Reporting of R&D: Disclosure without Recognition?

Citation

Dionysiou D, Slack R, Tsalavoutas Y & Tsoligkas F (2023) Reporting of R&D: Disclosure without Recognition?. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and Adam Smith Business School. University of Glasgow. https://doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.298677

Abstract
Despite the importance of R&D to organisations, the research found that more than half (53%) of its entire sample of organisations did not report any R&D asset or expenses separately in the financial statements and, therefore, are classified as ‘R&D inactive’. However, a large proportion of these organisations had used voluminous R&D-related terms in their annual reports. These annual reports are sending mixed signals to users about the existence and, more importantly, the significance of R&D to the organisation; therefore, leaving substantial room for improvement. The research has identified several probable reasons for the ‘information gap’ and produced a number of recommendations to improve reporting of R&D, targeted at organisations undertaking R&D, the professional accountants servicing them and those charged with governance, along with auditors, standard setters, policymakers and the users of annual reports.