Abstract This article describes how differences in financial statements can be created or disguised, intentionally or unintentionally, through the use of SFAS 34, or the "Capitalization of Interest Cost" standard in the United States. While makers of financial statements are required to comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), adherence to GAAP, per se, is no guarantee that financial statements will fairly represent either the financial position or the results of operations of an enterprise. Applying promulgated GAAP should provide like results in like circumstances. To properly serve the users of financial information, standards should both limit diversity in practice, and, at least in part, insure the quality of the information presented. SFAS 34, "Capitalization of Interest Cost," is a standard that lacks sufficient internal consistency to insure that the results of its application will be verifiable and representationally faithful. SFAS 34 was issued in 1979 in response to a moratorium on the capitalization of interest by non-utility firms. This Standard requires all enterprises to capitalize interest on assets which are constructed for the enterprise's own use, or produced as discrete projects which are intended for sale or lease to others.
Means et al. (Thu,) studied this question.