Aiming For Global Accounting Standards

This book provides a historical study of the body that sets International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) - the basis for financial reporting. It provides extensive background information to help practitioners, policy-makers, researchers, and educators form a deeper understanding of the people, the forces, and events that have shaped IFRSs.

A historical study of the body that sets International Financial Reporting Standards - now the basis for financial reporting - with extensive background information to help practitioners, policy-makers, researchers, and educators form a deeper understanding of the people, forces, and events that have shaped these standards.

This text presents international accounting within the context of managing multinational enterprises, focusing on business strategies and how accounting applies to these strategies. This unique approach gives students the opportunity to learn about international accounting from a perspective similar to what they will experience in the business world. The book explains the key factors that influence accounting standards and practices in different countires, and how those factors impact the convergence of standards worldwide. Particular emphasis is given to culture and its unique contribution to accounting standards and practices worldwide. The book focuses on the needs of users of financial and accounting information across borders with the aim of enhancing their understanding of how to use information and make more informed decisions in an increasingly complex and dynamic international business environment.

Understanding the main concepts of IFRS Standards The fourth edition of Applying IFRS Standards explains the core principles of International Financial Reporting (IFRS) Standards. It also addresses the skills needed to apply the standards in business environments. The book begins with an overview of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and how it establishes accounting standards. The general book topics are then covered in detail and include: income taxes, financial instruments, fair value measurement, property, inventories, employee benefits and more. Discussion questions, exercises and references are provided throughout the book.

The globalization of financial markets worldwide has progressively pushed toward simultaneous globalization of accounting information. Thus, during the last 50 years, categories of preparers, users, and regulators have devoted their efforts to support the global comparability of financial reporting aiming at favoring the comparison of corporates’ financial performances at a cross-country level. In the same vein, IASB, national standard setters, and jurisdictions have participated in and given momentum to this process. At the same time, academic research has followed this process and tried to build a theoretical framework to address the related issues, to assess the impact on preparers, users, and regulators, while defining hindrances and obstacles to the comparability of financial reporting especially in an IFRS environment. In this context, this book reviews research studies on the comparability of financial reporting at a global level as well as highlights empirical analyses that demonstrate the extent to which global comparability has been achieved, and how it enhances value relevance of earnings across countries. It also looks at the cross-country investors’ perspectives by shaping the empirical analysis to provide further insights on the role of the "Big Four" auditing services in enhancing the comparability of earnings. The book provides an original contribution to the current debate about the comparability of financial reporting under IFRS and will be useful for researchers in the field.

Financial Accounting: A Global Approach presents accounting in a form familiar to major markets in the U.S., U.K., Japan, China, France and other countries, while unifying the material through international standards. The general framework for discussion starts with international issues based on the work of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The text also acknowledges the plethora of standards that come from other sources and helps the reader understand the heterogeneous nature of the global accounting arena. That is what the reader, regardless of geographic location, will take from this book. The text also includes a mixture of terminologies used in accounting, which will help the reader to develop a global accounting vocabulary. Comprehensive case studies are embedded within the text.

International Accounting Standards (IAS) are a set of standards developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to provide a common global framework for financial reporting. These standards are designed to ensure consistency, transparency, and comparability in financial reporting across different countries and industries. IAS cover various aspects of financial reporting, including the presentation of financial statements, recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, income, and expenses, as well as disclosure requirements. They are used by companies listed on stock exchanges worldwide and are particularly important for multinational corporations operating in multiple jurisdictions. The goal of harmonizing accounting standards globally is to facilitate cross-border investments, enhance transparency and accountability, and improve the quality and reliability of financial information for investors, creditors, and other stakeholders. IAS cover various aspects of financial reporting, including: Presentation of Financial Statements (IAS 1): This standard outlines the overall structure and content of financial statements, including the requirements for balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and statements of changes in equity. Recognition and Measurement of Assets, Liabilities, Income, and Expenses: Several IAS address the recognition, measurement, and presentation of specific types of assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. For example, IAS 16 covers property, plant, and equipment, while IAS 38 deals with intangible assets. Disclosure Requirements: IAS include requirements for disclosing certain information in financial statements to provide users with a better understanding of an entity's financial position, performance, and cash flows. Disclosure requirements cover areas such as accounting policies, significant accounting estimates, related party transactions, and contingencies. Consolidated Financial Statements (IAS 27 and IAS 28): These standards provide guidance on the preparation of consolidated financial statements when an entity controls one or more other entities or has significant influence over them. Financial Instruments (IAS 32, IAS 39, and IFRS 9): These standards address the recognition, measurement, and presentation of various types of financial instruments, including financial assets, financial liabilities, and derivatives. The adoption of International Accounting Standards, particularly International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), has become increasingly widespread globally. Many countries require or permit the use of IAS/IFRS for financial reporting by publicly traded companies, while others use them as a basis for developing their national accounting standards. Overall, the aim of International Accounting Standards is to enhance the quality, comparability, and transparency of financial reporting, thereby facilitating investment decisions, reducing information asymmetry, and promoting economic growth and stability on a global scale.

A detailed and scholarly historical study of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), which prepared the way for the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The IASB holds the dominant influence over the financial reporting of thousands of listed companies in the European Union as well as in many other countries.

In this book, Jayne Godfrey and Keryn Chalmers explore the intricacies of the globalisation of accounting standards - arguably one of the most significant business developments of the wider globalisation process during the past two decades. They examine the key issues and implications of this harmonization of accounting standards from the perspectives of a diverse range of worldwide stakeholders. "Globalisation of Accounting Standards" shows that globalisation approaches differ significantly because countries seek to maintain varying degrees of sovereignty over their regulations. International differences in economic, political, legal, religious and social characteristics also affect globalisation approaches and, in turn, influence national accounting standard-setting agendas. The book explores why countries relinquish their existing national accounting standard-setting regimes to join the global movement. It also seeks to resolve questions such as: To what extent are national incentives altruistic, economic, political or social? Who are the winners and losers in the process? This authoritative book is thoroughly researched and expertly informed. Written by both academics and regulators, it tackles a critical and controversial issue in the globalisation movement. As such, it will be of great interest to a wide-ranging audience including: international, national, private and public sector standard-setters, economic regulators, accounting academics and political economists and strategists.

The aim of this book is to take stock of the experiences of Spain and Portugal in the adaptation to the IPSAS, showing the advantages, disadvantages and the main challenges for its implementation. In chapter one, the book analyses the IPSAS and the conceptual framework, as well as the claimed benefits and criticisms of IPSAS. Chapter two makes an analysis of the diffusion of the IPSAS in the international framework and the process of harmonization in development in Europe. Chapter three and four analyze the process of adaptation to IPSAS in Portugal and Spain respectively. In the chapter five, there is a comparative analysis between Spain and Portugal, and the last chapter present the main conclusions. This book can help to understand the level of implementation of the reforms and how governments are applying the IPSAS.