Standard setting in times of technological change: accounting for cryptocurrency holdings

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Ramassa ◽  
Giulia Leoni

PurposeThis paper explores how the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has dealt with the emerging issue of accounting for cryptocurrencies by investigating its constituents' expectations and the motivations underlying its regulatory response.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical lens of regulatory space is used to analyse the four-year debate around cryptocurrency holdings and informs the extensive thematic analysis of public documents, meetings recordings and comment letters on the topic.FindingsFacing national standard setters' initiatives to regulate accounting for cryptocurrency, the IASB defended its position in the regulatory space through an agenda decision based on ewct 2xisting standards, which was finalised by the International Financial Reporting Standards Interpretation Committee (IFRS IC) despite criticism from constituents and Board members.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides insights into the IASB approach to a regulatory vacuum regarding a new class of items, which derive from a new and rapidly-evolving technology. Disruptive technology impacts the contested arena of accounting regulation, in which the constituents ask for new solutions and the IASB tries to resist such pressures, while defending its position.Practical implicationsThe paper sheds light on the growing importance of agenda decisions in the IFRS environment and on the limits of the IASB long regulatory process in the circumstance of emerging accounting issues deriving from rapidly-evolving technology.Originality/valueThis investigation is timely and relevant as it considers the regulatory issues arising from disruptive technological innovations (i.e. cryptocurrency), shedding light on the limits of regulatory processes in times of technological change.

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriyuki Tsunogaya ◽  
Andreas Hellmann ◽  
Simone Domenico Scagnelli

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide a rigorous and holistic analysis of the main features of the Japanese accounting environment. It also raises issues related to the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Japan. Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of investigating the Japanese accounting system, this study applies the accounting ecology framework developed by Gernon and Wallace (1995) and provides a content analysis of relevant meetings of the Business Accounting Council of Japan. Findings – The findings of this study provide evidence that it would be problematic to require the adoption of IFRS for all listed companies in Japan. The main reason for this is that the Japanese policymakers and standard-setting bodies follow two objectives: enhancing the international comparability of financial reporting and maintaining institutional complementarity between financial reporting and other infrastructures such as accounting-related laws. Research limitations/implications – This study is relevant for accounting researchers and professionals with an interest in Japanese accounting practices. It is also useful for the International Accounting Standards Board and representatives of countries planning to adopt IFRS in the future. Originality/value – The findings of this study show that contextual issues such as social, organizational and professional environments cannot be ignored in the adoption of IFRS in Japan.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Teixeira

Purpose The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) have given relief to lessees in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, it is not clear why any relief from the requirements in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) should be necessary. The purpose of this paper is to highlight weaknesses in how the IASB and FASB developed their leases Standards, and why those Standards are not robust enough to cope with a shock to the economic system. Design/methodology/approach The COVID-19 relief suspends some features of the leasing requirements rather than changing them. What if other economic or regulatory events cause the same circumstances to arise? Findings Have COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in the leasing standards that should have been avoided when they were developed or is COVID-19 the problem? Originality/value Analysis of actual board discussions and staff papers is unusual and provides insights into the standard-setting process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-390
Author(s):  
Noriyuki Tsunogaya ◽  
Andreas Hellmann

Purpose This study aims to examine the (overt) arguments and (covert) myths the Business Accounting Council (BAC) members have used to lobby over controversial accounting issues, such as the application of fair value accounting (FVA) and the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Japan. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a content analysis to examine 85 statements included in multiperiod BAC meeting minutes and 68 articles prepared by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) representatives from Japan. Findings The results reveal that together with the arguments, myths were created and amplified by opponents of FVA and the Financial Services Agency to hide the latter’s strong regulatory power. They created these myths, using covert stories of the importance of manufacturing activities and tax accounting (for small- and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs]), to oppose mandatory IFRS adoption in Japan and, thus, to maintain vested rights in preparing the Japanese generally accepted accounting principles and Japanese accounting standards for SMEs. Originality/value First, this study contributes to the lobbying literature by focusing on the coalition (network) effect of influential stakeholder groups. Second, although lobbying activities have been investigated mostly using comment letters, this study reviews multiperiod BAC meeting minutes and articles prepared by IASB representatives from Japan. Third, the study examines both overt arguments and covert myths, both of which are important in unmasking the fundamental structures of power within influential organizations, such as government agencies and standard-setters.


Author(s):  
Fatema Ebrahim Alrawahi ◽  
Adel Mohammed Sarea

Purpose This study aims to investigate the association between seven firm-specific characteristics and the level of mandatory compliance with International Accounting Standards (IAS) 1 by firms listed on Bahrain Bourse. Design/methodology/approach A disclosure index is used to measure the extent of compliance with IAS 1. Each of the 36 sampled firms’ annual reports were examined against the index for the financial year ending December 31, 2013. Findings The results reveal an overall compliance of 83 per cent. Regression results report that only audit firm size, profitability and industry type have a positive and significant association with IAS 1 disclosure requirements. Practical implications This study should be particularly relevant to regulatory bodies in Bahrain for strategizing and encouraging compliance with IAS 1 by listed firms. Originality/value Additionally, the study contributes to financial reporting literature relating to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, mainly Bahrain. Bahrain is a financial hub, and it is interesting to examine how it presents its financial statements to investors and the degree of its compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards since its adoption in 2007.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 662-677
Author(s):  
Yitayew Mihret Wagaw ◽  
Dessalegn Getie Mihret ◽  
Degefe Duressa Obo

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine international financial reporting standards (IFRSs) adoption in Ethiopia to explain transnational political-economic antecedents of this change and its associated consequences on the regulatory landscape of accounting. Design/methodology/approach Using a neo-Gramscian theory of globalization and the state, the study examines interview and document review evidence pertaining to IFRS adoption in Ethiopia by focusing on the period from 1991 to 2014. Findings The study illustrates that a dialectical rather than deterministic interaction between global and national forces explains IFRS adoption in Ethiopia, i.e. IFRS adoption falls within the broader scheme of universalizing regulatory institutions in the globalizing world economy. Compared to the commonly understood trends of IFRS adoption circumscribed within a pre-existing regulatory framework, this study illustrates IFRS adoption as a primary driver of major reforms to the accounting regulatory landscape. Originality/value This study contributes original theoretically grounded insights into the transnational political-economic rationale for IFRS adoption and consequences of the adoption on the accounting regulatory landscape.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Ufuk Misirlioglu ◽  
Jon Tucker ◽  
Helmi Abdulhameed Boshnak

Purpose This paper aims to investigate firm-level variations in the extent of mandatory disclosures and address the drivers of mandatory disclosure using data from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region. Design/methodology/approach The extent of mandatory disclosure is examined using a disclosure index created with reference to 24 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). Findings The authors find that the extent of mandatory disclosure required by applicable IFRSs/International Accounting Standards increases with international presence, group firms, the level of voluntary disclosure, firm age and the education level of company financial controllers. It decreases with firm size and the proportion of institutional share ownership. The degree of board independence is positively related to the level of mandatory disclosure in firms with no state ownership. Profitability positively affects the level of mandatory disclosure to a greater extent in more liquid GCC firms. The results confirm that there is a greater sensitivity of mandatory disclosure to loss than to profit. Loss increases, whilst profit decreases, the extent of mandatory disclosure. Research limitations/implications The results promote further understanding of international financial reporting differences in an emerging country setting. Practical implications The findings provide a detailed insight to investors, financial analysts, practitioners and academics. Originality/value The authors develop a highly granular mandatory disclosure index in a developing country setting and identify key drivers of such disclosure.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Nwogugu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce new economic psychology theories that can explain fraud, misconduct and non-compliance that may arise from the implementation and enforcement of accounting standards codification (ASC) 805/350, international financial reporting standards (IFRS) 3R and IAS-38. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is entirely theoretical. The paper analyzes existing theories about real options and enforcement of regulations/statutes, and introduces new psychological biases that can arise. Findings – The real options approach suggested for handling the enforcement of goodwill/intangibles regulations is not effective. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to international accounting standards board (IASB)/IFRS and financial accounting standards board (FASB) accounting standards. Originality/value – The critiques and theories developed in the paper can be used in the analysis of selection of disputes for litigation, anti-corruption programs and regulation of transactions that are susceptible to fraud.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Amidu ◽  
Haruna Issahaku

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the implications of globalisation and the adoption of international standards (International Financial Reporting Standards [IFRS]) for accounting information quality. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a sample of 329 banks across 29 countries leading up to and beyond the implementation of IFRS to test for related hypotheses. Findings First, banks’ financial statements are prepared on the basis of international standards as national economies are integrated when social norms are diffused. Building on these results, the second test suggests that the relatively high-quality earnings among banks in Africa during the period is attributable to the adoption of and interaction of IFRS with globalisation and the strategy of banks to diversify within and across interest and non-interest income. Originality/value The authors investigate how globalisation and the adoption of IFRS affect accounting information quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-427
Author(s):  
Jesper Seehausen

Abstract Taking as a starting point Peter Hommelhoff’s argumentation that accounting law is, in many respects, linked to company law, the purpose of this article is to discuss one perspective of the links between accounting law and company law: accounting concepts in company law. After a brief outline of the existing EU legislation on accounting and a discussion on whether accounting law is part of company law, some examples of accounting concepts in company law – i. e. examples of accounting concepts that have been ‘implemented’ in company law – are discussed, drawing on the Consolidated Company Law Directive (CCLD) and the Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD 2) as well as the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These examples are related party transactions, consideration other than in cash and fair value, serious loss of the subscribed capital as well as a few other examples. It is also discussed whether accounting concepts in company law are a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’ thing. Balancing the pros and cons, in the author’s opinion, it is mostly positive that accounting concepts are used in company law in areas where this makes sense – and hence, in the author’s opinion, accounting concepts in company law are mainly a ‘good’ thing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Ha Thi Thuy Van ◽  
Vu Thi Kim Anh ◽  
Nguyen Dang Huy

Currently, the Ministry of Finance is implementing Decision 480/QD-TTG dated 03/18/2013 of The Prime Minister on approving the Strategy Accounting - Audit 2020, Vision 2030 and implementing the Resolution 35/NQ-CP of the Government dated 16.05.2016 related to the support and development of enterprises by 2020. Accordingly, the development and improvement the legal framework of Financial Reporting standards in Vietnam is one of the key tasks and urgent needs to be developed to meet the requirements of the economy in the period of integration. The system of International Accounting Standards, including the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the standards of international financial reporting (IFRS) was issued, adjusted, updated and replaced by The International Accounting Standards Board. International Accounting Standards is an important condition to ensure that companies and organizations around the world can apply uniform accounting principles in the work of preparing and presenting financial statements. Currently, many countries around the world such as USA, Japan and European countries, Asia Pacific are approaching IFRS convergence trend. In the trend of globalization of accounting, Vietnam will not be outside the process of integration with the system of International Financial Reporting Standards. This article will review the process of formation and development of IFRS, the IFRS trends and the advantages and disadvantages of applying IFRS in Vietnam. 


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