Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand has released its 2026 Chartered Accountants’ IFRS Survey, capturing the views of 489 Chartered Accountants on the practical application of IFRS Accounting Standards and key financial reporting policy issues in Australia and New Zealand.

The findings point to a clear theme: members support trusted, high-quality financial reporting, but want requirements to remain proportionate to entity size, public accountability and user needs.

IFRS Complexity Index

The results show a nuanced picture rather than a simple decline in complexity. The 2026 IFRS Complexity Index was broadly steady at 0.49, compared with 0.54 in 2025, while the clearest improvement was in interpretation difficulty. This suggests Chartered Accountants may be finding some existing requirements easier to navigate as guidance, familiarity and practice develop, but IFRS application still requires significant judgement, time and ongoing support.

At the same time, members do not appear to feel that IFRS Accounting Standards are becoming simpler overall. Almost half said the standards had become more complex over the past 12 months, which likely reflects the broader reporting environment as much as today’s application tasks.

Australian and New Zealand specific aspects

In Australia, the survey points to support for more proportionate reporting thresholds. A majority supported the proposed doubling of the large proprietary company thresholds, mainly because they see an opportunity to reduce unnecessary reporting effort and focus compliance obligations on entities where the public interest and user need are clearer.

In New Zealand, the findings start from a strong endorsement of the purpose of financial reporting. Chartered Accountants placed greatest weight on trust, confidence, transparency, accountability and meeting user needs, reinforcing that the Accounting Standards Framework is valued most where it supports reliable information for decision-making and oversight.

CA ANZ will use the survey findings to inform engagement with governments, regulators and standard setters, and to advocate for financial reporting frameworks that serve the public interest while remaining practical and proportionate.