Analysis Of Corporate Reporting Practices & Government Inquiry On Corporate Social Responsibility: An Essay.

Challenges Faced by Financial Reporting Practices under IFRS

Assessment Task Part A

In an article entitled ‘Unwieldy rules useless for investors’ that appeared in the Australian Financial Review on 6 February 2012 (by Agnes King), the following extract appeared. Read the extract and then answer the question that follows.

Millions of dollars have been spent adopting international financial reporting standards to help investors make like-for-like comparisons between companies in global capital markets. But CFOs say they are useless and have driven financial disclosures to unmanageable levels. The criticism comes as the United States, the world’s largest capital market, decides whether to retire its domestic accounting standard (US GAAP) and adopt IFRS.

“In seven years I never got one question from fund managers or investment analysts about IFRS adjustments,” former AXA head of finance Geoff Roberts said. “Investors...rely on investor reports and management briefings to understand companies’ numbers.”

If analysts did delve into IFRS accounts, they would most probably misinterpret them, according to Wesfarmers finance director Terry Bowen. “Once you get into the notes you have to be technically trained. If you’re not, lot of it could be misleading,” Mr Bowen said.

Commonwealth Bank chief financial officer David Craig said IFRS numbers were disregarded by investors because they could actually obscure an institution’s true position.

Required:

You are required to explain which qualitative characteristics of financial reporting, as per the conceptual framework, do not, in the opinion of the above quoted individuals, appear to be satisfied by current reporting practices pursuant to IFRS. Also, you are required to consider whether the views are consistent with the view that corporate financial reports satisfy the central objective of financial reporting as identified in the Conceptual Framework. 

Assessment Task Part B 

In 2006 the Australian Government established an inquiry into corporate social responsibilities with the aim of deciding whether the Corporations Act should be amended so as to specifically include particular social and environmental responsibilities within the Act. At the completion of the inquiry it was decided that no specific regulations would be added to the legislation, and that instead, ‘market forces’ would be relied upon to encourage companies to do the ‘right thing’ (that is, the view was expressed that if companies did not look after the environment, or did not act in a socially responsible manner, then people would not want to consume the organisations’ products, and people would not want to invest in the organisation, work for them, and so forth. Because companies were aware of such market forces they would do the ‘right thing’ even in the absence of legislation).

Required:

You are required to explain the decision of the government that no specific regulation be introduced from the perspective of:

(a)Public Interest Theory

(b)Capture Theory

(c)Economic Interest Group Theory of regulation

Assessment Task Part C  

The US Financial Accounting Standards Board does not allow revaluation of non-current assets to fair value, but it does make it compulsory to account for the impairment costs associated with non-current assets as per FASB Statement No. 144 Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.

Required:

What implications do you think these rules have for the relevance and representational faithfulness of US corporate financial statements?

Assessment Task Part D

Many organisations elect not to measure their property, plant and equipment at fair value, but rather, prefer to use the ‘cost model’. This will provide lower total assets and lower measures, such as net asset backing per share.

Required

You are required to answer the following questions:

(a)What might motivate directors not to revalue the property, plant and equipment?

(b)What are some of the effects the decision not to revalue might have on the firm’s financial statements?

(c)Would the decision not to revalue adversely affect the wealth of the shareholders?

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are designed for the purpose of providing clear understanding of the company accounts all across the international boundaries. In this context, conceptual framework assists the accountants in resolving accounting related issues, which is a framework for the purpose of establishing accounting standards. This framework associates all the aspects of the inquiries such as defining the problem, collection of data, and analysis of the data and such others (Wisegeek, 2018). The conceptual framework is essential for the development of accounting standards for preparing financial reports on the basis of rules and principles.   

There are certain qualitative characteristics of the financial statements that are not satisfied by the existing reporting practices with regard to IFRS and they are;

• Relevance- It is considered as a significant feature of financial reporting to influence the decisions of the users. It is the aim of the conceptual framework to ensure reliance of financial information on predictive as well as confirmatory value, wherein, predictive values are based upon predictions while confirmatory values are based upon the feedback of the previous assessments. The information is considered as relevant if it possesses the ability to add value to the process of decision making by providing all the aspects relevant to the information (iasplus.com, 2013). In the process of making financial reports, confirmatory value is also considered as highly significant. Following the IFRS standards, the financial reporting involves the calculation based on fair value concept for the purpose of measuring the values of assets as well as liabilities. It might lead to enhance the unpredictable nature of the assets as reported.
• Understand ability-It rely on the aspect of classification and exhibiting the information in clear and concise manner. The clarity and understand ability of the financial information is essentially required by the users. The information in the financial reports is required to demonstrate the content with clarity with the help of supportive footnotes along with them (Accounting Tools, 2018). With the help of conceptual framework, the preparation of reports can be made possible in a user friendly manner to be used by the users having business and economic activities. The conceptual framework also provides for the required advice to understand complicated information in financial reports to the users. However, there are few disadvantages as well. As the IFRS standards are not accepted all across the world, it becomes difficult to be understood at the international level. The principles included in IFRS are not generally understood by the users easily. In addition, the financial statements prepared with the guidance of IFRS provide only desired outcomes that might result into manipulation of profit.       
• Comparability-Financial Information has the capability to serve multipurpose activity by existing significantly overtime as well as to be compared with the financial information sources. The comparison of financial information is required in order to evaluate varying aspects of the financial position of an entity. It is the conceptual framework that identifies the comparability that could enable the users to differentiate between the similarities as well as dissimilarities between the items. For the purpose of comparison, two items are required i.e. financial information of existing year as well as previous year (Connectusfund.org, 2018). The financial reporting related activity in IFRS is considered as less comprehensive along with increased costs of implementation. Due to the complicated nature of the information, ambiguity arises sometimes and hence users find difficulty in understanding it easily and to compare it. The implementation of IFRS requires the cost of training and making the accountants aware regarding the principles involved.

Public Interest Theory

It can be considered as an economic concept of welfare economics as its name suggests. This theory functions as a market where business related activities are undertaken by the organizations to grow and survive in the industry with so much of competition. The work for social welfare or social interest acts as a motivating factor for the organizations. Majority of business firms and organizations make efforts for improvising the social influence of business activities as well as to protect the public interests.  The public interest held in optimum utilization of the resources for the purpose of goods production as well as in accordance with the welfare of the society (Hantke-Domas, 2003).  To a certain extent, the intervention of government assists in effective implementation of the business policies for the welfare of society as well as environment because the markets have become fragile and operate for the individual interest instead of society. For public interest, there is a requirement of legislation to be brought in effect by the government to involve the disclosure of influence of organizational activities on society as well as environment. In addition, the organizations are also required to be regulated to ensure the availability of essential goods and services.

The interference of the government in the corporate activities should be restricted, to emphasize them to include various social as well as environmental responsibilities along with their corporate responsibilities. It should be the desire of the organization itself to define significant social as well as environmental responsibilities for them. However, it is believed that the organizations can use it to create value by taking initiatives regarding social and environmental welfare and business can progress rapidly through such initiatives (Open Text Books, 2016). This theory considers government as neutral authority regarding the concept of social and environmental development by the organizations.

Views of CFOs on IFRS Reporting Practices

Capture Theory

This theory supports the view that agencies are established to keep an eye over the interests of the society but in actual, such agencies work for the interests of the industry. In addition, the theory states that such government agencies are created by the former industry people, which work for the welfare of the industry (Potter, et al., 2014). The legislation should be made by the government for the formation of regulators instead of employing industry people and these regulators must be well trained and educated regarding the industrial aspects. Such agencies generate inefficient allocation of the resources instead of meeting social requirements. Furthermore, the government should develop awareness programmes for the customers as well as the organizations to tell them about the benefits that are associated with the social as well as environmental initiatives. However, majority of organizations are nowadays, aware of such benefits as such initiatives enhance their brand value and increase loyal customer base because of taking initiatives for the welfare of the society. The imposition of CSR responsibilities upon them would forcibly make them to participate in various environmental practices.

Economic interest group theory of regulation

This regulatory theory proposes that the regulations are driven by the forces of supply and demand. This theory supposes that the industry groups are created with the aim to fulfil the interest of the economic groups instead of society and regulations are established by the industry with a purpose to develop as well as gain competitive advantage for the industry. If industrial regulations are reduced, it might result into the execution of free market forces and such forces would provide exceptional information related to the welfare of society as well as environment. In addition, such forces will help the organizations to get knowledge related to value creation in their operations. This theory also suggests that the imposed legislation could not lead to the liability of the business activities regarding the protection of environment and social welfare (Open Text Books, 2016). Nowadays, majority of the organizations are well aware about the fact that failure in ability to secure society and environment by them would make the people unwilling to take the products or services of the organization as a result of which, the customer base would be reduced as well as with a reduction in the sustainability of the organization. It requires working in accordance with the existing market forces for the growth and progress of the organization.

Decision of the Australian Government on Corporate Social Responsibility

The Statement no. 144 of FASB i.e. “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” has been replaced with Statement no. 121 of FASB. The objective behind issuance of this statement is to develop single schedule for the long lived assets for disposal by sale and it includes all the fixed assets as well as discounted operations (FASB, 2018).

Statement no.144 explains about the reporting of disposal transactions along with explaining the difference between the ongoing or discontinued operations. It provides advantage to the organization of showcasing the changes in the business operations occurring as a result of disposal of operations with clarity. In addition, it provides better understanding to the users regarding the continuous operations of the business. It improves the elucidation of the discontinued operations in the financial statement as well as provides details of the presentation by the inclusion of all the components of business firm. It involves all the operations and cash flow in a proper and distinct way. There is a mention of components held for sale as well as that are disposed of. The utilization of accounting model improves the financial reporting and it eliminates the requisite of allocating goodwill that are attached to fixed assets being tested for impairment. Its objective is to ensure carrying the assets at reduced costs in comparison to their recoverable amount. The assets are considered as impaired if their carrying amount is more as compared to their recoverable amount and the entity is required to analyze the impairment loss which also includes disclosure for the impairment assets (mca.gov.in, 2018). This statement mentions the cash flow of the organization based on the probability. It involves primary asset approach which is important at the time of determining the cash flow for the assets as well as the liabilities.

For the purpose of establishing the relevancy as well as the representational faithfulness associated with the US corporate financial statements, the disclosure of the impairment loss in financial statements is essential (Wisegeek, 2018). The rules regarding Statement no. 144 could improve the relevance as well as representational faithfulness of the financial statements through clear description of the long lived assets, impaired assets, amount of impairment loss, separate disclosure regarding discontinued operations as well as ongoing operations (Giannini, 2007). 

1. There are several reasons to motivate the directors in order to limit them from revaluing the property, plant, and equipment;

• The revaluation of property, plant and equipment needs high implementation cost as it is considered as a long and continuous process. In cost model, after being recognized as an asset, it also carries less depreciation and impairment loss along with which, it costs much for this entire process(Accounting Explained, 2018).
• It is a complex process as it needs calculation of values such as impairment of assets, along with depreciation on assets as well as scrapping value of the assets.
• During the lifecycle of the property, it ceases to be considered n the basis of cost but is considered under value concept(AASB, 2004).
• Directors have to face various difficulties such as fundamental issues between values and costs concepts.
• The lifecycle of capital assets require its reflection in the financial statement.

1. b) The effects of not revaluating the fixed assets on the financial statements of the firm might be;

Real value of the assets is not mentioned in the financial statement and it obtains asset revaluation as well as impairment (Parker, 2018)

• It helps in the calculation of the accurate and reliable value of assets in comparison to their previous costs and without revaluation; the previous costs are mentioned in the financial statement which does not involve depreciation and impairment aspect.
• In sale and purchase of firms, fair value or market value is taken into consideration and revaluation of the assets provides their market value in the financial reports.

1. c) The decision not to revalue would adversely impact the wealth associated with the shareholdersas increasing book value of the assets enhances the total value of the assets and equity as well as reduces the leverage ratio. High value of equity and low leverage indicates enhancement in the earnings of the shareholders(HTK Consulting, 2018). The upward revaluation of the long lived assets also indicates increased earnings of the shareholders. It is beneficial for determining the Return on Assets (RoA) as well as Return on Equity (RoE). The accurate calculation of RoE provides the estimation of earning per share. The revaluation of the assets depicts the change that has been taken place in the equity of the shareholder majorly because of the change experienced in the net income of the entity. The equity of shareholder is also increased by the revaluation of fixed assets that determines the depreciation value (eFinancemanagement, 2018). It reduces the income tax and also helps in issuance of new share to the existing or new shareholders and enhances the net wealth of the shareholders.      

References

AASB (2004) Property, Plant and Equipmet. [Online]
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Accounting Explained (2018) Statement of Changes in Shareholders Equity. [Online]
Available at: https://accountingexplained.com/financial/statements/changes-in-shareholders-equity
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Accounting Tools (2018) The qualitative characteristics of financial statements. [Online]
Available at: https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/what-are-the-qualitative-characteristics-of-financial-statem.html
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Connectusfund.org (2018) Advantages and Disadvantages of Adopting IFRS. [Online]
Available at: https://connectusfund.org/6-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-adopting-ifrs
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eFinancemanagement (2018) Revaluation of Long-Lived Assets. [Online]
Available at: https://efinancemanagement.com/financial-accounting/revaluation-of-long-lived-assets
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

FASB (2018) Summary of Statement No. 144. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fasb.org/summary/stsum144.shtml
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Giannini, E. (2007) Impairment of Assets or Impairment of Financial Information. [Online]
Available at: https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=honors_accounting
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Hantke-Domas, M. (2003) The Public Interest Theory of Regulation: Non-Existence or Misinterpretation?. European Journal of Law and Economics, 15(2), pp. 165-194.

HTK Consulting (2018) Property, Plant, and Equipment: IAS 16. [Online]
Available at: https://www.htkconsulting.com/HTKNotes/PMR/PPE%20-%20IFRS.pdf
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

iasplus.com, 2013. Conceptual Framework - Purpose and status (IASB). [Online]
Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/meeting-notes/iasb/2013/february/cf-purpose-and-status
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Mca.gov.in (2018) Impairment of Assets. [Online]
Available at: https://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/notification/pdf/AS_28.pdf
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Open Text Books (2016) The Public Interest Theory of Regulation. [Online]
Available at: https://www.opentextbooks.org.hk/ditatopic/24878
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Parker, D. D. (2018) The Role of Director’s Valuations in Balance Sheet Reporting. [Online]
Available at: https://www.prres.net/papers/Parker_The_Role_of_Directors.pdf
[Accessed 15 May 2018].

Potter, M., Olejarski, A. & Pfister, S., 2014. Capture Theory and the Public Interest: Balancing Competing Values to Ensure Regulatory Effectiveness. International Journal of Public Administration, 37(10), pp. 638-645.

Wisegeek (2018) What Are the Disadvantages of IFRS?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-ifrs.htm
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Wisegeek (2018) What Is Economic Theory?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-economic-theory.htm
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