M41 - AccountingReturn

Impact of Changing Preferential Tax Rate Conditions on Czech Real Estate Investment Funds This article examines the impact of an amendment to the Income Tax Act that aimed to prevent the so-called real estate funds, whose activities bear the characteristics of ordinary business activities, from applying a preferential tax rate. Only funds whose shares are publicly traded and have the required shareholder structure could newly apply this rate. In response to the legal amendment, several real estate funds have become regular joint stock companies. Funds motivated to maintain a preferential tax rate had their securities admitted to trading. However, it was only a formal fulfilment of the conditions of the law, as the average number of shareholders controlling these funds did not change. For several funds, the shareholder structure has also changed so that they can continue to apply a preferential tax rate. In addition, most of the funds that do not meet the conditions of the Act have manipulated the length of the accounting period by purposeful transformations (mergers, divisions, etc.) in order to postpone the application of the amended wording of the Act and thus gain time for an appropriate response.

The paper investigates whether the Financial Fair Play Regulations have contributed to a sus- tainable economic framework of club football while retaining equal opportunities for sport success. Mutual relations among economic strength of football clubs, their financial aggres-siveness in investments into squads and league results after the implementation of the FFP rules are assessed. Using a dataset of the English Premier League clubs over 2011-2017, empirical data reveal that the league is economically sustainable in the long run. However, profitability improves by increasing broadcasting revenue, and clubs' profits are driven by their ownership structure rather than FFP. Furthermore, we identify a statistically signifi-cant financial aggressiveness in spending on squads. A regulation aiming at securing sustain-able economic development may, thus, curtail sport competitiveness of smaller clubs and boost dominance of teams that are economically strong around the time of regulation launch.

The paper investigates the extent and reasons for restatements of financial statements by Czech firms. In 2013, Czech accounting regulation was amended to remove inappropriate accounting treatment for prior period errors and changes in accounting policies. A sample of 3,407 financial statements for the period 2013-2017 also includes a significant amendment to accounting standards in 2016. The combination of both amendments creates a quasi-natural experiment enabling investigation into firms' response to regulatory changes. Empirical analysis shows that restatements occurred in 7.4% of the cases. Using non-parametric tests, we found that restatements are more frequent in joint-stock companies and that corrections of prior period errors dominate over changes in accounting policies. An expected one-time increase in restatements in 2016 is confirmed; however, the hypothesis that increased restatements are driven by changes in accounting policies required by new GAAP can be neither confirmed nor refuted. The main cause is that over 50% of the entities did not disclose their reason for restatement, despite the fact that disclosure is mandated by accounting standards and all financial statements are audited.

The paper deals with fundamental functions of accounting and their characteristics, which are identified with reference to the information economics. Accounting research distinguishes three accounting functions: decision-usefulness; contracting; and signalling. Useful information produced by accounting contributes to mitigating the information asymmetry within economy. The theoretical classification of accounting functions is also relevant for the standard-setting, as different decision tasks require different sets of accounting information. Standard-setters face then a challenge, which function shall have priority over others. Setters utilise the findings of accounting research, which offers relevant inputs for the cost-benefit analysis of deliberated accounting treatments. The analysis of the IASB's Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting demonstrates a substantial influence of accounting research on the content of IFRS.

The worldwide adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has not affected financial reporting only, but it has also impact on taxation systems. Countries with a high level of book-tax conformity (dependence) have to solve whether and at what extent to allow IFRS results for the corporate taxation. The paper deals with the specifics of Czech Republic, which is an example of open small economy with relatively high subordination of accounting to taxation purposes. To allow IFRS in tax fillings of those entities preparing statutory financial statements in compliance with IFRS may thus represent a comparative advantage for Czech economy. We hypothesize that usage of IFRS for tax purposes is "win-win-win" situation, as it may (1) significantly decrease the compliance tax costs of IFRS entities; (2) increase the capability of tax authorities to supervise the fulfilment of tax duties by IFRS entities; (3) create a favourable tax regime attracting foreign companies to tax their sources of income in the Czech Republic/mitigating the motives of Czech companies to transfer profits abroad. We support our findings by the analysis of micro- and esp. aggregate tax data showing that (a) taxation rules have a greater influence on tax base than accounting profits (b) changes in reported accounting profits are a function of business cycle rather than a function of changing tax rates and/or a function of accounting method choices.

Accounting as a branch of economic science and research is not in the center of attention of economists, whether they are focused macroeconomic or Business Administration (microeconomic). Whoever, it is necessary to underline the crucial importance of accounting for the formation of a number of findings from the field of business management, e. g. cost, efficiency and economy of production. Accounting is a branch of science developed in the world and around us in the last hundred and fifty years and represents today an accepted part of the microeconomic oriented research and the formation of some theoretical conclusions. Department of Accounting, University of Economics, Prague since the inception of the school - it is from then until now, part of it - fully engaged in growing doctrinal discipline while trying to provide students currently focused specialized teaching in accounting for the needs of their practice. Accounting system in the Czech Republic and the Slovakia in the last sixty years have passed so varied developments that maybe their mapping represents a contribution to the formation of the theory of functions of account and accounting systems, designed as a system focused on the needs of the state of the economy or the needs of the healthy development of a profi table company as elements of this economy.

The paper focuses on core tendencies in performance measurement issues in the period 1950-2010. Based on analysis of archival sources and respecting the change in business environment the paper provides confrontation of particular approaches to performance measurement with the aim to discuss their innovation value and relevancy for business performance management as well as decision-making process of investors.

The Aims of the article are to describe basic tendencies that influence the management accounting development and to show their impact on the changes of the targets, content and structure of the system of company management (with the main stress on its information support). The article also documents that the common general feature of the tendencies is to overcome traditional controversy between the substance of economic categories and the way in which they are depicted in accounting. The article elaborates specific manifestations of dual concept in relation of financial and management accounting, and - by stricter way - it describes recent developmental tendencies, especially stress on its user orientation, its usage as a strategic managerial tool and its effort to short time reaction in the process of information rendering for tactical and operational management.