Conceptual framework
Objectives of financial reporting
The primary objective of financial reporting is to provide useful information to users for making economic decisions.
This may Incl:
creditors
regulatory bodies
investors
other stakeholders
⚠Useful information must have the following characteristics
Reliability
🏴Comparability
⭐Relevance
🏴Understandability
Information must be capable of making a difference in users' decisions by helping them assess 🏴the future impacts of past and present events.
Information must be free from material errors and bias, and be:
⭐Faithful
Neutral
🏴Verifiable
information must be capable of comparison with other financial information, either within the same entity or across different entities or periods.
Information must be clear, concise, and expressed in a manner that is understandable to users who have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities.
Financial reporting must also consider the needs of users who have different levels of expertise and decision-making authority and ensure that information is presented in a balanced and complete manner.
Financial reporting must also comply with relevant laws, regulations, and accounting standards, and be subject to appropriate oversight and enforcement mechanisms.
Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Information
The qualitative characteristics refer to the attributes that make financial information useful for decision-making.
The Two Primary Characteristics are
Relevance
Faithful Representation.
Relevance means that the information is
Capable of making a difference in the decisions of users
Must have Predictive Value, Confirmatory Value, or Both.
Faithful representation means that the information faithfully represents the economic phenomena that it purports to represent, must be:
complete
neutral
free from error.
Other characteristics of useful financial information include
Verifiability
Timeliness
Comparability
Understandability
means that information is comparable across different entities, periods, or industries, allowing users to make meaningful comparisons.
means that different knowledgeable and independent observers can reach a consensus that the information faithfully represents the economic phenomena it purports to represent.
means that information is available to users in a timely manner, allowing them to make decisions before the opportunity to act on the information passes.
means that information is presented in a clear, concise, and comprehensible manner, so that users can understand its significance.
Elements of Financial Statements
The elements of financial statements include:
Equity
Income
Liabilities
Expenses
Assets
Are economic resources that are controlled by an entity as a result of past events, and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity
A present obligation of the entity to transfer an economic resource as a result of past events.
Represents the residual interest in the assets of an entity after deducting liabilities. It represents the claims of the owners of the entity.
Refers to increases in economic benefits during the accounting period in the form of inflows or enhancements of assets or decreases of liabilities, that result in increases in equity
Represent decreases in economic benefits during the accounting period in the form of outflows or depletions of assets or incurrences of liabilities that result in decreases in equity
Definition Requirements
Asset
Liability
The three requirements for the definition of an asset are:
Future economic benefits:
Past transaction or event:
Control:
This means that the owner can decide how the asset is used, when it is used, and who can use it.
The asset should be expected to provide future economic benefits to the owner.
The asset should have arisen from a past transaction or event that has already occurred
The owner of the asset should have the ability to control the access, use, and disposition of the asset.
This means that the asset can generate cash flows or other economic benefits, either by producing goods or services or by increasing in value over time
This means that the asset is the result of a previous transaction or event, such as:
exchange
investment
purchase
The three requirements for the definition of an Liability are:
To Transfer an Economic Resource
Result of past events
Entity has an Present OBLIGATION
This means that the company has a legal or constructive duty to settle the obligation at the present time, or in the future.
This means that the company will have to use some of its assets, such as cash or other resources, to settle the obligation.
This means that something has happened in the past that has created a binding obligation for the company to pay or perform a certain action in the future.
Recognition and Derecognition
Recognition
Derecognition
Recognition criteria may vary depending on the type of transaction or event, but generally include
It involves the application of accounting principles and standards to determine when and how to record a transaction or event in the financial statements.
Recognition refers to the process of identifying and recording a financial transaction or event in an organization's financial statements.
Once a transaction or event is recognized
reliability
materiality
relevance
it becomes part of an organization's financial statements and is used to evaluate its financial performance and position.
This can occur when an asset is sold or disposed of, when a liability is settled, or when a financial instrument expires or is cancelled.
The criteria for derecognition depend on the type of asset or liability being removed, but generally include
Derecognition refers to the process of removing a previously recognized asset, liability, or other financial instrument from an organization's financial statements.
Derecognition is important because it ensures that an organization's financial statements accurately reflect its current financial position and performance by removing assets and liabilities that are no longer relevant or reliable.
the absence of continuing involvement
the realization of all or substantially all of the asset's or liability's carrying amount.
transfer of control
Measurement
Measurement Basis
Assets
Liabilities
Fair value
Value-in-use
Historical cost:
Current cost:
Transaction-based measurement, involves recording assets at their original cost; which includes:
shipping fees
taxes
purchase price
other associated costs
Fair value is a market-based measurement, involves recording assets at their current market value, which may be higher or lower than their historical cost
This method is entity-specific, involves estimating the future cash flows an asset will generate, discounting them to their present value, and recording the asset at that value.
Method is useful for companies that have assets with a short useful life, This basis involves recording assets at the cost that would be incurred to replace them at current market prices
Fair value:
Fulfilment value:
Historical cost:
Current cost:
Involves recording liabilities at their original cost, which could include:
Deferred costs
Discounts
Interest
Premiums
Involves recording liabilities at their current market value, reflects the amount that would be paid to settle the liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.
method is entity-specific, involves estimating the amount that would be required to settle the liability based on the current expectations of the company regarding future cash flows
Method is useful for companies that have liabilities with a short remaining life, Similar to current cost for assets, this basis involves recording liabilities at the cost that would be incurred to replace them at current market prices
Selecting a measurement should be solely to satisfy this
Selecting a Measurement Basis is Based on these Factors
Relevance
Faithful representation
Consideration of relevance:
1.) Characteristics of the asset or liability
2.) Contribution to future cash flows:
Variability of cash flows
Sensitivity of the value to market factors or other risks
Whether cash flows are produced directly or indirectly in combination with other economic resources
The nature of the entity's business activities
Consideration of faithful representation
1.) Measurement inconsistency
2.) Measurement Uncertainty
Measurement inconsistency can lead to financial statements that do not accurately represent the entity's financial position and performance
If uncertainty is too high, consider choosing a different measurement basis
Presentation and Disclosure
OCI stands for Other Comprehensive Income
Statement of profit or loss is the primary source of information about an entity's financial performance
OCI includes items that have not yet been realized, such as changes in the value of available-for-sale securities
OCI items can be reclassified to profit or loss at a later time.
It is a separate category of income and expenses that are not included in the statement of profit or loss