The Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards on Aggressive Accrual: Evidence from Saudi Security Exchange

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of international financial reporting standards on aggressive accrual. The distinguishing feature of this research is the study of the recent adoption of international financial reporting standards in one of the most important economies and emerging markets in the world; the Saudi Security Exchange (Tadawul).   Theoretical framework: One important issue that has dominated accounting research for many years is the mandatory IFRS adoption. More specifically, the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on accounting figures, notably accruals. Most of the studies document mixed effects resulting from IFRS adoption.   Design/methodology/methodology: This study focuses on Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Financial Market due to the recent mandatory adoption of the IFRS by Saudi companies in 2017, using 781 firm-year observations. Our study sample will cover 6 years from 2014-2019, three years before adoption (2014-2015-2016) and three years after adoption (2017-2018-2019).   Find: The findings of this study were consistent with previous accounting literature. The study shows a decrease in aggressiveness accruals after adopting international financial reporting standards. The study concluded that the companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), especially after the adoption of international financial reporting standards, do not often provide inflated financial reports with distractions that could lead to customers making irrational decisions.   Research, practical and social implications:  This study put a spotlight on Aggressive Accrual resulting from mandatory IFRS adoption in emerging markets, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Financial Market. Therefore, this study provides an exciting opportunity to advance standards setters’ knowledge of the quality of financial reporting in emerging markets.   Originality/value: This is the first study to use Aggressive Accrual around mandatory IFRS adoption. worth noting that apart from the prior literature, no study was devoted to the aggressive accrual in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Financial Market.