Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Business economics - Accounting and Taxes, grade: 81%, University of South Wales, language: English, abstract: The report aims to analyse the opportunities, negative impacts and limitations of adopting IFRS for German SMEs. At first, a classification of SMEs in Germany is given and their current situation is demonstrated. The next passage critically analyses the impact of an introduction of IFRS for SMEs in Germany. The analysis includes investigating if the effect varies in different crucial business factors of SMEs as well as their company type. At last, the results are summarised and recommendations are given.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Business economics - Accounting and Taxes, grade: 1,0, University of the West of England, Bristol (Bristol Business School), course: Accounting in Context, language: English, abstract: This report addresses the question whether unlisted German companies should voluntarily adopt IFRS. Benefits for internal as well as external users are discovered including facilitated international comparability and higher quality of financial reports. Furthermore, a comparison reveals that equity figures and volatility are higher under IFRS than under German GAAP. It is discovered that national economic and political circumstances significantly influence reporting practices and thus quality and comparability. Combined with fair value accounting which is of lower reliability as there are no active markets from which values can be derived, IFRS not necessarily seems to be a better alternative compared to German GAAP. Moreover, because IFRS is primarily intended for listed companies and investors' needs, IFRS only appears to be an alternative for non-listed companies that plan a listing. In general, the complex and costly implementation process must be outweighed thoroughly. If costs prevail other possibilities represent IFRS for SMEs or the continuation of German GAAP.

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Business economics - Accounting and Taxes, grade: 1,3, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), course: Accounting in Europe, language: English, abstract: Analysis of the prospects of the implementatition of a generally accepted financial reporting standard (IFRS for SMEs) in the European Union.

We address three research questions motivated by the recent ascent of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Europe. First, analyzing the determinants of voluntary IFRS adoption by publicly traded German firms during the period 1998-2004, we find that size, international exposure, dispersion of ownership, and recent IPOs are important drivers. Second, using the results from this determinant model to construct propensity score-matched samples of IFRS and German-GAAP (HGB) firms, we document significant differences in terms of earnings quality: IFRS firms have more persistent, less predictable and more conditionally conservative earnings. Third, analyzing information asymmetry differences between IFRS and HGB firms, we show that IFRS adopters experience a decline in bid-ask spread of 70 base points and an average of 17 more days with price changes per year. On the other hand, IFRS adopter's stock prices seem to be more volatile. In the light of some important limitations of our study, we discuss IFRS-related research opportunities in post-2005 Europe.

Written by a team of scholars, predominantly from the Centre for Financial Studies in Frankfurt, this volume provides a descriptive survey of the present state of the German financial system and a new analytical framework to explain its workings.

This book, dedicated to Prof. Jacques Richard, is about the economic, political, social and even environmental consequences of setting accounting standards, with emphasis on those that are alleged to be precipitated by the adoption and implementation of IFRS. The authors offer their reasoned critiques of the effectiveness of IFRS in promoting genuine global comparability of financial reporting. The editors of this collection have invited authors from 17 countries, so that a great variety of accounting, auditing and regulatory cultures, and educational perspectives, is amply on display in their essays.