1. International Business 9e
By Charles W.L. Hill
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Accounting and Finance in the International Business
Chapter 20
Accounting and Finance in the International Business

3. What Is Accounting? Accounting is the language of business
it is the way firms communicate their financial positions
Accounting is more complex for international firms because of differences in accounting standards from country to country
differences make it difficult for investors, creditors, and governments to evaluate firms
It is difficult to compare financial reports from country to country because of national differences in accounting and auditing standards
LO1: Discuss the national differences in accounting standards.

4. What Determines National Accounting Standards?
Accounting standards are rules for preparing financial statements
variables influencing accounting systems include
the relationship between business and the providers of capital
political and economic ties
the level of inflation
the level of economic development
the prevailing culture in a country
Auditing standards specify the rules for performing an audit
LO1: Discuss the national differences in accounting standards.

5. Why Are International Accounting Standards Important?
The growth of transnational financing and transnational investment has created a need for transnational financial reporting
many companies obtain capital from foreign providers who are demanding greater consistency
Standardization of accounting practices across national borders is probably in the best interests of the world economy
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is a major proponent of standardization of accounting standards
LO2: Explain the implications of the rise of international accounting standards.

6. How Does Accounting Influence Control Systems?
The control process in most firms is usually conducted annually and involves three steps
Subunit goals are jointly determined by the head office and subunit management
The head office monitors subunit performance throughout the year
The head office intervenes if the subsidiary fails to achieve its goal, and takes corrective actions if necessary
Budgets and performance data are usually expressed in the corporate currency
LO3: Explain how accounting systems impact upon control systems within the multinational enterprise.

7. How Do Exchange Rates Influence Control?
The Lessard-Lorange Model -
firms can deal with the problems of exchange rates and control in three ways
The initial rate
the spot exchange rate when the budget is adopted
The projected rate
the spot exchange rate forecast for the end of the budget picture
The ending rate
the spot exchange rate when the budget and performance are being compared

8. What Is The Lessard-Lorange Model?
Possible Combinations of Exchange Rates in the Control Process

9. What Is Financial Management?
Financial management involves
Investment decisions –what to finance
Financing decisions –how to finance those decisions
Money management decisions –how to manage the firm’s financial resources most efficiently
Decisions are more complex in international business because of different currencies, tax regimes, regulations on capital flows, economic and political risk, etc.

10. How Do Managers Make Investment Decisions?
Financial managers must quantify the benefits, costs, and risks associated with an investment in a foreign country
To do this, managers use capital budgeting
involves estimating the cash flows associated with the project over time, and then discounting them to determine their net present value
If the net present value of the discounted cash flows is greater than zero, the firm should go ahead with the project
LO4: Discuss how operating in different nations impacts investment decisions within the multinational enterprise.

11. Why Is Capital Budgeting More Difficult For International Firms?
Capital budgeting is more complicated in international business
because a distinction must be made between cash flows to the project and cash flows to the parent company
because of political and economic risk
because the connection between cash flows to the parent and the source of financing must be recognized

12. How Does Risk Influence Investment Decisions?
Political risk - the likelihood that political forces will cause drastic changes in a country’s business environment that hurt the profit and other goals of a business
higher in countries with social unrest or disorder, or where the nature of the society increases the chance for social unrest
Economic risk - the likelihood that economic mismanagement will cause drastic changes in a country’s business environment that hurt the profit and other goals of a business
LO4: Discuss how operating in different nations impacts investment decisions within the multinational enterprise.

13. How Can Firms Adjust For Political And Economic Risk?
Firms analyzing foreign investment opportunities can adjust for risk
By raising the discount rate in countries where political and economic risk is high
By lowering future cash flow estimates to account for adverse political or economic changes that could occur in the future
LO4: Discuss how operating in different nations impacts investment decisions within the multinational enterprise.

14. How Do Firms Make Financing Decisions?
Firms must consider two factors
How the foreign investment will be financed
How the financial structure (debt vs. equity) of the foreign affiliate should be configured
Most experts suggest that firms adopt the structure that minimizes the cost of capital, whatever that may be
LO5: Discuss the different financing options available to the foreign subsidiary of a multinational enterprise.

15. What Is Global Money Management?
Money management decisions attempt to manage global cash resources efficiently
Firms need to
Minimize cash balances - need cash balances on hand for notes payable and unexpected demands
Reduce transaction costs - the cost of exchange
multinational netting
LO6: Understand how money management in the international business can be used to minimize cash balances, transaction costs, and taxation.

16. How Can Firms Limit Their Tax Liability?
Every country has its own tax policies
most countries feel they have the right to tax the foreign-earned income of companies based in the country
Double taxation occurs when the income of a foreign subsidiary is taxed by the host-country government and by the home-country government

17. How Can Firms Limit Their Tax Liability?
Taxes can be minimized through
Tax credits - allow the firm to reduce the taxes paid to the home government by the amount of taxes paid to the foreign government
Tax treaties - agreement specifying what items of income will be taxed by the authorities of the country where the income is earned
Deferral principle - specifies that parent companies are not taxed on foreign source income until they actually receive a dividend
Tax havens - countries with a very low, or no, income tax – firms can avoid income taxes by establishing a wholly-owned, non-operating subsidiary in the country
LO6: Understand how money management in the international business can be used to minimize cash balances, transaction costs, and taxation.

18. How Do Firms Move Money Across Borders?
Firms can transfer liquid funds across border via
Dividend remittances - the most common method of transferring funds from subsidiaries to the parent
Royalty payments and fees -the remuneration paid to the owners of technology, patents, or trade names for the use of that technology or the right to manufacture and/or sell products under those patents or trade names
LO7: Understand the basic techniques for global money management.

19. How Do Firms Move Money Across Borders?
Transfer prices -the price at which goods and services are transferred between entities within the firm
Fronting loans -loans between a parent and its subsidiary channeled through a financial intermediary, usually a large international bank
LO7: Understand the basic techniques for global money management.