2021年天津ACCA考试准考证打印时间：考前两周

正确答案：
(a) It could be argued that the marketplace already offers powerful incentives for high-quality reporting as it rewards such by
easing or restricting access to capital or raising or lowering the cost of borrowing capital depending on the quality of the entity’s
reports. However, accounting standards play an important role in helping the market mechanism work effectively. Accounting
standards are needed because they:
– Promote a common understanding of the nature of corporate performance and this facilitates any negotiations between
users and companies about the content of financial statements. For example, many loan agreements specify that a
company provide the lender with financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles or International Financial Reporting Standards. Both the company and the lender understand the terms and
are comfortable that statements prepared according to those standards will meet certain information needs. Without
standards, the statements would be less useful to the lender, and the company and the lender would have to agree to
create some form. of acceptable standards which would be inefficient and less effective.
– Assist neutral and unbiased reporting. Companies may wish to portray their past performance and future prospects in
the most favourable light. Users are aware of this potential bias and are sceptical about the information they receive.
Standards build credibility and confidence in the capital marketplace to the benefit of both users and companies.
– Improve the comparability of information across companies and national boundaries. Without standards, there would be
little basis to compare one company with others across national boundaries which is a key feature of relevant
information.
– Create credibility in financial statements. Auditors verify that information is reported in accordance with standards and
this creates public confidence in financial statements
– Facilitate consistency of information by producing data in accordance with an agreed conceptual framework. A consistent
approach to the development and presentation of information assists users in accessing information in an efficient
manner and facilitates decision-making.

正确答案：
(b) Clearly, there is a link between the ability to write a business plan and the willingness, or otherwise, of small firms to carry
out strategic planning. Whilst writing a business plan may be a necessity in order to acquire financial support, there is much
more question over the benefits to the existing small business, such as Gould and King, of carrying out strategic planning.
One of the areas of greatest debate is whether carrying out strategic planning leads to improved performance. Equally
contentious is whether the formal rational planning model is worthwhile or whether strategy is much more of an emergent
process, with the firm responding to changes in its competitive environment.
One source argues that small firms may be reluctant to create a strategic plan because of the time involved; small firms may
find day-to-day survival and crisis management prevents them having the luxury of planning where they mean to be over the
next few years. Secondly, strategic plans may also be viewed as too restricting, stopping the firm responding flexibly and
quickly to opportunities and threats. Thirdly, many small firms may feel that they lack the necessary skills to carry out strategic
planning. Strategic planning is seen as a ‘big’ firm process and inappropriate for small firms. Again, there is evidence to
suggest that owner-managers are much less aware of strategic management tools such as SWOT, PESTEL and mission
statements than their managers. Finally, owner-managers may be reluctant to involve others in the planning process, which
would necessitate giving them access to key information about the business. Here there is an issue of the lack of trust and
openness preventing the owner-manager developing and sharing a strategic plan. Many owner-managers may be quite happy
to limit the size of the business to one which they can personally control.
On the positive side there is evidence to show that a commitment to strategic planning results in speedier decision making,
a better ability to introduce change and innovation and being good at managing change. This in turn results in better
performance including higher rates of growth and profits, clear indicators of competitive advantage. If Gould and King arelooking to grow the business as suggested, this means some strategic planning will necessarily be involved

正确答案：
(ii) Additional audit procedures
Audit procedures should focus on the appraisal of the work of the expert valuer. Procedures could include the following:
– Inspection of the written instructions provided by Poppy Co to the valuer, which should include matters such as
the objective and scope of the valuer’s work, the extent of the valuer’s access to relevant records and files, and
clarification of the intended use by the auditor of their work.
– Evaluation, using the valuation report, that any assumptions used by the valuer are in line with the auditor’s
knowledge and understanding of Poppy Co. Any documentation supporting assumptions used by the valuer should
be reviewed for consistency with the auditor’s business understanding, and also for consistency with any other
audit evidence.
– Assessment of the methodology used to arrive at the fair value and confirmation that the method is consistent with
that required by IAS 40.
– The auditor should confirm, using the valuation report, that a consistent method has been used to value each
property.
– It should also be confirmed that the date of the valuation report is reasonably close to the year end of Poppy Co.
– Physical inspection of the investment properties to determine the physical condition of the properties supports the
valuation.
– Inspect the purchase documentation of each investment property to ascertain the cost of each building. As the
properties were acquired during this accounting period, it would be reasonable to expect that the fair value at the
year end is not substantially different to the purchase price. Any significant increase or decrease in value should
alert the auditor to possible misstatement, and lead to further audit procedures.
– Review of forecasts of rental income from the properties – supporting evidence of the valuation.
– Subsequent events should be monitored for any additional evidence provided on the valuation of the properties.
For example, the sale of an investment property shortly after the year end may provide additional evidence relating
to the fair value measurement.
– Obtain a management representation regarding the reasonableness of any significant assumptions, where relevant,
to fair value measurements or disclosures.