Mimo że działalność jednostek samorządu terytorialnego (JST) znacząco różni się od działalności przedsiębiorstw nastawionych na zysk, narzędzia analizy finansowej można uznać za bardzo pomocne w procesie podejmowania decyzji, jak również ocenie szeroko rozumianej efektywności JST. Celem artykułu było wskazanie na przykładzie konkretnych wskaźników i sposobu ich interpretacji, że analiza finansowa JST dostarcza wielu przydatnych informacji zarówno zarządzającym jednostką, jak i wszystkim zainteresowanym efektywnością i jakością działań JST. W artykule podkreślono zasadność dokonywania analizy finansowej w jednostkach samorządu terytorialnego oraz przedstawiono podstawowe narzędzia takiej analizy.

This paper aims to show how the concept of creative accounting is defined and how it operates in the literature of different countries and further how it is perceived by the public. It presents the authors' detailed analysis of professional accounting literature from all over the world in order to find information about how the concept of creative accounting functions and how it is defined in different countries and parts of the world. It should be noted that although numerous authors presented different definitions of creative accounting in their publications, they, unlike the authors of this paper, did not carry out studies which would comprehensively collate definitions of creative accounting from different countries. The methodology employed involves a critical review of relevant literature originating in several dozen countries. The authors have also verified how the concept of creative accounting functions on the Internet. The study was conducted between November 2014 and July 2015. The results show that, depending on the region, creative accounting can be perceived as a positive phenomenon (e.g. in Central and Eastern Europe), a neutral one (e.g. in South America), or it may be directly associated with financial statement fraud (mostly in German and English-speaking countries). The manner in which theoreticians conceive creative accounting impacts the overall shape of financial reporting: the scope of freedom available to accountants and opportunities to implement the principle of true and fair view. Understanding of the concept of the creative accounting leads to understanding of the essence of accounting. It is not a trivial matter since it is the information provided by accounting and presented in financial reports that is the foundation of many economic decisions.Keywords: creative accounting, fraudulent financial statements, accounting principles, accounting policy, accounting regulation, accounting rules IntroductionCreative accounting is a household name featured heavily in daily press and on television, mostly in the context of financial scandals, both locally and globally recognised (Enron, Worldcom, and Parmalat), as well as in relation to deficit and sovereign debt manipulation. Colloquially, it is often perceived as a magic tool, * Project supported: This publication was funded out of the financial resources of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher which-in a manner which is within the bounds of law and consistent with it-helps to portray companies' finance in a better light. The term "creative accounting" has become so popular that it is often cited not only for the world of finance, but also in other contexts as a metaphorical, cute term for something that is an illusion, a misrepresentation, or a clever deception. It has even entered soccer commentators' jargon to refer to induced fouls on the opponent. The paper aims to present large scale research on creative accounting, as conducted in different parts of the world, and to offer a collection of definitions of creative accounting as de...

The aim of the study is to answer the question of how a slight change in the actuarial assumptions (regarding the discount rate used) can affect the amount of the provisions, and consequently create the level of costs in the entity. In order to find the answer the financial statements of 148 stockexchange-quoted companies from 2007 to 2014 (1184 financial statements in total) were analysed, determining whether the changes in long-term provisions for retirement benefits provisions (due to the use of a different discount) have a significant impact on the financial statements of these companies. The research involved the use of deductive-inductive research methods in the form of literature review and analysis of the content of financial statements. The obtained results indicate that the estimation of the discount rate significantly affects the levels of costs related to creating provisions, which may be an effective tool for manipulating the financial result.

The paper aims to present the results of the authors’ own research, including an analysis of factors that may have a significant impact on reporting impairment losses of net fixed assets in the financial state- ments of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. As part of the research, the authors tested the following hypotheses: (1) entities that prepare financial statements in accordance with IAS, (2) large entities, (3) production units, (4) entities that have been listed on the stock exchange for more than 13 years, and (5) entities in a poor financial condition are significantly more likely to make impairment losses. In the research, the hypotheses were verified by analyzing data contained in the financial statements of 148 com-panies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange for the years 2007−2014: a total of 1184 individual financial statements were analyzed using statistical testing. Audits may be important for the bodies that constitute accounting regulations, as well as for the users of financial statements in the broadest sense, in particular, auditors, accountants, and investors. The research broadens the cognitive achievements of the current re-search on the quality of year-end disclosure documents.

This article aims to present the possibilities of making simplifications to accounting, particularly in the recognition of fixed assets and other carrying value items, according to the principle of relevance and fair presentation. In order to achieve this aim, the authors used deductive and inductive research methods, such as a literature review, analyses of the content of financial statements, and statistical verifications of the findings. Simplifications may be made to accounting provided that this does not distort a given entity’s true financial picture, and thereby does not mislead the users of the financial statement; making it irrelevant. Establishing the levels at which some type of information should be deemed relevant is difficult but crucial in reporting and financial audit. The authors of the article propose a model to enable establishing the levels of relevance (with regard to both the financial statement as a whole and its components) in each economic entity, regardless of its size and industry in which it operates. This model was created based on the reporting data of Polish companies, constituting a correction of similar models applied in Western Europe. It facilitates the definition of an objectified level of partial relevance basically for all reporting items. The authors used this model to research 148 companies by analysing their financial reports of 2007–2014, thereby reviewing the data of 1,184 financial statements, and other 337 smaller entities by analysing their financial reports of 2010–2017, thereby reviewing the data of 2,696 financial statements. In total, the authors analysed data from 3,880 financial statements. As a result, they drew conclusions as to the possibility of making simplifications in the recognition of fixed assets by entities. This research made it possible to establish the levels of relevance for the entities listed on WIG30, mWIG40, and sWIG80 as well as for the stock exchange companies not listed on any of the indices named, par ticularly the partial relevance considered for depreciation (amortisation). The analysis of the research results, including the application of the Chi square test, has led to the question whether from the financial accounting point of view making one‑off depreciations in the amounts of approx. PLN 10,000 (which the entities may want to practice in relation to the amendment to tax regulations) does not distort a given entity’s financial picture in the view of its financial statement. The research hypothesis of the study assumes that not all entities maintaining accounting books may apply tax regulations in the field of recognition of low‑value fixed assets. The analysis of the data contained in 3,880 financial statements of both larger and smaller entities has shown that the following research hypothesis should be adopted: not all entities maintaining accounting records may apply tax regulations for the recognition of low‑value fixed assets.