Proponents of IFRS contend that the IASB has taken steps to reduce
the range of acceptable accounting treatments and to establish rules
that better reflect economic position and financial performance.
Limiting accounting alternatives can increase reporting quality by
eliminating opportunities to manage earnings and balance sheet
amounts. As Ewert and Wagenhofer (2005) and Barth et al. (2008)
show, tightening accounting standards can result in earnings numbers
that better reflect a firm’s underlying economics. This, in turn, leads to
information that can be more relevant to investors in decision-making.