Question: What is the Professional Mutual Recognition

> How does a company determine whether sales or noncurrent assets located in an individual foreign country are material?

> In what ways do International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) address the issue of accounting for changing prices (inflation)?

> Why is return on assets (net income/total assets) generally smaller under current cost accounting than under historical cost accounting?

> What are the major differences in the calculation of income between the historical cost (HC) model and the current cost (CC) model of accounting?

> What are the major differences in the calculation of income between the historical cost (HC) model and the general purchasing power (GPP) model of accounting?

> What types of entity-wide disclosures are required by IFRS 8?

> What are the major differences in the segment information required to be reported in accordance with IFRS and in accordance with U.S. GAAP?

> In accordance with IFRS 8, how does a company determine which operating segments to report separately?

> What are the circumstances under which a subsidiary could, and perhaps should, be excluded from consolidation?

> Why is it important that, in countries with high inflation, financial statements be adjusted for inflation?

> Why might a company want to hedge its balance sheet exposure? What is the paradox associated with hedging balance sheet exposure?

> Explain why the legal concept of control may be appropriate in some countries, such as Japan.

> Quantacc Company began operations on January 1, Year 1, and uses IFRS to prepare its financial statements. Quantacc reported net income of $100,000 in Year 5 and had stockholders’ equity of $500,000 at December 31, Year 5. The company wishes to determine

> Which translation method does U.S. GAAP require for operations in highly inflationary countries? What is the rationale for mandating use of this method?

> What does the term functional currency mean? How is the functional currency determined under IFRS and under U.S. GAAP?

> What are the major differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP in the translation of foreign currency financial statements?

> How does a parent company determine the appropriate method for translating the financial statements of a foreign subsidiary?

> What are the major procedural differences in applying the current rate and temporal methods of translation?

> What is the concept underlying the current rate method of translation? What is the concept underlying the temporal method of translation? How does balance sheet exposure differ under these two methods?

> What factors create a balance sheet (or translation) exposure to foreign exchange risk? How does balance sheet exposure compare with transaction exposure?

> How are gains and losses on foreign currency borrowings used to hedge the net investment in a foreign subsidiary reported in the consolidated financial statements?

> What are the two major conceptual issues that must be resolved in translating foreign currency financial statements?

> How is the fair value of a foreign currency forward contract determined? How is the fair value of an option determined?

> On January 1, Year 1, Holzer Company hired a general contractor to begin construction of a new office building. Holzer negotiated a $900,000, five-year, 10 percent loan on January 1, Year 1, to finance construction. Payments made to the general contracto

> Why might a company prefer a foreign currency option rather than a forward contract in hedging a foreign currency firm commitment? Why might a company prefer a forward contract over an option in hedging a foreign currency asset or liability?

> How does the timing of hedges of the following differ? a. Foreign-currency-denominated assets and liabilities. b. Foreign currency firm commitments. c. Forecasted foreign currency transactions.

> What does the word hedging mean? Why do companies hedge foreign exchange risk?

> What factors create a foreign exchange gain on a foreign currency transaction? What factors create a foreign exchange loss?

> A company makes an export sale denominated in a foreign currency and allows the customer one month to pay. Under the two-transaction perspective, accrual approach, how does the company account for fluctuations in the exchange rate for the foreign currenc

> In what way is the accounting for a foreign currency borrowing more complicated than the accounting for a foreign currency account payable?

> How are changes in the fair value of an option accounted for in a cash flow hedge? In a fair value hedge?

> What are the differences in accounting for a forward contract used as a cash flow hedge of (a) a foreign-currency-denominated asset or liability and (b) a forecasted foreign currency transaction?

> How are foreign currency derivatives such as forward contracts and options reported on the balance sheet?

> What is an onerous contract? How are onerous contracts accounted for?

> Why is the principle of prudence clearly established in the German law?

> What is the Tokyo agreement?

> What was the accounting Big Bang in Japan?

> How have cultural factors influenced accounting practices in Japan?

> Identify three features of the Chinese accounting profession that are different from its counterparts in Anglo-American countries.

> What are the main pressures for accounting regulation in modern China?

> Recently, the regulators in the United Kingdom have placed increased emphasis on the importance of narrative reporting in the financial statements published by companies. Explain.

> What was the main objective of the discussion paper entitled “Louder than Words,” published by the FRC in 2009?

> What are the main features of the approach taken in the United Kingdom in setting accounting standards?

> Xanxi Petrochemical Company provided the following reconciliation from IFRS to U.S. GAAP in its most recent annual report (amounts in thousands of RMB): Required: a. Explain why U.S. GAAP adjustment (a) results in an addition to net income. Explain w

> What is the role of the UK Financial Reporting Council?

> What has been the impact of EU membership on accounting regulation in the United Kingdom?

> How have economic reforms affected the demand for accounting services in China?

> What is an important contribution that Mexican accounting has made to international accounting?

> What are the main external factors that have influenced financial reporting in Mexico in recent years?

> What is the role of the National Banking and Securities Commission in the area of financial reporting by Mexican companies?

> “BilMoG is not ‘IFRS light’; instead it is ‘German GAAP complex’.” Do you agree? Explain.

> What was the main focus of the GASB’s work in 2009?

> What are the main external factors that have influenced financial reporting in Germany in recent years?

> In Year 1, in a project to develop Product X, Lincoln Company incurred research and development costs totaling $10 million. Lincoln is able to clearly distinguish the research phase from the development phase of the project. Research-phase costs are $6 m

> Why does tax law have a strong influence on German accounting?

> How might the liberalization of accounting and auditing services in China result in an improved level of investor protection?

> W hat is the difference in measuring compensation expense associated with stock options that vest on a single date (cliff vesting) and in installments (graded vesting)?

> What is the basis for determining compensation cost in an equity-settled share-based payment transaction with nonemployees? With employees?

> How does a company measure the net pension benefit liability (asset) to report on the balance sheet under IFRS and U.S. GAAP?

> In a sale of receivables described as a pass-through arrangement, under what conditions can receivables be derecognized?

> How can use of the “fair value option” solve the problem of an accounting mismatch?

> Under what conditions should preferred shares be recognized as a liability on the balance sheet?

> What is a contingent liability? What is the financial reporting treatment for contingent liabilities?

> What are the five steps to follow in revenue recognition as proposed in the IASB/FASB Exposure Draft on revenue from contracts with customers?

> In its 2003 annual report, Honda Motor Company Ltd. states: Honda’s manufacturing operations are principally conducted in 25 separate factories, 5 of which are located in Japan. Principal overseas manufacturing factories are located in the United States

> What is a customer loyalty program, and how is such a program accounted for?

> Under what conditions may revenue be recognized on a “bill-and-hold” sale?

> What approaches are used to recognize revenue from the rendering of services? Under what conditions is each of these approaches used?

> What are the criteria that must be met in order to recognize revenue from the sale of goods?

> What approaches are available for disclosing the relationship between tax expense and accounting profit?

> Which income tax rates should be used in accounting for income taxes?

> How is an impairment loss on property, plant, and equipment determined and measured under IFRS? How does this differ from U.S. GAAP?

> How is the revaluation surplus handled under the revaluation model?

> Which items of property, plant, and equipment may be accounted for under the revaluation model, and how frequently must revaluation occur?

> What are the two models allowed for measuring property, plant, and equipment at dates subsequent to original acquisition?

> The appendix to this chapter describes what is commonly referred to as Anglo-Saxon accounting. Required: Explain why Anglo-Saxon accounting might be of interest to Chinese accounting regulators.

> What is the difference between IFRS and U.S. GAAP with regard to the recognition of gains and losses on sale–leaseback transactions?

> How does application of the lower of cost or market rule for inventories differ between IFRS and U.S. GAAP?

> How do the criteria for determining whether a lease qualifies as a finance (capitalized) lease differ between IFRS and U.S. GAAP?

> What are the differences in the amount of borrowing costs that can be capitalized under IFRS and U.S. GAAP?

> What is the process for determining whether goodwill allocated to a specific cash-generating unit is impaired?

> How are internally generated intangibles handled under IFRS? How does this differ from U.S. GAAP?

> What are the guidelines on selecting and changing accounting policies?

> What are the three major types of intangible asset, and how does the accounting for them differ?

> How does the classification of interest and dividends in the statement of cash flows differ between IFRS and U.S. GAAP?

> D o you see a major change of emphasis in the harmonization process since the establishment of the IASB? Explain.

> Refer to Exhibit 3.6 in this chapter and note the countries that do not permit domestic listed companies to use IFRS. Required: Identify three countries from this group that are likely to have different reasons for not permitting the use of IFRS by dome

> What is the IASB’s principles-based approach to accounting standard-setting?

> How does the structure of the IASB help to establish its legitimacy as a global standard-setter?

> Why was IOSCO’s endorsement of IASs so important to the IASC’s efforts?

> How has the U.S. SEC policy toward IFRS changed?

> What are the potential benefits that a multinational corporation could derive from the international convergence of accounting standards?

> In what way is the IASB’s Framework intended to assist firms in preparing IFRS-based financial statements?

> Would the worldwide adoption of IFRS result in worldwide comparability of financial statements? Why or why not?

> What information is provided in a statement of added value?

> How are the various costs that comprise cost of goods sold reflected in a “type of expenditure” format income statement?

> What are the different ways in which IFRS might be used within a country?

> Assume that you have been invited to advise the newly established accounting oversight body in one of the former Eastern European countries that became a member of the EU in May 2004. The accounting oversight body is charged with the task of identifying

> The Vanguard Group is an investment fi rm with more than 50 different mutual funds in which the public may invest. Among these funds are 13 international funds that concentrate on investments in non-U.S. stocks and bonds. One of these is the Internationa

> According to Nobes, what are the two most important factors influencing differences in accounting systems across countries?