公允价值在中美会计的发展与应用

计量属性的选择一直是会计界争论的焦点。公允价值计量属性由于能使企业的财务状况和经营业绩等信息得到公允的反应,进而提高财务报告的相关性．增加财务报告的决策有用性,得到了会计界的重视,被称为“面向21世纪的计量模式”。虽然有部分学者对于公允价值计量属性不可避免地会降低财务信息可靠性表示出疑虑,但由于财务报告“决策有用观”已经被普遍接受。     

浅析交易性金融资产中公允价值的应用

根据决策有用性的计量观,我国新企业会计准则将公允价值引入到交易性金融资产等项目的计量中,从而增强了财务报表信息对于报表使用者的决策有用性.文章以交易性金融资产为例,详细讨论了在公允价值应用中的会计处理及出现的问题,并对于优化公允价值这一计量属性提出了相应的解决措施.     

浅析交易性金融资产中公允价值的应用

根据决策有用性的计量观,我国新企业会计准则将公允价值引入到交易性金融资产等项目计量中,从而增强了财务报表信息对于报表使用者的决策有用性。文章以交易性金融资产为例,详细讨论了在公允价值应用中的会计处理及出现的问题,并对于优化公允价值这一计量属性提出了相应的解决措施。     

会计计量模式的运用会影响企业价值评估吗

在资本市场快速发展的背景下,会计理论与实务界高度关注财务报表信息如何有助于使用者评估企业价值、进而做出买卖权益工具和债务工具的决策。基于现行会计准则所编制的财务报表,采用的是综合运用多种会计计量属性的混合计量模式,有关方面必然要关注,这种混合计量模式的运用是否会对财务报表信息的估值有用性产生影响。但研究者往往难以直接观察财务报表使用者的实际决策过程,难以得知会计计量模式的运用是否、以及如何影响财务报表使用者对企业价值的估值过程。本文利用上市公司并购交易中资产评估机构对被并购企业的价值评估资料,实证检验了被并购企业财务报表中会计计量模式的运用,是否影响了评估机构对评估方法的选择,是否影响了评估溢价。研究发现,被并购企业财务报表内公允价值计量的运用水平与资产基础法评估结果的采纳成反比,与企业价值评估溢价成正比。本文基于独特视角的研究,对于评价财务报表信息的有用性具有一定的参考价值。     

谈公允价值在会计实务中的作用

公允价值计量模式跟传统的会计计量模式有着明显区别,伴随着公允价值计量在会计实务中不断推广,公允价值的重要作用也不断发挥.本文围绕公允价值在会计实务中的应用,分析了其在财务报告决策有用性、会计信息质量以及资产保全等方面的作用.     

计量观下的会计信息有用性分析

财务报告有计量观与信息观之分,公允价值的运用使得财务报告从信息观向计量观的方向转变.本文讨论了公允价值计量属性对会计信息有用性的影响,表明财务报告向计量观的转变在一定程度上提高了会计信息的决策有用性,但同时也降低了会计信息的契约有用性.     

关于公允价值会计的研究——面向财务会计的本质特征

论文从两个方面对公允价值进行了剖析。首先从经验数据层面(数据来自美国证监会挑选的50家金融机构)对公允价值应用结果进行了考察。其次,也是更重要的,又从财务会计的理论层面进行分析。公允价值计量在财务会计中是有用的,将公允价值计量与确认相结合的公允价值会计却无用,因为它是估计数字,估计数字若在资产、负债、权益(净资产)和收益中确认,这就歪曲了财务报表的数字(真实数与估计数相混合,已实现的收益与未实现的公允价值变动相混合)。历史成本信息由财务报表提供较好,而公允价值信息由报表附注、其他财务报告提供较好。     

浅谈公允价值对会计信息质量的影响

会计信息的价值在于帮助财务报告使用者做出准确的经济决策,而不同的计量属性对会计信息质量的影响是有差别的,公允价值计量是一种重要的计量属性。公允价值的最大的特色便是确定公平交易市场,是一种可观察和决策相关的会计信息,但也存在一些不足之处。因此,我们应当规范公允价值的运用条件,提高会计人员的职业判断能力和专业水平,为财务报告使用者提供真实有用的会计信息。     

公允价值会计实践的理论透视

本文对影响公允价值会计实践的因素进行了理论分析,认为历史成本会计对不稳定的经营环境的不适应性,是公允价值会计实践的根本诱因;决策有用观的财务报告目标,为公允价值会计实践创造了适宜的环境;对经济学收益计量的追求,为公允价值会计实践提供了内在的动力;而相关性与可靠性的权衡,则构成了公允价值会计实践的关键限制。因此,为相关性和可靠性的权衡制定明确的标准,并对决策有用会计信息质量特征进行反思和重构,是推动公允价值会计实践的根本要求和有效途径。     

公允价值的决策有用性:从经济分析视角的思考

公允价值自提出之日起就备受各国准则制定机构的青睐和重视,但在这次国际金融危机中却备受责难,因此,更加值得学术界从不同的角度对公允价值计量属性进行全面、深入的考察和分析。本文从经济分析的视角,对公允价值的决策有用性进行了探讨,从信息观与计量观两个角度分析了公允价值计量、资产负债表公允价值估值和公允价值利润的决策有用性问题,研究结论支持公允价值的决策有用性,并认为我国在新会计准则体系中全面、适当、谨慎地引入公允价值,既具有理论支持,也能够体现会计信息的决策有用性的目标。     

金融工具的风险计量、分类体系与公允价值

金融工具会计准则过于复杂的原因之一在于金融工具本身具有丰富的风险内涵.现行金融工具会计体系是一种基于分类基础上的混合计量基础或计量属性体系,公允价值单维计量模式比现行的混和计量模式更简易,公允价值单维计量体系将是金融工具会计准则的长期目标.本研究表明,公允价值在应用层面并不会增加金融工具计量的复杂性,同时也契合全面风险...     

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。     

将对未来的估计包含在今天的财务报表中

本文阐释了将对未来的估计包含在今天财务报表中的方式,而不是为什么应当将对未来的估计包含在今天财务报表中的问题。在今天的财务报表中包含对未来的估计并不是一个新概念,但用处却日益增加。这主要是因为会计准则制定机构认为,反映当前经济状况、并根据对未来的预期更新的对资产和负债的计量方式,将产生有利于做出经济决策的更为有用的信息,这正是财务报告的目标所在。这也是会计准则制定机构关注公允价值会计的原因。如何将对未来的估计包含在财务报表中,取决于资产和负债的计量属性,以及从财务报告角度对资产和负债的定义。现行资产和负债的定义取决于确定产生预期经济利益流入或流出的过去交易或事项,对于预期经济利益流入,还需要关注对预期的控制。因此,并不是所有预期经济利益的流入或流出都予以确认。附注披露能够帮助财务报表使用者理解已经在财务报表中确认的估计,并提供尚未确认估计的相关信息。将对未来的估计更多地包含在今天的财务报表中,将会产生与目前反映的收益有所不同的收益计量方式,但值得讨论的是,这种计量能够对经济决策提供更好的信息。     

Zur Entscheidungsnützlichkeit eines IFRS-Abschlusses von Versicherern – Analyse der angedachten Regelungen zum endgültigen IFRS 4

In its Discussion Paper from May 2007 for the final IFRS 4 (“Insurance Contracts”), the IASB planned the “Current Exit Value” (CEV) to evaluate insurance liabilities. The aim of this article is to examine the impacts of the planned Current-Exit-Value-Approach on the decision usefulness of insurers' financial statements. In order to evaluate accounting rules, the criterion decision usefulness is divided into two sub-criteria – relevance and reliability. We found out that the Current-Exit-Value-Approach for insurance contracts in conjunction with fair value accounting of relating assets actually generates relevant information for users of insurers' financial statements. But we have serious concerns about a cost-adequate implementation of CEV approach. Furthermore, the reliability of accounting information based on a synthetic fair value is strongly questionable. Only extensive disclosure requirements can bring transparency to users and therefore assure reliable accounting information. Besides, there are other topics that should be reviewed before releasing a final standard (e.?g. customer relationship, credit characteristics of insurance liabilities, unit of account).     

关于公允价值本质的思考

目前会计界关于公允价值本质有"独立计量属性观"、"复合计量属性观"、"计量目标观"和"检验尺度观"等多种不同的观点,这些观点的形成与不同时期各国会计准则对公允价值的不同理解和规定密切相关。公允价值是在传统的"基于交易会计"逐步转向"基于价值会计"过程中形成的,公允价值的本质应放在"基于价值会计"体系中进行定位。"基于价值会计"在会计目标定位、会计信息质量要求、会计确认、会计计量以及财务报告等各个方面都与传统的"基于交易会计"有一定区别。在"基于价值会计"体系中,公允价值是会计计量力图实现的一种理想目标,各种计量属性是实现这一目标的具体手段,公允价值体现了"真实与公允"会计理念对采用各种计量属性进行价值计量的一种约束和要求。将公允价值狭义地定位成一种具体计量属性,不仅与公允价值在"基于价值会计"体系中的层次地位不符,也与各国会计准则关于公允价值计量的整体精神相违背,还与实务界常用的计量属性之一——"现行市价"有重复之嫌。     

Agency problems,accounting slack,and banks’ response to proposed reporting of loan fair values

We investigate the determinants of bank representatives’ responses to the United States Financial Accounting Standard Board’s 2010 Exposure Draft that proposes fair value measurement for most financial instruments. Over 85% of the 2971 comment letters were received from bank representatives, with most bank-affiliated letters addressing—and opposing—one issue: fair value measurement of loans. The Exposure Draft proposes that companies report both fair value and amortized cost measures for loans; thus, the proposal should result in increased levels of loan-related information and improved financial reporting transparency. We investigate three reasons for bank representatives’ resistance. First, fair value measurement should result in less accounting slack than the current incurred-loss model for loan impairments; therefore, we propose that representatives from banks that historically utilized that slack will resist fair value measurement for loans. Second, we propose that agency problems are an important motivating factor because bank representatives reaping more private benefits from their franchises have less incentive to support increases in financial reporting transparency. Third, we test whether the most common reasons for opposition included in the comment letters are associated with negative letter writing. Our analyses support the first two determinants of bank representatives’ resistance to the Exposure Draft. Specifically, accounting slack and lower demand for accounting transparency are strongly associated with resistance to the standard. However, we find that stated reasons for resistance are not associated with letter writing. Specifically, representatives at firms with difficult to value loans and firms that mostly hold loans to maturity are no more likely to resist the standard than others. The narrow scope of bank representatives’ comments and our empirical findings suggest that bankers’ responses to the Exposure Draft may be more driven by concerns over reduced availability of accounting slack and accompanying de facto regulatory forbearance than by the conceptual arguments they offer. Our results have implications for standard setters, who must navigate special interests as they attempt to promulgate high quality accounting standards, and for users of financial statements who must consider how political forces shape generally accepted accounting principles.     

Risk reporting quality: implications of academic research for financial reporting policy

In this paper, I survey empirical research on the relevance of firms’ financial report information for the evaluation of their risk. I recommend that financial reporting policymakers require or encourage firms to enhance their risk reporting quality in four ways. First, firms should report comprehensive income statements that: (1) use fair value or a similarly information-rich accounting measurement attribute and (2) separate the components of comprehensive income that are primarily driven by variation in cash flows from those that are primarily driven by variation in costs of capital. Such comprehensive income statements would provide users of financial reports with the flexibility to calculate alternative summary accounting numbers and to perform different types of risk assessment analyses. Second, firms should conduct and disclose the results of back-tests of prior significant accrual estimates, indicating any identified trends in and drivers of revisions to those estimates, and describing the effects of those revisions on current or future summary accounting numbers. Third, firms should aggregate and present risk disclosures in tabular or other well-structured formats that promote the usability of the information. Identifying existing best disclosure practices and encouraging new best practices are the most natural way to do this. Fourth, for model-dependent risk disclosures, firms should disclose the primary historical and forward-looking attributes of the models and their implementation in practice, sensitivity of the model outputs, and benchmarking of the models to standard portfolios of exposures.     

Changes in the measurement of fair value: Implications for accounting earnings

With the FASB's issue of staff position papers in 2009 and the relaxation of how fair value standards are applied, there has been a change in the practice of how fair value is measured. Since the FASB staff position papers in 2009, fair value measurement by financial institutions has increasingly relied on managerial assumptions. This study examines the impact of this change on the quality of earnings. Consistent with attribute substitution theory that emphasises reliability over relevance, we find that an apparent increase in managerial discretion in fair value measurement is associated with a higher probability of earnings management and lower earnings informativeness. The results indicate that allowing more managerial discretion in fair value measurement adversely affected the quality of financial reporting. Our study highlights the issue of reliable measurement in the debate among academics and practitioners of increasing the use of fair value accounting.     

Usefulness of comprehensive income reporting in Canada

In January 2005 the Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) issued three new accounting standards that require Canadian firms to mark-to-market certain financial assets and liabilities and recognize the holding gains and losses related to these items as other comprehensive income or as part of net income. The Board’s objectives for issuing the new standards are (i) to harmonize Canadian GAAP with US and International GAAP, (ii) to enhance the transparency and usefulness of financial statements, and (iii) to keep pace with changes in accounting standards in other countries that are moving towards fair value accounting. This paper investigates empirically whether requiring Canadian companies to report comprehensive income and its components provides the securities market with incremental value-relevant information over the traditional historical-cost earnings approach.Previous empirical studies provide mixed evidence on the value relevance of other comprehensive income and its components. This mixed evidence may be attributed partially to the use of as if methodology to construct an ex-ante measure of other comprehensive income prior to the implementation of SFAS 130, which introduces measurement error. In contrast, this study uses actual data on other comprehensive income for a sample of Canadian firms cross-listed in the US in the period 1998–2003. We find evidence that available-for-sale and cash flow hedges components are significantly associated with price and market returns. We also find that aggregate comprehensive income is more strongly associated (in terms of explanatory power) with both stock price and returns compared to net income. However, we find that net income is a better predictor of future net income relative to comprehensive income. Our findings suggest that mandating all Canadian firms to adopt the new accounting standards is expected to enhance the usefulness of financial statements. Our findings, therefore, should be of interest to Canadian accounting policy makers as they provide ex-ante evidence on the potential usefulness of mandating firms to report comprehensive income and the components of other comprehensive income in their financial statements.