지배회사와 연결대상 종속회사의 회계정책 일치화 실태조사
Current Status of Accounting Policy Accordance between Parent and Subsidiary Company
손성규(연세대학교); 오명전(연세대학교 사회과학연구소); 김성환(연세대학교)
49호, 75~104쪽
초록
유사한 상황에서 발생한 동일한 거래나 사건에 대하여는 종속회사의 회계정책 또는 회계추정방법을 지배회사의 회계정책 또는 회계추정방법으로 일치시켜 적절히 수정하여 연결재무제표를 작성한다고 회계기준에는 기술되어 있다. 그러나 이러한 절차를 준수하지 않는 기업이 다수 있는 것으로 업계에는 알려져 있다. 연결재무제표 도입, 국제회계기준의 도입 등과 관련되어 이미 우리나라의 회계기준은 선진국 수준으로 선진화되어 있으나, 문제는 이러한 제도라기보다는 시행에 있다고 생각된다. 본 연구에서는 위의 제도가 적절하게 준수되는지에 대한 실태조사를 수행한다. 구체적으로 지배․종속회사의 개별 재무제표 작성시 적용된 회계정책을 비교해보고, 회계정책의 불일치 현황을 파악한다. 그리고 감사인 및 지배회사 회계실무자가 연결재무제표 작성시 회계정책을 일치시키는 과정을 거치는지 설문을 통해 확인하였다. 실태조사 결과, 개별 재무제표의 비교를 통해서 회계정책이 일치되지 않는 경우가 적지 않게 존재하고 있어 이 부분이 적절히 조정되지 않는다면 문제의 소지가 있음을 확인했다. 그러나 감사인 및 회계실무자에 대한 설문을 통해 2/3 이상의 감사인 및 회계실무자가 일치시키는 작업을 수행하는 것으로 나타났다. 다만 중요성 기준의 미달, 누적효과의 파악 불가 등으로 예외적으로 일치시키지 않는 경우도 상당 부분 존재하고 있음이 확인되었다. 또한 감사인 및 회계실무자는 연결재무제표 작성을 위해 지배․종속회사의 회계정책을 변경시키기 어려운 현 제도에 대한 문제의식을 공유하고 있으며, 한시적으로 연결재무제표 작성목적으로 회계정책을 변경시킬 수 있는 제도적 보완의 필요성을 느끼고 있음을 알 수 있다.
Abstract
Consolidated financial statements is reported based on the individual financial statements of parent company and the subsidiary company. In preparing for the consolidated financial statements, if there's the asymmetrical point of view on the same matter in terms of parent and subsidiary company's accounting policy, the final consolidated financial statements will be no more than simple addition of the both financial statements. In sum, if the parent and subsidiary have different accounting policy, it will not have a significant meaning if we connect both financial statements, and the consolidated financial statements will have low informativeness. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reality of the accounting policy of the companies - both parent and subsidiary, and confirm the process that unify the accounting policy in reporting the consolidated financial statements. Accounting standard stipulates that consolidated financial statements should be reported after it adjusts the accounting policy or accounting estimates of the subsidiaries to those of the parents company. However, it turns out that many companies do not follow this standard. It is said that by the adoption of the consolidated financial statements as our major financial statements our accounting practices become those of the advanced countries. However, it should be the implementation which is more important than the adoption of the advanced system. Institution and systems should be improved side by side with operationalization, however, we are more concerned with implementing it rather than the institutionalized system. Based on the survey and contemplated research, the result reports many occasions where accounting methods are not adjusted between parents and subsidiary companies. However, two thirds of the respondents replied that they make an appropriate adjustment. However, occasions such as not meeting the required standard, unable to determine the accumulated effect, occurs quite often. Also, the auditors and accounting practitioner share the need to focus on the current system where it is very hard for the parent and subsidiary company to modify the accounting policy. Therefore, they feel that in order to prepare for the consolidated financial statements, it is imperative to have systematic modification to add the flexibility to the accounting policy. When consolidated financial statements become the main financial statements, both the company and the auditor bear the responsibility. The subsidiary's financial statements which the auditor did not audit, need to be attested by the auditor under the assumption that subsidiary's accounting policy is the most appropriate one. Therefore, the auditor who contracts with the parent company, usually takes over the auditor position of the subsidiary company upon the termination of the contract of subsidiary auditor. As a result, in 2011, when the fortification of the consolidated financial statements as the standard financial statement is strictly implemented, the auditor of the subsidiary and the parent are most likely to hire the same auditor. The changes represent the importance of the auditor in terms of reporting the consolidated financial statements. Additionally, the implementability of the new system is greatly influenced by the auditors of the companies. The auditors need to be extra cautious when practicing in order to raise the credibility of the new system.
- 발행기관:
- 한국공인회계사회
- 분류:
- 회계학