ANALYSIS-Fair-value accounting may be coming for real estate
By Dena Aubin
NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) – U.S. rule-makers are mulling an expansion of fair-value accounting to land and buildings held for investment, a change that could reshape the balance sheets of hundreds of real estate companies.
Fair value, which measures assets by their market worth rather than historical cost, is at the center of a big debate in the banking sector, where the Financial Accounting Standards Board is broadening its use. (more…)
PREVIEW-Rulemakers plan global overhaul of lease accounting
By Emily Chasan
NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) – U.S. and international accounting rule makers are planning to propose an overhaul of lease accounting as soon as Tuesday, in a move expected to affect some $1.2 trillion in leased assets.
IASB: single set of accounting rules on track
By Huw Jones
LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) – The world’s top accounting bodies are on track to thrash out a common set of rules by the middle of next year, the International Accounting Standards Board said on Tuesday.
The G20 group of countries set the ambitious deadline last year to make it simpler for cross-border companies and investors but differences over how to value some complex assets have raised concerns about the timetable.
Last month the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it would commit to a new work plan that would delay any move to international standards until at least 2015.
The IASB, whose rules are used by listed companies in over 115 countries, including the European Union but not the United States, said it has stepped up meetings with its U.S. peer, the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
“In our soon to be published report, the Boards will state that despite the challenging technical issues to resolve, we remain on schedule to achieve the June 2011 target,” IASB Chairman David Tweedie told EU finance ministers in a statement made available to the media.
“These intensive discussions are achieving positive results. We plan to publish seven joint proposals in the next quarter. The Boards individually will also propose other changes to bring their own standards in line with each other,” Tweedie said.
INTERVIEW-Plan B may keep accounting convergence on track – IASB
By Huw Jones
LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) – A patch-up solution to keep the goal of a single global accounting system on track may be needed due to differences over how standard setters are reforming a rule blamed for amplifying the credit crunch.
Two rival accounting systems could feature extra disclosures allowing analysts to make comparisons between different fair value rules, the chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), David Tweedie, told Reuters Insider.
The G20 group of leading countries has set a mid-2011 deadline for converging the world’s main accounting rules.
It is a long-time goal of multinational companies which want to cut red tape and would also make it easier for international investors to compare companies from different countries.
Two of the world’s top standard setters are reforming their fair value or mark-to-market rule which requires banks to value some assets at the going rate. It led to huge writedowns at the height of the credit crunch, sparking calls in Europe to curb its scope.
The IASB has begun changing its fair value rule in a move which UBS analysts say will reduce its use. The U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), however, has signalled it wants to broaden the scope of its fair value rule.
U.S. accounting board eyes more disclosure on illiquid assets
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (Reuters) – U.S. accounting rulemakers have proposed requiring new disclosures on how companies value illiquid assets, a move designed to make it easier for investors to assess businesses’ financial health. (more…)
Regulators urge politicians to ease pressure for accounting changes
By Huw Jones LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) – Accounting did not trigger the credit crunch and policymakers should avoid putting pressure on standard setters to make hasty rule changes without proper consultation, a high-level group of regulators said in a report on Tuesday. (more…)
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