This information paper considers the experiences of the United States of America in its movement to accrual accounting. It outlines the development of administrative arrangements for formal standards setting over 70 years at the local, state and federal government levels in the US and highlights key factors shaping the standards setting structure.

This information paper presents the findings of research into the preparers, users, and user information needs of micro-entity financial reports. The Small and Medium Practices Committee hopes the paper will inform the debate on whether the proposed International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-Sized Entities will suit micro-entities.

This information paper provides an overview of enterprise sustainability and sets out the business/financial case for addressing sustainable development at the enterprise level in terms of the risks that sustainable development poses and the opportunities which it brings. It also seeks to identify the main sustainability related roles which the professional accountant in business might occupy, either today, tomorrow or at some more distant future time.

This information paper features interviews conducted by Robert Bruce, a leading accountancy journalist, with professional accountants operating in business throughout the world to seek their views on the role of professional accountants in business in sustainability.

This information paper reviews current developments and some of the latest thinking in the area of internal control.

The PAIB Committee developed this information paper to facilitate understanding of the roles and domain of the professional accountant in business. The paper provides a definition of the professional accountant in business and highlights the many roles that professional accountants in business perform, including implementing and maintaining operational and fiduciary controls, providing analytical support for strategic planning and decision making, ensuring that effective risk management processes are in place, and assisting management in setting the tone for ethical practices.

PAIB Committee members are often asked "What exactly does an accountant in business do?" Most members of the public have some perception of the traditional work carried out by accountants but with regard to those working outside that sphere, they seem unsure. The PAIB Committee produced this paper in an effort to demonstrate the many areas in which accountants work in and for business.

A new international study, commissioned by the Board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), identifies the challenges to adopting and implementing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) and International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) and recommends actions to be taken by all those in the financial reporting supply chain to achieve convergence to international standards.

This paper explores the role of all accountants -- whether they act as independent auditors, accountants in management positions or in any other professional capacity -- in ongoing public- and private-sector efforts to safeguard against money laundering. The paper draws attention to numerous risks that could lead to or reveal money laundering situations and provides best practices to help accountants address those risks.

The Professional Accountants in Business Committee (PAIB) of IFAC was asked by the IFAC Board in October 2002 to explore the emerging concept of enterprise governance. A particular focus of the project was to consider why corporate governance often fails in companies and, more importantly, what must be done to ensure that things go right.

Enterprise Governance: Getting the Balance Right in full is also available.