The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the issues in translating Italian
Financial Statements into English. Over the last two decades, financial reporting has
undergone a process of standardization and consequent harmonization of international
accounting practices, principles and concepts in many national jurisdictions. The research
question is: are accounting terms, principles and concepts faithfully and effectively
conveyed when translated into English? The investigation is framed within the theoretical
pillars of specialized translation, with a focus on the strategies used to translate Financial
Statements. The application of such theories will yield some interesting examples on how
some terms, concepts and principles are translated from Italian into English, to ensure
accurate, truthful, and effective disclosure. Not surprisingly, the search for equivalence in
the translation of financial reporting is a particularly difficult task, considering the strong
cultural and legal biases that characterize the genre
