Small- and medium-sized Practices (SMPs) are a critically important part of the profession: they constitute the vast majority of accountancy practices worldwide and, in many areas of the world, are believed to employ the majority of professional accountants working in practice. Furthermore, SMPs typically serve small- and medium-sized entities (SMEs), commonly referred to as engines of growth and innovation.
There is no standard definition of what constitutes an SME, but Edinburgh Group research estimates indicate that more than 95% of enterprises across the world are SMEs, accounting for approximately 60% of private sector employment and contributing significantly to countries gross domestic product (GDP). SMEs are crucial to the health, stability, and sustainable economic growth of both developed and developing economies.
It is well recognized that professional accountants are often the preferred source of advice for SMEs, typically forming long-term relationships founded on trust. SMPs can provide a range of high-quality professional services to their SME clients, including audit and assurance and expert business advisory services.
IFAC supports this critical sector through a number of initiatives to raise the profile and build the capacity of SMPs globally. With input and guidance from the SMP Committee, IFAC represents SMPs interests to standard setters and regulators, facilitates the sharing of tools and resources to help them compete in the global marketplace, and speaks out to raise awareness of their role and value, especially in supporting SMEs, and the importance of the small business sector overall.
The International Accounting Standards Board (Board) today has published for public comment a Discussion Paper on how companies issuing financial instruments should classify them in their financial statements. IAS 32 Financial Instruments: Presentation currently sets out how a company that issues financial instruments should distinguish financial liabilities from equity instruments. That distinction is important because the classification of the instruments affects how a company’s financial position and performance are depicted. IAS 32 works well for most financial instruments. However, continuing financial innovation means that some companies find it challenging to classify some complex financial instruments that combine some features of both debt—liabilities—and ordinary shares—equity instruments. Challenges in classifying these instruments can result in diverse accounting in practice, which in turn makes it difficult for investors to assess and...
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