Information requirements and SME’s financial reporting
The users of financial statements have an influence in determining the form and the
structure of financial statements (figure 1). That influence is not only considered as an
accounting evidence, but also as the accounting position in the entity. With regard to
their position, users of accounting information fall into two categories: internal and
external users. Traditionally, it is believed that accounting information is prepared for
meeting the needs of shareholders, creditors, suppliers, customers, governments and
their agencies which are known as external users. On the other hand, there are
information prepared to satisfy the needs of management, employees and other internal
users. Internal users in the first place are interested in the growth and development of the
entity. In that sense, the information differs from the one the external users need. Internal
users need managerial information. External financial reporting is focused on the wider
range of users and provides them with summarized and factual values. Internal oriented
accounting deals with detailed information and concentrates on both planned
(forecasting) and factual values. Those reports are generated by internal rules and
expected to present certain parts of business