In the late 1980s, financial accounting in Britain was in disarray. ‘Creative’ accounting was rife. The authority of the industry’s standard-setters had been drastically compromised when their rules for inflation accounting were first ignored by many firms and then abandoned. There were calls for government to replace the accountants’ self-regulation with a tough regulatory regime close to the American model. Also, rapid change in the financial industry was generating complex new financial schemes for which existing accounting standards were inadequate. This book tells the story of the next decade: the problems the standard-setters faced, both technical and political, the resistance they met, the solutions they developed, and the durability of their work. Innovations they developed have become part of global accounting standards. The story is told in the words of three board members, all of whom had spent their careers in accounting, one as a senior technical partner of a Big 4 audit firm, one as an executive in major multinational businesses, one as a university professor: respectively, the Chairman, Sir David Tweedie; the Technical Director, Allan Cook; and the academic board member, Professor Geoffrey Whittington. The medium is for the most part conversation, with the standard-setters questioned by Cambridge Professor Geoff Meeks, recorded over three years producing a more vivid picture of motivations and events. Also, in this technically demanding subject, it has the advantage of a simpler, more informal, and engaging conversational style and language. The book will appeal not just to accountants interested in the origins of the rules they are following and students learning why those rules were adopted, but also to anyone interested in how, in spheres beyond accounting, to harness the expertise and support of business regulatees without suffering regulatory capture.

An important scholar in the history of accounting, Geoffrey Whittington's numerous articles cover a broad spectrum of the field and are both sharply insightful and extremely significant. He has made important contributions to the topics of inflation accounting, accounting theory and methodology and standard-setting, and he has conducted a number of valuable empirical studies. This remarkable collection pulls together essays and articles and encompasses his work on empirical studies based on company accounts, specification of empirical models, price change accounting, taxation and regulation, and regulation of accounting and auditing. Accompanied by a new introduction and conclusion, this significant volume will be extremely useful for historians of accounting as well as accountancy practitioners and researchers.

An important scholar in the history of accounting, Geoffrey Whittington's numerous articles cover a broad spectrum of the field and are both sharply insightful and extremely significant. He has made important contributions to the topics of inflation accounting, accounting theory and methodology and standard-setting, and he has conducted a number of valuable empirical studies.

This remarkable collection pulls together essays and articles and encompasses his work on empirical studies based on company accounts, specification of empirical models, price change accounting, taxation and regulation, and regulation of accounting and auditing. Accompanied by a new introduction and conclusion, this significant volume will be extremely useful for historians of accounting as well as accountancy practitioners and researchers.

First published in 1984, this book gives a historical account of the worldwide development of the theory and practice of inflation accounting (particularly as applied to the financial accounts of corporations). It is a comprehensive account, both in terms of the historical depth and the international breadth of its coverage. The account of the debate in Britain includes the results of original research by the authors, based on interviews and archive material. The book offers important insights not only into the present state and likely future course of the debate on inflation accounting but also into the whole process of setting financial accounting standards. The exposition is kept at a non-technical level wherever possible, but the reader should ideally have the degree of technical expertise which could be acquired by reading the companion volume, Inflation Accounting: an introduction to the debate, by Geoffrey Whittington.

This book provides a clear and concise summary of the present state of the theory of inflation accounting for students and practitioners. It describes all of the main alternative methods of inflation accounting and illustrates them, using simple numerical examples. The theoretical and practical aspects of each method are discussed, in order to give the reader the framework within which he can evaluate the relative merits of the various practical solutions to the inflation accounting problem which are now being implemented in the UK, USA and elsewhere throughout the English-speaking world. The emphasis throughout is on a comparison of the relative merits of alternative systems, rather than aiming to give a single 'best' solution. Indeed the latter aim is seen as most probably illusory, because different types of accounting information may be needed for different purposes.

This book is a clear and concise introduction to the content and structure of accounting statements and the double entry system which underlies them. It is intended as a first introduction to the subject and assumes no previous knowledge or experience of accounting. Worked numerical examples are an integral part of the exposition, and exercises (with solutions) are provided. There are also chapters on the interpretation of accounts, on accounting for price changes, and on broader aspects of accounting. The emphasis throughout is on understanding fundamental principles rather than on detailed practical procedures. The book is primarily addressed to university students who are meeting the subject for the first time, and is a first introduction for students preparing for professional examinations, giving them a grounding in the fundamental nature of accounting which is lost in other more compendious introductory texts.

The measurement methods used in financial accounting affect our perception of the value and performance of businesses by determining the amount of reported profit or loss and the resources of the business. Thus, measurement affects shareholders and other stakeholders in the business. It has even been suggested that the world financial crisis of 2007-2010 was partly due to the mis-measurement of financial instruments. In this book, Geoffrey Whittington provides a unique survey of the theory and practice of measurement in financial accounts. It seeks to define and illustrate alternative methods, using simple numerical examples, and to analyse their theoretical properties. Also, it summarises extensive empirical evidence and the historical development of ideas and practice. It is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying financial accounting, as well as practitioners and policy-makers concerned with accounting standards.

The measurement methods used in financial accounting affect our perception of the value and performance of businesses by determining the amount of reported profit or loss and the resources of the business. Thus, measurement affects shareholders and other stakeholders in the business. It has even been suggested that the world financial crisis of 2007-2010 was partly due to the mis-measurement of financial instruments. In this book, Geoffrey Whittington provides a unique survey of the theory and practice of measurement in financial accounts. It seeks to define and illustrate alternative methods, using simple numerical examples, and to analyse their theoretical properties. Also, it summarises extensive empirical evidence and the historical development of ideas and practice. It is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying financial accounting, as well as practitioners and policy-makers concerned with accounting standards.