The IFRS Interpretations Committee has issued a tentative agenda decision on fair presentation and compliance with IFRS Accounting Standards under IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements. It addresses how a company should present its financial statements in the rare circumstances where applying a specific accounting requirement would itself result in misleading information.

The Question

Financial statements are used by investors, business owners, banks, regulators and employees. The issue considered was whether a company can depart from a specific accounting requirement in exceptional circumstances and still present its financial statements fairly overall.

In very rare situations, a company may conclude that applying a particular requirement exactly as written would make its financial statements misleading. The accounting requirements allow a departure in such exceptional circumstances. The question was whether the company must still ensure that its financial statements as a whole are fairly presented.

The Committee’s Clarification

The Committee clarified that it must. Even when a company departs from a specific accounting requirement in an exceptional case, it must still present its financial information fairly, provide truthful and transparent information, and avoid misleading users.

The principle is clear: a departure may be permitted in rare circumstances, but fair presentation and transparency remain essential.

Does This Introduce New Rules?

No. The Committee concluded that such situations are very rare and do not affect many companies. It therefore decided not to amend the accounting standards or begin a new standard-setting project.

Invitation to Comment

Accounting professionals, companies and other interested parties are invited to submit their views to the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board (MASB) before 16 January 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Accounting requirements are intended to support truthful financial reporting, not obscure it.

• In exceptional circumstances, a departure from a specific requirement does not remove the obligation to present financial statements fairly overall.

• Transparency and honesty help protect everyone who relies on financial information.

IAS 1下的公允列报与遵循国际财务报告准则

国际财务报告解释委员会发布了一项关于IAS 1《财务报表的列报》中公允列报与遵循国际财务报告准则的暂定议程决定。该议题讨论的是：在极少数情况下，若严格应用某项具体会计要求反而会导致误导性信息，企业应如何列报财务报表。

核心问题

投资者、企业所有者、银行、监管机构和员工都会使用财务报表。委员会考虑的问题是：企业能否在特殊情况下偏离某项具体会计要求，同时仍确保财务报表整体得到公允列报。

在极少数情况下，企业可能认为，完全按照某项要求处理反而会使财务报表产生误导。会计要求允许企业在此类特殊情况下作出偏离。由此产生的问题是：即使偏离了某项要求，企业是否仍须确保财务报表整体得到公允列报？

委员会的澄清

委员会澄清，企业仍须履行这一责任。即使企业在特殊情况下偏离某项具体会计要求，仍必须公允列报财务信息，确保信息真实、透明，并避免误导使用者。

原则很明确：极少数情况下可能允许偏离某项要求，但公允列报与透明度始终不可或缺。

这是否引入了新的规则？

否。委员会认为，此类情况极为罕见，影响的企业并不多，因此决定不修订会计准则，也不启动新的准则制定项目。

征求意见

会计专业人士、企业及其他相关方可于2026年1月16日前向马来西亚会计准则委员会（MASB）提交意见。

核心要点

• 会计要求旨在支持真实的财务报告，而非掩盖事实。

• 在特殊情况下偏离某项具体要求，并不免除企业公允列报财务报表整体的责任。

• 透明与诚信有助于保护所有依赖财务信息的人士。