The comparability of income statement IAS/IFRS in France, Germany, England, Italy and Spain

Abstract

Starting from January 1st 2005, all entities with financial instruments listed in the regulated European market, must present consolidated financial statements, according to the International accounting standards (IAS/IFRS)1.The necessity of adopting the International accounting standards is strictly connected to the increasing globalization of financial markets and to the development of ICT technologies which have evidenced some problems bound to the non comparability of the very different financial statements among the UE Countries.Before the IAS/IFRS introduction, in fact, a normal skilled investor had not always the necessary information to buy shares quoted in other European Countries, as he needed to know the principles in force in the different States concerning the financial statements and consolidated financial statements in order to understand the economical and financial position of companies and groups.