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Profit Measurement and UK Accounting Standards: A Case of Increasing Disharmony in Relation to US GAAP and IASs

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  • P. Weetman
  • E. A. E. Jones
  • C. A. Adams
  • S. J. Gray

Abstract

UK accounting practice differs from International Accounting Standards (IASs) particularly with regard to amortisation of goodwill, provision for deferred taxation and the accounting treatment of pension costs. Under the core standards programme of the IASC the IASs have emerged closer to US practice. This paper evaluates the profit of those UK companies reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1988 and 1994, spanning a period which saw the establishment of the ASB and the implementation of the IASC's comparability project. An increasing gap was found between the reported profit under UK accounting principles and that restated under US GAAP. The difference lay most frequently in accounting for goodwill, provision for deferred tax, and the accounting treatment of pension costs, with accounting for goodwill showing a particularly significant impact in 1994. Notwithstanding the introduction of FRS 10, an overall impression of increasing disharmony could continue to cause reconciliations to be required of UK companies seeking full listing on a US stock exchange, with consequent disadvantage relative to companies in other European countries seeking international capital in the US.

Suggested Citation

  • P. Weetman & E. A. E. Jones & C. A. Adams & S. J. Gray, 1998. "Profit Measurement and UK Accounting Standards: A Case of Increasing Disharmony in Relation to US GAAP and IASs," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 189-208, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:28:y:1998:i:3:p:189-208
    DOI: 10.1080/00014788.1998.9728909
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    Cited by:

    1. Salma Damak-Ayadi, 2007. "De L'Efficacite Des Mesures De Convergence Pour Preparer Le Passage Aux Ias/Ifrs En France," Post-Print halshs-00544879, HAL.
    2. Street, Donna L. & Nichols, Nancy B. & Gray, Sidney J., 2000. "Assessing the Acceptability of International Accounting Standards in the US: An Empirical Study of the Materiality of US GAAP Reconciliations by Non-US Companies Complying with IASC Standards," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 27-63, March.
    3. Whittington, Mark, 2000. "Problems in Comparing Financial Performance Across International Boundaries: A Case Study Approach," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 399-413, September.
    4. David Ashton & Terry Cooke & Mark Tippett, 2003. "An Aggregation Theorem for the Valuation of Equity Under Linear Information Dynamics," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3‐4), pages 413-440, April.
    5. Artikis, Panagiotis G. & Papanastasopoulos, Georgios A., 2016. "Implications of the cash component of earnings for earnings persistence and stock returns," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 117-133.
    6. Visani, Franco & Di Lascio, F. Marta L. & Gardini, Silvia, 2020. "The impact of institutional and cultural factors on the use of non-GAAP financial measures. International evidence from the oil and gas industry," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    7. George Emmanuel Iatridis, 2012. "Voluntary IFRS disclosures: evidence from the transition from UK GAAP to IFRSs," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 27(6), pages 573-597, June.
    8. Ioannis Tsalavoutas & Lisa Evans, 2010. "Transition to IFRS in Greece: financial statement effects and auditor size," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 25(8), pages 814-842, September.
    9. Niamh Brennan & Claire Marston, 1999. "A comparative analysis of required financial disclosures in US, UK and international accounting standards," Open Access publications 10197/2969, Research Repository, University College Dublin.
    10. Federica Doni & Ross Taplin & Roberto Verona, 2016. "Comparability of Company Accounts Using IFRS and US GAAP: Empirical Evidence of European and US Financial Statements," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(12), pages 1-54, November.
    11. Vassilios‐Christos Naoum & Georgios A. Papanastasopoulos, 2021. "The implications of cash flows for future earnings and stock returns within profit and loss firms," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 2927-2945, April.
    12. Maroney, James J. & McGarry, Clodagh & Ó hÓgartaigh, Ciarán, 2008. "Familiarity, home bias and investors’ reactions to 20-F reconciliation gains and losses and perceptions of the quality of accounting principles," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 103-122.
    13. Sugiyama, Sachiko & Islam, Jesmin, 2016. "Empirical findings from the reconciliations in the first IFRS compliant reports prepared by Japanese-owned subsidiaries in Australia," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 143-158.
    14. Dunk, Alan S. & Kilgore, Alan, 2000. "The Reintroduction of the True and Fair Override and Harmonization with IASC Standards in Australia: Lessons from the EU and Implications for Financial Reporting and International Trade," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 213-226, July.
    15. Doukakis, Leonidas C. & Papanastasopoulos, Georgios A., 2014. "The accrual anomaly in the U.K. stock market: Implications of growth and accounting distortions," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 256-277.
    16. Stephen Zeff & David Hatherly & T. Cooke & Colin Clubb, 1998. "Book Reviews," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 87-92.
    17. Iatridis, George, 2012. "Hedging and earnings management in the light of IFRS implementation: Evidence from the UK stock market," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 21-35.
    18. Peng, Songlan & Tondkar, Rasoul H. & van der Laan Smith, Joyce & Harless, David W., 2008. "Does Convergence of Accounting Standards Lead to the Convergence of Accounting Practices?: A Study from China," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 448-468, December.
    19. repec:dau:papers:123456789/2091 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Andreea Gabriela PONORICA & Ahmed H. Juhi AL-SAEDI, 2015. "International Economic Harmonisation," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 9(1), pages 420-431, November.

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