<p>Concurrently with higher demands on comparability between companies, all Swedish listed parent companies are guilty to apply international accounting standards, IFRS/IAS, no later than January 1, 2005. In this thesis IFRS 7 Financial instruments: Disclosures, that treats information about financial instruments, is investigated. IFRS 7 aims to establish a good international standard for disclosures about financial instruments. The purpose of this thesis is to study differences in the interpretation of IFRS 7 Financial instruments: Disclosures between Swedish life insurance companies, problems – if any – that associate with the recommendation, the recommendation’s effect on accounting and the attitudes towards IFRS amongst the Swedish life insurance companies. The thesis is based on a qualitative method and the conclusion of the thesis is that the life insurance companies find it tricky to decide how the accounting shall be designed in compliance with IFRS 7. Almost all information needed already exists. The problem rather relates to the design of the accounting. Further more, the companies read the recommendation with different eyes and define different users of annual reports, that creates different interpretations. Balance- and income statements will be less affected of IFRS 7, while notes and disclosures will grow. Finally, the attitudes towards IFRS vary alot between life insurance companies.</p>

Concurrently with higher demands on comparability between companies, all Swedish listed parent companies are guilty to apply international accounting standards, IFRS/IAS, no later than January 1, 2005. In this thesis IFRS 7 Financial instruments: Disclosures, that treats information about financial instruments, is investigated. IFRS 7 aims to establish a good international standard for disclosures about financial instruments. The purpose of this thesis is to study differences in the interpretation of IFRS 7 Financial instruments: Disclosures between Swedish life insurance companies, problems – if any – that associate with the recommendation, the recommendation’s effect on accounting and the attitudes towards IFRS amongst the Swedish life insurance companies. The thesis is based on a qualitative method and the conclusion of the thesis is that the life insurance companies find it tricky to decide how the accounting shall be designed in compliance with IFRS 7. Almost all information needed already exists. The problem rather relates to the design of the accounting. Further more, the companies read the recommendation with different eyes and define different users of annual reports, that creates different interpretations. Balance- and income statements will be less affected of IFRS 7, while notes and disclosures will grow. Finally, the attitudes towards IFRS vary alot between life insurance companies.