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Research horizons for public and private not‐for‐profit sector reporting: moving the bar in the right direction

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  • David J. Gilchrist
  • Roger Simnett

Abstract

The examination of public and private not‐for‐profit sector financial reporting has been a topic of interest on a cyclical basis in Australia over the last 30 years. Traditional topics have included examinations of the intended and unintended consequences of specific standards, the accountability value of financial reports, transaction neutrality, compliance with the accounting standards, and more recently, the prospective implications of new, differently focused reporting standards considering such issues as income measurement and outcomes reporting. With increased recent attention from standard setters and regulators, and greater data availability, the opportunities for undertaking impactful research in these and related areas are increasing. In this paper, we focus on research that has examined the following questions: (i) Which private and public NFPOs lodge financial reports and what is reported; (ii) Who are the users and what are their information needs? (iii) Which private and public NFPs should lodge financial reports and what should be included in them; and (iv) How should the accounting frameworks for NFP sector reporting be set? For each of these issues, we identify the research gaps and opportunities for further research.

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  • David J. Gilchrist & Roger Simnett, 2019. "Research horizons for public and private not‐for‐profit sector reporting: moving the bar in the right direction," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(1), pages 59-85, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:59:y:2019:i:1:p:59-85
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.12439
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    2. Yitang (Jenny) Yang & Roger Simnett, 2020. "Financial Reporting by Charities: Why Do Some Choose to Report Under a More Extensive Reporting Framework?," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 56(3), pages 320-347, September.
    3. Cristina Ortega-Rodríguez & Ana Licerán-Gutiérrez & Antonio Luis Moreno-Albarracín, 2020. "Transparency as a Key Element in Accountability in Non-Profit Organizations: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-22, July.
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    6. David J. Gilchrist & Andrew West & Yuyu Zhang, 2023. "Barriers to the Usefulness of Non‐profit Financial Statements: Perspectives From Key Internal Stakeholders," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(2), pages 188-202, June.
    7. Elka Johansson & Peter Carey & George Tanewski & Iliyas Yusoff, 2022. "The effect of members on charities’ annual reporting: evidence from companies limited by guarantee in Australia," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(S1), pages 1851-1886, April.
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