BABE1 Reviewer 1
BABE1 Reviewer 1
BABE1 Reviewer 1
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework for Financial Development of a Conceptual Framework
Reporting
Presently, the Conceptual Framework is comprises
Conceptual Framework of the following.
- establishes the concepts that underlie • Chapter 1: The Objective of General Purpose
financial reporting. Financial Reporting
Need for a Conceptual Framework • Chapter 2: The Reporting Entity (not yet issued)
► Rule-making should build on and relate to • Chapter 3: Qualitative Characteristics of Useful
an established body of concepts. Financial Information
► Enables IASB to issue more useful and • Chapter 4: The Framework, comprised of the
consistent pronouncements over time. following:
What do numbers mean? What’s your principle? 1. Underlying assumption—the going concern
assumption;
The need for a conceptual framework is highlighted
2. The elements of financial statements;
by accounting scandals such as those at Royal
3. Recognition of the elements of financial
Ahold (NLD), Enron (USA), and Satyan Computer
statements;
Services (IND). To restore public confidence in the
4. Measurement of the elements of financial
financial reporting process, many have argued that
statements; and
regulators should move toward principles-based
5. Concepts of capital and capital
rules. They believe that companies exploited the
maintenance.
detailed provisions in rules-based pronouncements
Overview of the Conceptual Framework
to manage accounting reports, rather than report
the economic substance of transactions. For Three levels:
example, many of the off–balance-sheet
arrangements of Enron avoided transparent First Level = Objectives of Financial Reporting
reporting by barely achieving 3 percent outside
Second Level = Qualitative Characteristics and
equity ownership, a requirement in an obscure
Elements of Financial Statements
accounting rule interpretation. Enron’s financial
engineers were able to structure transactions to Third Level = Recognition, Measurement, and
achieve a desired accounting treatment, even if Disclosure Concepts.
that accounting treatment did not reflect the
transaction’s true nature. Under principles-based
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Faithful representation
C. Enhancing Qualities
SECOND LEVEL: BASIC ELEMENTS
Elements of Financial Statements
1. Asset
- A resource controlled by the entity as a
result of past events and from which future
economic benefits are expected to flow to
the entity.
2. Liability
- A present obligation of the entity arising
from past events, the settlement of which is
expected to result in an outflow from the
entity of resources embodying economic
benefits.
3. Equity
- The residual interest in the assets of the
entity after deducting all its liabilities.
4. Income
- Increases in economic benefits during the
accounting period in the form of inflows or
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enhancements of assets or decreases of
liabilities that result in increases in equity, THIRD LEVEL: RECOGNITION, MEASUREMENT,
other than those relating to contributions AND DISCLOSURE CONCEPTS
from equity participants.
5. Expenses
- Decreases in economic benefits during the
accounting period in the form of outflows or
depletions of assets or incurrences of
liabilities that result in decreases in equity,
other than those relating to distributions to
equity participants.
Basic Assumptions
Economic Entity
Going Concern
Monetary Unit
Revenue Recognition
Measurement Principles
1. Historical Cost
- generally thought to be a faithful
representation of the amount paid for a
given item.
2. Fair value
- defined as “the price that would be
received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a
liability in an orderly transaction between
market participants at the measurement
date.”
3. IASB has given companies the option to use
fair value as the basis for measurement of
financial assets and financial liabilities. Expense Recognition
Full Disclosure
Provided through:
Financial Statements
Supplementary information
Following are the key similarities and differences • Although both U.S. GAAP and IFRS are
between U.S. GAAP and IFRS related to the increasing the use of fair value to report
Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. assets, at this point IFRS has adopted it
more broadly. As examples, under IFRS,
Similarities
companies can apply fair value to property,
• In 2010, the IASB and FASB completed the plant, and equipment; natural resources;
first phase of a jointly created conceptual and, in some cases, intangible assets.
framework. In this first phase, they agreed
• U.S. GAAP has a concept statement to guide
on the objective of financial reporting and a
estimation of fair values when market-
common set of desired qualitative
related data is not available (Statement of
characteristics. These were presented in the
Financial Accounting Concepts No. 7, “Using
Chapter 2 discussion. Note that prior to this
Cash Flow Information and Present Value in
converged phase, the Conceptual
Accounting”). The IASB has not issued a
Framework gave more emphasis to the
similar concept statement; it has issued a
objective of providing information on
fair value standard (IFRS 13) that is
management’s performance (stewardship).
converged with U.S. GAAP.
• The existing conceptual frameworks
• The monetary unit assumption is part of
underlying U.S. GAAP and IFRS are very
each framework. However, the unit of
similar. That is, they are organized in a
measure will vary depending on the
similar manner (objective, elements,
currency used in the country in which the
qualitative characteristics, etc.). There is no
company is incorporated (e.g., Chinese
real need to change many aspects of the
yuan, Japanese yen, and British pound).
existing frameworks other than to converge
different ways of discussing essentially the • The economic entity assumption is also part
same concepts. of each framework although some cultural
differences result in differences in its
• The converged framework should be a
application. For example, in Japan many
single document, unlike the two conceptual
companies have formed alliances that are
frameworks that presently exist. It is
so strong that they act similar to related
unlikely that the basic structure related to
corporate divisions although they are not
the concepts will change.
actually part of the same company.
• Both the IASB and FASB have similar
About The Numbers
measurement principles, based on historical
cost and fair value. In 2011, the Boards While the conceptual framework that
issued a converged standard on fair value underlies U.S. GAAP is very similar to that
measurement so that the definition of fair used to develop IFRS, the elements
value, measurement techniques, and identified and their definitions under U.S.
disclosures are the same between U.S. GAAP are different.
GAAP and IFRS when fair value is used in
On the Horizon
financial statements.
The IASB and the FASB face a difficult task in
attempting to update, modify, and
complete a converged conceptual
framework. There are many challenging
issues to overcome. For example, how do
we trade off characteristics such as highly
relevant information that is difficult to
verify? How do we define control when we
are developing a definition of an asset? Is a
liability the future sacrifice itself or the
obligation to make the sacrifice? Should a
single measurement method, such as
historical cost or fair value, be used, or does
it depend on whether it is an asset or
liability that is being measured? We are
optimistic that the new converged
conceptual framework will be a significant
improvement over its predecessors and will
lead to standards that will help financial
statement users to make better decisions.
COPYRIGHT
- Describes the basic concepts that underlie - Attributes that make the information
the preparation and presentation of provided in the F.S. useful to others
financial statements
- Concerned with general purpose financial
statements
- It is not PFRS and does not define standards
- In case of conflict, PFRS prevail over those
of the Framework.
- Underlying theme - Decision usefulness
Purposes of Framework
Costs should be justified by the benefits of (2) whether to buy, hold or sell interest
reporting information
(3) assess the ability of entity to pay dividends
Other assumptions, concepts and principles
Lenders
Accrual Basis o (as well as banks and other lending
o FS are prepared to include all institutions) enables them to
income as long as it is earned and all determine whether loans, and the
expenses that has been incurred interest attached to such loans could
Accounting Entity be paid when due.
o Business enterprise is considered as Suppliers and other trade creditors
a separate and distinct from the o (as well as potential creditors)
person or people who owns and whether amounts owing them will
runs it be paid when due
Monetary unit
SECONDARY USERS
o quantify transactions into a common
unit of measurement known as Employees
money o they are concerned with:
Time Periods
o economic life of the business is (1) Stability and profitability of their
divided into relatively short period employers
(2) Employers’ ability to pay remuneration, Expense
retirement benefits and opportunities
- decreases in economic benefits in the form
Customers - continuance of an entity of
Government – activities of entities (1) outflows or depletions of assets
especially allocation of resources or
Public – trends and recent development in (2) increases of liabilities
the entity - decreases in equity other than those
relating to distributions from equity
Elements of financial statements participants
ELEMENTS RELATED TO FINANCIAL POSITION Recognition of the elements of financial
Asset statements
Concepts of Capital