Introduction to International

Financial Reporting Standards

Structure of IASCF

International Accounting Standards

Committee Foundation (22 Trustees)

International Accounting Standards Advisory

Standards Board (15 members) Council

International Financial Reporting

Interpretations Committee (14
members)

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Structure of IASCF

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 Developments in IFRS:
IASB and IFRIC Update

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 Principle-based vs. rule-based standards

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Applicability of IFRS

IFRS are applicable to general purpose financial

statements of all commercial, industrial and business
reporting entities, whether in the public or the private sectors
General purpose financial statements:
► Directed towards the common information needs of a wide
range of users
► Prepared at least annually

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Users of financial statements

Shareholders Customers
Investment analysts Regulators
Creditors Government agencies
Suppliers Rating agencies
Employees Public at large

General purpose financial statements are not intended to

provide information specifically needed only for a particular
category of users

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Objective of financial statements

To provide information about the financial position,

performance and changes in financial position of an
entity that is useful to a wide range of users in making
economic decisions
Financial statements do not provide all necessary
information:
► Largely portray the financial effects of past events
► Do not necessarily provide non-financial information

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Financial position

Economic resources the entity controls

Financial structure of the entity
Liquidity and solvency of the entity
Presented in the balance sheet

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Financial performance

Profitability
Changes in economic resources
Variability of performance (trends)
Presented in the income statement

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Changes in financial position
Operating, investing and financing activities
Ability to generate cash and cash equivalents
Needs of entity to utilize cash flows
Statement of cash flows

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Accrual basis

The effects of transactions and other events are recognised

when they occur (and not as cash or its equivalent is
received or paid) and they are recorded in the accounting
records and reported in the financial statements of the
periods to which they relate.

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Materiality

Information is material if its omission or misstatement could

influence the economic decisions of users taken on the
basis of the financial statements
Materiality depends on the size of the item or error judged
in the particular circumstances of its omission or
misstatement
Sometimes, items small by size may also be material

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Qualitative characteristics of financial
statements

Understandability Relevance
Reliability ► Materiality
► Faithful representation Comparability
► Substance over form
► Neutrality Constraints:
► Prudence ► Timeliness
► Completeness ► Balance between benefit
and cost

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Elements of financial statements
Assets
Liabilities
Equity
Income
Expenses

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Assets

An asset is a resource controlled by the enterprise as a

result of past events and from which future economic
benefits are expected to flow to the enterprise
An asset is recognised in the balance sheet when it is
probable that the future economic benefits will flow to the
enterprise and the asset has a cost or value that can be
measured reliably

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Liabilities

A liability is a present obligation of the enterprise arising from

past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an
outflow from the enterprise of resources embodying economic
benefits
A liability is recognised in the balance sheet when it is
probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic
benefits will result from the settlement of a present obligation
and the amount at which the settlement will take place can be
measured reliably

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Equity

Equity is the residual interest in the assets of the enterprise

after deducting all its liabilities
Although it is conceptually a residual amount, it is generally
subdivided into its components for presentation purposes,
for example
► Paid-in capital
► Retained earnings
► Other reserves

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Income and expenses

Income is increases in economic benefits during the

accounting period in the form of inflows or enhancements of
assets or decreases of liabilities that result in increases in
equity, other than those relating to contributions from equity
participants
Expenses are 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

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 Measurement Bases

IFRS Framework lists four possibilities of measurement basis:

► Historical cost
► Current cost
► Realisable (settlement) value
► Present value

► Is there something missing?

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Fair Value
Not mentioned as a measurement basis in the Framework
“The amount for which an asset could be exchanged between
knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm's length transaction” as defined
in several standards
Recognition and measurement of fair value is crucial to performance
measurement under the system the IASB is developing

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IAS 1 - Summary

Applies to presentation of all general purpose financial

statements
► Intended to meet the needs of users who are not in a position to
demand reports tailored to specific information needs
Applies to:
► Separate and consolidated financial statements
► All types of entities (industry specific issues are not addressed)
No mandatory formats to follow

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Identification of Financial Statements

Financial Statements under IFRS if they include an explicit

and unreserved statement of compliance with all the
requirements of IFRSs

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Content of financial statements
A complete set of financial statements includes the following
components:
► a balance sheet
► an income statement
► a statement showing either
► all changes in equity
► changes in equity other than those arising from capital transactions
with owners and distributions to owners
► a cash flow statement
► accounting policies and explanatory notes

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Accounting Policies - Fair Presentation

The application of IFRSs is presumed to result in Financial Statements

that achieve a fair presentation
This presumption is however potentially rebuttable:
► Because of a rare circumstance where departure from a provision
of IFRSs is needed to achieve fair presentation
Inappropriate accounting policies are not rectified either by disclosure of
the accounting policies used or by notes or explanatory material

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 Going concern

Financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis

unless management intends to liquidate the enterprise or cease
trading, or can’t avoid doing so
Any material uncertainties about the enterprise’s ability to
continue as a going concern should be disclosed
When the going concern basis is not used, disclose:
► that fact
► the alternative basis that has been used instead, and
► why the enterprise is not considered to be a going concern

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Consistency

The presentation and classification of information should be

retained from period to period, unless
► a significant change in the nature of the operations, or a review of
the financial statement presentation, shows that a change will
give a more appropriate presentation, or
► a change is required by an IFRS or IFRIC interpretation

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Materiality and aggregation

Each material item should be presented separately in the

financial statements
Immaterial amounts should be aggregated with amounts of a
similar nature or function and need not be presented
separately

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Offsetting

Assets and liabilities should not be offset except if required

or permitted by another IAS
Items of income and expense should be offset when, and
only when:
► an IAS requires or permits it, or

► gains, losses and related expenses arising from the same or

similar transactions and events are not material

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Comparative information
For numerical information
► Should be disclosed in respect of the previous period for all
numerical information in the financial statements unless an IFRS
permits or requires otherwise

► Should be amended to remain comparable, if there are changes

to the presentation or classification of items in the current period,
and details of changes disclosed

For narrative and descriptive information

► Should be included if it is relevant to an understanding of the
current period’s financial statements

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Balance sheet classification
The balance sheet format should present either
► current and non-current assets and current and
non-current liabilities as separate classifications, or
► assets and liabilities broadly in order of their liquidity
In either case, disclose for each item that includes current
and non-current amounts, any amount expected to be
recovered or settled after more than twelve months

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Current assets are defined as...

those expected to be realised in, or held for sale or

consumption in, the normal course of the enterprise’s
operating cycle
those held primarily for trading purposes or for the short-term
and expected to be realised within twelve months of the
balance sheet date, or
cash or a cash equivalent asset that is not restricted as to its
use
All other assets are classified as non-current assets

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Current liabilities are defined as...

those expected to be settled in the normal course

of the enterprise's operating cycle, or
those due to be settled within twelve months of the balance
sheet date
All other liabilities should be classified as non-current

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Long-term debt being refinanced

An enterprise continues to classify its long-term debt as non-

current, even when it is due to be settled within a year of the
balance sheet date, if:
► the original term was for a period of more than a year

► the enterprise intends to refinance the obligation on a long-term

basis, and

► that intention is supported by an agreement to refinance, or to

reschedule payments, which is completed before the financial
statements are authorised for issue

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Classification of expenses

Operating expenses can be classified either:

► by the nature of the expenses, such as
► depreciation
► purchases of materials
► transport costs
► wages and salaries
► advertising costs
► by their function, such as
► cost of sales
► distribution costs
► administrative costs

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IAS 8 Changes in Accounting Policies

Changes in accounting policy arising from:

► A. The initial (early) application of an IFRS
with specific transitional provision
► B. The initial application of an IFRS
without specific transitional provision; and
► C. Voluntary changes in accounting policy
Policy changes under A. should be accounted for in
accordance with the specific transitional provisions of the
IFRS
Policy changes under B. and C. require retrospective
application.

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Retrospective Application

Retrospective application requires (IAS 8.22 ):

Adjustment of the opening balance of each affected
component of equity for the earliest prior period presented
Other comparative amounts disclosed for each prior period
presented as if the new accounting policy had always been
applied
► If the entity presents comparatives for two previous periods, the
comparative amounts of both periods need to be restated

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Retrospective Application (cont.)

Retrospective application requires (IAS 8.22):

Usually to make the resulting adjustment relating to periods
before those presented in the financial statements to
retained earnings
► However, the adjustment may be made to another component of
equity (for example, to comply with a standard or an
interpretation)

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IFRS 1 First-time Adoption of IFRS
What is a first-time adopter?
► An entity that presents its first IFRS financial statements
What are the first IFRS financial statements?
► The first annual financial statements in which the entity adopts
IFRS by an explicit and unreserved statement of compliance
What is an explicit and unreserved Statement of Compliance?
► Prepared in accordance with IFRS (including interpretations)

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Objective of IFRS 1

A first-time adopter should prepare financial statements as if

it had always applied IFRSs.
An entity's first IFRS financial statements and its first IFRS
interim financial statements contain high quality financial
information that:
► (a) Is transparent for users and comparable over all periods
presented;
► (b) Provides a suitable starting point for accounting under IFRS;
and
► (c) Can be generated at a cost that does not exceed the benefits
to users.

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What Counts as First-time Adoption?

IFRS first-time adopter:

Whether or not the entity's first IFRS financial statements are
the first annual financial statements in which the entity
adopts IFRS by an 'explicit and unreserved Statement of
Compliance with IFRS ' in those financial statements

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Who is a First-time Adopter?
An entity's first IFRS financial statements will be subject to
IFRS 1 even if it presented its most recent previous financial
statements in conformity with IFRS in all respects except that
they did not contain an explicit and unreserved Statement of
Compliance with IFRSs.

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Who is Not a First-time Adopter?

General rule:
If the previous financial statements contained an explicit and
unreserved Statement of Compliance with IFRS, then the
entity can never be considered a first-time adopter.

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Timeline

Last financial statements under ‘previous GAAP’

First IFRS
Comparative period
Reporting period
First IFRS Financial Statements

31/12/2002 1/1/2004 31/12/2004 31/12/2005

Date of transaction to IFRSs Beginning of the first Reporting period
opening IFRS balance sheet IFRS reporting period

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 Accounting Policies

Select IFRS accounting policies:

• Use standards effective at the reporting date;
IFRS 1 requires • determine which standards to adopt before
full retrospective application their effective date;
of IFRSs • Determine which exemptions to use; and
• Take into account the exception to respective
in force at an entity's application.
reporting date
First IFRS Financial Statements

1/1/2004 31/12/2004 31/12/2005

Date of transition to IFRS
opening IFRS balance sheet Reporting date

The opening IFRS balance sheet must comply with each IFRS effective
at the reporting date for the first IFRS financial statements.

However, a number of exemptions from other IFRS and exceptions to

retrospective application of other IFRS allowed by IFRS 1

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Opening IFRS Balance Sheet

A first-time adopter should prepare an opening IFRS balance sheet,

prepared in accordance with IFRS at the date of transition to IFRSs
The opening IFRS balance sheet does not have to be published but must
be prepared

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