Intermediate Accounting: IFRS Edition, 2nd Edition

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. 1 Describe the growing importance of global financial markets and its relation to financial reporting.
2. 2 Identify the major financial statements and other means of financial reporting.
3. 3 Explain how accounting assists in the efficient use of scarce resources.
4. 4 Explain the need for high-quality standards.
5. 5 Identify the objective of financial reporting.
6. 6 Identify the major policy-setting bodies and their role in the standard-setting process.
7. 7 Explain the meaning of IFRS.
8. 8 Describe the challenges facing financial reporting.

Revolution in International Financial Reporting

The age of free trade and the interdependence of national economies is now with us. Many of the largest companies in the world often do more of their business in foreign lands than in their home country. Companies now access not only their home capital markets for financing but others as well. As this globalization takes place, companies are recognizing the need to have one set of financial reporting standards. For globalization to be efficient, what is reported for a transaction in Beijing should be reported the same way in Paris, New York, or London.

A revolution is therefore occurring in financial reporting. In the past, many countries used their own set of standards or followed standards set by larger countries, such as those in Europe ...