Comments on Canadian Accounting Standards Board Exposure Draft on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for Private Enterprises

14 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2009 Last revised: 11 Jun 2013

See all articles by Robert J. Bloomfield

Robert J. Bloomfield

Cornell University - Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management

Theodore E. Christensen

University of Georgia - J.M. Tull School of Accounting; University of Georgia

Robert H. Colson

Grant Thornton LLP

Karim Jamal

University of Alberta - Department of Accounting, Operations & Information Systems

Stephen R. Moehrle

University of Missouri at Saint Louis - Accounting Area

James A. Ohlson

Hong Kong Polytechnic University - School of Accounting and Finance

Stephen H. Penman

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Accounting, Business Law & Taxation

Gary Previts

Case Western Reserve University - Department of Accountancy

Thomas L. Stober

University of Notre Dame - Department of Accountancy

Shyam Sunder

Yale University - School of Management; Yale University - Cowles Foundation

Ross L. Watts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management

Date Written: July 1, 2009

Abstract

The Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) issued an exposure draft on a proposal to adopt a separate 'Made in Canada' GAAP for private enterprises. This new GAAP is justified as being consistent with the current FASB/IASB conceptual framework, but as being responsive to the different cost/benefit considerations facing private entities vis-à-vis public entities. We viewed this proposal as being innovative and responsive to the differential financial reporting needs of private entities. We proposed that the AcSB should develop a separate conceptual framework to guide the future evolution of this new GAAP and not rely only on cost-benefit considerations. We sketched a preliminary conceptual framework that could be used to develop and justify the type of changes proposed in this exposure draft. We then responded to the specific questions asked in the exposure draft and were very supportive of the concepts proposed. First, we support the proposed GAAP which is based on historical cost with very minimal reliance on fair values. Second, we expressed agreement with the proposal to reduce the amount of required disclosures for private enterprises given their significant economic differences from public companies. Third, we agreed with the proposal to drop provision of significant guidance and especially (ex-post) emerging issues committee interpretations (EIC’s). We are in favour of a principles based GAAP and the provision of detailed authoritative guidance is not conducive to professional judgment. We also suggested a series of transition issues that the AcSB should consider including the mechanism for financing the standard setting board, the need to ensure compatibility between accounting and auditing standards, and a process for adjusting the education system (both in Universities and professional exams) to support this new private enterprise GAAP. This comment was developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Committee of the American Accounting Association and does not represent an official position of the American Accounting Association.

Keywords: accounting standards, private GAAP

JEL Classification: M41, M44, M45, M47

Suggested Citation

Bloomfield, Robert J. and Christensen, Theodore E. and Colson, Robert H. and Jamal, Karim and Moehrle, Stephen R. and Ohlson, James A. and Penman, Stephen H. and Previts, Gary J. and Stober, Thomas L. and Sunder, Shyam and Watts, Ross L., Comments on Canadian Accounting Standards Board Exposure Draft on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for Private Enterprises (July 1, 2009). Accounting Horizons, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2010, University of Alberta School of Business Research Paper No. 2013-693, Johnson School Research Paper Series No. 38-09, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1429526 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1429526

Robert J. Bloomfield

Cornell University - Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management ( email )

450 Sage Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
United States
607-255-9407 (Phone)
607-254-4590 (Fax)

Theodore E. Christensen

University of Georgia - J.M. Tull School of Accounting ( email )

Athens, GA 30602
United States

University of Georgia ( email )

Athens, GA
United States

Robert H. Colson

Grant Thornton LLP ( email )

Chicago, IL
United States

Karim Jamal (Contact Author)

University of Alberta - Department of Accounting, Operations & Information Systems ( email )

Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R6
Canada
780-492-5829 (Phone)
780-492-3325 (Fax)

Stephen R. Moehrle

University of Missouri at Saint Louis - Accounting Area ( email )

8001 Natural Bridge Road
St. Louis, MO 63121
United States
314-516-6142 (Phone)
314-516-6420 (Fax)

James A. Ohlson

Hong Kong Polytechnic University - School of Accounting and Finance ( email )

M715, Li Ka Shing Tower
Hung Hom, Kowloon
China

Stephen H. Penman

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Accounting, Business Law & Taxation ( email )

665 West 130 Street
Kravis Hall
New York, NY 10027
United States
(212) 854-9151 (Phone)

Gary J. Previts

Case Western Reserve University - Department of Accountancy ( email )

Cleveland, OH 44106-7235
United States
216-368-2074 (Phone)
216-368-4776 (Fax)

Thomas L. Stober

University of Notre Dame - Department of Accountancy ( email )

Notre Dame, IN 46556-0399
United States
219-631-7614 (Phone)

Shyam Sunder

Yale University - School of Management ( email )

165 Whitney Avenue
P.O. Box 208200
New Haven, CT 06520-8200
United States
203-432-6160 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.som.yale.edu/faculty/sunder/

Yale University - Cowles Foundation ( email )

Box 208281
New Haven, CT 06520-8281
United States

Ross L. Watts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management ( email )

E52-325
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States

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