Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Comparability
• Need to make valid inter-company comparisons of
performance and trends
• Investors must be supplied with relevant and reliable
data that have been standardised
• Comparisons are distorted if companies are permitted
to select accounting policies with the intention of
disguising changes in performance and trends.
Arguments in support of standards
(Continued)
Credibility
• Credibility lost if companies selected different
accounting policies for similar events
• Uniformity essential if reports are to disclose a
true and fair view
• However, not intended to be a comprehensive
code of rigid rules
• Not to supersede informed judgement in
determining what was a true and fair view.
Arguments in support of standards
(Continued)
Influence
• The process has stimulated the development of a
conceptual framework
• For example, the leasing standard considered the
commercial substance of a transaction rather than simply
the legal position
• In the 1970s, no clear statement of accounting principles
other than that accounts should be prudent, be consistent,
follow accrual accounting procedures and be based on the
initial assumption that the business would remain a going
concern
• By 1994, the ASB had produced its exposure drafts of
Statement of Accounting Principles, which appeared in
final form in December 1999.
Arguments against standards
Consensus-seeking
• Can lead to the issuing of standards that are over-
influenced by those with easiest access to the
standard setters as the subject matter becomes more
complex, for example capital instruments
• ASB attempting to minimise such influences by
basing its standards on the Statement of Principles,
but is the Statement of Principles too general?
Arguments against standards (Continued)
Overload
• Too many standards
• Too detailed
• Too general-purpose and fail to recognise the
differences between large and small entities
• Too many standard setters with differing
requirements, for example FASB, IASB, ASB,
national Stock Exchange listing requirements.
US GAAP
Legislation
• No direct equivalent of the UK Companies Acts in the
USA
• The main federal regulation of trade in shares
comprises the Securities Act 1933 and the Securities
Exchange Act 1934. Neither of these includes any
detailed provisions for the form and content of
financial statements
• The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is
responsible for requiring the publication of financial
information for the benefit of shareholders.
Enforcement – The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
2002 (SOX)
SOX
• Is the result of the Enron and Worldcom frauds.
• CEO’s of public companies directly responsible for
accuracy of the financial reports
• Management required to certify the reports
• Criminal offence to take steps to obstruct
investigations.
US GAAP – The SEC
FASB
• The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is
responsible for setting accounting standards in the USA
• Its independence is ensured by limiting the voluntary
contributions to its funding from the various public
accounting firms, industry and other interested parties
• FASB issues the following documents:
• Statements of Financial Accounting Standards, which deal
with specific issues
• Statements of Concepts, which give general information
• Interpretations which clarify existing standards
• Emerging Issues Task Force.
US GAAP – other mandatory
pronouncements
The APB
The Accounting Principles Board (APB) publishes
Opinions
The AICPA
The American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants (AICPA) publishes Accounting Practice
Bulletins and Opinions
APB and AICPA pronouncements should all be
regarded as mandatory.
US GAAP – What if no bulletins or
opinions?
• Refer to the
• FASB Technical Bulletins,
• AICPA Industry Audit and Accounting Guidelines
cleared by FASB, and
• AICPA Statements of Position.
• Equity investors
• Objective information for stewardship
• Fair information for investment decision-making
• Reliance on external information
• Loan creditors
• Banks principal lenders and shareholders
• Access to internal information
• Published disclosures less relevant.
Relationship of the tax and reporting
systems
• Pooling resources
• External pressures
• Joining EU and becoming subject to Directives
• Imposed.
The European Union
• The process
• Started with the Norwalk agreement
• Followed by the IASB carrying out a Convergence
programme and
• Finally joint standards being issued.
The Norwalk agreement