Cap 2 Flashcards
(114 cards)
Accounts receivable
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Accounts receivable (ASPE)
• Considered a financial instrument (financial asset),
as it represents a contractual right to receive cash
or another financial asset from another party
• As such, accounts receivable must be tested for
impairment at the end of the reporting period if
significant adverse changes during the period cast
doubt on collectability
• If impaired, then should be written down to the
amount expected to be collected through the use of
an allowance account
• The amount of the reduction shall be recognized as
a bad debt expense in net income.
Reference: ASPE 3856.05(h), .16, .17
Inventory valuation
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Inventory valuation (ASPE)
• Inventories shall be measured at the lower of cost
and net realizable value (NRV).
• The cost of inventories shall comprise all costs of
purchase, costs of conversion, and other costs
incurred in bringing the inventories to their
present location and condition.
• NRV is the estimated selling price in the ordinary
course of business less estimated selling costs
• Estimates of NRV are based on the most reliable
evidence available, at the time the estimates are
made, of the amount the inventories are expected
to realize upon sale.
Reference: ASPE 3031.07, .10-12, .29
Inventory costs
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Inventory costs (ASPE)
• The cost of inventories shall comprise all
purchase, conversion and other costs incurred in
bringing the inventories to their present location
and condition
• Trade discounts, rebates and other similar items
are deducted in determining the costs of purchase
• Storage, administrative overhead, and selling
costs are specifically excluded from the cost of
inventories
Reference: ASPE 3031.11, .12, .17
Internally generated intangible assets – R&D
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Internally generated intangible assets – R&D (ASPE)
• Research costs are always expensed when
incurred
• Accounting policy choice to either capitalize or
expense development costs
• Development costs can be capitalized if all of the
following exist:
o Technically feasible
o Intention to complete it
o Ability to use or sell it
o Availability of adequate technical, financial and
other resources to complete the development
o Ability to reliably measure the expenditures
attributed
o Probable future economic benefits will be
generated
Reference: ASPE 3064.37, .40, .41
Goodwill and intangible assets – Amortization
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Goodwill and intangible assets – Amortization (ASPE)
• Intangibles are to be amortized over their
estimated useful lives unless they are considered
to have an indefinite life
• Assets with indefinite lives are not to be
amortized until the life is no longer considered
indefinite (however it must still be tested for
impairment)
• Amortization method and useful life should be
reviewed annually
• The expected useful life must consider:
o expected use of the asset,
o expected useful life of related assets,
o contractual, legal and regulatory provisions and
other economic factors
Reference: ASPE 3064.56, .57, .61
Investments
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Investments (ASPE)
• Investments subject to significant influence can
be accounted for using the equity or cost method
• Investments without significant influence:
o Not quoted on an active market – accounted for
using cost method
o Quoted on active market – accounted for at fair
value
Reference: ASPE 3051 and 3856.11 - .15
Financial instruments – Impairment
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Financial instruments – Impairment (ASPE)
• Financial instruments tested for impairment at the
end of each reporting period. Where impairment
exists, reduce the carrying value to the highest of:
o Present value (PV) of cash flows expected from
holding the asset
o Net realizable value (if asset sold)
o Amount entity expects to realize from exercising
its right to collateral
• Impairment can be reversed if asset subsequently
recovers in value
Reference: ASPE 3856.16 - .19
Deductibility of expenses
Taxation
Core – Level B
Deductibility of expenses (Tax)
• General limitation – To be deductible, expense or
outlay must be made or incurred by the taxpayer
for the purpose of gaining, producing or
maintaining income, and be expected to generate
income related to the taxpayer’s business or
property
Reference: ITA 18(1)(a)
Common business expenses DISALLOWED
Taxation
Core – Level B
Common business expenses DISALLOWED (Tax)
• Amortization / Impairment / Accounting Gains &
Losses (deduct via CCA)
• Personal expenses and membership / club dues
• Charitable donations – deduction to determine
Taxable Income for a Corp.
• Political contributions – limited tax credit available
for an individual; Federal Accountability Act
deems corporate political contributions to be
illegal, resulting in no deduction or credit.
• Taxes, interest and penalties related to tax
• Meals & entertainment (50% for business
purposes, deductible for remote or temporary
work sites, or special events for employees)
• Expenses re: issue or sale of shares and
refinancing costs (deduct over 5 years)
• Life insurance premiums (except where the policy
has been assigned as collateral)
• Unpaid amounts & unpaid remuneration (accrued
salary which is unpaid 180 days after fiscal period
is deemed not to have been incurred until actually
paid)
• Carrying charges on vacant land (non-deductible
portion added to ACB)
• Soft costs on construction of building (include
interest, legal, accounting fees, insurance,
property taxes; must be capitalized)
Reference: ITA 20(1), 18(1)
Common business expenses ALLOWED
Taxation
Core – Level B
Common business expenses ALLOWED (Tax)
• Automobile expenses
• Home office expenses
• Convention expenses (limited to 2 per year)
• Foreign taxes (deductions in excess of 15% on
foreign-source property income, since foreign tax
credits limited to 15%; if no foreign tax credit can
be claimed, entire amount of foreign non-
business
income tax is deductible)
• Inventory valuation (lower of cost or market,
method must be consistent, LIFO not permitted)
• Reserves – no deduction for a reserve, contingent
liability or sinking fund in general, but reserve is
permitted for doubtful debts, amounts not due
under an installment sales contract; any reserve
deducted in one year must be taken into income
the next year
Reference: ITA 20(1)
Capital Cost Allowance (CCA)
Taxation
Core – Level B
Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) (Tax)
• CCA may be claimed on all tangible capital
property other than land, must be available for use
• Inducements (such as leasehold improvements)
may be included in income or used to reduce
capital cost
• Most classes subject to Accelerated Investment
Incentive of 1.5 × CCA on net additions (except 53,
43.1, and 43.2, which are subject to 100% CCA in
the year of purchase)
• Dispositions are credited to UCC at lesser of cost
and proceeds (excess of proceeds over original
cost result in a capital gain)
• Terminal loss – when there is a balance of UCC in
the class but there are no assets remaining, the
UCC can be claimed as a terminal loss (capital
loss cannot arise on the disposition of depreciable
property)
• Recapture – arises when the balance in the class
is negative (i.e. when the adjustment re: disposal is
in excess of the UCC) and is taken into income
• Recapture / Terminal loss calculated as: Lesser of a)
proceeds and b) cost; less UCC. If positive, then
recapture. If negative, then terminal loss.
Reference: ITA 20(1)(a)
Reporting alternatives – Specific items
Audit; Assurance
Core – Level B; Elective – Level A
Reporting alternatives – Specific items (Assurance)
• CAS 805 Report – Audit of a Single Financial
Statement and Specific Elements, Accounts or
Items of a Financial Statement
o A report providing audit level assurance on
individual financial statements or accounts,
rather than financial statements on the whole
o May not be a practical alternative if the financial
statements on the whole are not being audited
Reference: CAS 805
Retiring allowance rollover to RRSP
Taxation
Core – Level B
Retiring allowance rollover to RRSP (Tax)
A retiring allowance (also called severance pay) is an amount paid to officers or employees when or after they retire from an office or employment, in recognition of long service or for the loss of office or employment.
A retiring allowance includes:
• payments for unused sick-leave credits on
termination; and
• amounts individuals receive when their office or
employment is terminated, even if the amount is
for damages (wrongful dismissal when the
employee does not return to work).
Individuals with years of service before 1996 may
be able to directly transfer all or part of a retiring
allowance to a registered pension plan (RPP) or a
registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). The
amount that is eligible for transfer is limited to:
• $2,000 for each year prior to 1996
• Additional $1,500 for each year prior to 1989 (if no
vested contributions to RPP or DPSP by employer)
Reference: ITA 60(j.1)
Shareholder loan
Taxation
Core – Level C
Shareholder loan (Tax)
• Principal amount must be added to shareholder’s
income ITA 15(2)
• No imputed interest under ITA 80.4(3)
• Can be deducted under ITA 20(1)(j) when it is
repaid
• Exception: If loan repaid prior to second balance
sheet date of corporation, then principal amount
need not be added to shareholder’s income, but
imputed interest under ITA 80.4(2) would apply.
However, it cannot be a series of loans and
payments (as per ITA 15(2.6))
• Exception: Loan advanced as an employee,
rather than shareholder, to acquire residence,
auto for work or shares of the company, under ITA
15(2.4), as long as at the time the loan was made,
bona-fide arrangements were made for
repayment of the loan within a reasonable
amount of time.
Reference: ITA 15(2), ITA 80.4
Revenue recognition – Consignment sales
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Revenue recognition – Consignment sales (ASPE)
• Consignment sales include goods shipped but not
yet billed
• They could be returned if not sold or only billed
for to the extent sold
• Performance is not considered complete upon
delivery for such goods, as the risks and rewards
are deemed not to have been transferred from
the seller to the buyer because of the seller’s
continuing involvement
• As such, revenue cannot be recognized up until
either the goods can no longer be returned or a
payment is made in regards to them
Reference: ASPE 3400.13 - .15
Asset criteria
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
Asset criteria (ASPE)
Definition of an asset:
• Future benefit
• Entity can control the benefit
• Event that caused benefit already occurred
Reference: ASPE 1000.25
Residency
Taxation
Core – Level C
Residency (Taxation)
• CRA considers both significant and secondary
residential ties in assessing whether a taxpayer is
a resident of Canada
• Significant residential ties – factors that make a
strong case, in and of themselves, that residential
ties exist:
o a home in Canada
o a spouse or common-law partner in Canada
o dependents in Canada
• Secondary residential ties – factors that may
contribute to whether residential ties exist
(including, but not limited to):
o personal property in Canada (car, furniture, etc.)
o social ties in Canada (memberships in Canadian
recreational groups, etc.)
o economic ties in Canada (Canadian bank
account or credit cards, etc.)
o Canadian driver’s licence, Canadian passport, or
Canadian health insurance
• If a taxpayer is determined to be a resident of
Canada, they are taxed on all of their worldwide
income; non-residents of Canada are taxed only
on income tied to Canadian sources
PPE – Betterments
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level A
PPE – Betterments (ASPE)
• A “betterment” enhances service potential
(increase in physical output or service capacity,
associated operating costs are lowered, useful life
is extended, or quality of output is improved)
• If the expenditure can be classified as a
betterment
capitalize asset
• If the expenditure cannot be classified as a
betterment
expense as repair and maintenance
Reference: ASPE 3061.14
Non-monetary transactions
Financial Reporting (ASPE)
Core – Level B; Elective – Level A
Non-monetary transactions (ASPE)
• Asset exchanged in a non-monetary transaction
should be measured at the more reliably
measurable of the fair value of the asset given up
and the fair value of the asset received, unless the
transaction lacks commercial substance or neither
the fair value of the asset received nor the fair
value of the asset given up is reliably measurable,
in which case, it should be measured at the
carrying value of the asset given up
• A non-monetary transaction has commercial
substance when the entity’s future cash flows are
expected to change significantly as a result of the
transaction, i.e.
o the risk, timing and amount of the future cash
flows of the asset received differ significantly
from the risk, timing and amount of the cash
flows of the asset given up; or
o the entity-specific value of the asset received
differs from the entity-specific value of the asset
given up, and the difference is significant
relative to the fair value of the assets exchanged
Reference: ASPE 3831.06, .07, .11
Non-monetary transactions
Financial Reporting (IFRS)
Core – Level B; Elective – Level A
Non-monetary transactions (IFRS)
• Asset exchanged in a non-monetary transaction
should be measured at the more reliably
measurable of the fair value of the asset given up
and the fair value of the asset received, unless the
transaction lacks commercial substance or neither
the fair value of the asset received nor the fair
value of the asset given up is reliably measurable,
in which case, it should be measured at the
carrying value of the asset given up
• A non-monetary transaction has commercial
substance when the entity’s future cash flows are
expected to change significantly as a result of the
transaction, i.e.
o the risk, timing and amount of the future cash
flows of the asset received differ significantly
from the risk, timing and amount of the cash
flows of the asset given up; or
o the entity-specific value of the asset received
differs from the entity-specific value of the asset
given up, and the difference is significant
relative to the fair value of the assets exchanged
Reference: IAS 16.24-.26
Review engagements
Audit; Assurance
Core – Level B; Elective – Level A
Review engagements (Assurance)
• The objective of a review engagement is to obtain
limited assurance about whether the financial
statements as a whole are free from material
misstatement
• A conclusion is formed on whether anything has
come to the practitioner’s attention to cause them
to believe the financial statements are not
prepared, in all material respects, in accordance
with an applicable financial reporting framework,
i.e. ASPE, IFRS
• Limited assurance about the results of the
examination is provided, with an explicit
statement that an audit opinion is not expressed
• Report expresses negative assurance – “nothing
has come to our attention…”
• Similar to an audit, independence is required as it
is an assurance engagement
• Materiality must be determined
• Typical procedures include:
o Obtaining knowledge of the client’s business
o Making inquiries of management and client
personnel
o Performing analytical procedures
Reference: CSRE 2400
Opening balances
Audit; Assurance
Core – Level B; Elective – Level A
Opening balances (Assurance)
• Sufficient and appropriate evidence regarding
opening balances being free of material
misstatement must be obtained in order to issue
an opinion
• Evidence may be obtained by reviewing the
previous auditor’s working papers, if the client has
been audited before, or by performing specified
audit procedures on the opening balances, if the
client is being audited for the first time
• If the opening balances cannot be verified, it may
be necessary to issue a qualified opinion or denial
disclaimer of opinion due to the scope limitation
• Generally, the opening balance scope limitation
would not apply to a review engagement as
there’s no requirement to send out A/R
confirmations or attend inventory counts, which
are time-sensitive and generally only required for
audit level assurance
Reference: CAS 510, paragraph 6(c)
Employee vs. Contractor
Taxation
Core – Level B
Employee vs. Contractor (Tax)
• No single test is decisive. Must consider:
o Intention of the parties
o Control of work (hours, location, how job is
completed)
o Ownership of tools (who supplies)
o Chance of profit and risk of loss
o Ability to subcontract work or hire assistants
o Integration
• Issues:
o Contractors can deduct all reasonable expenses
whereas employment deductions are limited
o Employees can receive EI benefits, contractors
can opt in with restrictions
o Employers are required to withhold source
deductions for employees
o Employer may be responsible for both
employee and employer contributions of EI and
CPP if an individual is incorrectly classified as a
contractor
Employer provided automobile –
Standby charge
Taxation
Core – Level B
Employer provided automobile – Standby charge (Tax)
• Standby charge is a taxable employment benefit
that only applies if an employer-provided
automobile is available to the employee for
personal use
• Calculated as:
o 2% of the original cost per month available; or
o 2/3 of the monthly lease payment per month
available
• reduced by payments made by the individual to
the employer
• reduced standby charge applicable where
personal use less than 1,667 km per month and
automobile primarily used for business purposes
(consider greater than 50%)
Reference: IT-63R5