Financial Reporting: GPFRs, Standards, and Regulations

This report provides a detailed analysis of General Purpose Financial Reports (GPFRs), emphasizing their significance in financial accounting and reporting practices, particularly within the Australian context. It begins with an introduction to GPFRs, highlighting their importance in communicating financial performance and stability to various stakeholders, including investors and lenders. The report then differentiates between GPFRs and Special Purpose Financial Statements, clarifying the specific requirements for public versus private companies. It further explores the principal components of Australian financial reporting, emphasizing the true and fair view principle, and discusses the impact of International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) standards on financial regulations in Australia. The analysis covers key aspects such as the significance of GPFRs, their role in decision-making, and the responsibilities of governing bodies. The report also examines the influence of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on financial disclosure standards and the importance of transparent and reliable information. Finally, it concludes by summarizing the key takeaways and the overall importance of GPFRs in ensuring effective communication of financial information.

FINANCIAL
ACCOUNTING

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Significance of GPFRs................................................................................................................3
Difference between GPFRs and Special Purpose Financial Statements.....................................5
Requirement of producing GPFRs in public companies but not in private companies..............6
Principal component of Australian Financial reporting..............................................................6
International accounting Standards boards with its impact ........................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Financial accounting has key role in different organizations because it helps in tracing
financial performance along with its stability. The present report is giving brief discussion about
General Purpose financial reports on basis of public companies which has requirement by
Corporation Act 2001 as it should be properly communicated to its users. It has reflected its
significance with its major importance. In the same series it has justified key differences in
General Purpose Financial reports and Special purpose financial reports. Further it has briefed
about requirements for producing GPFRs in public entity but not in private entity. It has also
elaborated principal component of true and fair view principal need in Australian financial
reporting. In the last part, it has stated standards of International accounting with its impact on
financial regulation in Australia.
Significance of GPFRs
GPFRs is acronym of General purpose financial statements which produces various
statements as they are released to wide group of users. It consists of different statements such as:
Balance sheet
Statement of shareholder's equity
Income statement
Statement of cash flows
Usually it had been issued to lenders and investment community. It is applicable for
different organizations for forming financial reporting for purpose of communicating its
performance to outsiders of organisation. The decisions related to all existing and potential
investors related to selling, buying or holding instruments of debt and equity which are expected
from purpose of investment in specific instruments such as increase in market price, dividends,
principal and interest payment. The main purpose of GPFRs is to assess prospects of entity for
investors, creditors and lenders who has requirement of information relate to resources of any
specific entity, claims and managing entity in efficient and effective way. The responsibilities
will be discharged by governing board for using resources of any entity (Robson, Young, &
Power, 2017).

It is a mode of communication for information which is reliable and relevant of reporting
business to various users. The main aim of this statement is to justify information which is
required for various users of general purpose of financial reports. The requirements are totally
dependent on activities related to various reporting entities and decisions which are considered
by users. Resources are controlled by various reporting entities and members of that community
got influenced by levying prices, giving goods and services, investing resources along with
acquiring and rates and taxes (Khan, 2015). The interest of community is served in appropriate
manner if reporting entities controls scarce resources and its allocation will be performed in
efficient and effective aspect. It will be enhanced if proper identification has been done of groups
who takes decisions about allocation of resources. As they will be having proper financial
information according to base of their specific decisions. Its main objective is to give this
specific information.
Illustration 1: Information given in General purpose financial reports
(Source: Improving Financial reporting in public sector, 2018)
It provides mechanism for enabling governing and managing bodies for discharging its
accountability. It is accountable to only specific resource providers of entity for controlling and
planning operations of particular entity. It helps in distinguishing entity of business and non

business whose mutual objective has been defined in this statement which reflect various
inherent similarities among these types of entities.
Difference between GPFRs and Special Purpose Financial Statements
In context of business or companies had different requirements of reporting for
accomplishing various range of necessities and regulations. The method of presenting financial
accounts and reports are represented and its preparation is generally identified on basis of
applying Australian Accounting Standards. In the same series it has been amended for
accommodating basic necessity for creating ability to producing accounts by applicable common
standards in context of world. These accounting standards are classified in two types of financial
reports which should be framed by business are General purpose financial reports and special
purpose financial reports (Barth, 2015).
Special purpose Financial statement is known as financial report which is directly
intended towards presentation of limited users for group. It should be accompanied of full set of
financial statements for general use in this statement or it might be represented in separate
manner. The requirement of this type of statement is generally by government entities and it has
been presented for particular set of operations whose format is pre determined easily. The
requirement of information and format of reporting which has been laid for basic reporting
framework.
General purpose financial statement is directly complied with framework of AASB and
accounting standards. It helps in accomplishing information whose requirement is common to
specific users who are not capable for commanding preparation of various reports which are
customised for satisfying it specifically as per requirement of information. These reports are
framed by various entities as identified according to corporations act and its use of statement of
accounting concepts (SAC) 1 and 2. On the context of general guide organizations has huge
number of employees, foreign ownership which has perceived many end users who rely for
process of decision making on basis of various other application of resources (Special Purpose
Financial reports vs General Purpose Financial reports, 2018).
On the contrary side, special purpose financial reports is framed for accomplishing
requirements of particular group or for specific purpose must be able to satisfy. The preparation
of report are virtually without any specific format as it is according to business requirement or
desire. In general terms, it will be made up of balance sheet and Income statement or it might

contain different degrees for other needs of reports which is established by member, owners or
directors. As it is termed as kind of reports which has been prepared by various other SMEs.
Requirement of producing GPFRs in public companies but not in private companies
By addressing requirements of producing GPFRs in public entities has to produce reports
on GPFRs. The requirement is for setting legislation, parent entity or founding documents. While
applicable legislation there is need of information for GPFRs as it should be able to comply with
GAAP (Jorge, Jorge de Jesus & Nogueira, 2016). It is considered as an overall accounting
standards and more guidance has been given to set method which must be used for preparing
financial reports. The general purpose financial reports is mostly reliable as compared to other
reports due to various need complied with principles of GAAP. It is essential that it should
consider various requirements especially independently standard setters for preparation of
general purpose financial reports for ensuring that it should be unbiased, consistent and must be
transparent to different accounting standards. In the context of public sector, assurance must be
provided by Auditor general to its specific users by which public entity's information must be
able to comply with materially with specific accounting standards and it must represent the
organization's performance in fair aspect for specific duration which has been covered by
financial report.
Principal component of Australian Financial reporting
Ascertaining the various importance of the financial disclosure and reporting in the
corporate environment is for communicating the adequate information among the users. The
disclosure of each statement and transactional activities are needed to be transparent, reliable and
consist of validate information which will bring the appropriate information about financial
strength of the company. Similarly, considering the Australian financial reporting boards the
main approaches of these financial institution is for balancing the capital market, market value as
well as economic standard of nation implicating various principles which are being required for
funneling accounting professionals in terms with preparing the financial disclosure of statements
(Carey, Potter & Tanewski, 2014).
Moreover, the importance of financial disclosure is for communicating the information
among the external and internal users of these information which are approached towards
bringing them the reliable and accurate information. Considering their influences in the
operations there will be fruitful rise in FDI or international investors to the domestic industries in

the nation. Moreover, influences of ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission)
on which it can be said that there are various principles and regulations which are being enforced
for improving the standard of financial disclosure (ASICs Financial Reporting Surveillance
Program, 2018).
Thus, the main approach of the Australian Auditors is for applicating the concept of
making true and fair reporting which is consist of all the reliable information regarding annual
turnover, operating expenses, net profit, equity collection, current assets, current liability as well
as appropriate cash flows. All the statements are being prepared by the verified or certifies
accounting professionals which will be helpful in bring the reliable trust over the disclosure of
such accounts. Therefore, such ascertainment will be adequate as per up-lifting the level of
capital structure in an industry. There will be increment in numbers of investors as well as it will
be beneficial to the professionals as per acquiring the loans, mortgages and having appropriate
tax benefits from the government (Nogueira & Jorge, 2017).
Mainly, investors seek for the return which have been payable by an industry in a
required period on the basis of dividends, return of interest, bank loan as well as taxation
payments. Thus, such information is needed to be transparent and clearly stated in the financial
statements of the firm. It will be helpful in bringing the reliable trust among users of such
information. Beside this, government analyzed financial statement for making taxation planning
and improvements in the taxation policies. There are various remedies and exceptions are
allowed to corporation as per their needs and wants.
International accounting Standards boards with its impact
International Accounting Standards Board is private sector body which approves and
develop International Financial Reporting System(IFRS)which are accepted throughout the
world. The IASB is formed in 2001 to replace the International Accounting Standards
Committee. IASB framework is employed for preparing and presenting the financial statement
by applying the standards and dealing with the issues arises from the standards (Hepworth,
2017). The IASB has amended many standards but started having issues with its own standard
which is IFRS. The IASB has a team of 16 members which are appointed for three to five years.
If there is any technical issues the IASB held all the responsibility like preparing and issuing of
IFRS. For exposer of draft as discussion or final issue standard voting is done, each member has
one vote and 10 votes must be needed in the favour of the particular draft.

IFRS is required for all the domestic companies in Australia including listed companies
and financial institution. The IFRS standards and norms are mandatory to follow in every
company comes under the IASB in Australia. All the financial statements are meant to be
prepared according to the standards set by the IFRS. IASB is working on a higher frameworks to
help the companies in making the accounts statements which really matters to the investors.
Even before the IASB move, the Australian companies are much interested in simplifying their
accounts. Recently the Australian Accounting Standards Board published a report regarding the
adaptation and ongoing IFRS standards on Australian profit and non-profit organizations. Its
being more than ten year since Australia has adopted the IFRS standards and the study stated that
the quality of the information has been improved in the financial statement of the companies
(Ritchi, Fettry & Susanto, 2016).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that general purpose financial reports are
considered as decision which is important for user of capital provider along with non capital
providers as well. It has been articulated that these reports plays very important role as it helps in
communicating essential information which is very important for insiders and outsiders. It is
termed as general purpose because it comprises financial statements which are very basic and
applicable by wide group of people along with huge activities. It has reflected its importance for
setting financial statements which also specifies performance of organization along with various
outsiders. Further it can be summed up by stating that General purpose financial statements are
intended for attaining requirements of various users but not in context of position of need of
entity for preparing reports which are customised for appropriate need of information.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barth, M. E. (2015). Financial accounting research, practice, and financial
accountability. Abacus. 51(4). 499-510.
Carey, P., Potter, B., & Tanewski, G. (2014). Application of the Reporting Entity Concept in A
ustralia. Abacus. 50(4). 460-489.
Hepworth, N. (2017). Is implementing the IPSASs an appropriate reform?. Public Money &
Management. 37(2). 141-148.
Jorge, S., Jorge de Jesus, M. A., & Nogueira, S. (2016). Information brokers and the use of
budgetary and financial information by politicians: the case of Portugal. Public Money &
Management. 36(7). 515-520.
Khan, M. (2015). Accounting: Financial. In Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public
Policy, Third Edition-5 Volume Set (pp. 1-6). Routledge.
Nogueira, S. P. D. S., & Jorge, S. M. F. (2017). The perceived usefulness of financial
information for decision making in Portuguese municipalities: The importance of internal
control. Journal of Applied Accounting Research. 18(1). 116-136.
Ritchi, H., Fettry, S., & Susanto, A. (2016). Toward Defining Key Success Factors of E-
Government and Accounting Information Quality: Case of Indonesia. International
Journal of Accounting Research. 2(1). 20-35.
Robson, K., Young, J., & Power, M. (2017). Themed section on financial accounting as social
and organizational practice: exploring the work of financial reporting. Accounting,
Organizations and Society. 56. 35-37.
ONLINE
ASICs Financial Reporting Surveillance Program. 2018. [Online]. Available through :<
https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/financial-reporting-and-audit/directors-and-
financial-reporting/asics-financial-reporting-surveillance-program/>.
Improving Financial reporting in public sector. 2018. [Online]. Available through
:<https://www.oag.govt.nz/2016/financial-reporting/part1.htm>.

Special Purpose Financial reports vs General Purpose Financial reports. 2018. [Online].
Available through :<https://viden.com.au/special-purpose-financial-reports-vs-general-
purpose-financial-reports/>.