The granting of loans by German banks to SMEs against the background of international financial reporting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the choice of the financial reporting system can influence the credit rating of an enterprise. It aims to argue that small‐ and medium‐sized entities (SMEs) reporting according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) can – in some cases – benefit from better credit conditions in comparison with reporting according to the German Commercial Code (German‐GAAP). Therefore, the analysis focuses on the perceptions of German banks. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the results of a written questionnaire which has been sent to more than 1,500 German banks, which makes it the most comprehensive empirical analysis of the perceptions of German banks concerning the granting of loans. Findings – The findings show (amongst others) that bank internal ratings can be a motivation for SMEs to change the system of financial reporting from German‐GAAP to IFRS. Surprisingly, enterprises can in some cases even expect a “rating bonus” in the pricing of the credit, if they provide an IFRS statement instead of a statement prepared in accordance with German‐GAAP. Research limitations/implications – Owing to the rapidly changing accounting environment (concerning IFRS as well as the German Commercial Code), the findings have to be re‐examined by future research. Originality/value – This paper draws on the present state of research, complementing it for the first time with representative empirical data from the perspective of the decision makers in German credit institutions.