- 12 Marks
Question
c. State the main factors that IAS 8 requires management of a company to consider in selecting and applying accounting policies in the absence of any IFRS and identify the alternative accounting policies on the following items in the financial statements:
i. Inventories
ii. Depreciation
(12 Marks)
Answer
According to IAS 8, where no specific IFRS applies to a transaction or event, management should use its judgment to develop and apply an accounting policy that results in information that is:
- Relevant to the decision-making needs of users.
- Reliable, in that the financial statements:
- Faithfully represent the financial position, financial performance, and cash flows of the entity.
- Reflect the economic substance of transactions and events.
- Are neutral (free from bias).
- Are prudent.
- Are complete in all material respects.
When making judgments, management should consider the following in descending order:
- The requirements in IFRS dealing with similar issues.
- The definitions, recognition criteria, and measurement concepts for assets, liabilities, income, and expenses in the IFRS Framework.
Alternative Accounting Policies:
i. Inventories:
Under IAS 2, there are two main cost formulas for determining the cost of inventories:
- First-In, First-Out (FIFO).
- Weighted Average Cost (AVCO).
ii. Depreciation:
Depreciation is the systematic allocation of the depreciable amount of an asset over its useful life. The main methods of depreciation are:
- Straight-line method: Evenly spreads the cost over the useful life of the asset.
- Reducing balance method: A higher depreciation expense in the earlier years.
- Units of production method: Based on actual usage of the asset.
- Tags: Accounting Policies, Depreciation, IAS 8, IFRS, Inventory
- Level: Level 2
- Uploader: Kofi