Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Business economics - Accounting and Taxes, grade: 1,7, University of Bayreuth, 52 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Although accounting for company pension schemes is one of the most controversial topics of discussion in the international accounting trade, many investors do not pay it due attention. In future, even more so than now, annual results will be influenced by latent reserves and obligations, resulting from different ways of accounting for pension benefit schemes. German financial statements and those following either IAS or US-GAAP often differ significantly on this point. The International Accounting Standards and the German Commercial Code are based on different principles. Whereas German regulations are dominated by the imperative of the protection of creditors, IAS lay the focus of accounting on a true and fair view of financial statements in order to provide a suitable basis for investment decisions. These divergent priorities are reflected in the accounting for pensions as well. The two main problems in accounting for pensions are the recognition and the appraisal of pension provisions. Eventually both accounting systems face the same problems and each one has a different way of resolving them. On the other hand, HGB and IAS unanimously agree on the fact that company pension schemes that do not require pension provisions, do not represent an accounting problem. The objective of the treatise on hand is the depiction of the difference between IAS and HGB regarding the recognition and accounting for pension as well as the resulting accounting-effects on the balance-sheet. The paper will first try to give an overview of the term 'pensions' as it is used in German law and in the IAS, and then - in the second part of the bases- explain the underlying problematic nature of accounting for pensions. In the third and fourth part the respective regulations, first according to German law an

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.

Public and private investors want timely, accurate financial information about institutions before investing. This requires adherence to internationally accepted financial disclosure standards. However, implementing these standards is a particular challenge for economies in transition from the Soviet-era central planning approach toward a market economy. The Asian Development Bank provided a technical assistance grant (TA 6505- REG) to build capacity to enhance financial disclosure standards in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The book is a compendium of the project's findings, activities, results, and recommendations. It discusses the rationale for the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards and the enforcement of International Standards on Auditing by legal entities, and explores their use by small and medium-sized enterprises in the three countries. The book is a valuable guide to accountants, auditors, financial institutions, regulators, investors, governments, researchers, and others interested in financial disclosure practices and progress of these transitional nations.

This paper evaluates the risks and vulnerabilities of the German financial system and reviews both the German regulatory and supervisory framework and implementation of the common European framework insofar as it is relevant for Germany. The country is home to two global systemically important financial institutions, Deutsche Bank AG and Allianz SE. The system is also very heterogeneous, with a range of business models and a large number of smaller banks and insurers. The regulatory landscape has changed profoundly with strengthened solvency and liquidity regulations for banks (the EU Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive IV), and the introduction of macroprudential tools.

Proceedings of the 24th annual session of the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting & Reporting (ISAR), held in Paris from 30 October to 1 November 2007