ABSTRACT
Starting in May 2010 new Russian legislation and other events have raised expectations of an
accelerated adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) starting January
2012. These events are examined in the context of the International Accounting Standards Board
(IASB) and IFRS, the importance of adopting IFRS for Russia, relevant Russian cultural and
geopolitical issues surrounding adoption, and the status of existing Russian Accounting
Standards. The need for establishing support mechanisms, specifically, effective local standards
setting bodies and a supportive institutional infrastructure is examined. Examples of strong
standards setting bodies outside Russia in countries that have recently adopted IFRS are
compared to standards setting bodies in Russia. The European Financial Reporting and
Accounting Group (EFRAG), the European Commission’s advisory group on IFRS, is considered
as a potential support model and likely Russian counterparts are identified. Key success factors
for Russia in successfully adopting IFRS are discussed.
Keywords: IFRS; Russia; IASB; EFRAG; Accounting; Reporting Standards
INTRODUCTION
ecent events in the Russian Federation have raised expectations that Russia is accelerating the