A Discussion of Fair Value Accounting and Accounting Measurement RegimesAbstract:Accounting is sometimes seen as a veil—as a mere detail of measurement—leaving the economic fundamentals unaffected. The validity of such a view would be overwhelming in the context of completely frictionless competitive markets. Accounting would be irrelevant in such a world, since market prices are fully observable and common knowledge among all. Or, to put it another way, accounting is relevant only because we live in an imperfect world where transaction prices may not correspond to the hypothetical market prices that would prevail in frictionless competitive markets. Therefore, the nature and consequences of the imperfections are key to the debate about mark—to—market / fair value accounting versus historical cost accounting. Proponents of fair value accounting argue that the market price of an asset or liability reflects the amount at which that asset or liability could be bought or sold in a current transaction between willing parties

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