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Background: With an increased global market, where companies seek capital abroad, the demand for a more uniform accounting standard has been raised. This uniform accounting standard is not yet available, differences between accounting standards still exists. Several Swedish companies seek risk capital in the USA and some are part of a concern that is listed on the American stock exchange. This means that the Securities and Exchange Commission requires the companies to do a reconciliation to US GAAP on those items that are considered material. This can be an extensive work for the companies if the knowledge about the differences between Swedish GAAP and US GAAP does not exist. Purpose: The purpose with this essay is to describe Swedish GAAP and US GAAP and experienced differences between them, and identify items that should be taken into consideration at a reconciliation. Further we have the purpose to examine the meaning of the expression material and how that affects what items that are chosen for reconciliation, and to create a model for analysis of what items are material. Accomplishment: We have done a research among an assortment of Swedish companies that do a reconciliation of their reports to US GAAP. The purpose of the research have been to identify differences between Swedish GAAP and US GAAP and which ones that are considered material and therefore should be reconciled. We have then described the identified differences and what effect those differences have from the view of a case company. The case company is Sydkraft ÖstVärme that are part of a German group that are listed on the American stock exchange and therefore are affected by US GAAP accounting. Results: Through the information from the research we have created a guideline that could be used as help when doing reconciliation. This guideline consists partly of a model of how an analysis of material items could function when choosing reconciliation items and partly of a compilation of the differences that have been identified and how they should be treated. |
