The comparability of IFRS statements of cash flows in Poland. The influence of national regulations

This paper analyses the comparability of the structure and content of IFRS consolidated statements of cash flows within Polish listed companies and the influence of national accounting rules on these statements. Two research methods have been used: a literature review and an analysis of the content of financial statements. It has been found that there are small differences in the structure and content of IFRS consolidated statements of cash flows in Poland. The results indicate that the options in IAS 7 and the lack of an obligatory format of the IFRS statement of cash flows do not significantly reduce the comparability of these statements in Polish practice. Moreover, it has been observed that Polish listed companies follow national regulations only in some aspects for which IAS 7 provides options or has no regulations at all. The findings of this study may be relevant for standard setters, in particular, the current IASB Primary Financial Statements project, for users of financial reporting, and for academics for future research.