How do public sector accounting practitioners perceive faithful representation of financial statements? Evidence from Poland

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to expand the discussion on the truth and fairness concept and faithful representation in financial statements, and to investigate how accounting practitioners perceive the qualitative characteristics of faithful representation. Methodology/approach: We conducted a questionnaire survey of public sector accounting practitioners. Findings: The perceptions of faithful representation are based on the International Federation of Accountants' and International Accounting Standards Board's conceptualizations of this attribute and the applicable legal regulations. In the opinion of ac-counting practitioners, faithful representation signifies that financial statements dis-close information that has been positively evaluated by control and audit authorities. Effectively, the accuracy of financial statements depends on the quality of accounting law in the public sector and the control process. The respondents knew and understood principle-based accounting but were more concerned with rule-based regulations. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of our study is the sample size, which only permitted an analysis of qualitative variables. The research is a pilot study and will be extended in future work. Originality/value: In Poland, a country governed by a code of law, the perception of faithful representation is oriented toward precise accounting and is based on legitimization by control and audit authorities demanding high-quality accounting legislation. This study confirms the importance of harmonizing accounting law in Poland. Principles-based standardization in the public sector should replace the existing detailed, technical legislature.