Can Global Standards be Principle Based?

David Tweedie, Chairman of the International Standards Accounting Board (IASB)

1/05/2008
(Original Publish Date: 7/1/2007)

This paper examines issues pertaining to standard setting in an increasingly interconnected world. It is argued that many present day accounting standards are flawed, generally because of inherent compromises welded into their structure, yielding needless complexity and sometimes absurd results. Using examples drawn from contemporary practice, including pension accounting, financial instruments and lease accounting, an argument for a move towards more simplified, principles based accounting is made. Some of the potential gains from such a project are discussed, as well as potential barriers and how these might be avoided in the quest for better accounting.