국제회계기준의 가장 핵심적인 내용은 공정가치 평가이다. 공정가치 평가를 강조하고 있는 국제회계기준에서 뿐만 아니라 우리나라 기업회계기준에서도 공정가치 평가의 일환으로 자산의 손상차손 및 손상차손환입을 인식하도록 하고 있다. 공정가치에 근거하여 자산의 손상차손과 손상차손환입을 인식하는데 있어서 경영자의 재량성이 개입될 가능성은 다분히 존재한다. 손상차손회계와 이익조정 간의 관계를 분석한 연구의 대부분은 손상차손과 관련된 연구이다. 손상차손회계 중 이익상향조정의 수단으로 활용될 수 있는 손상차손환입에 대한 연구는 손상차손 연구에 비해 많이 수행되지 않고 있다. 손상차손의 인식이 이익조정과 관련되어 이슈가 된다면 손상차손환입 또한 이익조정과 관련되어 이슈가 될 수 있을 것이다. 따라서 본 연구의 목적은 경영자가 손상차손환입을 경제적 실질을 반영하기 위한 것 이외에 기회주의적 이익상향조정의 수단으로 활용할 가능성이 있는지에 대해 투자자산을 중심으로 검증하는 것이다.
본 연구에서는 투자자산 손상차손환입과 이익조정 간의 관련성을 검증하기 위하여 이익조정관련 독립변수로 투자자산 손상차손환입전 적자액, 전기 2년 연속적자보고여부, 전기 처음적자보고여부, 전기대비이익감소액, 전기 Big bath 여부, 전기 최고경영자 교체여부, 이익상향조정가능성 집단여부로 설정하였다. 그리고 투자자산손상차손환입의 인식과 관련된 경제적 요인을 통제하기 위하여 종합주가지수변동률, 종합채권지수(매경BP종합채권지수)변동률, 전국부동산가격변동률, 주가장부가치비율변동률을 통제변수로 사용하였으며, 국내외 선행연구 결과에서 이익조정에 영향을 미치는 요인으로 언급되고 있는 부채비율, 기업규모, 산업별 더미변수를 통제변수로 추가하여 분석하였다.
실증분석결과 투자자산 손상차손환입을 인식하기 전 적자액이 많을수록, 투자자산 손상차손환입전 당기 경영성과가 전기 경영성과에 비해 낮게 보고된 기업일수록, 전기 Big bath 가능성이 높은 기업일수록, 이익상향조정가능성이 상대적으로 높은 집단에 해당할수록 당기 이전에 인식한 투자자산 손상차손을 당기에 더 많이 환입하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이와 같은 연구결과는 경영자가 투자자산 손상차손환입을 경제적 실질을 반영하기 위한 것 이외에도 기회주의적 이익상향조정수단으로 활용할 개연성이 있음을 시사하고 있는 것이다.
결론적으로, 투자자산 손상차손환입이 이익상향조정의 수단으로 활용될 개연성이 존재하는 것으로 판단되므로, 투자자산 손상차손환입에 대한 환입조건, 공시사항 등과 관련된 회계기준에 있어서 보다 더 명확하고 구체적인 정비가 필요할 것으로 생각되며, 감사인이 감사를 수행하는데 있어서도 이들 항목에 대한 세심한 주의가 필요할 것으로 판단된다.
The most crucial part of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is the fair value measurement of the asset. The measurement of fair values, in particular the valuation of Level 2 inputs other than quoted market prices and Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy, can be very complex and figures are difficult to verify, and thus, may be used to manage earnings. Some recent studies show that fair value accounting(FVA) provides corporate managers with great discretion in the recognition and measurement of assets. Concern about the relation between FVA and earnings management has surfaced as a timely and global issue.
The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in Korea(K-GAAP) recognizes both asset impairment and impairment reversal as a part of FVA. It is very likely that management's discretion is exercised in the recognition and measurement of asset impairment and impairment reversal. Most of issues related to the asset valuation are the research regarding asset impairment. Research on the asset impairment reversal has not been conducted even though it could be easily associated with the income increasing motive. If the impairment is related with income management, impairment reversal should be related with income manipulation at the same time. Impairment reversal can be used for manager's opportunistic earnings management to manage earnings upward in ways that do not affect taxable income. Therefore, this study investigates whether impairment reversal is used for the purpose of income management, in addition to the economic reasons. The scope of this study is limited to the investment asset impairment reversal in Korea.
The total sample of this study consists of 4,516 firm-year(non-financial industries) in listed on the Korea Exchange(KRE) as of December 31, 2009 including 462 firm- year reversal observations for the period 2001-2009. The financial and related data are retrieved from TS 2000 database and KIS-VALUE database.
This study uses the amount of the investment asset impairment reversal as a dependent variable and uses the absolute value of net loss amount prior to impairment reversal, the consecutive loss reporting in the prior year, the initial loss reporting in the preceding year, the absolute value of earnings decline amount before impairment reversal with respect to the prior year, the big bath in the preceding year, the replacement in the previous year of the incumbent manager, and the probability of upward income increasing policy as explanatory variables. The average annual change ratio compared to the previous year of the korea composite stock price index, the korea MK composite bond price index, and the price book-value ratio are used to control the economic factors in specific year. Finally, debt-to-assets ratio, firm size, and industry differences are added as a control variable in the research model.
Empirical results of tobit regression analysis show evidence indicating that the companies with the high amount of net loss prior to impairment reversal, the decline of reported earnings before impairment reversal compared to the previous year, the high probability of big bath in the preceding year, and the high probability of upward income increasing policy are more likely to recognize impairment reversal. Also, additional analysis based on a sample of companies reporting at least one reversal item consistent with the primary conclusion of this study. Therefore, empirical evidence shows that impairment reversal and earnings management are related. In a nutshell, managers can use impairment reversal as one means to manage earnings, despite extensive accounting rule/its disclosure requirements.
In conclusion, our result indicates that impairment and impairment reversal are used as a convenient vehicle to manipulate reported earnings. The condition and accounting rule/its disclosure requirement for impairment and reversal recognition should be specifically improved to account for this empirical finding. At the same time, auditors should pay a close attention to this item.
This study contributes to the literature by analyzing the relation between impairment reversal and earnings management in Korea. Also, the results contribute to the recent debate surrounding FVA among academics, accountants, standard setters, regulators, business community, or investors. In the future as the IFRS is fully adopted, the fair value measurement will become a more wide-spread and important issue, It will raise further serious questions.
Despite the findings that this study provides, there are the limitations that remain to be explored. Certainly, the present study was limited in scope to the models of the investment asset impairment reversal of the asset impairment reversal and the amount of the reversal.
We expect future research should aim at expanding to other assets in addition to investment asset and could provide additional information about the timing of impairment reversal.
Now that this paper is complete, we hope the outcome of the present paper will be a step toward a richer and more inclusive understanding of the relation between asset impairment reversal and earnings management.