Analyzing the Methods and Organizational Bases of Preparing the Consolidated Financial Statements

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical substantiation and an analysis of the methods and organizational bases for the preparation of consolidated financial statements. The essence of the concept, purpose, regulatory support of consolidation of financial statements are considered. Conceptual principles of consolidation methods application, which are generalized and studied: continuity and systematicity, essentiality, unified methods of valuation, unified date of preparation of consolidated financial statements, unified accounting policy, unified currency. The main requirements for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements are displayed. The main stages of consolidation of financial statements are provided. The main methods of consolidation of financial statements are analyzed: full consolidation, proportional consolidation, share participation method. The defining problems that arise at the stage of preparation and submission of consolidated financial statements are systematized as follows: the reporting methodology is rather complex, there is no clear instrumentarium for the practical application of the IFRS requirements, known inconsistencies between the IFRS and the current legislation of Ukraine (the IFRS requires additional disclosure), slow operational responsiveness of consolidated statements, the use of different software products for operational and financial management, the lack of qualified personnel, and the inconsistency of the accounting methods. Additional problems are identified by the following: complexity of normative regulation; complexity of organizing the accounting process; complexity of collecting and structuring credentials in order to compare them; supported multicurrency; impossibility to determine the contribution of a particular company to the general indicators of the group; difficulty in determining the amount of unrealized profit and equity participation shares; high labor intensity and duration of reporting; lack of methodology for analyzing consolidated statements. It is concluded that further research is needed to solve existing problems.