Solution Manual Advanced Accounting 9E by Hoyle 11 chapter PDF

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Find more slides, ebooks, solution manual and testbank on CHAPTER 11 WORLDWIDE ACCOUTING DIVERSITY AND INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Chapter Outline I. Accounting and financial reporting rules differ across countries. There are a variety of factors influencing a accounting system. A. Legal rela...

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CHAPTER 11 WORLDWIDE ACCOUTING DIVERSITY AND INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Chapter Outline I.

Accounting and financial reporting rules differ across countries. There are a variety of factors influencing a country’s accounting system. A. Legal system —primarily relates to how accounting principles are established; code law countries generally having legislated accounting principles and common law countries having principles established by non-legislative means. B. Taxation—financial statements serve as the basis for taxation in many countries. In those countries with a close linkage between accounting and taxation, accounting practice tends to be more conservative so as to reduce the amount of income subject to taxation. C. Providers of financing—where shareholders are a major provider of financing, the demand for information made available outside the company becomes greater. In those countries in which family members, banks, and the government are the major providers of business finance, there tends to be less demand for public accountability and information disclosure. D. Inflation—has caused some countries, especially in Latin America, to develop accounting principles in which traditional historical cost accounting is abandoned in favor of inflation adjusted figures. E. Political and economic ties—can explain the usage of a British style of accounting throughout most of the former British Empire. They also help to explain similarities between the U.S. and Canada, and increasingly, the U.S. and Mexico. F. Culture—affects a country’s accounting system in two ways: (1) through its influence on a country’s institutions, such as its legal system and system of financing, and (2) through its influence on the accounting values shared by members of the accounting sub-culture.

II.

Nobes developed a general model of the reasons for international differences in financial reporting that has only two explanatory factors: (1) national culture, including institutional structures, and (2) the nature of a country’s financing system. A. A self-sufficient Type I culture will have a strong equity-outsider financing system which results in a Class A accounting system oriented toward providing information for outside shareholders. B. A self-sufficient Type II culture will have a weak equity-outsider financing system which results in a Class B accounting system oriented toward protecting creditors and providing a basis for taxation. C. Countries dominated by a country with a Type I culture will use a Class A accounting system even though they do not have strong equity-outsider financing systems. D. Companies with strong equity-outsider financing located in countries with a Class B accounting system will voluntarily attempt to use a Class A accounting system to compete in international capital markets.

III. Differences in accounting across countries causes several problems. A. Consolidating foreign subsidiaries requires that the financial statements prepared in accordance with foreign accounting rules must be converted into U.S. GAAP. B. Companies interested in obtaining capital in foreign countries often are required to provide financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting rules in that country, which are likely to differ from rules in the home country. C. Investors interested in investing in foreign companies may have a difficult time in making McGraw-Hill/Irwin Hoyle, Schaefer, Doupnik, Advanced Accounting, 9/e

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comparisons across potential investments because of differences in accounting rules across countries. IV. Harmonization is the process of reducing differences in financial reporting practices across countries. A. The European Union has attempted to harmonize accounting through the 4th and 7th Directives. 1. The 4th Directive deals with valuation rules, disclosure, and formats of financial statements. 2. The 7th Directive deals with the consolidation of financial statements. 3. The EU Directives caused significant change in accounting practice across Europe and reduced previous differences. However, because of considerable flexibility associated with allowed alternatives, the Directives did not achieve complete comparability across EU countries. 4. Since 2005, EU publicly traded companies have been required to use International Financial Reporting Standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board in preparing consolidated financial statements. Parent company statements continue to be prepared in accordance with national accounting standards based on the EU Directives. B. The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) was formed in 1973 in hopes of improving and promoting the worldwide harmonization of accounting principles. It was superseded by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in 2001. 1. The IASC issued 41 International Accounting Standards (IAS) covering a broad range of accounting issues. Ten IASs have been superseded or withdrawn, leaving 31 in effect. 2. The membership of the IASC was composed of over 140 accountancy bodies from more than 100 nations. 3. The IASC was not in a position to enforce its standards. Instead, member accountancy bodies pledged to work toward acceptance of IASs in the respective countries. 4. Because of criticism that too many options were allowed in its standards and therefore true comparability was not being achieved, the IASC undertook a Comparability Project in the 1990s, revising 10 of its standards to eliminate alternatives. 5. The IASC derived much of its legitimacy as an international standard setter through endorsement of its activities by the International Organization of Securities Commissions. IOSCO and the IASC agreed that, if the IASC could develop a set of core standards, IOSCO would recommend that stock exchanges allow foreign companies to use IASs in preparing financial statements. The IASC completed the set of core standards in 1998, IOSCO endorsed their usage by foreign companies in 2000, and many members of IOSCO adopted this recommendation. V.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) replaced the IASC in 2001. A. The IASB consists of 14 members – 12 full-time and 2 part-time. Full-time IASB members are required to sever the relationships with former employers to ensure independence. However, seven of the IASB members have a formal liaison responsibility with a national standard setter, such as the U.S. FASB. Technical competence is the most important criterion for selection as a Board member. B. IASB GAAP is referred to as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and consists of (a) IASs issued by the IASC (and adopted by the IASB), (b) individual International Financial Reporting Standards developed by the IASB, and (c) interpretations issued by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC).

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C.

In addition to 31 IASs and 8 IFRSs (as of January 1, 2007), the IASB also has a Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, which serves as a guide to determine the proper accounting in those areas not covered by IFRS. D. As of January 2007, more than 70 countries require the use of IFRS by all domestic publicly traded companies. Other countries allow the use of IFRS by domestic companies. Many countries also allow foreign companies that are listed on their securities markets to use IFRS. E. In November 2007, the SEC amended its rules to allow foreign registrants to prepare financial statements in accordance with IFRS without reconciliation to U.S. GAAP. In August 2007, the SEC issued a concept release to determine public interest in allowing U.S. companies to choose between IFRS and U.S. GAAP in preparing financial statements. F. In 2002, the IASB and FASB signed the so-called ―Norwalk Agreement‖ to ―use their best efforts to (a) make their existing financial reporting standards fully compatible as soon as is practicable and (b) coordinate their work program to ensure that once achieved, compatibility is maintained.‖ G. The FASB has six key initiatives to further convergence between IFRS and U.S. GAAP including a short-term convergence project and joint projects on broader accounting issues. As a result of the short-term convergence project, the FASB has revised several authoritative pronouncements that are part of U.S. GAAP, adopting the IASB treatment in those areas. H. Numerous differences exist between IFRS and U.S. GAAP. These include differences in recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure. Exhibit 11.9 lists several key differences. I. IAS 1, ―Presentation of Financial Statements,‖ provides guidance with respect to the purpose of financial statements, components of financial statements, basic principles and assumptions, and the overriding principle of fair presentation. There is no equivalent to IAS 1 in U.S. GAAP. J. The IASB follows a principles-based approach to standard setting, rather than the socalled rules-based approach used by the FASB. The IASB tends to avoid the use of bright line tests and provides a limited amount of implementation guidance in its standards. VI. Even if all countries adopt a similar set of accounting standards, two obstacles remain in achieving the goal of worldwide comparability of financial statements. A. IFRS must be translated into languages other than English to be usable by non-English speaking preparers of financial statements. It is difficult to translate some words and phrases into other languages without a distortion of meaning. B. Culture can affect the manner in which an accountant interprets and applies an accounting standard. Differences in culture can lead to differences in application of the same standard across countries.

Learning Objectives Having completed Chapter Eleven, ―Accounting Diversity and International Financial Reporting Standards,‖ students should be able to fulfill each of the following learning objectives: 1.

Describe some of the differences in financial reporting that exist internationally.

2.

Understand the major factors influencing the development of accounting systems.

3.

Describe a general model of the reasons for international differences in financial reporting.

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4.

Discuss the problems that are created by the existence of different sets of accounting standards throughout the world.

5.

Explain the arguments for and the arguments against the international harmonization of accounting.

6.

Describe the approach taken in Europe to harmonize accounting

7.

Explain the approach that was taken by the International Accounting Standards Committee in its efforts to harmonize accounting principles.

8.

Describe the work of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and know what constitutes the IASB’s body of standards known as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

9.

Describe the ways and the extent to which IFRS are used around the world.

10. Describe the FASB-IASB convergence process and the FASB’s initiatives to achieve convergence with IASB standards. 11. Identify several key differences in financial reporting between IFRS and U.S. GAAP. 12. Determine the impact that specific differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP have on the measurement of income and stockholders’ equity.

Answer to Discussion Question Which Accounting Method Really is Appropriate? Students often assume that U.S. GAAP is superior and that all reporting issues can (or should) be resolved by following U.S. rules. However, the reporting of research and development costs is a good example of a rule where many different approaches can be justified and the U.S. rule might be nothing more than an easy method to apply. In the United States, all such costs are expensed as incurred because of the difficulty of assessing the future value of these projects. International Financial Reporting Standards, as well as countries such as Canada, Brazil, Japan, and Korea, allow capitalization of development costs when certain criteria are met. The issue is not whether costs that will have future benefits should be capitalized. Most accountants around the world would recommend capitalizing a cost that leads to future revenues that are in excess of that cost. The real issue is whether criteria can be developed for identifying projects that will lead to the recovery of those costs. In the U.S., the FASB felt that such decisions were too subjective and open to manipulation. History has shown that the amount of research and development costs capitalized tended to vary as a company experienced good years and bad. Conversely, under IFRS, development costs must be recognized as an intangible asset when an enterprise can demonstrate all of the following: (a) the technical feasibility of completing the intangible asset so that it will be available for use or sale; (b) its intention to complete the intangible asset and use or sell it; (c) its ability to use or sell the intangible asset; (d) how the intangible asset will generate probable future economic benefits. Among other things, the enterprise should demonstrate the existence of a market for the output of the intangible asset or the existence of the intangible asset itself or, if it is to be used internally, the usefulness of the intangible asset; McGraw-Hill/Irwin 11-4

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(e) the availability of adequate technical, financial and other resources to complete the development and to use or sell the intangible asset; and (f) its ability to measure the expenditure attributable to the intangible asset during its development reliably. How easy is it for an accountant to determine whether the development project will result in an intangible asset, such as a patent, that will generate future economic benefits? For Korean businesses, research and development costs are capitalized when they are incurred in relation to a specific product or technology, when costs can be separately identified, and when the recovery of costs is reasonably expected. Can an accountant determine with appropriate accuracy whether the recovery of costs is reasonably expected? In the U.S., a conservative approach has been taken because of the difficulty of determining whether an asset has been or will be created. To ensure comparability, all companies are required to expense all R&D costs. As a result, some discoveries that prove to be very valuable to a company for years to come are expensed immediately. In other countries, companies will tend to capitalize a differing array of projects because of flexibility in their guidelines. Do the benefits of consistency and comparability (each company expenses all costs each year) outweigh the cost of producing financial statements that might omit valuable assets from the balance sheet? No definitive answer exists for that question. However, the reader of financial statements needs to be aware of the fundamental differences in approach that exist in accounting for research and development costs before making comparisons between companies from different countries.

Answers to Questions 1.

The five factors most often cited as affecting a country's accounting system are: (1) legal system, (2) taxation, (3) providers of financing, (4) inflation, and (5) political and economic ties. The legal system is primarily related to how accounting principles are established; code law countries generally having legislated accounting principles and common law countries having principles established by non-legislative means. In some countries, financial statements serve as the basis for taxation and in other countries they do not. In those countries with a close linkage between accounting and taxation, accounting practice tends to be more conservative so as to reduce the amount of income subject to taxation. Shareholders are a major provider of financing in some countries. As shareholder financing increases in importance, the demand for information made available outside the company becomes greater. In those countries in which family members, banks, and the government are the major providers of business finance, there tends to be less demand for public accountability and information disclosure. Chronic high inflation has caused some countries, especially in Latin America, to develop accounting principles in which traditional historical cost accounting is abandoned in favor of inflation adjusted figures. Political and economic ties can explain the usage of a British style of accounting throughout most of the former British empire. They also help to explain similarities between the U.S. and Canada, and increasingly, the U.S. and Mexico. Culture also is viewed as a factor that has significant influence on the development of a country’s accounting system. This influence is described in more detail in the answer to question 3.

2. Problems caused by accounting diversity for a company like Nestle include: (a) the additional cost associated with converting foreign GAAP financial statements of foreign subsidiaries to parent company GAAP to prepare consolidated financial statements, (b) the additional cost associated with preparing Nestle financial statements in foreign GAAP (or reconciling to foreign GAAP) to gain access to foreign capital markets, and (c) difficulty in understanding and comparing financial statements of potential foreign acquisition targets. 3.

Gray developed a model that hypothesizes that societal values, i.e., culture, affect the

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development of accounting systems in two ways: (1) societal values help shape a country’s institutions, such as legal system and financing system, which in turn influences the development of accounting, and (2) societal values influence accounting values held by members of the accounting sub-culture, which in turn influences the development of the accounting system. Gray provides specific hypotheses with respect to the manner in which specific cultural dimensions will influence specific accounting values. For example, he hypothesizes that in countries in which avoiding uncertainty is important, accountants will have a preference for more conservative measurement of profit. 4.

According to Nobes, the purpose for financial reporting determines the nature of a country’s financial reporting system. The most relevant factor for determining the purpose of financial reporting is the nature of the financing system. Some countries have a culture, and accompanying institutional structure, that leads to a strong equity financing system with large numbers of outside shareholders. A country with a self-sufficient Type I culture will have a strong equity-outsider financing system which in turn will lead that country developing a Class A accounting system oriented toward providing information for outside shareholders. A self-sufficient Type II culture will have a weak equity-outsider financing system which results in a Class B accounting system oriented toward protecting creditors and providing a basis for taxation.

5.

Arguments for international harmonization center around the comparability of financial statements across countries. Comparability would make it easier for investors to make foreign investment decisions, both portfolio investments made by individuals or funds as well as acquisition of companies made by multinational corporations. A single set of international accounting standards would also make it easier for companies to gain access to foreign capital markets. Both of these arguments relate to the "globalization of capital markets....