Questions and Answers of Comparative International Accounting

19.3 ‘Research shows that line-of-business reporting is much more useful than geographical segmental reporting.’ Discuss.
19.2 How could one demonstrate that the benefits of segment reporting outweigh the costs?
19.1 Explain why standard-setters have difficulty in drafting segment reporting standards.
describe the segment disclosure requirements of the IASB and the United States
explain the nature and purposes of segment reporting;
18.7 Discuss the effect of the temporal method on ratio analysis.
18.6 Discuss how different attitudes to prudence can affect foreign currency translation policies.
18.5 Does accounting translation exposure matter? Explain your reasoning.
18.4 Is there a single best method of currency translation?
18.3 Are gains on unsettled foreign currency balances realized? When should they be recognized as income?
18.2 Why has it been difficult, particularly in the United States, to create a satisfactory accounting standard on foreign currency translation?
18.1 Why has there been so much controversy over currency translation methods for group accounting? Which method do you prefer?
explain the difference between the translation of transactions and the translation of financial statements
17.7 Explain the alternative uses of the equity method and how these differ as between US GAAP and IFRS.
17.6 One of the original aims of the Seventh Directive was to assist with the control of multinational enterprises by their host countries. Examine and discuss arguments for and against such a desire
17.5 To what extent did the EU Seventh Directive harmonize consolidation accounting between Germany and the United Kingdom?
17.4 Compare, as between US GAAP and IFRS, the consolidation of subsidiaries and the calculation and treatment of goodwill on consolidation.
17.3 Why did the practice of consolidated reporting arise in the United States earlier than in France?
17.2 ‘The EU Seventh Directive was a much more useful harmonizing tool than the EU Fourth Directive.’ Discuss.
17.1 Discuss different possible interpretations of the concept of a group, and how these may relate to differences in styles of corporate governance and of company financing.
discuss the varying approaches in IFRS and US GAAP to purchase accounting, pooling (uniting) of interests, proportional consolidation, the equity method and the consolidation difference.
describe how publication requirements differ between the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France;
discuss the different concepts of a ‘group’ and how they are reflected in IFRS and US GAAP
explain why the United States and the United Kingdom adopted consolidated financial statements before the countries of continental Europe;
16.10 Examine whether a deferred tax liability arising from temporary differences on the revaluation of an asset meets the IFRS/US definition of a liability.
16.9 Explain, using various examples, the causes of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities under US accounting rules.
16.8 Compare the degrees of prudence found in accounting for employee benefits in Germany, Italy and the United States.
16.6 Explain the difference between ‘hedging’ and ‘hedge accounting’. In each case, what are the arguments in favour of doing them?
16.5 Explain how assets are measured under IFRS. How could this be improved?
16.4 Are intangible assets recognized sufficiently under IFRS and US rules?
16.3 Under what circumstances should next year’s wages and next year’s repair expenses be charged as expenses this year?
16.2 Under IAS 32, some shares are treated as liabilities and some apparent liabilities are treated as partly equity. Is this a good idea?
16.1 ‘Secret reserves make a company stronger, so they should be encouraged.’Discuss.
distinguish between pension arrangements, pension provisions and pension funds, and give examples of how all these can differ from country to country
explain the difference between provisions and reserves
explain the importance of intangible assets and which ones are recognized
15.7 ‘German accounting rules for individual companies are ideal for domestic companies with no international connections.’ Discuss.
15.6 The formats in the appendices to this chapter, relating to three EU countries, all comply with the EU Fourth Directive. Comment on the differences between them.
15.5 Why are leased assets accounted for differently in individual company financial statements in the UK and France?
15.4 Discuss the view that the individual company financial statements in Germany are useful only for tax purposes.
15.3 Compare the influence of tax law on financial reporting in the UK with its influence in Germany.
15.1 ‘US accounting is better than German accounting.’ Discuss.
describe the differences from IFRS and explain why they exist.
compare the accounting principles applicable to individual companies in France, Germany and the UK;
compare the financial statement formats used in France, Germany and the UK;
14.7 Why has the ASB in the UK decided to converge (partially but not completely) UK standards for individual companies with IFRS?
14.6 Compare the composition and the roles of the ASB in the UK and the CRC in France.
14.5 ‘The UK accountancy profession no longer has any influence on the accounting rules relating to individual financial statements.’ Discuss.
14.4 What are the arguments for and against a national accounting plan?
14.3 Is it useful to regulate, as for example in France, the keeping of accounting records, as well as the preparation of financial statements?
14.2 Why do UK accounting rules for individual companies differ not simply on the distinction between public and private companies?
describe the legal forms of business enterprise in France, Germany and the UK
explain why the forms of business enterprise subject to accounting rules differ from country to country within the European Union;
explain who makes accounting rules for non-listed business enterprises in France, Germany and the UK;
13.4 Explain how the IASB’s standard for SMEs differs from full IFRS. In your opinion, does it differ enough?
13.3 From this and earlier chapters, explain how financial reporting profit can differ from taxable income, and how this varies internationally.
13.2 Are the arguments for differential reporting convincing? Should differentiation be made on the basis of company size or using some other characteristic?
13.1 Using information from this chapter and earlier ones (e.g. Chapters 2, 3 and 5), give examples of accounting topics on which there are major differences between two national accounting systems
explain why, and for what purposes, national rules are surviving
Give examples of differences between national rules and the two world ‘standards’;
11.8 Which was more successful at harmonization until 2001: the IASC or the European Union?
11.7 Why, and to what extent, has post-communist Romania adopted Anglo-Saxon rather than French-style corporate financial reporting?
11.6 Why is auditor independence a problem in Central and Eastern Europe?
11.5 Compare the importance of the influences of Anglo-Saxon accounting and continental European accounting in Eastern Europe during the 1990s.
11.4 Discuss the choice of national charts of accounts in post-communist Russia and Romania.
11.3 What effect, if any, has harmonization in the EU had on non-member states in Europe?
11.2 In what ways have pre-communist and communist accounting affected postcommunist accounting in Central and Eastern Europe?
11.1 Is it both desirable and possible to harmonize company financial reporting in the European Union?
explain how financial reporting in Central and Eastern Europe responded to the transition from command economies to market economies
contrast the process and progress of EU harmonization with that of the IASB (as outlined in Chapter 4);
explain why harmonization of financial reporting was undertaken by the EU
10.7 Discuss the role of a conceptual framework as a defence against political lobbying.
10.6 Is there a connection between the amount of political lobbying in a country and the degree of independence of the standard-setter from (a) government departments, and (b) the accountancy
10.5 Discuss the view that political lobbying could and should be reduced by giving preparers more say in the setting of accounting standards.
10.4 Give examples of political lobbying of the IASC/B, explaining why and how lobbying has increased over the years.
10.3 Why might it be expected that there would be more examples of political lobbying relating to the US than to any other country?
10.2 Give examples of political lobbying of US standard-setters, explaining in what ways the lobbying went beyond arguments about the correct technical solutions.
10.1 Explain the various motivations of those who politically lobby standard-setters.
explain why some standard-setters are more subject to lobbying than others.
give examples of lobbying concerning the structure of a standard-setting body;
give examples from several countries of political lobbying in the context of particular standards
explain the motivations of companies and governments when they lobby standardsetters;
define political lobbying;
9.7 Why have several countries recently introduced auditor oversight bodies? Is this a positive or a negative development?
9.6 ‘Enforcement bodies merely duplicate the work of auditors.’ Discuss.
9.5 Discuss the view that the costs of establishing and maintaining accounting standards enforcement bodies are likely in most countries to exceed the benefits.
9.4 Why do the US and France have stock exchange regulators as accounting standards enforcement bodies, whereas the UK does not?
9.3 Why is there no pan-European accounting standards enforcement body in the European Union? Ought one to be established?
9.2 What are the arguments for and against proactive surveillance by enforcement bodies?
9.1 To what extent is the making of rules on financial reporting in the US separated from their enforcement? What is the historical background to the present situation?
compare and contrast the monitoring and enforcement bodies and processes used in the US, the member states of the EU (with particular reference to the UK, France and Germany), and Australia
explain the various ways in which the application of financial reporting standards by listed companies can be monitored and enforced;
8.7 Would you describe the differences between IFRS and US GAAP as ‘major’? Will it be easy for the standard-setters to remove these differences?
8.6 As pointed out in this chapter, the United States and United Kingdom are reasonably similar with respect to the causes and nature of differences in financial reporting. Identify and discuss
8.5 ‘The most important influence on US accounting has been and remains the SEC.’Discuss.
8.4 Discuss the causes of differences in financial reporting and its regulation (giving relevant examples of the effects) between your own country and the United States.
8.3 Which US accounting practices seem out of line with those of many other countries? What explanations are there for this?
8.2 To what extent, if at all, is US accounting influenced by accounting in other countries?
8.1 ‘US accounting is the best in the world.’ Discuss.
outline the main differences between US GAAP and the requirements of international standards.

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