Scenario:

Swift Cycles is a publicly held, mid-sized manufacturer, with $40 million dollars in annual revenue. Swift has been producing high-end custom cycles currently in the US for the past ten years. Swift has decided to start operations in various locations in Europe in the next five years. In a recent board meeting, the CEO and CFO faced difficult questioning from outside members of the board regarding the impact that adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards might have on the company. Both officers lack a depth of knowledge on the subject and their preparedness for the changes that may be presented. The CFO has asked you as the Controller to do some preliminary research about the possible transition from US GAAP principles to IFRS standards. The company is publicly held; therefore, it must follow all reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Prepare an analysis and presentation of the impact that adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards would have on the company's financial statements and its investors. Also, prepare an analysis and operational plan of how this adoption may be accomplished by the company.

Instructions: Create an executive summary that analyzes the impact that adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards would have on Swift's financial statements and its investors. For your analysis, consider that IFRS will be adopted in their current form. Consider the effects on each of the account groupings (such as foreign currency transactions, deferred taxes, and leases in different countries) for each of the financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, change in equity statement, and statement of cash flows). Explain the implications of consolidating financial statement reporting to the parent company versus segment reporting over major areas of the company.