FASB v. IASC: Are the Structure and Standard Setting Process at the IASC Adequate for the Securities and Exchange Commission to Accept International Accounting Standards for Cross-Border Offerings?

Authors

Charles Canfield

Abstract

This comment compares and contrasts the IASC's structure and stan- dard setting process with the structure and process for promulgating ac- counting standards of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), the standard setter for the United States. The purpose of this comparison is to determine whether or not the IASC's structure and process for standard development are adequate for the development of acceptable core standards. This comparison uses FASB, not for the purpose of imposing FASB as the standard setter for the world, but for the purpose of comparing the IASC with an established long-standing standard setter, and because the key to the IASC's success is approval by the SEC. Moreover, such a comparison is relevant because the SEC is familiar with and accustomed to FASB as the SEC has oversight authority to FASB.4 The purpose of this comment is not to discredit nor to discount the work of the IASC, International Accounting Standards ("IAS"), but to examine some of the deficiencies in the IASC's structure and standard setting process in order to entertain recommendations for improvement.

Recommended Citation

Charles Canfield, FASB v. IASC: Are the Structure and Standard Setting Process at the IASC Adequate for the Securities and Exchange Commission to Accept International Accounting Standards for Cross-Border Offerings? , 20 Nw. J. Int'l L. & Bus. 125 (1999).
https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/njilb/vol20/iss1/9