Chapter 5 International Financial Reporting Standards Part 2 Flashcards
IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements, requires
classification of liabilities:
-current liabilities
-non-current liabilities
Current Liabilities
- Expected to settle in normal operating cycle
2.. Held primarily for purpose of trading - Settled within 12 months of the balance sheet date
- No right to defer until 12 months after the balance sheet date.
Refinanced short -term debt under IFRS
Long-term if refinanced prior to the balance sheet date
Refinanced short-term debt under GAAP
Long-term if refinancing is agreed prior to the balance sheet being issued
Accounts payable on demand due to violation of debt covenants under IFRS
Current liability, unless lender issued waiver of 12 months by the balance sheet date
Accounts payable on demand due to violation of debt covenants under GAAP
Current liability, unless lender issued waiver obtained by the annual report issuance date.
Bank overdrafts under IFRS
Long-term if integral part of cash management netted against cash
Bank overdrafts under GAAP
always treated as current liabilities
IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets
Reporting liabilities and assets of uncertain timing, amount, or existence
Onerous contracts and restructuring costs
Environmental costs and nuclear decommissioning costs
Under IFRS contingent liabilities are not on the balance sheet they are a
provision of liability with uncertain timing or amount.
Under IFRS, Contingent liabilities are recognized on the balance sheet only when
- There is a present obligation from past events
- It is probable that there will be an outflow of resources.
- A reliable estimate of the obligation can be made.
Constructive obligation arises from
past actions or current statements indicating that a company will accept certain responsibilities
*No concept of constructive obligation in U.S. GAAP
IAS 37 defines a contingent liability as a
- Possible obligation confirmed by occurrence or non-occurrence of a future event
-Present obligation that is not recognized because: 1. No probable outflow of resources
2. Amount of the obligation cannot be measured reliably
A contingent liability is recognized under U.S. GAAP when
outflow is probable
only disclosed if outflow is possible, but not probable
Under U.S. GAAP probable usually means
70-90%
Under IFRS probable usually means
more likely than not, implying a threshold of just over 50%
What is a provision?
liability of uncertain timing or amount
Liability is a
present obligation from a past event that will arise in an outflow of benefits
If there is no passed event, then
there is no obligation
no liability
Past Events create two types of obligations
Legal obligation
Constructive Obligation
When to recognize a provision
3 conditions need to be met
- Present obligation whether legal or constructive a as result of some past event or obligating event
- The outflow of economic benefits required to settle the obligation must be probable; probable is more than 50%; possible means less than 50%
- There must be reliable estimate of outflow of economic benefits that is required to settle the obligation.
If not, then entity discloses contingent liability or nothing if probability of outflow of benefits is remote
How to measure provisions
Best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation at the end of the reporting period
This estimate of outcome and financial effect are determined by the judgment of the management of an entity, supplemented by experience of similar transactions, sometimes reports of independent experts
Two ways to measure provisions
- Expected Value: when measurement of provision involves a large population of items, then the provision is measured as weighted average of all possible outcomes by their probabilities
- Single obligation is measured: provision would be set as most likely outcome
Several considerations to look at when measuring provisions
risk and uncertainties: inflation
present value after 12 months
Future events
gains from disposals shall not be taken into account
A provision is recognized as an
expense in the income statement
but sometimes can be capitalized into the cost of another asset
Provision is reversed when outflow of resources is
no longer probable
Can IFRS omit disclosures that can be expected to prejudice seriously the position of the enterprise in a dispute with other parties?
Yes
U.S. GAAP no such exemption
Onerous Contracts
unfair contract in which the unavoidable cost of meeting the obligations of the contract exceed the economic benefits of the contract
If company identifies contract as onerous,
provision must be made in amount of unavoidable costs of or fulfilling it and unavoidable costs can be either
Recognize provision for the lower of:
-Net cost of fulfilling the contract that means cost less some income from the contract or
-Penalty from non fulfillment of the contract whichever is lower
If onerous from entity’s own action, provision not recognized until that action happens.
Restructuring
A program planned and controlled by management that changes either:
The scope of business or the manner in which business is conducted.
Examples of restructurings:
The sale or termination of a line of business.
The closure of business locations in a country or region.
A change in management structure.
A fundamental reorganization that has a material effect on the nature and focus of the entity’s operations.
Under I A S 37, a restructuring provision is recognized when:
Detailed formal plan for restructuring.
Valid expectation that the plan will be carried out.
Cost is reasonably estimable, and the period of time is reasonable.
U.S. G A A P: no recognition until a liability has been incurred.
Thus, I F R S most likely shows loss earlier.
Contingent asset
probable asset that arises from past events and whose existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a future event.
Not recognized (I F R S), but should be disclosed when the inflow of economic benefits is probable.
I F R S: is recognized if realization is virtually certain.
G A A P: the asset should be realized before it can be recognized.
I A S 19, Employee Benefits, covers all forms of
employee compensation and benefits.
Excludes share–based compensation.
Four types of employee benefits:
Four types of employee benefits:
1. Short–term benefits (compensated absences and bonuses).
2. Post–employment (pensions, medical benefits, and other post–employment benefits).
3. Other long–term benefits (deferred compensation and disability benefits).
4. Termination benefits (severance pay and early retirement benefits).
How many types of contingent liabilities are there?
Three
Probable
Possible
Remote
GAAP recognizes all 3
Examples of Contingent Liablities
lawsuits
product warranties
*outcomes are uncertain
*amount of liability differs depending on estimated dollar amount of the liability and the likelihood of the event occurring.
How do GAAP and IFRS require companies to record contingent liabilities
in accordance with 3 principles
- full disclosure
- materiality
- prudence
Probable contingent liabilities can be reasonably estimated and must
be reflected within financial statements
Possible but not probable contingent liabilities are as likely to occur as not and need only be
disclosed in the financial statement footnotes
Remote contingent liabilities are extremely unlikely to occur and
do not need to be included in financial statements at all
Contingent liabilities adversely impact
a company’s assets and net profitability
As a result, knowledge of both contingencies and commitments is extremely important to users of financial statements because they:
represent the encumbrance of potentially material amounts of resources during future periods,
and thus affect the future cash flows available to creditors and investors.
also important for potential lenders to a company, who will take these liabilities into account when deciding on their lending terms.
Short-term benefits
recognize an expense and a liability at the time the employee provides services.
Amount recognized is undiscounted.
Compensated absences (for sick/vacation pay) accrue when services are provided only if:
The compensated absences accumulate over time.
They can be carried forward to future periods.
Short-term benefits For non–accumulating compensating balances,
an expense and liability are recognized only when the absence occurs.
Profit–sharing and bonus plans
An expense and a liability are accrued if:
The company has a present legal or constructive obligation to make such payments as a result of past events.
The amount can be reliably estimated.
Post–Employment Benefits
I A S 19 distinguishes between defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans.
Defined contribution plan:
Benefits accrue when services are rendered.
Liability reduces when contributions are made.