The aim of the paper is to reveal how financial statement preparers in the
developing and transition country of the Republic of Serbia, behave in
situations where they can choose between the valuation model based on
historical cost and the valuation model based on fair value. In that regard,
we have analysed the subsequent measurement of property and plant and
equipment in Serbia. We find that companies are more likely to choose the
historical cost model than the revaluation model (the model based on fair
value) for owner-occupied properties and plant and equipment, and the fair
value model rather than the historical cost model for investment properties.
The willingness to use the revaluation model for subsequent measurement of
owner-occupied properties and plant and equipment varies across different
categories of companies, and we find a statistically significant
relationship between that willingness and the legal form of the company. We
also find that in the notes to their financial statements, a significant
number of companies in Serbia do not disclose adequate information on the
model used for subsequent measurement of property and plant and equipment,
although such information is required by the applicable financial reporting
standards.