements and standards. These documents require reporting entities to prepare so-called general-purpose financial reports which comply with all statements of accounting concepts and accounting standards, whereas non-reporting entities are not bound to the same level of compliance. Unfortunately, little authoritative guidance on interpretation and application of the reporting entity concept has come from either the Australian Accounting Standards Board or the Auditing Standards Board, despite the fact that the reporting entity concept has applied since 30 June 1992. The solutions proposed here may be temporary, given that the Corporations Law could be amended. It would be in readers' interests to consider any further authoritative guidance which might become available.     

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.