Standards used currently in the United States are GAAP, which relies on rules-based standards for financial reporting. The book defines rules-based standards as being highly detailed, yielding the occurrence of numerous scope exceptions and bright line distinctions, which then requires extensive implementational guidance (Wolk, p. 282). Essentially, rules-based standards minimize the utilization of an accountant’s personal judgment by instead requiring that accountants follow a detailed set of rules when formulating financial statements. However, in a study completed in 2002, the SEC states that the belief that applying rules-based standards can minimize professional judgment is simply untrue (SEC, 2003). The SEC explains how eliminating professional …show more content…
Due to lack of professional judgment utilized and the highly detailed rule-based standards, many entities responded with using deceptive accounting methods in attempt to circumvent specific rules in accounting standards. For example, rules-based standards are widely considered as a major factor in enabling Enron to circumvent the intention of the standard. Arguments against the rules-based standards stated that the standards “fostered a culture of noncompliance”, in which enabled opportunities for Enron’s top management and auditors to report fraudulent misstatements, including deceptive accounting techniques among Enron and Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) (Bratton, p.14). Specifically, due to the rules-based standards not providing clear and easily interpretive standards regarding SPEs, top management of Enron had an easy opportunity to overstate earnings. Enron applied the bright line consolidation rule listed under the rule-based standards, which allowed Enron to not consolidate those SPEs, even though they consisted of major business risks that would have been financially detrimental to Enron (Bratton,
The purpose is “to develop, implement, and establish standards for accounting and financial reporting activities are accurate and reliable, and the resulting financial reports are as accurate and beneficial to the end users.” The end users that are discussed in the purpose are the outside users of the financial statements. Outsider users are……
The financial scandals in early 2000s caused the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to be created. Enron, WorldCom and the accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, to intentionally mislead their shareholders by exaggerating their profits and understating their expenses. The scandals had raised the importance of internal control for enhancing corporate governance. Therefore, the government established the SOX to protect the interest of the investors and employees and to monitor the companies and auditors.
The creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX Act) by senator Paul Sarbanes and representative Michael G. Oxley impacted a change in the way accounting was reported by government and non government bodies. It’s creation stemmed from the many corporate scandals occurring at the time such as Enron and Worldcom. The creation of this act opened many channels for the government to enforce oversight into the inner practices of large corporations. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was the drastic change the government needed to manage and review corporate financials and reporting practices. By forcing corporations to comply with a more stringent set of regulations and allowing the government an audit and oversight board, they were allowed to positively
Since the business environment is becoming more complex, global and digital, the role of accountant is changing dramatically. While globalization makes the word smaller it increases the complexity of the accountant’s role, particularly in a multinational organization like Cochlear. Correspondingly, understanding the law in those countries as well as the rules and regulations that business can comply with is required by accountants these days. Accountants also have to set the product price at an appropriate level that both
Another pressure presented in this case for Cendant Corporation was that for the top management once again. The top management needed to have their financial information seem profitable, therefore pressured the accountant of the company to falsify and “cook the books” to make the financial statements seem actually “profitable” when it wasn’t what It really was. As said in the previous question, income smoothing was used in this case by Cendant Corporation as an unethical practice to make the investors believe that their shares were all bright
Enron was a stark example of why financial accounting, accounting standards, reliable financial reporting, and oversight is so important to investors and creditors. Congress responded to public outcry by passing a bill, which President George W. Bush signed, into law in 2002. The Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002, also known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or SOX, applies to all publicly traded companies. Sarbanes-Oxley, among other things, seeks to regulate auditors and the functions they perform. To help accomplish this task, the SOX Act required the establishment of an oversight board.
The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct presents another Confidential Client Information Rule (Section 1.700.001), which was implemented to help expand the guidance on maintaining the confidentiality of client data. The idea of accountants' work requires that they get access of their clients' confidential data. Such data could without much of a stretch give the bookkeeper an advantage and rapidly create money related profits for the bookkeeper, to the detriment of the client, obviously. Also, doing as such would require the bookkeeper to oppose the code of ethics. The Confidential Client Information Rule was set up on the grounds that the individual respectability of people in general bookkeeping firm is fundamental to the usage of the verify
Phar-Mor Inc., Waste Management, and WorldCom Frauds In the fraud case of Phar-Mor Inc., Waste Management, and WorldCom, the auditors not only failed to discover these companies fraudulent financial reporting but some even help in guidance to continue fraud schemes. Andersen Accounting helps Waste Management in their fraudulent activities by issuing unqualified audit reports of the company’s false financial statements, and engaged in a secret agreement to write-off error of data over the periods of up to ten years and to change accounting practices. Andersen Accounting certified WorldCom’s false financial data of capitalized expenses and false account receivables of $11 billion was all in accordance with GAAP rules. Coopers & Lybrand fails
In 2002, the SEC adopted new rules and amendments to address public companies’ disclosure or release of certain financial information that is calculated and presented on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The accrual accounting is more popular and be widely used in business world because it produces more accurate and faithful financial statements that constitute better representation of actual circumstances than its main competitors. The major weakness of accrual accounting is that there is some time issue such like the time of occurred and time of recorded would probably be different and it increases the risk of financial information and the risk of correctness. Also, the accrual accounting generally cost more to operate compared with cash accounting
The unrealistic expectations of external users of financial statements to assume that an auditor remains totally impartial to client influence is a conclusion drawn from psychological research. The legal system forms the opposite view and has determined that external users should be able to rely implicitly on an auditor’s determination. Accounting standards have set expectations of auditor independence and neutrality. (Max H. Bazerman, 1997) The entire concept of professional scepticism and its application is the true and fair representation of financial statements to the users of these
Having different accounting standards in the world is a problem for multinational public limited companies and investors in order to be able to compare and evaluate financial statements (Doupnik & Perera, 2009). Due to the economic and financial scandals and meltdown in recent years, the pressure has been increased on some countries such as United States. Therefore, it must eliminate the gap between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The world of accounting diversity will have consequences on such changes, and the standard convergence of US GAAP with International Financial Reporting Standards also largely affect corporate management, investment, stock market, accounting personnel and accounting standard setters. In addition, the convergence of accounting standards will change the approach for international accounting harmonization to CPA and CFO, it affects the quality of international accounting quality standards and the effort made toward GAAP and IFRS convergence
Executive Summary Lehman Brothers were an investment bank involved in transactions worth billions of dollars and one of the most powerful investment banks in the world. Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008 following bad investment in the sub-prime mortgage market and used bad accounting practices called Repo 105 transactions to try and cover up the bad assets. This report sets out the use of the fraud triangle when describing the actions which led to the collapse. The pressure applied on the bank, the opportunity due to the lack of regulation to carry out the actions and the ability of the bank to rationalise their decision making.
The false accounting records were unethical because it means management was enriching themselves. They were getting earnings based on the false availability of funds. They also did this to keep their jobs. When a company is not performing financially well the top positions are the ones usually at risk of being retrenched, as a result of implying the company was financially stable they were protecting their jobs. False accounting also results in duping investors that trust the financial records of the company.
The ILO has created 189 Conventions to date. These conventions are wide in scope, creating standards for various terms and conditions of employment. Examples for such terms and conditions as standards for Night Work, Hours of Work, Unemployment, Minimum Age, Weekly Rest, Holiday Pay, Workmen’s Compensation, and many others. The ILO has eight (8) fundamental conventions. These are C87 or the Convention for Freedom of Association and Protection of the Rights to Organise, C98 or the Right to Organise and Collective Bragaining Convention, C29 or the Forced Labour Convention, C105 or the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, C138 or the Minium Age Convention, C182 or the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, C100 or the Equal Remuneration Convention, and C1111 or the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention.
These are the set rules to guide accountants in their work of preparing and standardizing the financial statements such as income statements, balance sheet, and cash flow statements. This is important because investors rely on these statements to make their investment decisions. GAAP aids in the preparation of statements that reflect the economic reality making the financial statements comparable and easy to understand. For financial information to be useful to the users, GAAP requires the used information to be consistent, reliable, relevant and comparable. Implementation of GAAP is done through disclosure and measurement principles (Bampton and Cowton, 2013, p.557).