The objective of the article is to develop methodology for assessing the investment attractiveness of an industry and to test it for the information technology industry. The study is based on the data from the Moscow Exchange and Russian public companies. The author employs methods for constructing and analysing production functions, comparative analysis of capitalization and investment data, and estimating industry price multipliers. As a result of testing procedure of the methodology on data from the information technology industry the research has revealed factors contributing its high investment attractiveness, namely, its membership in a new technological paradigm, significant growth and efficiency of revenue and investment, increasing returns on resources invested in the industry; and positive market expectations, which determine high level of prices for multiples. In conclusion, the IT industry is one of the most investment-attractive and fundamentally undervalued sectors of the Russian economy, although investments in it are associated with high risk. 

The subject of the study is a widely publicised changes of the tax system in 2026, which will introduce a value-added tax for entrepreneurs with revenue exceeding 20 million rubles per year. The relevance of this topic lies not so much in the technical aspects of the innovation (which are certainly significant), but rather in the principles of changing the tax system for small and medium-sized businesses (hereinafter referred to as SMEs) in the current economic, including budgetary environment. The objective is to evaluate from a scientific and practical perspective the financial risks and business implications of introducing the payment of VAT for SMEs which have not previously paid it. Findings: as it has been determined, the methodological rules for the studied entities involved in the VAT collection system are not fundamentally new or overly complex, except a few issues related to the transition period and pricing. Concurrently, the proposed innovation is presented in various ways as a component of federal tax policy and is becomes a significant phenomenon with potential implications for the development of the SME’s business sector. Hence, the authors advance a systemic examination of the change in tax legislation in order to (1) identify the sources and reasons to adopt the sought-after measure from a tax policy viewpoint, (2) analyse the established tax system regime, and (3) explore the potential effects of introducing this taxation procedure in the tax system. Conclusions. The growing tax burden on small businesses is generally assessed as a result of the general trend towards increasing tax liabilities due to increased budget expenditures on social needs, defensive potential, and the achievement of national goals. Small businesses still operate in the “comfortable taxation zone” in the continued environment of special tax regimes, including the experimental automated simplified tax system and the tax on professional income. However, the introduction of new tax legislation linked to additional fiscal burdens and tax risks will lead to longer transition periods and require informational and methodological support in the context of a client-oriented tax administration philosophy.

Research objective of the article is the digital transformations fundamentally changing the nature and purpose of accounting, moving it beyond the traditional functional framework of recording, control, and the generation of retrospective reports. Specifically, it explores the evolution of accounting from a system of passively recording business facts to the role of an active analytical partner in the strategic management of a company. Methods. A systems analysis demonstrates that key technological drivers, big data, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, blockchain, and cloud platforms, overcome the limitations of the classical model, creating the foundation for the transition to continuous accounting, comprehensive control, and in-depth predictive analytics. The author demonstrates that the transformation is primarily managerial and organisational in nature, requiring a revision of not only the technology stack but also methodology, internal control architecture, and professional competencies. This paper presents a proprietary model of function maturity of digital accounting, encompassing five sequential levels — from targeted automation to the development of an adaptive data ecosystem for strategic insights. The research results have significant practical value for executives determining IT and management strategy, and for the professional accounting community rethinking their role in the digital economy. Practical implications. The proposed model serves as the basis for diagnosing and building a roadmap for the transformation of an enterprise’s financial function.

Currently, the domestic industry is facing serious challenges that require the accumulation of all available resources. The growing practice of involving internal audit in various issues, such as IT, sustainable development, or strategic planning, provides an opportunity to consider its application in response to this new challenge. As an assistant and advisor to management, internal audit must promptly respond to both external and internal changes. The purpose of the study is to analyse the potential of internal audit in solving the problems of manufacturing companies, namely, increasing the efficiency of the production cycle stages and identifying possible reserves. By applying the available knowledge, experience, and various analytical and control procedures, internal audit has the potential to assist businesses in achieving their goals in relation to production (development, expansion, or optimization). The study used general scientific methods of cognition: observation, analysis, and generalisation. The analysis includes a step-by-step audit of the technological process at a manufacturing enterprise. The results of the study are intended for a wide range of readers, including employees in the fields of internal audit, internal control, and risk management, as well as managers and owners of enterprises who are interested in improving the efficiency of their companies.

The objective of the research is to examine the impact of changes in the information provision for the analysis of current assets (СA) regarding the adoption of the federal accounting standard FSBU 4/2023 “Accounting (financial) reporting”. A comparative analysis was carried out of prior and new requirements for accounting and disclosure of CA information of entities, revealing the impact on the assessment of the balance sheet structure, indicators of liquidity and solvency, tax burden, turnover and profitability of assets. With the interim reporting data, the article presents methodological approaches to the formation of a structural and dynamic comparative analysis of current assets of Russian entities. Special attention is paid to the specifics of the application of the standard in view of the industry specifics of enterprises. The impact of changes in accounting for current assets is presented on the formation of analytical information to substantiate management decisions of organizations in various fields of activity. The conducted research allowed us to substantiate the conclusion, that the new standard FSBU 4/2023 increases transparency and comparability of reporting, as it requires refined accounting and analytical work and creates prerequisites to optimize working capital management. It also necessitates further research and a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the use of CA. The results of the study can be useful for accountants and financial analysts to correctly form and analyze CA data in accordance with FSBU 4/2023, as well as for managers and owners of enterprises for well-grounded management decisions based on updated reporting. In addition, this can be helpful for auditors and accounting and analysis consultants when checking reporting and providing professional services in the context of new regulatory requirements.

The current development of artificial intelligence technologies presents organisations with a dilemma: on the one hand, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes through the introduction of new tools, and on the other hand, significantly transformation of strategic risks as a result of their application. A well-organised and structured internal audit system for AI models can balance these opportunities and risks. The objective of this study is to identify the key transformations facing internal audit in the framework of AI technologies development and implementation in companies’ operations. The key methods of research include system analysis, generalisation, comparison, evaluation, bibliometric analysis, network, cluster, and content analysis. The integrated use of these methods allowed us to identify key trends, problem areas, and best practices in AI auditing. The findings resulted in the development of key stages for the internal audit of AI models integrated into companies’ business processes, taking into account the specifics of implementation of the latter, the challenges of ensuring regulatory and corporate requirements for their usage of these models. The proposed internal audit algorithm covers the entire lifecycle of AI models: from checking the quality of incoming data and algorithm validity during implementation to monitoring application results and ensuring compliance with regulatory and ethical requirements during operation. This ensures the required level of information security, confidentiality, accuracy, and reliability of the obtained results. The research results are useful for specialists in internal audit departments of economic entities engaged in developing corporate standards and regulations for auditing internal business processes.

The development of modern technologies and the digitalisation of archival materials and scientific works contribute to the development of research in the domain of accounting history. Subject of this article is to examine the accounting records of the medieval merchant Andrea Barbarigo who managed trade from 1430 to 1434. This study is the first in global practice to implement modern digital tools developed at the research center of the Kuban State University. The accounting system of Andrea Barbarigo miraculously preserved to this day, has become an eye-opening example of the Venetian accounting model. It is closest to that described by Luca Pacioli, which laid foundation of the modern global accounting system. Methodology. Logical-analytical flowchart modeling and specially developed software helped to explore the Journal and General Ledger for the period 1430–1434 to analyse the structure and content of the Venetian merchant’s balance sheets and understand the principles of their formation. The author hopes that this article will contribute to the development and popularisation of scientific research in the field of the history of medieval accounting.

The relevance of this study is driven by the growing importance of the ESG agenda for investors: as of 2023, 89 per cent of investors take ESG factors into account when selecting investment targets, while approximately 85 per cent believe that the problem of greenwashing became more acute in 2024 than it was five years earlier. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between greenwashing and the market valuation of companies from BRICS countries as reflected in the EV/EBITDA multiple. It is hypothysed that companies use declarative environmental practices due to a lower multiplier. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of a methodological framework for analysing the impact of greenwashing on corporate market valuation. Practical implications of the research may be of interest to investors, corporate analysts, public authorities, and international organizations involved in the development of financial and non-financial reporting standards.

The purpose of the study is to verify the feasibility of including depreciation in the cost of medical care. The study was conducted in the context of accounting (budgetary) accounting of state (municipal) healthcare institutions, considering the available financial support methods. The paper uses methods of systematic and comparative analysis of regulatory legal acts, scientific approaches to determining the role of depreciation in the cost structure, and analysis of accounting (financial) statements of medical organisations. According to the results of the study, it was found that depreciation as an item of expenditure in state (municipal) healthcare institutions does not ensure the renewal of fixed assets, since their acquisition is carried out through subsidies for capital investments. The author proposes to exclude depreciation from the composition of allocations to the cost of a case of medical care and to attribute this amount directly to the financial result, which will increase the comparability of the resources expended with current approaches to financial support.