Voluntary IFRS Adoption by Unlisted European Firms: Impact on Earnings Quality and Cost of Debt

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of the voluntary adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by unlisted firms on both their financial reporting quality and cost of debt. Using a large international sample of unlisted EU companies for which the choice of IFRS is voluntary, we find that IFRS adoption has a positive impact on financial reporting quality and results in a decrease in the cost of debt. In addition, unlisted firms adopting IFRS are more likely to be acquired or go public in the years subsequent to the adoption, relative to other unlisted firms. We document a tangible benefit of voluntary IFRS adoption by unlisted firms.