Confidence of accountants in applying international financial reporting standards

Abstract

Research on how accountants could increase their confidence in interpreting and applying International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is lacking. This study examines whether the accuracy of judgments made by accountants varies as a consequence of their level of confidence, and whether their confidence in exercising judgments could be enhanced by greater familiarity with IFRS. The results of the study support that accountants who are more confident make judgments that better reflect the economic substance of a transaction than accountants who are less confident. The results further indicate that familiarity with IFRS enhances the confidence of accountants and the most accurate judgments are made by those accountants who are not only familiar with IFRS but also have confidence in their judgments.