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Tunisia. IFRS for SMEs and Tunisian Accounting

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IFRS in a Global World

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Abstract

The International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) continues to work with regulators in some countries toward the adoption of full IFRS. This study reports on an exploratory review of Tunisian’s Certified Public Accountants (CPA) perceptions about important issues relevant to developing and implementing the IFRS for SMEs. All Tunisian companies are required to prepare their financial statements according to the Tunisian Accounting System (SCT) since 1997. The paper provides insight into the perception of CPA on IFRS for SMEs based on a questionnaire. The 87 responses received indicate that (1) the CPA consider that the SCT as pretty consistent with international standards. (2) It is also preferable to adopt the international standard specific to SMEs in order to improve the quality of information supplied by the Tunisian SMEs and to better comparability and transparency. (3) The costs of implementation and adaptation are the main obstacles to the success of this adoption. This study has an impact on various involved parties (Tunisian companies, accountants, accounting standard-setter and public authorities). The topic is judicious because the prominence of IFRS for SMEs is growing in emerging countries. In addition to mandatory reporting, voluntary reporting under IFRS for SMEs is expected to increase significantly for companies seeking to raise capital in international markets.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For more details: www.iasplus.com.

  2. 2.

    List from www.iasplus.com: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macedonia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Panama, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IHEC Carthage, LIGUE, Tunis, Tunisia

    Salma Damak-Ayadi

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  1. Salma Damak-Ayadi
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Correspondence to Salma Damak-Ayadi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Paris-Dauphine University, Paris cedex 16, France

    Didier Bensadon

  2. Paris-Sud University, Sceaux, France

    Nicolas Praquin

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Damak-Ayadi, S. (2016). Tunisia. IFRS for SMEs and Tunisian Accounting. In: Bensadon, D., Praquin, N. (eds) IFRS in a Global World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28225-1_28

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