Accounting Standards Importance

The information revealed by the published financial statements is of considerable importance to shareholders, creditors, and other interested parties. Hence, it is the responsibility of the accounting profession to ensure that the required information is properly presented. Therefore it is necessary that certain standards should be followed for drawing up the financial statements so that there is the minimum possible ambiguity and uncertainty about the information contained in them. The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) has undertaken this task of drawing up the standards

(i) The Growth in International Investment: Investors in international capital markets make decision based on published accounting which are based on accounting policies and which again vary from country to country The International Accounting Statements will help investors to make more efficient decisions.

(ii) The Increasing Prominence of Multinational Enterprises: Such enterprises render accounts for the countries in which their shareholders reside and in local country in which they operate. Accounting standards will help to avoid confusion

(iii) The Growth in the Number of Accounting Standard Setting Bodies: It is hoped that the IASC can harmonies these separate rule making efforts. The objective of the IASC is to formulate and publish in the public interest standards to be observed in the presentation of audited financial statements and to promote their world-wide acceptance and observance.

Importance of accounting standards

• Standards reduce or eliminate all together confusing variations in the accounting treatment used to prepare financial statements.
• With different companies following same standards, comparison of their financial policies and financial results becomes easier.
• Accounting standards take care of valuing inventories, contingencies, construction contracts, fixed costs, etc. They cover all aspects of financial activities of company.
• The standards help the investors for taking decision on investment.
• Setting standards is useful to both the company & and the investor.

Some Indian accounting Standards are listed below.

• AS-1 Disclosure of Accounting Policies
• AS-2 (Revised) Valuation of Inventories
• AS-3 (Revised) Changes in Financial Position
• AS-4 (Revised) Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet.
• AS-5 (Revised) Prior Period and Extraordinary Items and Changes in Accounting Policies
• AS-6 (Revised) Depreciation Accounting
• AS-7 Accounting for Constructions Costs
• AS-8 Accounting for Research & Development
• AS-9 Revenue Recognition
• AS-10 Accounting for Fixed Costs
• AS-11 (Revised) Accounting for the effect of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates
• AS-12 Accounting for Government Grants
• AS-13 Accounting for Investments
• AS-14 Accounting for Amalgamation
• AS-15 Accounting for Retirement benefits in the Financial Statements of Employers
• AS-16 Borrowers Costs
• AS-17 Segment Reporting
• AS-18 Related Party Disclosures
• AS-19 Leases
• AS-20 Earnings per share
• AS-21 Consolidated Financial Statements
• AS-22 Accounting for Taxes on Income