The importance of corporate financial reporting has increased over the years. Accountants have developed standards that ensure the financial information issued by companies is rigorous and assists the users of the information in making decisions. Initially counties developed their own standards but the increase in world-wide trade demonstrated the need for an international approach to standard setting. This led to the establishment of International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the issue of international accounting standards.

Although accounting standards originally focused on financial information that would be of interest to investors in a company, there is an increasing interest in all corporate activities that shape the way we live.

In this book we discuss the specific pressures and decisions that influences the changes in corporate reporting with emphasis given to the U.K., the United Sates and Islamic countries. We also discuss the impact of advances in technology on corporate reporting and we review the nature of information provided by companies to a wider audience than shareholders.