Earnings Management of Accounting

Earnings management

É Examples of where accounting can produce different numbers legally (honestly?).

É Interesting ones – perhaps;

Ð LIFO, FIFO Average Cost (Physical / Perpetual)

Ð Depreciation

É Why does management do it (not tax)?

É Why not produce any numbers you like?

É Why not require only one method or estimate?

É Why would managers manage earnings?

É NOT TAX – we are talking about ‘managing’ reported accounting profits not taxable income.

É Don’t you want to look good – if you can choose which photo, which assessment marks to include etc

É Managers want to show results that make their job easier:

Ð High profits – great manager – she should be paid more

Ð Low profits – not ripping the public off – should get government protection – shouldn’t be taxed more.

É Why not produce any numbers you like?

É There are rules; revenue recognition, conservatism etc but there still is ‘wiggle’ room (weighted ave v’s FIFO).

É Corporate law – fraud when you just make up the numbers.

É Auditors who independently check that the numbers are ‘true and fair’ or ‘presented fairly’ within the ‘accounting reporting framework’ (e.g. HC)

É Post settling up – you can only lie so often.

É Why not require only one method or estimate?

É That adds a new kind of distortion.

É Let’s consider a pair of shoes!

É How do we depreciate them; method, life, residual value?

É Accelerated? Ten years? Always have some value?

É OR Straight line? Two years? Zero residual

É Imposing structure still gives distortions!

É What are we attempting to achieve when producing financial statements?

Ð Useful information (SAC 2 Objective of Financial Reporting) Barth showed useful for predicting.

É How do we make the information useful?

Ð Make it relevant, reliable, understandable etc (IASB Framework, Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reporting)

É But problems still remain.

Ð Relevant or Reliable?

Ð Relevant to whom?

· Investors or creditors, casual observer?

É Conceptual Framework and its application.

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