The revised International Financial Reporting Standard 3 Business
Combinations (IFRS 3) is part of a joint effort by the International
Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the US Financial Accounting
Standards Board (FASB) to improve financial reporting while promoting the
international convergence of accounting standards. Each board decided to
address the accounting for business combinations in two phases. The IASB
and the FASB deliberated the first phase separately. The FASB concluded its
first phase in June 2001 by issuing FASB Statement No. 141 Business
Combinations. The IASB concluded its first phase in March 2004 by issuing
the previous version of IFRS 3 Business Combinations. The boards’ primary
conclusion in the first phase was that virtually all business combinations are
acquisitions. Accordingly, the boards decided to require the use of one
method of accounting for business combinations—the acquisition method.