IFRS 9 replacing IAS 39 : A study about how the implementation of the Expected Credit Loss Model in IFRS 9 i beleived to impact comparability in accounting

This thesis examines how the implementation process of Expected Credit Loss Model in the accounting standard IFRS 9 – Financial instruments is perceived and interpreted and how these factors can affect comparability in accounting. One of the main changes with IFRS 9 is that companies need to account for expected credit losses rather than just incurred ones. The data is primarily collected through a web survey where all of Nordic banks and credit institutes with a minimum book value of total assets of euro 1 billion, are invited to participate. The presentation of the collected data from the web survey is reported relative frequencies in tables. The analysis is carried out with the assistance of the theoretical framework consisting of Positive Accounting Theory and Agency Theory. The conclusion of the thesis is that how the level of information in the implementation process is interpreted and perceived can affect comparability in accounting negatively due to the room for subjective interpretations.