IFRS Reconciliation Adjustment and Subsequent Meet or Beat Target Earnings

This study analyzed the association between IFRS adjustments, measured with the IFRS reconciliations, and the subsequent meeting of target earnings. IFRS adjustments include the amounts to be adjusted intentionally, as well as the differences in accounting standards. This study estimated intentional IFRS adjustments and analyzed their association with meeting target earnings. As the results of our analysis, meeting target earnings was associated positively with intentional IFRS adjustments for the total assets, was negatively associated with them for current assets, and was positively associated with them for non-current assets. Since understatement of current assets can be realized into earnings in a short period of time, it seems that current assets were underestimated intentionally in order to meet target earnings subsequently. In contrast, it is considered that non-current assets were overestimated to make them more likely to meet target earnings either by increasing the firm size or by improving financial solvency. The results of this study imply that IFRS adjustments are useful to manage earnings for meeting target earnings. Since accounting standards may be established and revised constantly, which adjustments for them may occur, the results on IFRS adjustments are expected to have implications for investors, policy-makers, and standards establishment entities.