1 Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
These unaudited consolidated financial statements include Swisscom Ltd and all subsidiaries directly or indirectly controlled by it via a voting majority or in any other way (hereinafter referred to as Swisscom). The consolidated interim financial statements for the three months to 31 March 2017 were prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard “IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting” and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated annual financial statements for the financial year ended 31 December 2016. The consolidated interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with the accounting policies described in the 2016 consolidated financial statements and the revised accounting principles adopted on 1 January 2017.
In preparing the consolidated interim financial statements, management is required to make accounting estimates and assumptions. Adjustments are made for changes in accounting estimates and assumptions during the reporting period in which the original estimates and assumptions changed.
Swisscom operates in business areas where the provision of services is not subject to any major seasonal or cyclical fluctuations during the financial year. Income taxes are calculated on the basis of an estimate of the expected income tax rate for the full year. For the consolidated interim financialstatements, a CHF/EUR exchange rate of 1.07 was used as the end-of-period rate (31 December 2016: CHF/EUR 1.074) and 1.069 as the average rate for the period (prior year: CHF/EUR 1.099).
Changes in accounting principles
As of 1 January 2017, Swisscom adopted various amendments to existing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Interpretations, none of which have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements of Swisscom.