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Advantages and Disadvantages of Switching from U.S.Gaap to Ifrs

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Switching from U.S.Gaap to Ifrs
Advantages and Disadvantages of switching from U.S.GAAP to IFRS
Nara Yoon
Charles Center Summer 2009

2 Advantages and Disadvantages of switching from U.S.GAAP to IFRS

In today’s business, markets are demanding increasing conformity. Many countries have converted to and implemented the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)’s accounting standards. The United States, however, still maintains its own Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Both IASB and FASB have created International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S.GAAP) respectively. These accounting standards are rules of measurements for financial statements that companies issuing stock to the public must provide to stockholders (Libby, 21). There are various advantages and disadvantages of the U.S. companies changing their systems from U.S.GAAP to IFRS. As the markets have grown to become more complex and global, the disparities between the two standards have been a significant issue as consumers and producers call for reform. The current differences between U.S.GAAP and IFRS affect many aspects of business. There seems to be some future losses but the U.S. is continuing to move toward conversion. The primary benefits U.S. hopes to get are comparability, and thus, greater market liquidity and lower cost of capital. They also hope to see cost savings for multinational companies who keep record of several accounting standards. Most importantly, U.S. businesses wish to take advantage of the global accounting network. At a closer view, these assumed benefits are not nearly as influential as many people suggest. The first benefit of the conversion is comparability. Switching to IFRS would allow people to see various companies from different parts of world on the same plane. As willingness to trade increases, cross-border investment and integration of capital markets are easier with greater market liquidity and lower cost of capital (Hail,


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