ฉันรักการแปลLet me turn now to the fourth gimmick—the abuse of materiality—a word that captures the attention
of both attorneys and accountants. Materiality is another way we build flexibility into financial
reporting. Using the logic of diminishing returns, some items may be so insignificant that they are
not worth measuring and reporting with exact precision.
But some companies misuse the concept of materiality. They intentionally record errors within a
defined percentage ceiling. They then try to excuse that fib by arguing that the effect on the bottom
line is too small to matter. If that’s the case, why do they work so hard to create these errors? Maybe
because the effect can matter, especially if it picks up that last penny of the consensus estimate.
When either management or the outside auditors are questioned about these clear violations of
GAAP, they answer sheepishly.…‘‘It doesn’t matter. It’s immaterial.’’
In markets where missing an earnings projection by a penny can result in a loss of millions of dollars
in market capitalization, I have a hard time accepting that some of these so-called non-events
simply don’t matter.