International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are becoming the benchmark accounting standards for companies listed on international stock exchanges. The SEC treats them as equivalent of US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and is even contemplating allowing their use instead of US GAAP. They are mandatory in Europe, Australia and South Africa. Canada, China, Brazil, Japan and India are planning to use them from 2011. Anybody interested in companies listed on the US stock exchanges needs to know something about them because hundreds of foreign companies are already using...