Accounting lies at the interface of different areas of business law and serves a variety of different purposes. For the owner of a business as well as for potential investors, the balance sheet is an important source of information; additionally, for corporations, it is used to identify the profit that may be distributed to shareholders and therefore serves the creditor’s interest. Finally, it is also relevant for tax purposes, as in many countries the financial balance sheet is the starting point for determining a company’s taxable profit. Against the background of these multiple purposes of accounting, the Institute’s research addresses basic questions and specific issues. Furthermore, we analyze the conflict between business disclosure rules and legitimate concerns of secrecy.

Internationalisation of accounting
Debt, Equity and hybrid financial instruments