LAUSR

ABSTRACT: Global adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is thought to increase financial statement reliability and comparability. Although IFRS is required or allowed in over 130 nations, some countries modify IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). This study is designed to closely examine each country that modifies IFRS in an effort to determine whether these modifications impair financial statement comparability. First is that countries lack the resources to implement the newest version of IFRS or ensure proper translation of the standards. Second is that countries make specific changes to allow IFRS to better meet the needs of their financial reporting environment. I categorize the first set of countries as default countries and the second set as design countries. The study results in several interesting and useful contributions. First, I develop a new typology for future IFRS research that includes not only the locally adopted category, but also ...