Comparative Study on Presentation of Statement of Financial Position in the Public Sector

Although it is more than a decade since the elaboration of the first public accountingstandards, countries are still reluctant to adopt them, preferring rather an adaptation of nationallegislation with the provisions IPSASs. Concerns about the necessity and usefulness of the applicationof International Public Sector Accounting Standards are due to economic influences, cultural, social,which made their mark on philosophy, doctrine and national accounting policies. Although financialstatements may appear similar from country to country, there are differences that can be caused by avariety of social, economic and legal factors, and that some countries when setting the nationalrequirements have considered the needs of different users of financial statements. These factors haveled to the use of different definitions of the structures of financial statements, such as assets,liabilities, equity, revenues and expenses. Scope and disclosures in the financial statements were alsoaffected. Therefore, this paper intends to emphasize similarities, but especially the differencesbetween the two frames of reference - national norms to international standards - regarding Statementof financial position on a public institution.