Effects on accounting legislation by an EU-wide implementation of the IFRS for SMEs – the case of Germany

2020

Harmonisation of companies’ financial reporting obligations is essential to economic decision-making in an international business environment. The degree of harmonisation for small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) is still relatively low but the acceptance for the IFRS for SMEs is increasing in recent years. Currently, the standard is being revised and its standard-setting body is awaiting comments from its stakeholders. While the European Union is reluctant to adopt the IFRS for SMEs, the success of its internal harmonisation attempts by the EU Accounting Directive is doubtful and often criticised by the Directive’s stakeholders and researchers. The excessive number of options led to 27 di…