Issues in the adoption of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMES)

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in various jurisdictions are currently attracting enormous attention and have also stepped into the global accounting reporting arena as a result of the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for SMEs. This study critically reviews the IFRS for SMEs including the development and implementation process of the standards. Furthermore, it applies the framework of decision usefulness theory and the pecking order theory to evaluate issues pertaining to the development and implementation of IFRS for SMEs. This study provides evidence that IFRS for SMEs have been a challenge for non-publicly accountable entities to adopt and there are several conceptual and practical issues with IFRS for SMEs. The analyses and insights provided by this study will have implications for revising the IFRS for SMEs and will assist in addressing future complications in the SME convergence process.