台灣保險業因應IFRS而改變會計政策之探討

Abstract

本研究檢視台灣保險公司於2011年與2012年對大量持有至到期日金融資產予以重分類(重分類至備供出售金融資產)的誘因，並分析台灣保險公司於2013年與2014年對投資性不動產改採公允價值模式的成因，本研究提出並預測金融資產重分類與投資性不動產衡量基礎之改變與保險公司監理資本（風險資本額）以及政治成本（總資產）有關聯之假說。 主要實證結果如下：風險資本額與金融資產重分類事件未發現有顯著關聯，但是保險公司規模與金融資產重分類具有正向顯著關聯。其次，風險資本額高於250%的保險公司及保險公司為壽險公司，這兩項因素顯著降低保險公司改採公允價值衡量投資性不動產之誘因；然而，規模（政治成本）較大之保險公司傾向採用公允價值衡量投資性不動產。總而言之，實證結果部分支持保險公司會計政策之變動可能受幾項企業特質所影響。

This study examines the causes of insurers’ choice to reclassify HTM financial assets to AFS financial assets and to use fair value to measure investment properties. My examination exploits the reclassification event during 2011 and 2012 as well as the adoption of fair value method of investment properties in 2013 and 2014 in Taiwan. I hypothesize that the regulatory capital (risk-based capital ratios, RBC ratios) and political costs (firm size) are related with the scale of preceding accounting policies changes. First, I fail to find that the regulatory capital ratio is associated with the reclassification decisions but that the insurer size is positively related with reclassification scale. With respect to measurement of IP, I document that insurers with RBC above 250% and life insurers are cautious in using fair value to measure IP; however, insurers with greater total assets (political costs) tend to use fair value method to value IP. Overall, my results reveal the possible determinants of accounting choices changes.