Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter-01
Chapter-01
Chapter-01
An Introduction to International Financial Reporting Standards
During the Industrial Revolution, as America’s transportation links were being forged,
railroad companies pioneered the use of financial reporting to attract public and private
financing for projects. Companies reporting financial information to investors produced an
influx of investment that led to a revolution in the way that goods were brought to market—
and to unprecedented economic growth. For many years, public companies themselves took
the lead in accounting innovation.
The expansion of the U.S. automobile industry in the 1920s can partially be attributed to
accounting modernization. General Motors, by presenting its financial information in the form
of ratios such as return on investment and return on equity, was able to provide the market with
more detailed and useful metrics. As a result, the company could adapt more quickly to market
changes and make better decisions regarding investments.
The pivotal economic event of the 20th century, the Great Depression, focused the U.S. on
the need for comprehensive accounting reform. Many market participants felt that poor
accounting and reporting procedures helped cause the downturn. In 1930, the American
Institute of Accountants (known as the AICPA since 1957) and the New York Stock Exchange
began an attempt to revise financial reporting requirements. Shortly thereafter, passage of the
Securities Act of 1934 chartered the Securities and Exchange Commission, and gave the SEC
the power to oversee accounting and auditing methods.
For nearly 40 years, the SEC looked to bodies established by the accounting profession to
develop and establish accounting standards.
By the 1970s, market participants’ thinking about accounting standard setting evolved, as they
came to believe in the importance of an independent standard-setting structure, separate and
distinct from the accounting profession—so that the development of standards would be
insulated from the self-interests of practicing accountants and their clients.
Through the FAF, the FASB in 1973 became the designated standard-setter in the private
sector for setting standards that govern the preparation of corporate financial reports along with
not-for-profit organizations.
In 1984, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) was formed under the FAF
umbrella to issue standards and other communications that result in decision-useful information
for users of government financial reports.
Today, the need for relevant comparable financial reporting is greater than ever. The global
economy is dynamic and often unpredictable. In order to maintain stability, institutional and
retail investors must be able to trust publicly-available financial information. Accounting
standards are created to meet this need, and are enacted to guide reporting companies along
this path.
International Accounting Standards (IAS) were the first international accounting standards that
were issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), formed in 1973.
The International Accounting Standards (IAS) constitute a single set of high-quality accounting
standards, which help in the preparation of consolidated financial statements, including the
balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in the financial position, cash flow
statement and explanatory notes.
The goal then, as it remains today, was to make it easier to compare businesses around the
world, increase transparency and trust in financial reporting and foster global trade and
investment.
3. Steps for setting International Accounting Standards.
1. It helps in dissemination of timely and useful financial information to all Stakeholders and
users.
2. It helps to provide a set of standard accounting policies, valuation norms and disclosure
requirement.
4. It helps to reduce or totally eliminate, accounting alternatives, thereby it leads to better inter-
firm and intra-firm comparison of Financial Statements.
The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), the predecessor of the IASB, was
established in 1973 and came into being through an agreement by professional accountancy
bodies from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United
Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States. The objective behind setting up the IASC was to
develop, in the public interest, accounting standards that would be acceptable around the world
in order to improve financial reporting internationally. Over the years, IASC saw several
changes to its structure and functioning. For example, by the year 2000, IASC’s sponsorship
grew from the original nine sponsors to 152 accounting bodies from 112 countries, that is, all
professional accounting bodies that were members of the International Federation of
Accountants (IFAC). Such fundamental changes to the IASC have helped it to achieve the
objectives for which it was set up: changing the perception of the global standard setters about
the international nature of participation in the standard setting process. As part of their
membership in IASC, professional accountancy bodies worldwide committed themselves to
use their best endeavors to pursue governments, standard setting bodies, securities regulators,
and the business communities that published financial statements to comply with International
Accounting Standards. This also drew the world’s attention to the fact that there exists a truly
representative international accounting body that could ultimately qualify as a global standard
setter and be able to develop a single set of accounting standards that would be acceptable to
most, if not all, countries worldwide. The objectives of the IASC foundation, as stated in its
Constitution, were:
a. To develop, in the public interest, a single set of high quality, understandable, and
enforceable global accounting standards that require high quality, transparent, and comparable
information in financial statements and other financial reporting to help participants in the
various capital markets of the world and other users of the information to economic decision;
b. To promote the use and rigorous application of those standard; and
c. In fulfilling the objectives associated with (a) and (b), to take account of, as
appropriate, the special needs of small and medium-sized entities and emerging economies;
and
d. To bring about convergence of National Accounting Standards and
International Financial Reporting Standards to high-quality solutions.
The IASC was formed in 1973 through an agreement made by professional accountancy bodies
from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the UK
and the USA.
The IASC Foundation is an independent body, not controlled by any particular Government or
professional organization. Its main purpose is to oversee the IASB in setting the accounting
principles which are used by business and other organizations around the world concerned with
financial reporting.
In November 1999, the IASC board itself approved the constitutional changes necessary for its
own restructuring. In May 2000, the IFAC unanimously approved the restructuring. The
constitution of the old IASC was revised to reflect the new structure.
A new IASC Foundation was incorporated (under the laws of the US state of Delaware), and
its trustee were appointed. By early 2001, the members of the IASB and the SAC were
appointed, and the new structure became operational. Later that year, the IASB moved into
new quarters in London. The technical staff of the IASB comprises over 20 accounting
professionals—roughly quadruple the former IASC’s professional staff.
IFRS committee follows a thorough, transparent and participatory due process when we issue
an IFRS Standard. Standard-setting entails are as follows:
i) Agenda Consultation: Every five years, the Board conducts a comprehensive review and
consultation to define international standard-setting priorities and develop its project work
plan. The Board can also add topics to its work plan if necessary between agenda consultations.
This can include topics following Post-implementation Reviews of Standards; the IFRS
Interpretations Committee may also request the Board review an issue.
ii) Research Program: We begin most projects with research—explore the issues, identify
possible solutions and decide whether standard-setting is required. Often, we set out our ideas
in a discussion paper and seek public comment. If we find sufficient evidence that an
accounting problem exists, the problem is sufficiently important to warrant changing a
Standard or issuing a new one and a practical solution can be found, we begin standard-setting.
iii) Standard Setting Program: If the Board decides to amend a Standard or issue a new one,
we generally review the research, including comments on the discussion paper, and propose
amendments or Standards to resolve issues identified through research and consultation.
Proposals for a new Standard or an amendment to a Standard are published in an exposure draft
for public consultation. To gather additional evidence, members of the Board and IFRS
Foundation technical staff consult with a range of stakeholders from all over the world. The
Board analyses feedback and refines proposals before the new Standard, or an amendment to a
Standard, is issued.
iv) Maintenance Program: The work doesn’t stop once a Standard is issued. We also support
implementation of the Standards and we make sure we maintain them. This process includes
consulting on the implementation of a new or amended Standard to identify any
implementation problems that may need to be addressed. If issues arise, the IFRS
Interpretations Committee may decide to create an IFRIC Interpretation of the Standard or
recommend a narrow-scope amendment. Such amendments follow the Board's normal due
process.
v) Post-implementation Reviews: After a new Standard has been in use for a few years, the
Board carries out research through a Post-implementation Review to assess whether the
Standard is achieving its objective and, if not, whether any amendments should be considered.
As a result of the Post-implementation Review, the Board may start a new research project.
Technically they are the same. IFRS is the current set of standards that is reflective of the
changes in the accounting and business practices over the last two decades. IAS is what used
to be prior to the introduction of IFRS. However, not all of the IAS are outdated. In fact, to
date there are only 9 IFRS issued and the IAS that were not superseded by the IFRS are still in
use. The IASB no longer issues IAS. Any future standards will now be called IFRS, and if they
are contradictory to existing IAS, the IFRS will be followed. The key different points of IAS
and IFRS as follows:
IAS stands for International Accounting Standards, while IFRS refers to International
Financial Reporting Standards.
IAS standards were published between 1973 and 2001, while IFRS standards were
published from 2001 onwards.
IAS standards were issued by the IASC, while the IFRS are issued by the IASB, which
succeeded the IASC.
Principles of the IFRS take precedence if there’s contradiction with those of the IAS, and this
result in the IAS principles being dropped.
Outlined below, in overview terms, are the due process steps followed in the IASB's standard-
level projects, i.e. proposed new standards, and amendments to existing standards, and
Interpretations developed by the IFRS Interpretations Committee (and ratified by the IASB).
These steps are:
i) Research program: The IASB's research program involves the analysis of possible financial
reporting problems by collecting evidence on the nature and extent of the perceived
shortcoming and assessing potential ways to improve financial reporting or to remedy a
deficiency. Also includes the consideration of broader financial reporting issues, such as how
financial reporting is evolving, to encourage international debate on financial reporting matters.
ii) Developing a proposal for publication: Once the IASB has formally decided to add a
project to its agenda, it proceeds to the development of an exposure draft. The exposure draft
is issued for public consultation and the IASB may also undertake additional outreach activities
such as meetings, discussion forums, webcasts and podcasts and roundtable meetings.
iii) Re-deliberations and finalization: After the publication of an exposure draft, the IASB
proceed to consider constituent feedback from the consultative process. In some cases, the
IASB may decide to re-expose proposals before proceeding to a finalized pronouncement.
Once deliberations have been finalized, the IASB's technical staff will prepare the final
standard for balloting and voting on by the Board. The process may also include the issue of a
'review draft' of the final pronouncement prior to it being finalized. These documents are not
part of formal due process but have the purpose of allowing a 'fatal flaw' review.
i) Composition: The Committee comprises fourteen voting members, appointed by the IFRS
Foundation Trustees for renewable terms of three years. The Trustees select members of the
Committee so that it comprises a group of people representing, within that group, the best
available combination of technical expertise and diversity of international business and market
experience in the practical application of IFRSs and analysis of financial statements prepared
in accordance with IFRSs.
iv) Annual improvements: In 2009 the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)
asked the (then) IFRIC to assume responsibility for the annual process for making relatively
minor improvements to IFRSs. The IASB must approve both the Exposure Draft of proposed
improvements and the final improvements (which are amendments to IFRSs).
15. Standard Advisory Council (SAC)
A body of experts who advise the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) on
priorities in setting accounting standards. The members also inform the IASB of the
implications of proposed standards for users and preparers of financial statements and may give
other advice to the IASB or the trustees of the International Accounting Standards Committee
Foundation (IASC Foundation). The IASB is required to consult the SAC in advance of
decisions on major projects and the trustees of the IASC Foundation must consult the SAC in
advance of making any changes to its constitution. See feature International Standard Setters.
BFRS developed by the ICAB were originally based on older International Accounting
Standards (IASs) - generally those developed by the IASC rather than the improved IASs and
new IFRSs developed by the IASB. In more recent times, the ICAB has adopted the updated
IASB standards as BFRS and all BFRSs have been updated based on IFRSs 2012.The
Technical and Research Committee, a standing committee of the ICAB, is responsible for
reviewing on a regular basis, the latest national and international pronouncements and
standards on accounting, auditing and allied matters, and recommend the same for adoption to
the Council, after carrying out a technical review for adoptability and acceptability in the
Bangladeshi context. The Council is responsible for approving and adopting the Standards,
Interpretations and related documents.
The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in Bangladesh is based upon standards
set by the ICAB, which has stated its intention to adopt International Financial Reporting
Standards. Till now, IASC had issued 41 IAS of which 29 are presently valid (after necessary
reformatting/revising/supersession and withdrawal) the ICAB has adopted all of the IAS extent
as BAS. ICAB has adopted 17 out of 17 IFRS issued to date by IASB as BFRS without any
modification.
Adopted(IFRS 16 16
16 Lease 1 January 2016
replaces IAS-17)
Adopted 17
(Mandatory
17 Insurance Contracts 18 May 2017
effective date of
annual periods
beginning on or
after 1 January
2021).
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