Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） Adoption on Key Financial Ratios＂ The Case of the Czech Republic

This contribution analyzes the impact of new International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） reporting rules on financial ratios prepared in the Czech companies. Using a sample of 16 Czech firms, we attempt to measure the scope and size of the differences in the selected set of financial ratios as calculated with data reported according to the traditional Czech accounting standards （CAS） and under the IFRS provisions. Our study discovers that there are important differences resulting from the two reporting formats. Our research comes to a conclusion that translation of Czech statements to IFRS may cause changes in the values of financial indicators without relationship to the real change in the firms＇ value, performance, and stability. Even though the findings were not statistically significant, the indicative results of our measurements disclosed an important fact that the transition to IFRS could cause deterioration of key indicators and thereby could impact on the overall rating of companies. One needs to be cautious with generalization due to the small sample size.

The Relevance of International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium-Sized Entities （IFRS for SMEs） in Swaziland

The purpose of this study is to explore the relevance of adopting International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） for small and medium-sized entities （SMEs） in Swaziland. The study further seeks to determine if IFRS for SMEs can be the solution to better reporting by local SMEs. There has been a growing need for different reporting standards for small firms and big firms over the years due to the unique challenges and attributes they face especially in the area of financial reporting. This research is based on a statistical analysis of questionnaires completed by accountants from SMEs in Swaziland as well as other stakeholders who have a direct or an indirect interest in the financial statements of SMEs. These stakeholders included audit firms and the financial institutions. The sampling rate of 10% was applied across each industry to come up with a sample of 60 SMEs. Furthermore, a 100% sampling rate on the other stakeholders was applied. These were nine financial institutions and eight audit finns. The findings from the study revealed that SMEs in Swaziland are having challenges with the current reporting framework but to some extent, the framework is suitable. Most SMEs are not aware of IFRS for SMEs, therefore the accounting profession in Swaziland （SIA） has a huge role to play in training auditors and accountants in the country. Overall, IFRS for SMEs is applicable in Swaziland.

Roadmap to Future Mandatory Application of International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） in Japan From the Perspectives of Financial Statement Preparers

This paper seeks to contribute to the discussion on the future mandatory application of Intemational Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） using data from a questionnaire-based survey administered to financial statement preparers, that is, management in Japan. The important findings of this paper are as follows. The majority of Japanese companies consider that the domestic markets are more important than overseas markets; the most important differences between IFRS and Japanese standards are goodwill, comprehensive income, and the recognition of revenue; it is expected that IFRS would be applied only in consolidated financial statements or in both consolidated and parent companies＇ separate financial statements; and the lack of legislation making it mandatory is the main reason why IFRS has not been adopted by Japanese companies. Overall, this paper found that Japanese management is prudent and passive regarding IFRS adoption, leaving room for further discussions on the future mandatory application of IFRS in Japan.

The Differences between Chinese Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises and International Financial Reporting Standards as well as the Convergence Strategy Method

The continuous development and progress of international economic integration has resulted in the increasing of economic and trade exchanges between various countries.In order to implement a more systematic corporate financial supervision mechanism effectively and adapt to the needs of economic development,it is necessary to clarify corporate accounting standards and international financial reporting standards.The relationship between them are crucial to improve the transparency of financial statements and optimize management levels.This paper analyzes the differences between Chinese business accounting standards and international financial reporting standards as well as discusses the convergence process and convergence strategy methods for reference.

Financial Statements of Banks as a Source of Information About Implementation of IFRS 15： The Evidence from Poland

Banks in the economies of individual countries play the role of entities of public trust and are perceived as ＂too big to fail＂. In fact, they are exposed to risks associated with business operations. In practice, there are even instances of banks going bankrupt. Therefore, the reliability of the financial statements of a bank as a source of information about its financial condition is of particular importance. The main objective of creating IAS/IFRS and their implementation within the European Union is the strive to standardize accounting rules utilized by companies and other organizations. IFRS, as any other regulations, are subject to change over years. One of the recent changes is the introduction of IFRS 15 ＂Revenue from Contracts with Customers＂. In all entities using IAS/IFRS, communication of planned changes should involve disclosure ahead of time, regarding the analysis of their impact on the financial statements. The purpose of this paper has been to analyze whether the financial statements of banks contain any records on the impact of IFRS 15. These analyses are within the mainstream of studying how complete and prospective is the information contained in the financial statements for external users. The subjects for research are the consolidated financial statements of five major banks in Poland. As a result of research, it was found that in all studied cases, work on the implementation of IFRS 15 was observed. However, looking at every bank separately, a differentiated approach to presenting information on the standard is observed, which may be a hindrance for users of banks＇ financial statements.

International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） and Financial Accounting Standards Board （FASB） Convergence Project： Where Are They Now？

The convergence project between the International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） and the Financial Accounting Standards Board （FASB） in the United States （US） was signed on September 18, 2002 in Norwalk, Connecticut in the US. The first is responsible for issuing International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） nowadays, which were created 40 years ago. More than one century ago, local regulations are used in the US. The boards differ in years of experience. With the signing of the agreement, both institutions are working to reduce the divergence of accounting. Although they have made a significant progress, it is appropriate to examine whether the difference in approaches to accounting will affect the achieved agreements. It is relevant to investigate whether the years leading the standards adopted in different countries will impact the final result. The date of completion of the project has been postponed and still has not indicated the date of termination. This research is an analysis of the importance of the convergence of accounting standards at a global level. The study presents statistics on the status of the adoption of international standards by country. The study shows a summary of the expressions made by the directors of both boards about the future of the project.

Analysis of Hidden Value and Value Relevance of Financial Statements Pre- and Post-IFRS Adoption

This study analyses the hidden value and value relevance of financial statements pre- and post-IFRS （International Financial Reporting Standards） adoption. Prior studies on IFRS adoption provide conflicting evidence on value relevance. Market-to-book ratio and IFRS adoption value relevance using price is examined for Australian listed firms. Results show that IFRS adoption is value relevant over a longer period of time. Results are opposite for profit-making firms compared to loss-making fu＇ms which may explain the conflicting results. In the presence of goodwill, IFRS is not value relevant when post-global financial crisis （GFC） period is included. Market-to-book ratio has increased in the post-IFRS period lowering the usefulness of financial statements. Moreover, results show mic changes affecting valuation of firms may explain for differences in the results for market-to-book ratio and value relevance in different jurisdictions and time periods

强制采用IFRS对信息环境的影响研究——基于分析师预测的视角

基于国际资本市场数据,通过研究强制采用IFRS对信息环境的影响,发现分析师对强制采用IFRS公司的预测准确性高于其他类型的公司;进一步通过控制相关影响因素,对具体公司层面的预测数据和分析师特征进行分析,研究发现分析师预测准确性的提高与强制采用IFRS所带来的会计信息可比性和会计信息质量提高相关,而与管理层利用盈余管理空间迎合分析师的预测无关。结论表明,强制采用IFRS提高了信息的可比性和信息质量,从而改善了资本市场中会计信息的媒介作用及其信息环境。

The Impact of International Accounting Standards Board （IASB）＇s Guidelines for Preparing Management Commentary （MC）： Evidence From Italian Listed Firms

This paper investigates the Italian firms＇ disclosure in response to the new guidance on the management commentary （MC） contained in the International Financial Reporting Standard （IFRS） practice statement issued by International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） in 2010. The study is organized as follows. After reviewing the relevant literature on financial disclosure and MC, this paper examines the content of the Italian management＇s report-----known as ＂Relazione sulla Gestione＂ and that of the recent IASB＇s IFRS practice statement. Hence, it applies a self-constructed disclosure index and a multiple correspondence analysis （MCA） on MC of a sample of 66 Italian non-financial listed firms. The results show that the level of disclosures provided by the Italian listed firms does not seem to be affected by the IASB＇s guidelines. However, the survey highlights large differences in the level and type of disclosure provided in MC among the sectors and firms. This paper aims to contribute to the financial reporting debate by understanding the IASB＇s guidelines and their impacts on the voluntary disclosure practices of Italian listed firms.

Financial Statement Comparability： Empirical Evidence From Brazil

The convergence of accounting standards started in the 1970s, with international norms issued by the International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） and with the efforts of various countries to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS）, already mandatory in Brazil since 2010. Thus, comparable accounting information is clearly important, and this study plans to confirm the level of comparability of net income and equity of companies in the financial sector （in Brazil, ＂Finance and Others＂）, listed in the stock exchange, futures, and commodities （BM＆F Bovespal）, issued according to Brazilian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles （BR GAAP） and the IFRS. This study is descriptive, using a quantitative approach. Data were collected from secondary sources, more specifically, from the explanatory notes in the financial statements of the companies listed in the financial sector of the BM＆F Bovespa in the fiscal year of 2010. The results showed a reasonable level of comparability, with 68% of the companies presenting materially comparable information for net income and 72% of them for equity. However, decisions made based on data issued following the two different standards may have suffered the influence of asymmetric information; in other words, the comparability of information did not seem to satisfy those companies during the studied period of time. The main limitations of this study were data collection and selection for the development of the research because of： （1） inconsistence in net income and equity reconciliation criteria in the companies investigated; and （2） lack of uniformity in designating the adjustments that affect net income and equity in the conversion of the BR GAAP standard into the IFRS.

The Impact of Switching Standard on Accounting Quality

In a developing country, modernization and change of the accounting regime are possible if the standards are in compliance with global ones. The change of accounting standards adopted by Turkey started to be implemented, and this created a number of qualitative and quantitative results. This study examines the impact of change of accounting standards on accounting quality. In order to determine how switching standard reflects accounting quality, first of all, the earnings management, timely loss recognition, and value relevance variables pertaining to accounting quality were listed and the findings were stated after subjecting the obtained data to statistical analyses. Accordingly, by the transition to International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS）, the earnings management practices were observed to decrease as compared with the pre-IFRS period and the timely loss recognition and value-relevance values were observed to increase, which constitute the dimensions of accounting quality. It was also concluded that by the switch from domestic accounting standards to International Accounting Standards （IAS）, the quality of accounting in the country was improved and the market became more active than it was before.

国际保险会计准则的最新发展及对我国的影响——基于IFRS 17和IFRS 9

中国采用了会计准则与国际财务报告准则实际持续趋同的路径。国际会计准则理事会IFRS 17与IFRS 9的发布与生效,将对中国保险行业的会计实务、财务信息、经营管理与战略等多方面产生重大影响与冲击。本文讨论国际保险会计准则最新变化对我国的影响,分析IFRS 17关于保险合同会计准则确认、计量与披露的重大调整,讨论IFRS 17与IFRS 9与我国当前会计实务的差异与影响,在此基础上讨论我国保险合同会计与保险公司所面临的改革与挑战。

对企业会计准则中关键不确定性术语理解的初步研究

中国企业会计准则体系实现了与国际会计准则的实质性趋同,采用了相似的原则导向观,在准则条文中使用了许多模糊的术语作为确认、计量和披露的标准。国际文献普遍研究了或有事项准则中的语言概率问题,对国际会计准则中不确定性术语的应用研究只限于在发达市场经济之间的对比,忽视了这些标准在没有职业判断传统的转轨经济国家的应用情况。在调查了中国会计准则中主要不确定性术语被中国会计师的解读情况后发现,中国会计师对某些词汇也存在较低的理解一致性。被明确定义的不确定性术语的理解一致性显著高于没有被定义的,但是同一词汇在不同情景下的理解存在显著差异。因此,准则制定机构应当关注那些理解不一致的准则,采取措施确保原则导向的新会计准则得到广泛一致的应用。

国际财务报告准则的自愿选择与应用——研究梳理与展望

采用国际财务报告准则能否给企业带来益处是近几年国际会计的研究热点。强制性使用和自愿选择国际财务报告准则的应用效果是不同的。基于此,本文对现有研究中自愿选择国际财务报告准则的企业特征和应用收益进行研究梳理,旨在考察研究结论中哪一类企业预期会从国际财务报告准则应用中受益,以及是否确实受益。现有研究表明企业因素和国家因素对企业选择会计准则的倾向性产生显著影响,但就应用收益方面并未达成共识。

越南会计准则的国际化进程及展望

近年来,越南GDP增长保持在8%左右,成为世界关注的发展热点地区。本文对越南会计准则的国际化历程进行探索,然后比较越南会计准则与国际会计准则之间存在的差异,分析其存在差异的实质。最后对越南会计准则的走向进行展望并归纳出对我国有借鉴意义的几点启示。

The Impact of IFRS Convergence on the Effectiveness of Accounting Information for Share Valuation： Evidence from the Mainland of China

This study examines whether the reconciliation amounts between IFRS and PRC GAAP provide additional incremental value-relevant information. More specifically, it investigates whether firms applying IFRS experience an increase in the quality of accounting information in the post-IFRS convergence period. Results show that IFRS convergence increases the values of balance-sheet items and enlarges variation across firms. Moreover, there is no difference in the explanatory power of value relevance of accounting information under IFRS and PRC GAAP for share prices and returns of A-shares. The incremental value relevance analysis suggests that the IFRS adjustments to earnings are value relevant, whereas the adjustments to book values are not. The IFRS adjustments to change in inventory are value relevant for predicting future operating cash flows. Finally, accounting quality improved in post-convergence period. These results are robust after controlling for the unique characteristics of Chinese firms.

Investigating Voluntary Risk Disclosure： The Case of Jordanian Banks

The aim of the study is to investigate whether banks in Jordan are compliant with the International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） 7 requirement for mandatory disclosure and to find out the extent to which the banks provide voluntary risk disclosures. To achieve the objectives of the study, we collected data from all 15 banks listed on the Amman Stock Exchange for the year ending December 2013. The findings of the study suggest that there is strong compliance with respect to mandatory risk disclosure, as required by IFRS. However, the results generally signal a need for further improvement in the voluntary risk disclosure area, since most of the banks do not provide adequate information that can be of use to stakeholders. We also suggest future avenues of research into the topic to determine progress.

企业会计准则国际趋同下A+H股上市公司会计事务的差异研究

自2007年开始,我国的会计财务报告准则向国际趋同。在此形势下,本文研究我国A+H股上市公司的财务数据,对其年报所展示出来的净利润、净资产和净资产收益率三者的差异进行分析和评价,以评估企业会计准则的国际趋同效果。虽然我国的会计准则国际趋同效果显著,但仍有一小部分的差异,研究表明这些差异与中国的制度相关,需要进一步结合时事政策和中国国情进行完善更新。

亚洲国家采用国际财务报告准则的影响因素分析

本文研究的目的是确认亚洲国家采用国际财务报告准则(IFRS)的影响因素。文章基于会计环境理论,参考前人的研究,选取了经济增长、教育水平、进口渗透、文化关联和资本市场规模五个因素,对48个亚洲国家和地区进行分析研究。研究采用R软件,进行了逻辑回归分析,结果显示与英联邦有文化关联的亚洲国家比那些没有的亚洲国家更有可能采用国际财务报告准则。