Germany
- Germany is included in the IFAD GAAP Convergence Studies
- National Professional Organisation Websites:
- Standard Setter Website: Accounting Standards Committee of Germany (ASCG) English version
- Response to IFAC Member Body Survey on Standard Setting and Regulation
Financial Reporting Framework in Germany
Adoption of IFRSs in Europe Effective in 2005
In June 2002, the European Union adopted an IAS Regulation requiring European companies listed in an EU securities market, including banks and insurance companies, to prepare their consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRSs starting with financial statements for financial year 2005 onwards. EU countries have the option to:
- Require or permit IFRSs for unlisted companies.
- Require or permit IFRSs in parent company (unconsolidated) financial statements.
- Permit companies whose only listed securities are debt securities to delay IFRS adoption until 2007.
- Permit companies that are listed on exchanges outside of the EU and that currently prepare their primary financial statements using a non-EU GAAP (in most cases this would be US GAAP) to delay IFRS adoption until 2007.
The European IAS regulation applies not only to the 27 EU Member States but also to the three members of the European Economic Area (EEA) — Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
Germany is an EU Member State. Consequently, German companies listed in an EU/EEA securities market follow IFRSs since 2005. In July 2010, the European Commission published the results of a survey of the 27 EU member states and the 3 EEA member states regarding the four options above. For information on each country's plans, click to download:
The European Commission has adopted the following wording for use in the notes to the accounts and in the audit reports of companies subject to EU Regulation 1606/2002/EC (the 'IAS regulation'):
- "in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU" or
- "in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU".
Companies may also state, in a footnote, compliance with IFRSs as adopted by the IASB, if that is the case.
In September 2011, the European Commission services published a report an update on the extent to which certain options included within the Accounting Directives have been incorporated into the law of the Member States and EEA countries. Please click for access to the report (PDF 816k, link to EC website).
Consistent with the Directives, Germany has adopted the following requirements:
| Listed companies | Companies that have applied for listing | Non-listed companies | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated financial statements | Mandatory adoption of IFRSs starting 1 January 2005 | Mandatory adoption of IFRSs starting 1 January 2007 | Option to choose between HGB and IFRSs starting 1 January 2003 |
| Individual financial statements | All companies must prepare financial statements in accordance with HGB. For informative purposes, they may also prepare financial statements in accordance with IFRSs. Starting 1 January 2005 large corporations may use IFRSs instead of HGB for publishing their individual financial statements in the Federal Gazette. | ||
IAS Plus in German
Deloitte Germany offers a German translation of IAS Plus including all news stories and background material. The information is supplemented with news from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein: www.iasplus.com/de.
Frequently Asked Questions on German Accounting Standards
Here is the Link to the FAQ File (in English) on the website of the German Accounting Standards Board.
