Financial Reporting Flashcards
What is the Assets, Liabilites and Owner equity equation?
Assets = Liabilities + Owner Equity (A = L+E)
What is a qualified opinion, unqualified opinion, adverse opinion and disclaimer of opinion?
Qualified - If auditor HAS concern
Unqualified - If auditor is satisfied with a company financial position
Adverse opinion - When accounting standards are not fairly presented.
Disclaimer of opinion - When the auditor is prevented from carrying out their function.
How should US audit reports be presented?
Fairly and Truly
Under IFRS accounting framework how should qualitative information be disclosed?
It should be ‘relevant’ to allow informed economic decisions.
What is the accrual basis regarding transactions?
Shows the effects of transactions and other events when they occur and not when cash comes in.
Difference between realisable value, historical cost and current cost?
realisable - cash obtained if sold in an ‘orderly disposle’
Historical cost - value of asset WHEN purchased.
Current cost - Replacement cost TODAY.
When are statements prepared on a ‘going concern’ basis?
Always UNLESS management intends to liquidate or cease trading. ‘Companies are not a going concern basis’
How should a coherant framework for financial reporting be displayed?
It should be ‘comprehensive’ and ‘transparent.’
What are the 6 steps for analysing data?
PCPACF Prince Charming Paid All Children Fairly
- Purpose - Financial report or objective?
- Collect data - Ask management for data, financial statements and complete questionnaires
- Process data - ‘Adjusted financial statements’
- Analyse data - Analytical results and ratios (gearing)
- Conclude - Answer questions set in phase 1
- Follow Up - Updated reports
What is financial statement analysis?
Enables analysts to evaluate ‘historic and current’ financial performance in order to make judgements on -> future performance
What are the 5 principle statements under US GAAP?
Stock holder equity Statement of comprehensive income Balance sheet Cash flow statement Income statement
What will the footnotes highlight?
At the bottom of a financial statement it will highlight accounting estimates and assumptions.
What are the Management discussions and analysis?
It highlights significant events effecting LIQUIDITY.
What are the three cash flow statements?
Investing - Financing - Operations
- Cash flow to investing activities
- Cash flow to financing activites
- Cash flow to operations
What makes up shareholder equity?
Retained earnings and Owner capital
What is more important disclosure detail or how items are classified?
Disclosure detail is more important than how items are classified.
What are the two Standard Setting bodies for financial reports?
IASB - International Accounting Standards Board - Under IFRS should be transparent and comparable.
FASB - US Financial Accounting Standards Board - US GAAP - Work closely with the SEC.
The Norwalk Agreement ‘attempts’ to harmonise standards.
What is IOSCO?
International Organisation of Securities Commission - 38 Members include SEC, FCA and other institutions with responsibility of securities regulation. -Principles based regulation based on being transparent, protecting investors and reducing systematic risk.
What is form: 10-K Annual report 8-K Proxy statement S-3
10-K (US) 40-F (Canada) - Financial summary required by the SEC.
Annual report - Goes out to shareholders
8-K = Issued if a MAJOR event such as a merger or acquisitions is likely
Proxy statement - sent prior to a share holder meeting
S-3 - reports beneficial ownership of securities
What are qualitative characteristics of the IFRS?
‘Relevance’ and ‘Faithful representation’
What are the two elements of financial statements?
Measuring financial position - assets, liabilities and equity
Measuring performance - Income and expenses
What does it mean for financial statements to be free misstatements and omissions which could influence the decision of an investor?
Materiality.
Which reporting framework allows LIFO for reporting?
US GAAP
What is the SEC?
The aim of the Securities and Exchange Commission is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. Much like the FCA.
How are US GAAP and IFRS being merged?
There are still some differences in accounting standards but the effort and goal is ‘ongoing’ to converge the two.