AUDITING FAIR VALUES IN A SENSITIVE SOCIO-ECONOMICAL CONTEXT

The concept of fair value was subject of many debates and disputes in recentyears. These debates have focused mainly on the relevance of the concept, but also on thepractical difficulties in determining reasonable estimates, raising particularly the interest ofpractitioners in terms of identifying the best valuation procedures and techniques,respectively auditing fair values. Determining the fair value involves a broad spectrum ofapproaches, from the simplest to the most complex and burdensome ones. In the currentsocio-economical context, market and stock volatility raises questions about fair values, evenif there are conditions for the existence of market information. The problem gets morecomplicated where fair value is determined based on cash-flows, especially where there areuncertainties about the value and timing of cash-flows and adjustment rates, and the impactof used assumptions related to future conditions, transactions and events.Last but not least, assessment of fair value is based on the going concern assumption, whichmay not be applicable in the context of an economic crisis.The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) provide for financial instruments tobe measured generally at fair value. Because fair value is primarily assimilated with marketprice, its assessment requires the existence of a market able to operate under normalconditions, or in other words, sufficiently liquid to assess the price of financial instruments.And, one of the features of the current crisis consists in the significant decrease of liquiditieson the market, which in turn caused a high impairment of derivatives (those based onAmerican real estate). As American real estate can never be zero, market prices are not thereal ones. However, this situation highlights the volume of liquidities available to buyers,which is a feature of imperfect markets. But the International Financial Reporting Standardsdid not anticipate the effects of liquidities on financial instruments, as their development isbased on perfect functioning of financial markets. Under these circumstances, fair valuemeasurement started to be increasingly criticised, and the International AccountingStandards Board (IASB) has changed the rules for measurement of financial instruments atfair value.Given the high degree of volatility, auditors should ensure that valuation methods andassumptions used by management under normal conditions for determining fair values areappropriate in a sensitive socio-economical context as well, and that the valuation modelincludes also the effects of subsequent events.fair value, historical costs, fair value audit, volatility, economic crisis

ROMANIAN PRACTITIONNERS AND THE USE OF ESTIMATES IN ROMANIAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Our research is based on a survey conducted among accountants, in order toinvestigate how the accounting profession feels in respect to the use of estimates at company level.By conducting this research we tried to obtain a realistic view on estimates applied in companiesand on the degree of familiarity of Romanian accountants with estimation techniques, especially inthe three representative fields at micro-level, namely: financials, accounting and auditing. We alsointended to track down those fields of the estimation evaluation process where professionals facemajor challenges and to come up with solutions eventually.accounting profession, estimations, evaluation, financial reporting.

Preparation of Financial Statements for Sme’s in Romania. Interest for Cash-Flow Statement

The purpose of this article is to obtain feedback about the transition to IFRS standards and their implementation in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises in Romania in terms of the cashflow situation. Research methodology is based on a quantitative survey carried out in order to verify the importance and usefulness of perception on the cash-flow statement. The investigation based on testing four hypotheses has been carried out within the framework of small and medium-sized enterprises in Western Romania and the categories of respondents to the study were: upper management and accounting specialists. The results highlight the fact that there are differences between the categories of users of the cash-flow statements, fact highlighted and illustrated by our findings. The article ends with the conclusions of the authors regarding the importance and usefulness of the use and implementation of the cash-flow statement of the small and medium enterprises in Western Romania

CHALLENGES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTING AND TAXATION IN ROMANIA

Environmental problems that have arisen all over the world are concerning many controversial aspects that were created due to the advance of industrialization in tandem with scientific and technological development. For solving these problems, in the past 40 years many international and national organizations have adopted a substantial and diverse range of environmental measures aimed to improving the quality of the environment. Our research aims to highlight how Romanian authorities face the problems regarding environment. To accomplish our objective we trace two main directions of the study, firstly we conduct an analytical investigation of green accounting regulations and secondly we describe the environmental fiscal policy at national level and their impact on Romanian companies.environment, green accounting, fiscal policy, regulations

FRAUD AND ERROR. AUDITORS' RESPONSIBILITY LEVELS

Are auditors responsible for detecting fraud in the companies they inspect? Most ofthe public thinks they are. Auditors often demur. The auditors' duties for the prevention, detectionand reporting of fraud, other illegal acts and errors is one of the most controversial issues inauditing. This paper reports the findings of a survey that explores the financial report users’perceptions on the extent of fraud in Romania and their perceptions of auditors’ responsibilities indetecting fraud and the related audit procedures. This study also finds that there is a widely heldmisperception of the objective of an audit. This is because, among respondents, a much higherexpectation has been placed on the auditors' duties in detecting and reporting fraud than statute oraudit standards require. The results of the study show unquestionably the existence, with respect todetection of fraud, of a gap between the perception of the respondents and the present statutoryrequirements of auditors.fraud; auditors’ responsibilities; audit expectation gap

The impact of ias/ifrs on the romanian accounting rules

The accounting standardization process is in progress at international regional level, more and more countries have reached the same conclusion of enforcing high quality accounting standards like IAS/IFRS. At international level, on one hand it is thought to implement IASB's international standards and on the other hand, to converge American standards with IASB standards. There are various reasons for Romania adopting the IASB reference system, but most of them are subordinated to the central aim, respectively EU accession. There are also some secondary reasons required by the IAS/IFRS transition, which in our country is less present than in more economic developed countries. In our country accountancy is subordinated to the taxation system, financing still comes prevalent from banks and very few Romanian companies are listed on foreign capital markets. According to this, starting with 2006 the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as presented and published by the International Accounting Standards Board, shall be applied in Romania by the following categories of companies: trade companies applying OMF no. 94/2001, loan institutions, assurance and reassurance companies, institutions supervised by the National Commission for Movable Assets, independent public companies and other state owned companies, companies to be consolidated by a company applying IFRS standards, companies, which at the end of the previous year fulfilled two of the following three criteria: turnover exceeding EUR 7.3 Million, total assets over EUR 3.65 Million, average number of employees over 50, as well as other companies subject to the Finance Ministry’s approval.romanian accounting rules, IAS/IFRS, romanian accounting normalization body, capital market

Enterprise risk management and disclosure

Our paper deals with aspects regarding risk and uncertainty. Many risk management methods are today implemented in organizations. This perspective reveals that managers are linked in different forms to the activities they are managing, depending on the conditions and levels of uncertainty they are in. Actually, these multiple levels of uncertainty lead to the conclusion that any situation in an organizational system can be classified in two different models of organizational phenomena: the organizational phenomena that are putting managers and stakeholders in conditions of risk and the organizational phenomena that are putting them in condition of uncertainty. Using content analyze in this paper we survey the disclosure level of risk management information in the annual report of top Romanian listed companies

The accounting profession and professionist in romania

An overview of the accounting profession’s evolution in Romania can only be a cause for reflection. As far as Romania is concerned, the accounting profession’s development rhythm followed the pace of the economic, social and political development of the country: first, formally speaking, as an association of graduates, subsequently organized as an association of public interest. The character of a liberal profession could occur whenever the market economy worked. The political and social changes of the mid-20th century generated a decrease of the economic importance of professional accounting mechanisms, as well as its position within the socialist system, especially in view of achieving accounting regulation expertise. Actually, the political events of 1989 led to a return to a period interrupted, about 50 years before. But the size and economic specificities were much different. This caused a rethinking of the accounting expert’s position, divisions in the accounting profession (Romanian Body of Experts and Chartered Accountants, Romanian Chamber of Auditors, the Chamber of Tax Consultants, etc.)

The accounting profession and professionist in romania

An overview of the accounting profession’s evolution in Romania can only be a cause for reflection. As far as Romania is concerned, the accounting profession’s development rhythm followed the pace of the economic, social and political development of the country: first, formally speaking, as an association of graduates, subsequently organized as an association of public interest. The character of a liberal profession could occur whenever the market economy worked. The political and social changes of the mid-20th century generated a decrease of the economic importance of professional accounting mechanisms, as well as its position within the socialist system, especially in view of achieving accounting regulation expertise. Actually, the political events of 1989 led to a return to a period interrupted, about 50 years before. But the size and economic specificities were much different. This caused a rethinking of the accounting expert’s position, divisions in the accounting profession (Romanian Body of Experts and Chartered Accountants, Romanian Chamber of Auditors, the Chamber of Tax Consultants, etc.)

Auditors’ perceptions on work adaptability in remote audit: a COVID-19 perspective

In the context of COVID-19, adoption of teleworking challenges companies’ culture and social interaction to foster a creative and innovative workplace. The article aims to identify the auditors’ perception of different factors that influence work adaptability in remote audit activity. The research method is based on multivariate data analysis that consist of correspondence analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and generalised linear ordinal regression. On one hand, findings emphasise that auditors’ perception on the work efficiency of auditors in remote audits is significantly influenced by the digitalization degree of audit activities. On the other hand, the research outlines the main threats and opportunities of remote auditing in the context of the current pandemic restrictions. Where auditors perceive the benefits of remote audit, they appreciate positively the degree of adaptability and work efficiency as regards teleworking. Opportunities perceived lead to enhanced audit activity outcome if audit companies embrace emergent technologies in the new digital workplace. Nevertheless, as transition to remote audit determines increased auditors’ liability and audit risks, auditors are more cautious and sometimes reluctant about future scenarios of remote audit, if innovative emerging audit technologies and integrated GRCs are not used or are not properly implemented. Whatever the future holds for the new digital audit workplace, it is obvious that auditors working from home face specific challenges, because what they earn in efficiency, they lose in benefits that are harder to quantify, such as innovative thinking and creativity