Cpa A1.3 - Advanced Financial Reporting - Study Manual
Cpa A1.3 - Advanced Financial Reporting - Study Manual
Cpa A1.3 - Advanced Financial Reporting - Study Manual
ADVANCED 1.3
FINANCIAL REPORTING
© iCPAR
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this book are accurate, no
responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any
material in this publication can be accepted by the publisher or authors. In addition to this, the authors
and publishers accept no legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in relation to the
contents of this book.
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CONTENTS
Introduction to Course 13
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Study Unit Title Page
7 IAS 17 – Leases 89
Introduction 90
Types of Leases 90
Accounting Treatment of Leases 91
Detailed Treatment of Finance Leases 91
Payments in Advance 97
Recording Finance and Operating Leases in the Books of the Lessor 98
Disclosure Requirements for Lessees 99
Disclosure Requirements for Lessors 100
Sale and Leaseback Transactions 101
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Study Unit Title Page
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35 IPSAS
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INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Aim
The aim of this subject is to ensure that students apply the appropriate judgement and
technical ability in the preparation and interpretation of financial statements for
complex business entities. Students must also be able to evaluate and communicate the
impact of current issues and developments in financial reporting to those who may not
have that technical expertise.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
• Apply and explain the acquisition method of accounting and related disclosure
requirements in financial statements and notes.
• Interpret and apply international financial reporting standards (including
reference to IPSAS) and interpretations adopted by the IASB selecting the
appropriate accounting treatment for transactions and events
• Analyse and evaluate financial statements.
• Write detailed reports, tailored to the technical understanding of the different
user groups.
• Evaluate and discuss the main accounting issues currently facing the
professional accountant in the field of financial accounting.
• Demonstrate appropriate professional judgement and ethical sensitivity.
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Syllabus:
1. Legislation
• Company Law relating to the preparation of all financial statements
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- Employee Benefits
- Related Party Disclosures
- Share Based Payment
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Study Unit 1
Contents
______________________________________________________________________
B. Development of an IFRS
______________________________________________________________________
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A. STRUCTURE OF THE IASC FOUNDATION
The IASC
Foundation
IASB SAC
IFRIC
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The IASB
The IASB is made up of 14 members and has the same objectives as the IASC Foundation. It
has sole responsibility for issuing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS’s),
following rigorous and open due process. The IASB cannot enforce compliance with its
standards and therefore it relies upon the co-operation of national standard setters.
All the most important national standard setters are represented on the IASB and their views
are taken into account so that a consensus is reached. These national standard setters can also
issue discussion papers and exposure drafts for comment in their own countries so that the
views of all preparers and users of financial statements can be represented.
With all the major national standard setters now committed to the international convergence
project, the IASB aims to develop a single set of understandable and enforceable, high quality
worldwide accounting standards.
The SAC
THE Standards Advisory Council provides a forum for experts from different countries and
different business sectors with an interest in international financial reporting to offer advice
when drawing up new standards. Its main objective is to give advice to the Trustees and the
IASB on agenda decisions and work priorities and on the major standard-setting projects.
The IFRIC
This committee has taken over the work of the previous Standing Interpretations Committee.
In reality, it is a compliance body whose role is to provide rapid guidance on the application
and interpretation of international accounting standards where contentious or divergent
interpretations have arisen.
It operates an open due process in accordance with its approved procedures. Its
pronouncements (known as SICs and IFRICs) are important because financial statements
cannot be described as being in compliance with IFRSs unless they also comply with the
interpretations.
Other Bodies
The IASB has enhanced its reputation and credibility even further by developing its
relationship with the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). This is
a very influential organisation of the world’s stock exchanges.
In 1995, the then International Accounting Standards Committee agreed to develop a core set
of standards which, when endorsed by IOSCO, would be used as an acceptable basis for
cross-border listings. This was achieved in 2000, arguably making the international
accounting standards the first steps towards global accounting harmonisation. Furthermore,
since 2005, as part of its harmonisation process, the European Union requires all listed
companies in all member states to prepare their consolidated financial statements using
IFRSs.
National standard setters (such as the UK’s Accounting Standards Board and The USA’s
Financial Accounting Standards Board) have a role to play in the formulation of international
accounting standards. Seven of the leading national standard setters work closely with the
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IASB, which the IASB sees as a “partnership” between the IASB and the national standard
setters, as they work towards the convergence of accounting standards worldwide. Often the
IASB will ask members of national standard setting bodies to work on particular projects in
which those countries have greater experience or expertise. Many countries that are
committed to closer integration with IFRSs will publish domestic standards equivalent (if not
identical) to IFRSs on a concurrent timescale.
B. DEVELOPMENT OF AN IFRS
As mentioned above, the IASB is responsible for the development and publication of
international accounting standards. The standard requires the votes of at least eight of the
fourteen IASB members. The procedure is as follows:
1. The IASB (advised by the SAC) identifies a subject and appoints an advisory
committee to advise on the issues relevant to the subject area. If the subject matter is
complex and of high importance, the IASB may publish Discussion Documents for
public comment.
2. Following the receipt and review of comments, the IASB then develops and publishes
an Exposure Draft for public comment. The Exposure Draft is a draft version of the
intended subject. The normal comment period for both the Discussion document and the
Exposure Draft is ninety days.
It is important to note that the IASC Foundation, the IASB and the accountancy profession
itself does not have the power to enforce compliance with the IFRSs. However, some
countries do adopt the IFRSs as their local standards, with others ensuring that there is no
significant difference between their standards and IFRs. Over the last decade or so, the profile
and status of the IASB has increased with the result being a commensurate increase in the
persuasive force of the IFRSs globally.
The purpose of a regulatory framework is to regulate both the format and content of financial
statements. Accounting disclosure is regulated through a combination of:
• National company law and EU directives
• Stock exchange rules
• IFRS
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Accounting standards by themselves would not be a sufficient regulatory framework. Legal
and market regulations are also required to ensure the full regulation of both the preparation
and publication of financial statements.
The establishment of these principles provide the basis for both the development of new
accounting standards and an appraisal of the standards already in issue.
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• The conceptual framework enables critical issues to be addressed. For example, until
relatively recently, no accounting standard contained a definition of basic terms such as
“asset” or “liability”.
• With certain types of transactions becoming more and more complex over the years, a
conceptual framework aids accountants and auditors to deal with transactions not
covered per se by an accounting standard. It can give guidance of the general principles
on how transactions should be recorded and presented in the financial statements.
• Where a conceptual framework exists, an issue not yet covered by an accounting
standard can be dealt with temporarily by providing an interim approach until a specific
standard is issued.
• It is believed that standards that are based on principles are more difficult to circumvent
than a rules-based approach (the “cookbook” approach).
• It makes it less likely that the standard setting process can be influenced or even
hijacked by vested interests, for example large corporations or business sectors. This
enhances the credibility of the IFRSs and the accounting profession.
The “Framework for the Preparation and presentation of Financial Information” (or simply,
“The Framework”) is a conceptual accounting framework that sets out the concepts and
principles that underpin the preparation and presentation of financial statements for external
users. It applies to the financial statements of both private and public entities.
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The Framework identifies the users of financial statements, and their main information needs,
to be:
• Investors: concerned about the risk and return of their investments.
• Employees: concerned about risks to their continuing employment and remuneration
• Lenders: concerned about the entities ability to service and repay loans and interest
• Suppliers and other trade creditors: concerned about whether they will be paid in
full and on time
• Customers: concerned about the ability of the entity to continue in business
• Governments and their agencies: concerned about taxation national statistics etc.
• The public: concerned about local economy, environmental issues, employment
opportunities etc.
The Framework points out that financial statements prepared for this purpose should meet the
common needs of most users, whilst also showing the results of the stewardship and
accountability of management. It is important to remember that the information is based on
historical information. However, if the information is reliable, its predictive value (i.e. its use
in assessing future performance) is greatly enhanced. Users can then use this information in
making their economic decisions.
Underlying assumptions
The Framework makes reference to two specific underlying assumptions:
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(b) Going concern
Financial statements are prepared (normally) on the assumption that an enterprise is a
going concern and will continue in operation for the foreseeable future. If it is
management’s intention to liquidate (or significantly reduce the scale of its operations)
the accounts would have to be prepared on a different basis (e.g. the “break-up basis)
and this would have to be disclosed.
(a) Relevance
Information provided by financial statements needs to be relevant. Information that is
relevant has predictive and confirmatory value. Information is considered relevant if :
• It has the ability to influence the economic decisions of users: and
• It is provided in time to influence those decisions
(b) Reliability
Information that is reliable can be depended upon to present a faithful representation
and is neutral, error free, complete and prudent. It also depends on the concept of
substance over form, because by applying this concept, users will see the economic
reality of transactions.
(c) Comparability
Users must be able to:
• Compare the financial statements of an entity over time to identify trends in its
financial position and performance
In order to achieve this, there must be both consistency and adequate disclosure. Users
must be informed of the accounting policies employed in the preparation of the
financial statements as well as any changes in those policies in the period and the
effects of such changes. Furthermore, to compare the performance of the entity over
time, it is important that the financial statements show comparative information for the
preceding period(s).
(d) Understandability
It is assumed that users have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic
activities and are willing to study the information provided with reasonable diligence.
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The elements of financial statements
The Framework provides definitions of the elements of financial statements. When applied
with the recognition criteria, the definitions provide guidance on how and when the financial
effect of transactions or events should be recognised in the financial statements.
(a) Assets
Assets are resources controlled by the entity as a result of past events, from which
future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity.
(b) Liabilities
Liabilities are an entity’s obligations to transfer economic benefits, as a result of past
transactions and/or events.
(d) Income
Income is an increase in economic benefits during the accounting period in the form of
inflows or enhancements of assets or decrease in liabilities that result in increases in
equity (other than those relating to contributions from equity participants).
This definition follows a statement of financial position approach rather than the more
traditional income statement approach to recognising income>
(e) Expenses
Expenses are decreases in economic benefits during the accounting period in the form
of outflows or depletions of assets or incurring of liabilities that result in decreases in
equity (other than those relating to contributions from equity participants).
In order to be recognised in the financial statements, an item must meet the definition of an
element (see above). In addition, the Framework has two other criteria which must be met
before it can be recognised:
(a) It is probable that any future economic benefit associated with the item will flow to or
from the enterprise; and
(b) The item has a cost or value that can be measured with reliability.
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mentions that historic cost is the most commonly adopted , although often within a
combination of bases, for example valuing inventories at the lower of cost and realisable
value or impairing a receivable to the present value of the amount considered collectible.
The needs of the user should determine the most appropriate basis to adopt.
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F. COMMONLY USED CONCEPTS IN FINANCIAL REPORTING
Though the Framework mentions two accounting policies that underpin the financial
statements of the company, other concepts can be employed too, to varying degrees:
Money Measurement Accounts only deal with those items to which a monetary value
can be attributed
Substance over Legal Recognises economic substance from legal form e.g. assets
Form acquired on hire purchase
Stable Monetary Unit That the value of the monetary unit used is consistent over time
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Study Unit 2
Contents
_____________
A. Introduction
_____________
B. Objective
_____
G. Sundry Matters
______
M. Question / Solution
______
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A. INTRODUCTION
IAS 1 (Revised) was published in September 2007. It introduced a number of changes, the
main ones being as follows:
• The titles of the main financial statements were amended to Statement of Changes in
Position, Statement of Comprehensive Income and Statement of Cash Flows
• To present all non-owner changes in equity (comprehensive income) either in one
statement of comprehensive income or a separate income statement and statement
showing other comprehensive income
• To present a statement of financial position at the beginning of the earliest comparative
period when the entity applies a prior period adjustment.
The intention of the revision is to improve the quality of the information provided to users by
aggregating information in the financial statements on the basis of shared characteristics.
B. OBJECTIVE
The objective of general purpose financial statements is to provide information about the
financial position of an entity. General purpose financial statements are those intended to
serve users who do not have the authority to demand financial reports tailored for their own
needs.
Financial statements also show the results of management’s stewardship of the entity’s
resources.
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• A statement of financial position at the end of the period,
• A statement of comprehensive income for the period,
• A statement of changes in equity for the period
• Statement of cash flows for the period, and
• Notes, comprising a summary of accounting policies and other explanatory notes.
When an entity applies an accounting policy retrospectively or makes a retrospective
restatement of items in its financial statements, or when it reclassifies items in its financial
statements, it must also present a statement of financial position as at the beginning of the
earliest comparative period.
An entity may use titles for the statements other than those stated above. For example, an
entity may continue to use the previous title of Statement of Financial Position and cash flow
statement.
Any reports provided in addition to the Financial Statements are outside the scope of the
IAS’s.
• The financial statements shall be identified clearly and distinguished from other
information.
• The financial statements should show:
− The name of the reporting entity
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− The Statement of Financial Position date or the period covered by the income
statement
• The currency in which the financial statements are presented
• The level of rounding used in presenting amounts e.g. RWF’000, RWFm or the like.
• The financial statements shall be presented at least annually.
G. SUNDRY MATTERS
IAS 1 requires that an entity whose financial statements comply with IFRSs make an explicit
and unreserved statement of such compliance in the notes. Financial statements shall not be
described as complying with IFRSs unless they comply with all the requirements of IFRSs
(including Interpretations).
Inappropriate accounting policies are not rectified either by disclosure of the accounting
policies used or by notes or explanatory material.
IAS 1 acknowledges that, in extremely rare circumstances, management may conclude that
compliance with an IFRS requirement would be so misleading that it would conflict with the
objective of financial statements set out in the Framework. In such a case, the entity is
required to depart from the IFRS requirement, with detailed disclosure of the nature, reasons,
and impact of the departure
Going Concern
An entity preparing IFRS financial statements is presumed to be a going concern. If
management has significant concerns about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern,
the uncertainties must be disclosed. If management concludes that the entity is not a going
concern, the financial statements should not be prepared on a going concern basis, in which
case IAS 1 requires a series of disclosures.
Consistency of Presentation
The presentation and classification of items in the financial statements shall be retained from
one period to the next unless a change is justified either by a change in circumstances or a
requirement of a new IFRS.
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Materiality and Aggregation
Each material class of similar items must be presented separately in the financial statements.
Dissimilar items may be aggregated only if they are individually immaterial.
Materiality has been defined as follows: “Omissions or misstatements of items are material if
they could, individually or collectively, influence the economic decisions of users taken on the
basis of the Financial Statements. Materiality depends in the size and nature of the omission
or misstatement judged in the circumstances. The size or nature of the item, or a combination
of both, could be the determining factor.”
Offsetting
Assets and liabilities, and income and expenses, may not be offset unless required or
permitted by a Standard or an Interpretation.
Comparative Information
IAS 1 requires that comparative information shall be disclosed in respect of the previous
period for all amounts reported in the financial statements, both face of financial statements
and notes, unless another Standard requires otherwise.
Current Assets
An asset shall be classified as current when it satisfies any of the following criteria:
(a) It is expected to be realised or is intended for sale or use in the entity’s normal operating
cycle;
(b) It is held primarily for the purpose of being traded;
(c) It is expected to be realised within 12 months after the Statement of Financial Position
date, or
(d) It is cash or a cash equivalent (as defined by IAS 7 Cash Flow Statements)
All other assets shall be classified as non-current.
Current Liabilities
A liability shall be classified as current when it satisfies any of the following criteria:
(a) It is expected to be settled in the entity’s normal operating cycle;
(b) It is held primarily for the purpose of being traded;
(c) It is due to be settled within 12 months after the Statement of Financial Position date.
All other liabilities shall be classified as non-current liabilities.
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EXAMPLE OF A STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
ABC LTD
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2009
RWFm RWFm
Assets
Non-Current Assets
Property 150
Plant and Equipment 78
Intangible Assets 22
Investments 30
280
Current Assets
Inventories 81
Trade Receivables 76
Prepayments 4
Cash and Cash Equivalents 22
183
Total Assets 463
Non-Current Liabilities
Long-Term Borrowings 150
Long-Term Provisions 10
Total Non-Current Liabilities 160
Current Liabilities
Trade Payables 35
Accruals 4
Income Tax Payable 12
Total Current Liabilities 51
Total Equity and Liabilities 463
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Example 1 – Statement of Financial Position
The following information is available about the balances of ALP, a limited liability
company.
Balances at 31st May 2010 RWF
Non-Current - Cost 500,000
Assets
- Accumulated Depreciation 100,000
Cash at Bank 95,000
Issued Share Capital – Ordinary Shares of RWF1 each 200,000
Inventory 125,000
Trade Payables 82,000
Retained Earnings 292,500
10% Loan Notes 150,000
Trade Receivables 112,000
Loan Note Interest Owing 7,500
REQUIREMENT:
Prepare the Statement of Financial Position of ALP as at 31st May 2010 using the format IAS
1 – Presentation of Financial Statements.
ALP Limited
Statement of Financial Position as at 31st May 2010
Assets RWF RWF
Non-Current Assets:
Cost 500,000
Less Accumulated Depreciation (100,000)
400,000
Current Assets
Inventory 125,000
Trade Receivables 112,000
Cash at Bank 95,000
332,000
Total Assets 732,000
Equity and Liabilities
Shareholders’ Equity
Share Capital 200,000
Retained Earnings 292,500
492,500
Non-Current Liabilities
10% Loan Notes 150,000
Current Liabilities
Trade Payables 82,000
Accruals 7,500 89,500
Total Current Liabilities 239,500
Total Liabilities
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Total Equity and Liabilities 732,000
Total comprehensive Income is the realised profit or loss for the period, plus other
comprehensive income.
Other comprehensive income is income and expenses that are not recognised in profit or loss.
That is, they are recorded in reserves rather than as an element of the realised profit for the
period. For example, other comprehensive income would include a change in revaluation
surplus.
PQR
Statement of Comprehensive Income for the Year Ended 31st December 2009
RWF’000
Revenue X
Cost of sales (X)
Gross profit X
Administrative expenses (X)
Profit from operations X
Finance costs (X)
Investment income X
Profit before tax X
Income tax expense (X)
Profit for the year X
Other Comprehensive Income
Gain/Loss on revaluation of PPE X
Gain/Loss on available for sale investments X
Total comprehensive income for the year X
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PQR
Income Statement for the year ended 31st December 2009
RWF’000
Revenue X
Cost of sales (X)
Gross profit X
Administrative expenses (X)
Profit from operations X
Finance costs (X)
Investment income X
Profit before tax X
Income tax expense (X)
Profit for the year X
PQR
Other Comprehensive Income for the year ended 31st December 2009
RWF’000
Profit for the Year X
Other comprehensive income
Gain/Loss on revaluation of PPE X
Gain/Loss on available for sale investments X
Total comprehensive income for the year X
When items of income and expense are material, their nature and amount shall be disclosed
separately. Examples of these would include:
(a) The write down of inventories to net realisable value
(b) The write down of property, plant and equipment to recoverable amount
(c) Gains/losses on disposal of property, plant and equipment
(d) Gains/losses on disposal of investments
(e) Legal settlements
An entity shall not present any items of income and expenses as extraordinary items. The
description extraordinary items was used in the past to represent income and expenses arising
from events outside the ordinary activities of the business. IAS 1 has therefore abolished this
classification of items.
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Example – Income Statement Function of Expenditure Method
Set out below are details from the financial records of Watt Limited:
RWFm
Distribution Costs 5,470
Interest Costs 647
Cost of Sales 18,230
Sales Revenue 44,870
Income Tax Expense 1,617
Administration Expenses 9,740
REQUIREMENT:
Prepare the Income Statement
SOLUTION:
Watt Limited - Income Statement for the year ended 31st March 2009
RWFm
Sales Revenue 44,870
Cost of Sales 18,230
Gross Profit 26,640
Administration Expenses (9,740)
Distribution Costs (5,470)
Profit from Operations 11,430
Interest Costs (647)
Profit Before Tax 10,783
Income Tax Expense (1,617)
Net Profit for the Year 9,166
An entity shall present a statement of changes in equity showing on the face of the statement:
(a) Profit or loss for the period
(b) Each item of income and expense for the period that is recognised directly in equity e.g.
a revaluation surplus on the revaluation of property
(c) The effects of changes in accounting policies and correction of errors recognised in
accordance with IAS8
(d) The amounts of transactions with equity holders e.g. issue of shares, any premium
thereon and dividends to equity holders.
(e) The balance of retained earnings (accumulated profit) at the start of the year, changes
during the year and the balance at the end of the year.
(f) The balance on each reserve account at the start of the year, changes during the year and
the balance at the end of the year.
Therefore, the statement of changes in equity provides a summary of all changes in equity
arising from transactions with owners, including the effect of share issues and dividends.
Other non-owner changes in equity are disclosed in aggregate only.
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Statement of Changes in Equity
Essentially the statement of changes in equity presents in a columnar format all the changes
which have affected the various equity balances of share capital and reserves.
Restated Balance X X X X
X
Issue of shares X X X
Revaluation gain X
X
Transfer (X) X -
Profit for the year X
X
Dividends (X) (X)
__ ___ ___ ____ ____
Balance at 31.12.09 X X X X X
__ ___ ___ ____ _____
An entity shall disclose the significant accounting policies used in preparing the financial
statements.
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Study Unit 3
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definition
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Recognition
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Initial Measurement
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Subsequent Expenditure
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Derecognition
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Depreciation
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. OBJECTIVE
The objective of IAS 16 is to prescribe the accounting treatment for property, plant and
equipment (PPE), so that users of the financial statements can understand the nature of the
entities investment in such assets and any changes that have occurred in that investment.
The standard indicates that the main issues to be dealt with are:
(a) The recognition of assets
(b) The determination of their carrying amount
(c) Depreciation and impairment losses
(d) Disclosure requirements
B. DEFINITION
The carrying amount refers to the amount at which an asset is recognised after deducting
accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses, i.e. its net book value.
C. RECOGNITION
An item of property, plant and equipment should be recognised as an asset in the Statement
of Financial Position if, and only if:
(a) It is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the
entity; and
(b) The cost of the item can be measured reliably.
The Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements also states that
having control over as asset is an important feature in the recognition of that asset in the
accounts (for example, legal ownership of an asset is not essential in establishing the
existence of the asset, as long as the entity can show that it controls the benefits which are
expected to flow from that asset, e.g. Finance Lease).
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An entity controls an asset if it has the power to obtain the future economic benefits flowing
from that asset and also restrict the access of others to those benefits.
D. INITIAL MEASUREMENT
If an asset qualifies for recognition, then it should initially be measured at its cost.
Cost is the amount of cash or cash equivalents paid or the fair value of other consideration
given to acquire an asset at the time of acquisition or construction.
Administration and other general overheads are not included in the cost of the asset.
Likewise, the following are also excluded: training costs, advertising and promotional costs,
and costs incurred while an asset, capable of being used as intended, is yet to be brought into
use, is left idle or is operating below full capacity.
[Note that in the case of self-constructed assets, the following are excluded from the cost of
the asset:
(a) Internal profits
(b) Abnormal amounts of wasted material, labour or other resources]
In certain circumstances, IAS 23 allows part of the borrowing cost to be capitalised.
If an asset is acquired in exchange for another asset, the acquired asset is measured at its fair
value unless the exchange lacks commercial substance or the fair value cannot be measured
reliably. If this is the case, the acquired asset should be measured at the carrying value of the
asset given up (carrying amount being equal to cost less accumulated depreciation and
impairment losses).
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Question:
TTR Limited has recently acquired an item of plant. The details of this acquisition are:
RWF RWF
List price of plant 240,000
Trade discount applicable to TTR 12.5%
Ancillary costs:
Shipping and handling costs 2,750
Pre-production testing 12,500
Maintenance contract for three years 24,000
Site preparation costs:
Electrical cable installation 14,000
Concrete reinforcement 4,500
Own labour costs 7,500
26,000
TTR paid for the plant (excluding the ancillary costs) within four weeks and thus received a
3% early settlement discount.
An error was made in installing the electrical cable. This error cost RWF6,000 and is
included in the RWF14,000 figure.
The plant is expected to last for 10 years. At the end of this period, there will be compulsory
costs of RWF18,000 to dismantle the plant and restore the site. (Ignore discounting).
What is the initial cost of the plant that should be recognised in the Statement of Financial
Position?
Solution:
RWF RWF
List price of plant 240,000
Less trade discount (12.5%) (30,000)
210,000
Shipping and handling costs 2,750
Pre-production testing 12,500
Site preparation costs:
Electrical cable (14,000 – 6,000) 8,000
Concrete reinforcement 4,500
Own labour costs 7,500
20,000
Dismantling and restoration 18,000
Initial cost of plant 263,250
Note:
• Early settlement discount is a revenue item
• Maintenance cost is also a revenue item
• The electrical error must be charged to the income statement
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E. SUBSEQUENT EXPENDITURE
The cost of day-to-day servicing of an asset is not included in the carrying amount of an
asset. This expenditure is referred to as “repairs and maintenance” and should be charged to
the income statement in the period it is incurred.
However, if part of an asset is replaced, e.g. new engine in a plane or new lining in a furnace,
then the cost of this replacement can be capitalised if the recognition criteria mentioned
earlier are met.
The part of the asset that is replaced must then be derecognised (with any resulting profit or
loss on disposal being calculated and recognised).
Some assets require ongoing and substantial expenditure for overhauling and restoring
components of an asset, for example:
• Overhaul of Airplane, to keep it airworthy
• Dry docking of a ship
• Replacing the lining of a furnace
A provision for this expenditure cannot be made. Rather, the cost is capitalised and
depreciated separately over its individual useful economic life. It is important to note that this
variety of subsequent expenditure can only be treated in this way if the asset is treated as
separate components for depreciation purposes.
If the asset is not accounted for as several different components, this kind of subsequent
expenditure must be treated as normal repairs and renewals and charged to the income
statement as it is incurred.
Example
SHNK Limited purchases a plane that has an expected useful life of 20 years, and has no
residual value. The plane requires a substantial overhaul every 5 years (i.e. at the end of years
5, 10, and 15). The plane cost RWF45 million and RWF5 million of this figure is estimated to
be attributable to the economic benefits that are restored by the overhauls.
When the first overhaul is carried out at the end of year 5 at a cost of, say, RWF10 million,
this cost is capitalised and depreciated to the date of the next overhaul.
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This means that total depreciation for years 6 to 10 will be RWF4 million (RWF10m/5 years
+ RWF40m/20 years).
IAS 16 provides two options when accounting for property, plant and equipment after their
initial recognition.
The revalued amount is the fair value of the asset at the date of revaluation less subsequent
accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.
The fair value of property is based on its market value, as assessed by a professionally
qualified valuer.
The fair value of plant and equipment is usually their market value, determined by appraisal.
If there is no market based evidence of fair value because the asset is of a specialised nature
and is rarely sold, then the fair value of that asset will have to be estimated using an income
or a depreciated replacement cost approach.
All revaluations should be made with such frequency so that the carrying amount does not
differ materially from the fair value at the Statement of Financial Position date.
If an item of property, plant and equipment is revalued, then the entire class of property, plant
and equipment to which the asset belongs shall be revalued.
However, if the revaluation gain reverses a previous revaluation loss, which was recognised
as an expense, then the gain should be recognised in the income statement (but only to the
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extent of the previous loss of the same asset). Any excess over the amount of the original
loss goes to the Revaluation Surplus.
Example:
GJ Limited has land in its books with a carrying value of RWF14 million. Two years ago the
land was worth RWF16 million. The loss was recorded in the Income Statement. This year
the land has been valued at RWF20 million.
Thus:
RWFm RWFm
Debit Land 6
Credit Income Statement 2
Credit Revaluation Surplus 4
However, the decrease should be debited directly to the revaluation surplus to the extent of
any credit balance existing in the revaluation surplus in respect of that asset.
Example:
GJ Limited has land in its books with a carrying value of RWF20 million. Two years ago the
land was worth RWF15 million. The gain was credited to the Revaluation Surplus. This year
the land has been valued at RWF13 million.
Thus:
RWFm RWFm
Debit Revaluation Surplus 5
Debit Income Statement 2
Credit Land 7
[Note that the Revaluation Surplus is part of owners’ equity.]
If however, the asset is subject to depreciation, then the treatment of revaluation surpluses
becomes a little more complicated.
If an asset is revalued upwards, then the annual depreciation charge will be greater. This will
reduce profits to lower than they would be if no revaluation took place. Consequently, the
accumulated reserves will also be lower.
The revaluation surplus will be realised if and when the asset is sold or disposed of in the
future. But, it can be argued that the surplus is also being realised when the asset is being
used, i.e. over its remaining useful life.
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• The new depreciation charge on the revalued amount of the asset; and
• The old depreciation charge on the cost of the asset.
Example:
SBN Limited bought an item of machinery for RWF100,000 at the start of 2009. The asset
had an estimated useful life of 5 years, with no residual value.
At the start of 2009, the asset was revalued to RWF120,000. There was no change in its
expected useful life.
Solution:
RWF
At 1st January 2011: Carrying amount of asset 60,000
Revalued to 120,000
∴ Revaluation surplus 60,000
Thus:
RWF RWF
Debit Machinery 60,000
Credit Revaluation Reserve 60,000
This represents an increase of RWF20,000 per annum over the old depreciation charge.
To compensate for this, SBN Limited can “release” from the revaluation reserve to the
accumulated reserves an amount to reflect the “realisation” of the revaluation reserve. The
revaluation surplus is released on a straight-line basis over the remaining life of the machine,
i.e.
RWF60,000 = RWF20,000
3 years per annum
Thus:
RWF RWF
Debit Revaluation Reserve 20,000
Credit Accumulated Reserves 20,000
[This would occur in the Statement of Changes in Equity and is not part of the profit or loss.]
The depreciation charge changes from the date of the revaluation onwards.
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Example:
On the 31st December 2010, SXB Limited had the following shown in its Statement of
Financial Position:
Buildings: RWF
Cost 5,000,000
Accumulated depreciation 1,000,000
Carrying amount 4,000,000
[Note: this means that the annual charge is RWF100,000 per annum and thus, the buildings
were acquired 10 years previously. At the end of December 2009, the buildings had an
estimated useful life of 40 years remaining.]
The building is revalued to RWF5,925,000 on the 30th June 2011. There is no change in its
remaining estimated useful life.
Show the extracts from the financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2011.
Solution:
Depreciation charge for year:
RWF
RWF5,000,000 x 2% x 6/12 = 50,000
+
5,925,000
39.5 x 6/12 75,000
years
125,000
The asset is depreciated as normal up to the date of the revaluation. Thereafter, the revalued
amount is written off over the remaining life of the asset.
Thus:
Income Statement RWF
Depreciation 125,000
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The revaluation surplus can be “released” to accumulated reserves over the remaining life of
the asset, i.e.
RWF1,975,000 = RWF50,000
39.5 years per annum
In 2010 onwards, the annual depreciation charge will be RWF150,000 per annum.
As an alternative to releasing the revaluation surplus over the assets remaining useful life, the
surplus could instead be transferred in its entirety to retained earnings when the asset is
eventually derecognised.
G. DERECOGNITION
If an asset is sold, scrapped or withdrawn from use (so that no future economic benefits are
expected) then the asset must be removed from the Statement of Financial Position.
Any gain or loss arising on disposal must be calculated and included as part of profit or loss
for period.
[Note: any consideration receivable on disposal of an item of property, plant and equipment
is measured at its fair value.]
H. DEPRECIATION
Each part of an item of property, plant and equipment that has a cost that is significant in
relation to the total cost of the item should be depreciated separately.
This means that an entity should allocate the amount initially recognised in respect of an item
of property, plant and equipment and each part should be separately depreciated.
For example, a company acquires a property at a cost of RWF100 million. For depreciation
purposes, the asset has been separated into the following elements:
Separate Asset Cost Life
Land RWF25m Freehold
Buildings RWF50m 50 years
Lifts RWF15m 15 years
Heating System RWF10m 10 years
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Thus, each asset should be depreciated accordingly.
The depreciation charge for a period should be recognised in the profit or loss for the period.
It is usually an expense item. But if the asset is used in the process of producing goods for
sale, then the depreciation of that asset is included in the cost of sales.
There are situations however, when the depreciation of any asset should be included in the
carrying amount of another asset. For example, under IAS 38 Intangible Assets, depreciation
of assets used for development purposes may be included in the cost of the intangible asset
(development costs) capitalised in the Statement of Financial Position.
So, if the future economic benefits embodied in an asset are absorbed in producing other
assets, then the depreciation charge constitutes part of the cost of the other asset and thus is
included in its carrying amount.
The depreciable amount of an asset should be allocated on a systematic basis over its useful
life. The method of depreciation should reflect the pattern in which the asset is used in the
entity. Whichever method is chosen by the entity, it should be applied consistently from
period to period unless there is a change in the expected pattern of consumption of the assets
future economic benefits.
The entity should review both the residual value of the asset and its expected useful life on an
annual basis. If necessary, these should be revised (as a change in estimate, in accordance
with IAS 8).
Because an asset is being repaired or maintained does not mean it should avoid depreciation.
Depreciation begins when the asset is available for use and ceases at the earlier date of:
(a) When it is classified as held for resale under IFRS 5; and
(b) When the asset is derecognised.
Land, with some exceptions, has an unlimited useful life and so it is not subject to
depreciation. Buildings have a useful life and, thus, are depreciated.
If an asset is revalued, the revalued amount should be depreciated over its remaining useful
life, starting at the date of its revaluation.
If the useful life of an asset is revised, the carrying value of the asset should be written off
over the remaining life, starting with the period in which the change is made.
Example:
STPA Limited purchased an asset on 1st January 2007. It had an expected useful life of 5
years. Its residual value is immaterial. Its cost was RWF500,000. At 31st December 2009,
the remaining useful life is revised to 7 years.
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Thus the depreciation charge in the accounts for 2009 will be as follows:
Net Book Value at 31st December 2008 RWF300,000
Remaining useful life at the start of the year 2009
(i.e. 7 years from the end of this year + this year) 8 years
∴Depreciation charge RWF37,500
(Note, the estimated useful life at the year 2009 is 7 years, but this information is used to
compute this years depreciation charge too.)
I. DISCLOSURE
For each class of property, plant and equipment, the following information must be disclosed:
(1) The measurement bases for calculating the gross carrying amount
(2) Depreciation method used
(3) The useful lives or the depreciation rates used
(4) The gross carrying amount and the accumulated depreciation at the beginning of the
period
(5) A reconciliation of the carrying amount at the beginning and end of the period showing:
(i) Additions
(ii) Assets held for sale in accordance with IFRS 5
(iii) Acquisitions through business combinations
(iv) Increases or decreases arising from revaluations
(v) Impairment losses
(vi) Reversals of impairment losses
(vii) Depreciation
(viii) Other changes, including foreign currency exchange differences
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(iv) The extent to which estimates were based on active markets or other techniques which
were used
(v) The carrying amount of the asset if the cost model had been used
(vi) The revaluation surplus
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BLANK
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Study Unit 4
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Disclosures
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Example
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. INTRODUCTION
There is a long-standing principle in financial accounting that an asset should not be shown at
more than its recoverable amount in the financial statements. If the carrying value of the asset
is greater than its recoverable amount, the asset is said to be impaired. This requires action to
be taken to bring the value of the asset down to its recoverable amount.
IAS 36 Impairment of Assets outlines how the recoverable amount of the asset is calculated,
and also the necessary action required by the entity in the event of an impairment loss arising.
It also covers situations where an impairment should be reversed as well as the disclosures
that are necessary.
IAS 36 applies to accounting for impairment of all asses, with the exception of:
• Inventories
• Investment property measured at fair value
• Biological assets
• Non-current assets held for resale (IFRS 5)
• Construction contracts
• Deferred tax assets
• Financial assets covered by IAS 39
• Assets arising from employee benefits
Impairment is the sudden reduction in the value of a non-current asset (or cash generating
unit) over and above the normal wear and tear or reduction in value caused by depreciation. It
arises because something happens to the asset itself and / or the environment in which it
operates.
With the exception of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill (which must be
tested for impairment annually), a formal estimate of an asset’s recoverable amount is not
required annually unless there is an indication that the asset may be impaired. The indicators
of impairment may be of an external or internal nature. Examples of these indicators would
be:
External Indicators:
• Market value of asset has fallen, more than expected
• Technological, market, economic, legal change
• Changes in interest rates (which may impact on the calculation of the asset’s Value in
Use)
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Internal Indicators
• Evidence of obsolescence or physical damage
• Changes in the way an asset is to be used e.g. asset will become idle
• Evidence from internal reporting that indicates that the economic performance of an
asset is, or will be, worse than expected
Furthermore, evidence from internal reporting which may suggest impairment of an asset has
occurred may derive from:
• Cash budgets for the operation and maintenance of the asset are significantly higher
than expected.
• Actual cash flows are worse than expected
• A significant fall in budgeted cash flows or operating profit
• Operating losses.
If the asset is impaired and its value in the accounts is written down to its recoverable
amount, it is important to remember that the depreciation charge in respect of that asset
should also be reviewed and adjusted accordingly (for example, the remaining useful
economic life may now be much shorter).
B. DEFINITIONS
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C. CALCULATING AN IMPAIRMENT LOSS
Example 1
Asset values at year end:
RWF RWF
Carrying value 220,000
Fair value less costs to sell 224,000
Value in use 226,000
Therefore, recoverable amount is: 226,000
Because the carrying value is less than the recoverable amount, there is no impairment
loss and no action is therefore necessary.
Example 2:
Asset values at year end:
RWF RWF
Carrying value 220,000
Fair value less costs to sell 214,000
Value in use 210,000
Therefore, recoverable amount is: 214,000
Because the carrying value is greater than the recoverable amount, the asset is impaired. It
needs to be written down to RWF214,000, creating an impairment loss of RWF6,000. In
addition, the new recoverable amount of the asset will need to be depreciated over its
remaining useful economic life.
The fair value less costs to sell should be determined by the best judgement of management.
The best evidence of this value would be a binding sale agreement, adjusted for incremental
costs of disposal. If there is no binding sale agreement, but an active market exists, then the
fair value less costs to sell will be the assets market price less the costs of disposal. The price
should be the current bid price or the price of the most recent transaction. Failing either of
these indicators being present, the fair value less costs to sell should be based on the best
information available to reflect what would be received between willing parties at arm’s
length. (It should not be based on a forced sale or fire sale).
The Value In Use (VIU) is arrived at by estimating the future cash inflows and outflows from
the use of the asset (including its ultimate disposal, but excluding tax and interest) and
discounting them to their present value.
The discount rate should be the rate of return that the market would expect from an equally
risky investment. It should exclude the effects of any risk for which the cash flows have been
adjusted and it should be calculated on a pre-tax basis.
When estimating the future cash flows, an entity should base is projections on reasonable and
supportable assumptions that represent management’s best estimate of the economic
conditions that will exist over the remaining useful life of the asset. The projections should
cover a maximum period of five years (unless a longer period can be justified) and should not
include the costs of future restructurings.
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D. RECOGNITION OF IMPAIRMENT LOSSES IN THE FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
But, if the asset has previously been revalued upwards, the impairment should be treated as a
revaluation decrease (and shown in “Other Comprehensive Income”). That is, the loss is first
set against any revaluation surplus for that asset until the surplus relating to that asset has
been exhausted. Then, any excess is recognised as an expense in the Income Statement.
After adjusting for the impairment loss, the new carrying amount is written off over the
remaining useful life of the asset.
Any related deferred tax assets or liabilities are determined under IAS 12 by comparing the
revised carrying value of the asset with its tax base.
Example
ABP Ltd. hires out power boats to tourists, based on an hourly rate.
The financial statement for the year ended 31st December 2008 (draft) includes the following
power boat:
RWF RWF
Cost 20,000
Depreciation: b/fwd 5,000
Charge for year 5,000
(10,000)
Carrying amount 10,000
In December 2008, the only coach firm bringing tourists to the lake side where ABP is
based, withdraws from the route. The resultant tourist market faces significant uncertainty
and an impairment review is carried out by the company.
The following projections have been made by directors in respect of the power boat asset:
• Expected revenue of RWF4,800 p.a. in 2009 and 2010. The power boat will then be
scrapped.
• The power boat could be sold for RWF5,600 (less RWF500 selling costs) immediately.
• The cost of borrowing is currently 10%.
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First, calculate the “recoverable amount”:
Fair value less selling costs: RWF
5,600 – 500 = 5,100
Value In Use
2009 4,800 x 0.909 = 4,363
2010 4,800 x 0.826 = 3,965
8,328
(0.909 and 0 .826 are the discount factors in respect of 10%, for years 1 and 2 respectively).
Therefore, the recoverable amount is RWF8,328. Since the carrying amount is RWF10,000,
there is an impairment loss of RWF1,672. This impairment loss is charged to the Income
Statement for the year ended 31st December 2008. Effectively, in the financial statements:
RWF RWF
Cost 20,000
Depreciation: b/fwd 5,000
Charge for year 5,000
Impairment loss 1,672
11,672
Carrying amount 8,328
The depreciation charge over the remaining 2 years of the assets life (2009 and 2010) will be:
RWF8,328 = RWF4,164
2 years
Example
At 1st January 2009, a non-current asset had a carrying amount of RWF120,000, based on a
revalued amount, and a depreciated historical cost of RWF90,000. An impairment loss of
RWF40,000 arose during the year ended 31st December 2009.
Example
CRMN Ltd owns and operates an item of plant that cost RWF640,000 and had accumulated
depreciation of RWF400,000 on 1st October 2009. It is being depreciated at 12.5% per annum
on cost. On 1st April 2010 (exactly half way through the year) the plant was damaged when a
factory vehicle collided into it. Due to the unavailability of replacement parts, it is not
possible to repair the plant, but it still operates, albeit at a reduced capacity. Also, it is
expected that as a result of the damage, the remaining life of the plant from the date of the
damage will be only two years.
Based on its reduced operating capacity, the estimated present value of the plant in use is
RWF150,000. The plant has a current value of RWF20,000 (which will be nil in two years
time), but CRMN has been offered a trade-in value of RWF180,000 against a replacement
machine, which has a cost of RWF1 million (there would be no disposal costs for the
replaced plant).
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CRMN is reluctant to replace the plant, as it is worried about the long-term demand for the
product produced by the plant. The trade-in value is only available if the plant is replaced.
At the date of the impairment on 1st April 2010, the plant had a carrying amount as follows:
RWF’000
st
1 October 2009 Carrying Value 240,000
Depreciation (6 months) 40,000 (RWF640,000 x 12.5% x
6/12)
1st April 2010 Carrying Value 200,000
The recoverable amount is the higher of the fair value less costs to sell and the Value In Use.
If CRMN trades in the plant, it would receive RWF180,000 by way of part exchange, but this
is conditional on buying new plant, which CRMN is reluctant to do. A more realistic amount
of the fair value of the plant is its current disposal value of only RWF20,000. Thus, because
the Value In Use is RWF150,000, this can be taken to be the recoverable amount. This will
result in an impairment loss of RWF50,000, as the asset is written down from RWF200,000
to RWF150,000.
The remaining effect on income would be that a depreciation charge for the last six months of
the year (i.e. after the impairment loss occurred) would be required. As the damage has
reduced the remaining useful life to only two years (from the date of the impairment) the
depreciation would be RWF37,500 (i.e. RWF150,000 / 2 years x 6/12).
Thus, extracts from the financial statements for the year ended 30th September 2010 would
be:
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E. CASH GENERATING UNITS
In some instances, it may not be possible to determine the recoverable amount of particular
assets. For example, a production line in a factory may be made up of a number of different
machines, with the output of Machine 1 becoming the input of Machine 2 and so on.
Therefore, revenues are earned by the production line as a whole, rather than a single asset.
This means that the Value In Use must be calculated for groups of assets rather than for
individual assets. Likewise, any subsequent impairment review must be in respect of this
group of assets.
Another example would be the case of a private railway servicing the mining activities of an
organisation. If the railway’s exclusive purpose is to support the mine and it does not
generate independent cash flows from those of the mine, then when conducting an
impairment review, the entire assets of the mining activities, including the railway, must be
considered. The railways Value In Use cannot be separately identified and its fair value less
costs to sell might merely be its scrap value.
These groups of assets are called “Cash Generating Units” (CGUs) and can be defined as
segments of the business whose income streams are largely independent of each other. In
reality, they are likely to represent the strategic business units for monitoring the performance
of the business. It could also include a subsidiary or associate within a corporate group
structure.
The identification of a CGU involves judgement and should be the lowest identifiable group
of assets that generate largely independent cash flows from continuing use. Only cash inflows
from external parties should be considered. If an active market exists for the asset’s (or group
of assets) output, then they should be identified as a CGU, even if some of the output is used
internally.
If this is the situation, management’s best estimate of future market prices should be used in
determining the Value In Use of:
• The CGU, when estimating the future cash inflows relating to internal uses; and
• Other CGUs of the entity, when estimating future cash flows that relate to internal use
of the output.
CGUs should be identified consistently from period to period unless a change is justified.
The net assets of the business that can be attributed directly or allocated on a reasonable and
consistent basis (including capitalised goodwill, but excluding tax balances and interest-
bearing debt) are allocated to cash-generating units. However, there are two areas of concern:
• Corporate Assets:
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These are assets that are used by several cash-generating units (e.g. a head office building or
an R&D facility). They do not generate their own cash inflows, so cannot be considered
CGUs in their own right.
• Goodwill
This does not generate cash flows independently of other assets and often relates to a whole
business.
It may be possible to allocate corporate assets and/or goodwill over other cash-generating
units on a reasonable basis. It is important to remember that when a CGU has been allocated
goodwill, that CGU must be subjected to an impairment review at least annually.
If no reasonable allocation of corporate assets or goodwill is possible, then the entity should:
(i) Compare the carrying amount of the CGU (excluding the corporate asset) to its
recoverable amount and recognise any impairment loss accordingly
(ii) Identify the smallest CGU to which a portion of the corporate asset can be allocated on
a reasonable and consistent basis and
(iii) Compare the carrying amount of the larger CGU, including a portion of the corporate
asset, to its recoverable amount and recognise any impairment loss.
Example
KHR Ltd acquired a business consisting of 3 cash-generating units: HNE, DGH and ATR.
There is no reasonable way of allocating the resulting goodwill to them. After a number of
years, the carrying amount and the recoverable amount of the net assets of the CGUs,
together with the purchased goodwill (calculated using the full goodwill method), are as
follows:
HNE DGH ATR Goodwill Total
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
Firstly, review the individual CGUs for impairment. ATR is the only one impaired, as its
recoverable amount is lower than its carrying amount. The impairment loss in respect of ATR
is RWF180,000. This is recognised and its carrying amount is reduced to RWF1,080,000.
Secondly, compare the carrying amount of the business as a whole, including the goodwill, to
its recoverable amount. After accounting for the impairment loss in ATR, the value of the
business is now RWF3,330,000 (RWF3,510,000 - RWF180,000). Since its recoverable
amount is RWF3,240,000, this means that a further impairment loss of RWF90,000 must be
recognised in respect of the goodwill.
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Thus, after the impairment review process, the carrying amounts of the CGUs, and the
goodwill, are now as follows:
HNE DGH ATR Goodwill Total
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
However, as a result of the allocation, the carrying amount of an asset cannot be reduced
below the highest of:
• Its fair value less costs to sell (if determinable)
• Its Value In Use (if determinable)
• Zero
Example
BKLB identified an impairment loss of RWF60 million in one of its CGUs. The CGU had a
carrying amount of RWF160 million and a recoverable amount of RWF100 million at 31st
December 2009
Details of the carrying amount RWFm
Goodwill (full goodwill method used) 20
Property 60
Machinery 40
Motor Vehicles 20
Other Assets 20
160
The fair value less costs to sell of the unit assets do not differ significantly from their carrying
values, with the exception of the property which had a market value of RWF70 million.
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Machinery 40 (20)3 20
Motor Vehicles 20 (10)3
10
Other Non-Monetary Assets 20 (10)3 10
160 (60) 100
Notes
1. Loss is firstly allocated to goodwill
2. No loss is allocated to property, because its fair value less cost to sell is greater than its
carrying amount
3. The balance of the loss (RWF40m) is allocated to other assets on a pro rata basis, i.e.:
Machinery 40 40m x 40/80 = 20
Motor Vehicles 20 40m x 20/80 = 10
Other assets 20 40m x 20/80 = 10
80 40
Under IAS36, no impairment loss is set against monetary assets, should they exist.
Receivables may become impaired, but IAS 39 would be relevant in this case, not IAS 36.
Example:
On the 1st January 2010, TMP Ltd acquired the whole of PFR Ltd., a company that operates a
sceniccoach service along the through a popular tourist area. The summarised Statement of
Financial Position at fair values of PFR on 1st January 2010, reflecting the terms of
acquisition was:
RWF’000
Goodwill 200
Operating licence 1,200
Property – bus stations, garages and land 300
Coaches 300
Two steam engines 1,000
Purchase consideration 3,000
The operating licence is for 10 years. It was renewed on 1st January 2010 by the transport
authority and is stated at the cost of its renewal. The carrying values of the property and
coaches are based on their Value In Use. The vehicles are identical to each other and are
valued at their net selling prices.
On 1st February 2010, the engine of one of the coaches caught fore up, completely destroying
the whole vehicle. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the coach was beyond repair. Due to
its age, a replacement could not be obtained. Because of the reduced passenger capacity, the
estimated Value In Use of the entire business after the accident was assessed at RWF2
million.
Passenger numbers after the accident were below expectations, even after allowing for the
reduced capacity. A market research report concluded that the tourists were not using the firm
because of their fear of a similar accident occurring to the remaining coach.
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In the light of this, the Value In Use of the business was re-assessed on 31st March 2010 at
RWF1.8 million. On this date, TMP Ltd received an offer of RWF900,000 in respect of the
operating licence (it is transferable). The realisable value of the other assets has not changed
significantly.
Calculate the carrying values of the assets of PFR Ltd (in TMP Ltd’s consolidated
Statement of Financial Position) at 1st February 2010 and 31st March 2010, after
recognising the impairment losses.
After the accident occurred, an impairment loss of RWF1 million arises, as the carrying value
of the CGU exceeded the recoverable amount (in this case, its Value In Use) by this amount.
The first impairment loss is allocated against the assets of the CGU in the following order:
1. RWF500,000 must be written off the coaches, as one of them no longer exists and is no
longer part of the CGU. The other coach is not impaired, as it cannot be reduced below
its net selling price.
2. The goodwill of RWF200,000 must be eliminated; and
3. The balance of RWF300,000 is allocated pro rata to the other remaining assets
RWF’000 RWF’000
• Licence 1,200 (1,200/1,800) x 300 = 200
• Property 300 ( 300/1,800) x 300 = 50
• Coaches 300 ( 300/1,800) x 300 = 50
1,800 300
Following the second impairment review, a further impairment loss of RWF200,000 must be
recognised, as follows:
1. The first RWF100,000 is applied to the licence, to write it down to its net selling price
2. The balance of RWF100,000 is applied pro rata to assets other than those carried at
their net selling prices, i.e. RWF50,000 is allocated to both the property and the rail
track and coaches
RWF’000 RWF’000
• Property 300 ( 300/600) x 100 = 50
• Coaches 300 ( 300/600) x 100 = 50
600 100
Page 66
In summary,
Revised Revised
1st January 1st Assets 2nd assets
2010 impairment 1st Impairment st
31 March
RWF’000 RWF’000 February RWF’000 2010
2010 RWF’000
RWF’000
Goodwill 200 (200) - -
Operating 1,200 (200) 1,000 (100) 900
Licence
Property – 300 (50) 250 (50) 200
garages/ land
Coaches 300 (50) 250 (50) 200
Maintenance 1,000 (500) 500 500
equipment
3,000 (1,000) 2,000 (200) 1,800
If goodwill is calculated using the proportion of net assets method, the Non-controlling
interest (NCI) share of goodwill is not reflected in the group accounts. Therefore, any
comparison between the carrying value of the CGU (including goodwill) and its recoverable
amount will not be on a like for like basis.
In order to address this problem, goodwill must be grossed up to include goodwill attributable
to the NCI, prior to conducting the impairment review. This grossed up goodwill is called
“total notional goodwill”.
Once any impairment loss is determined, it should be allocated firstly to the total notional
goodwill and then to the CGUs assets on a pro rata basis. As only the parent’s share of
goodwill is recognised in the group accounts, only the parent’s share of the impairment loss
should be recognised.
On the other hand, if the full method of valuing NCI is used, the goodwill in the group
Statement of Financial Position represents full goodwill. Thus, together with the rest of the
CGU, it can be compared to the recoverable amount of the CGU on a like for like basis.
Page 67
Example
X owns 80% of Y. At 31st December 2009, the carrying value of Y’s net assets is RWF120
million, excluding goodwill of RWF16 million that arose on the original acquisition. The
NCI is calculated using the proportion of net assets method.
The impairment loss only relates to goodwill. Only the proportion relating to the
recognised goodwill is recognised in the financial statements, so 80% of RWF12m, i.e.
RWF9.6m
Page 68
F. REVERSAL OF IMPAIRMENT LOSSES
The calculation of impairment losses is based on predictions of what may happen in the
future. However, because actual events may turn out to be more favourable that originally
predicted, it may be the case that the impairment loss accounted for in the past may now no
longer be appropriate (or significantly lower than anticipated).
If this is the case, the recoverable amount is recalculated and the previous write-down is
reversed. The procedure to be followed, in respect of an individual asset is as follows:
• Assets that have been subject to impairment should be reviewed at each reporting
period to determine whether there are indications that the impairment has reversed.
• However, after the reversal, the new carrying amount of the asset must not exceed the
carrying amount that would have existed if no impairment loss has been recognised in
previous years (i.e. its depreciated historical cost)
• The future depreciation charge after the reversal should be adjusted to reflect the
revised carrying amount, i.e.
Revised carrying amount - residual value
Remaining useful life
An impairment loss recognised for goodwill cannot be subsequently reversed. This is because
IAS 38 Intangible Assets expressly forbids the recognition of internally generated goodwill.
Example
In Section D above, we saw the example of ABP and how an impairment loss was recognised
in 2008, as the business faced grave uncertainty.
Suppose in December 2009, a new coach firm, ACK, announce that it will commence a new
service to the lake side. At the end of 2009, the directors now determine that the recoverable
amount of the power boat, impaired at the end of 2008 by RWF1,672, is now estimated to be
RWF3,900.
Therefore, in the accounts for 2009, in respect of the power boat in question:
RWF RWF
Cost 20,000
Depreciation and impairment losses b/fwd 11,672
Depreciation charge for 2009 (as calculated earlier) 4,164
Reversal of Impairment (836)
15,000
Carrying amount 5,000
Page 69
The recoverable amount is RWF3,900 but the asset can only be restated to the depreciated
historical cost it would have had on 31st December 2009, if the asset had never been impaired
in the first place, i.e.
RWF20,000 – 3 years depreciation
RWF20,000 – 15,000 = RWF5,000
As mentioned earlier, impairment losses relating to goodwill can never be reversed. The
reason for this is that once purchased goodwill has become impaired, any subsequent increase
in its recoverable amount is likely to be an increase in internally generated goodwill, rather
than a reversal of the impairment loss for the original purchased goodwill. Under IAS 38,
internally generated goodwill cannot be recognised.
G. DISCLOSURES
Extensive disclosures are required by IAS 36 Impairments. The most salient disclosures are:
• Losses recognised during the period, and where charged in Income Statement /
Statement of Comprehensive Income
• Reversals recognised during the period, and where credited in Income Statement /
Statement of Comprehensive Income
Page 70
H. EXAMPLE
NLK Ltd. prepares financial statements to the 31st December each year. The company
manufactures bottled methane gas and its operations are divided into two cash-generating
units: domestic and industrial. The following issue needs to be resolved before the financial
statements for the year ended 31st December 2009 can be finalised.
Domestic Industrial
RWF’000 RWF’000
Goodwill - 1,200
Other intangible assets 1,500 300
Property 2,400 6,400
Plant & equipment 3,300 1,400
Historic-cost based carrying value 7,200 9,300
(a) Calculate whether an impairment loss arises for either of the two cash-generating
units, domestic and industrial
(b) Allocate any impairment loss arising in accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of
Assets
Page 71
The relevant Present Value factors are:
SOLUTION
First, determine the recoverable amounts of each CGU. The fair value less costs to sell have
be given in the question, but the Value In Use (VIU) must be calculated. The VIU is the
present value of the future cash flows of the CGU.
Domestic Industrial
Cash 10% Cash 12%
Flow Discoun PV Flow Discoun PV
Year RWF’00 t RWF’00 RWF’00 t RWF’00
0 Factor 0 0 Factor 0
201 1,200 0.909 1,090.8 1,200 0.893 1,071.6
0
201 900 0.826 743.4 1,300 0.797 1,036.1
1
201 2,700 0.751 2,027.7 1,600 0.712 1,139.2
2
201 1,500 0.683 1,024.5 1,500 0.636 954.0
3
201 1,600 0.620 992.0 900 0.567 510.3
4
201 1,800 0.564 1,015.2 1,800 0.507 912.6
5
Total 6,893.6 Total 5,623.8
NPV NPV
Domestic:
RWF’000 RWF’000
As the carrying value of the CGU is lower than the recoverable amount, there is no
impairment and no further action is required.
Page 72
Industrial:
RWF’000 RWF’000
As the carrying value of the CGU is higher than the recoverable amount, there is an
impairment loss which needs to be recognised. The carrying value of the CGU must be
written down to RWF5,623.8 from RWF9,300, creating an impairment loss of RWF3,676.2
in the Income Statement.
The impairment loss of RWF3,676.2 must be allocated to the assets of the CGU, in the
following order:
1. Any individual assets that are obviously impaired (that does not appear to be the case
here)
2. Goodwill
3. Other assets, pro rata to their carrying amount
However, as a result of the allocation, the carrying amount of an asset cannot be reduced
below the highest of:
• Its fair value less costs to sell (if determinable)
• Its Value In Use (if determinable)
• Zero
Allocation of Impairment Loss
Carrying Impairment Revised
Amount Loss
Carrying amount
RWF’000 RWF’000
RWF’000
Goodwill 1,200 (1,200.0) -
Other intangible assets 300 ( 91.7)
208.3
Property 6,400 (1,956.5)
4,443.5
Plant and equipment 1,400 ( 428.0) 972.0
9,300 (3,676.2) 5,623.8
Of the RWF3,676.2 impairment loss, RWF1,200 is set against goodwill first, leaving a
remaining loss of RWF2,476.2 to be allocated on a pro rata basis against the other assets, as
follows:
Page 73
RWF’000
RWF’000
Other intangible assets 300 (300/8,100) x RWF2,476.2 =
91.7
Property 6,400 (6,400/8,100) x RWF2,476.2 =
1,956.5
Plant and equipment 1,400 (1,400/8,100) x RWF2,476.2 =
428.0
8,100 2,476.2
Page 74
Study Unit 5
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Definition
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Accounting Treatment
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Commencement of Capitalisation
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Cessation of Capitalisation
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Suspension of Capitalisation
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Interest Rates
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 75
A. DEFINITION
Borrowing costs are interest and other costs incurred by an entity in connection with the
borrowing of funds. They may include, for example:
(a) Interest on bank overdrafts, short-term and long-term loans
(b) Amortisation of discounts or premiums related to borrowing
(c) Finance charges in respect of finance leases
(d) Exchange differences arising from foreign currency borrowings to the extent that they
are regarded as an adjustment to interest costs.
The Standard only applies to borrowing costs related to external borrowings and not to
equity. Therefore, the Standard does not deal with the imputed or actual cost of equity,
including preference share capital not classified as equity.
B. ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
IAS 23 Borrowing Costs regulates the extent to which entities are allowed to capitalise
borrowing costs incurred on money borrowed to finance the acquisition of certain assets.
• It is probable that the costs will result in future economic benefits and the costs can be
measured reliably; and
• They are directly attributable and they would have been avoided if the asset was not
bought, constructed or produced.
Note that this is a departure from the previous position which existed up to 1st January 2009,
where a benchmark treatment and an allowed alternative were available to entities.
Other borrowing costs are recognised as an expense in the period they were incurred. A
qualifying asset is an asset that takes a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended
use or sale. Examples of such assets include:
(a) Inventories that require substantial time periods to bring them to saleable condition
(b) Manufacturing plants
(c) Investment properties
When an entity borrows funds specifically to acquire a qualifying asset, the borrowing costs
relating to that asset can be readily identified. Such costs are directly attributable since they
could have been avoided if the asset had not been acquired, constructed or produced.
Page 76
However, if the financing activity of an entity is centrally co-ordinated, it may be difficult to
identify the relationship between particular borrowings and a qualifying asset. In this case,
IAS 23 says that judgement must be exercised.
If funds are borrowed generally and used to obtain a qualifying asset, the amount of funds
eligible for capitalisation is calculated by applying a “capitalisation rate” to the cost of the
asset. This rate is the weighted average of the borrowing costs that are applicable to the
borrowings of the entity that are outstanding during the period.
On the other hand, if the funds have been specifically borrowed to acquire the asset, the
amount of funds that can be capitalised is calculated as follows:
*Borrowed funds are sometimes temporarily invested pending their expenditure on qualifying
assets.
D. COMMENCEMENT OF CAPITALISATION
E. CESSATION OF CAPITALISATION
The capitalisation of borrowing costs shall cease when substantially all the activities
necessary to prepare the qualifying asset for its intended use or sale are complete.
An asset is normally ready for use or sale when the physical construction of the asset is
complete.
F. SUSPENSION OF CAPITALISATION
The capitalisation of borrowing costs should be suspended during extended periods in which
active development is interrupted.
Thus, for example, borrowing costs incurred during builders’ holidays would continue to be
capitalised, whereas borrowing costs incurred during prolonged industrial disputes would not
be capitalised.
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G. INTEREST RATES
Where assets are financed by specific borrowings, IAS 23 requires that the cost of this
specific borrowing, related to the financing, be capitalised.
However, where the general borrowings of the company are used to finance qualifying assets,
then a weighted average cost of capital (excluding any specific borrowings) should be applied
to the average investment in the asset.
In addition, any interest from the temporary investment of any surplus funds relating to the
financing of the assets is treated as a reduction of the borrowing cost.
Example 1
On the 1st June 2009, SZC Limited commenced construction of a new factory that is expected
to take 3 years to complete. It is being financed entirely by a 3-year term loan of RWF6
million (taken out at the start of construction).
The loan carries a fixed interest rate of 9% per annum and issue costs of 1.5% of the loan
value were incurred on the loan. During the year, RWF57,000 had been earned from the
temporary investment of these borrowings.
How much interest must be capitalised under IAS 23 for the year ended 31st December 2009?
(You may use the straight-line method to amortise issue costs)
Solution
RWF
Interest* 315,000
PLUS
Issue costs** 17,500
LESS
Interest earned from temporary investment of funds (57,000)
Amount to be capitalised 275,500
* Interest
RWF6 million x 9% x 7/12 = 315,000
*Issue Costs
RWF6 million x 1.5% = RWF90,000
Amortised over three years, RWF30,000 per annum
Thus, for this year, RWF30,000 x 7/12 = RWF17,500
Example 2
SNZ Company Limited is constructing an investment property. Due to the poor state of the
property letting market, construction of this property was halted for the first three months of
the year. On the 30th September 2009, the company completed the property. Despite attempts
to let the property, it remained empty at the year end.
Page 78
The average carrying value of the property, before the inclusion of the current years
borrowing cost, is RWF15 million.
The investment property has been financed out of funds borrowed generally for the purpose
of financing qualifying assets. The company’s weighted average cost of capital is 12%
including all borrowings. However, if a specific loan acquired to fund a different specific
asset is excluded, then the weighted average cost of capital is 10.5%.
How much interest must be capitalised under IAS 23 for the year ended 31st December 2009?
Solution
RWF15 million x 10.5% x 6/12 = RWF787,500
Note that borrowing costs should not be capitalised during periods when no construction or
development occurs. In addition, capitalisation should cease when the asset is ready for use.
In this example, this excludes capitalisation for the first 3 months and the last 3 months of the
year.
Example 3:
3KR Limited commenced the construction of a new manufacturing plant on 1st March 2009.
Construction of the building cost RWF18 million. The plant was completed on 1st December
2009 and brought into use on 1st February 2010.
3KR Limited borrowed RWF12 million to help finance the construction of the plant. Interest
on the loan is 8% per annum.
What is the total cost of the building to be capitalised?
Solution:
RWF
Cost of building 18,000,000
Borrowing costs RWF12m x 8% x 9/12 720,000
18,720,000
Page 79
Example 4:
On 1st January 2008, HCK Ltd began construction of a toll bridge. The construction is
expected to take 3.5 years. It is being financed by issuing bonds for RWF7 million at 12% per
annum. The bonds were issued at the beginning of the construction. The costs of issuing the
bonds are 1.5%. The project is also partly funded by the issue of share capital, with a 14%
cost of capital. HCK Ltd has opted to capitalise borrowing costs, under IAS 23.
H. DISCLOSURE
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Study Unit 6
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Recognition
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Accounting Treatment
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Sundry Matters
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 81
A. INTRODUCTION
IAS 20 sets out the accounting procedures to be followed when dealing with government
grants. It also outlines the disclosure requirements necessary upon receipt of such grants.
The standard recognises that government assistance can come in a variety of forms and may
be motivated by different government objectives. Indeed some or all of the grant aid may
become repayable if certain conditions are not met. IAS 20 also outlines the action to be
taken in this situation.
B. DEFINITIONS
Government refers to government, government agencies and similar bodies whether local,
national or international.
Grants related to assets are government grants whose primary condition is that an entity
qualifying for them should purchase, construct or otherwise acquire long-term assets.
Subsidiary conditions may also be attached restricting the type or location of the assets or the
periods during which they are to be acquired or held.
Grants related to income are government grants other than those related to assets.
Forgivable loans are loans which the lender undertakes to waive repayment of under certain
prescribed conditions.
Page 82
C. RECOGNITION
Government grants should not be recognised in the financial statements until there is
reasonable assurance that:
(a) The entity will comply with the conditions attaching to them; and
(b) The grants will be received.
The standard states that the manner in which the grant is received will not affect the
accounting treatment. For example, an entity may receive cash or alternatively the
government may reduce a liability owed to it by the entity. Both constitute government
grants and must be treated as such.
Note that a forgivable loan from government is also treated as a government grant when there
is reasonable assurance that the entity will meet the terms for forgiveness of the loan.
If the grant takes the form of a non-monetary asset, then the fair value of that asset is assessed
and both the asset and the grant are treated at this value.
Example:
The district Council transfer title of a building to Big Limited, as part of an overall package to
encourage the development of a research and development facility to aid the tea industry.
The building has a fair value of RWF100,000.
Solution:
This constitutes a government grant. Thus in the books of Big Limited:
RWF RWF
DR Land and Buildings 100,000
Account
CR Grant Account 100,000
D. ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
Government grants and assistance should be recognised as income over the periods necessary
to match them with the related costs which they are intended to compensate, on a systematic
basis.
Page 83
Both methods are acceptable. However, in either case disclosure of the grant, and the
effects of the grant must be made.
Example
FGN Ltd. obtained a grant of RWF30 million to compensate it for costs incurred in
planting trees and hedgerows over a period of 3 years. FGN ltd. will incur costs as
follows:
Year 1 RWF5 million
Year 2 RWF5 million
Year 3 RWF10 million
(Thus total costs expected to be incurred come to RWF20 million and grant aid of
RWF30 million has been received).
Applying IAS 20, the grant will be recognised as income over the period which matches
the cost, using a systematic and rational basis. As a result, the total grant recognised per
annum will be:
Year 1 RWF30 x 5/20 = RWF7.5 million
Year 2 RWF30 x 5/20 = RWF7.5 million
Year 3 RWF30 x 10/20 = RWF10 million
2. For grants related to assets, there are two allowable accounting treatments:
(a) Show the grant as a deferred credit in the Statement of Financial Position,
amortising it to the income statement over the life of the asset to which it relates;
or
(b) Deduct the grant in arriving at the carrying amount of the asset. In this way, the
grant is recognised over the life of the asset by way of a reduced depreciation
charge in the income statement.
Note that regardless of which method is used the cash flow statement would normally
show the purchase of an asset and the receipt of a grant as two separate cash flows.
Example:
SCH Limited receives a 50% assistance/grant towards the cost of a machine, which has a
cash price of RWF100,000. The machine has an estimated useful life of five years and its
residual value is expected to be immaterial.
Solution:
The asset cost is RWF100,000 and the grant is RWF50,000. Thus, the net cost to the
company is RWF50,000.
Option 1:
On acquiring the asset:
RWF RWF
DR Machine Account 100,000
CR Bank Account 100,000
Page 84
On receiving the grant:
RWF RWF
DR Bank Account 50,000
CR Government Grant 50,000
Account
Option 2:
On acquiring the asset:
RWF RWF
DR Machine Account 100,000
CR Bank Account 100,000
Note that both options have the same impact on the profit or loss for the period.
If the grant becomes repayable, for example its prescribed conditions are not subsequently
met by the entity, then it should be treated as a revision of an accounting estimate.
Repayment of a grant related to income should be first set against any unamortised deferred
credit in relation to the grant. If the repayment exceeds the amount of that deferred credit, or
if no deferred credit existed in the first place, the excess should be recognised as an expense
immediately.
Page 85
Example:
FBT Ltd. qualified for a grant of RWF80 million to construct and manage a sawmill in an
economically disadvantaged area.. It is estimated that the mill would cost RWF150 million to
build. The grant stipulates that FBT must employ labour from the locality in the construction
and going forward, must maintain a 1:1 ratio of local to outside labour for the next 7 years.
The mill will be depreciated on a straight line basis over 10 years.
Therefore, the grant received by FBT will also be recognised over a 10 year period. In each
of the 10 years, the grant will be recognised in proportion to the annual depreciation of the
mill. This means that RWF8 million per annum will be recognised as income in each of the
10 years.
Additionally, the condition to maintain the local workforce at the levels stipulated needs to be
disclosed. This contingency would have to be disclosed for the next 7 years (during which
period the condition is in force). This will also meet the requirements of IAS 37.
F. DISCLOSURE
G. SUNDRY MATTERS
Examples of government assistance that cannot reasonably have a value placed upon them
are:
• Free technical advice
• Free marketing advice
• Provision of guarantees
Thus, these are excluded from the definition of government grants and should not be treated
as such.
Furthermore, entities may receive government assistance which is not specifically related to
their operating activities. For example, transfers of resources to entities operating in an
underdeveloped area.
Page 86
SIC 10 states that such forms of assistance do constitute grants and should be accounted for
in accordance with IAS 20. This is because the grants received are conditional upon the
recipient operating in a particular industry or area.
Finally, if a grant is received in relation to an asset that is not depreciated, then the grant
should be amortised over the period in which the cost of meeting the obligations or
conditions attached to the grant is incurred.
Page 87
BLANK
Page 88
Study Unit 7
IAS 17 – Leases
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Types of Leases
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Payments In Advance
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 89
A. INTRODUCTION
Leasing represents a very common and important method of acquiring non-current assets. A
lease can offer very significant cash flow advantages, as the payment of the full cost of an
asset on acquisition is avoided.
Under a lease agreement, the lessee enters into a contract with the lessor in which an asset is
essentially hired by the lessee. For the duration of the lease, legal ownership of the asset does
not pass from the lessor to lessee. In fact, legal ownership might never pass to the lessee,
title remaining with the lessor indefinitely.
However, IAS 17 takes the view that the substance of the transaction should be considered
over its legal form. If the risks and rewards of ownership pass substantially to the lessee, IAS
17 states that the leased asset should be capitalised in the balance sheet and a liability created
to reflect the outstanding debt due to the lessor.
On the other hand, if the risks and rewards are not transferred to the lessee, then the leased
asset should not be capitalised. Instead, lease payments are simply expensed to the income
statement in the period in which they occur.
B. TYPES OF LEASES
Because the accounting treatment of these leases is very different, it is important to be able to
distinguish between them. To this end, IAS 17 gives examples of situations that, either
individually or in combination, would normally lead to a lease being classified as a finance
lease. These are where:
(i) The lease transfers ownership of the asset to the lessee by the end of the lease term
(ii) The lessee has the option to purchase the asset at a price expected to be lower than the
fair value at the date the option becomes exercisable, so that the exercise of the option is
reasonably certain
(iii) The lease term is for the major part of the economic life of the asset
(iv) At the start of the lease the present value of the minimum lease payments amounts to
substantially all of the fair value of the leased asset
(v) The leased assets are of a specialised nature so that only the lessee can use them without
major modifications
(vi) Gains or losses from fluctuations in the fair value accrue to the lessee
(vii) The lessee has the ability to continue the lease for a secondary period at a rent that is
substantially below market rent
Page 90
C. ACCOUNTING TREATMENT OF LEASES
1. Operating Lease
Lease payments should be recognised as an expense on a straight-line basis over the
lease term, unless another systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern of
the users benefit.
Hence, the treatment of operating leases is straightforward as the lease payments appear
in the income statement as an expense.
2. Finance Leases
The treatment of finance leases is more complicated. In summary, the main points are:
(a) The leased asset is capitalised in the balance sheet and is subsequently depreciated
(b) A liability is created at the start of the lease in respect of the amount outstanding
to the lessor
(c) The lease payments are split into their interest portion and capital portion. The
interest is treated as a finance charge in the income statement. The capital portion
reduces the liability in the balance sheet.
(d) By the end of the lease term the asset will be fully depreciated and the liability
cleared from the balance sheet
On commencement of the lease, the asset concerned must first be valued so that the asset and
liability can initially be measured.
IAS 17 states that the asset, and thus the liability, should initially be recorded at the lower of:
(a) The fair value; and
(b) The present value of the minimum lease payments. (In essence, these are the payments
the lessee is required to make over the entire lease, discounted at the implicit interest
rate of the lease. If this interest rate cannot be determined, the incremental borrowing
rate of the lessee is used).
Calculate the value at which the asset will be initially recorded in the accounts.
Page 91
Solution
First, calculate the present value of the minimum lease payments.
Year Lease Payment 12% Discount Factor Present Value
1 3,000 0.893 2,679
2 3,000 0.797 2,391
3 3,000 0.712 2,136
4 3,000 0.636 1,908
5 3,000 0.567 1,701
10,815
Thus:
Dr Leased Asset Account 10,815
Cr Leasing Obligation 10,815
[Note: The lease term may be comprised of both a primary period and a secondary period.
The secondary period is included in the lease term if it is reasonably certain at the beginning
of the lease that this period will be exercised]
As the lease progresses, the finance charge included in the lease payments must be calculated
and charged to the income statement.
This means that the lease payment must be split into its component parts:
Finance cost, charged to income statement
Lease Payment
Capital portion, reducing balance sheet liability
Page 92
Thus, for each lease payment under a finance lease:
Dr Income statement (interest element)
Dr Leasing obligation in balance sheet (capital element)
Cr Bank
In calculating the amount of the finance charge, there are two main methods:
(a) The actuarial method
(b) The sum of digits method, also known as the Rule of 78
The aim of each method is to allocate the finance cost in such a way as to produce a
reasonably constant periodic rate of return on the outstanding balance of the leasing
obligation.
[The actuarial method gives the most accurate result. However, if the examination question
does not provide the implicit rate of interest on the lease, use the sum of digits method.]
Example 1
Company Y Limited acquires a machine under a finance lease agreement. The machine has a
cash price of RWF6,000.
The terms of the lease are:
Deposit RWF900 followed by three annual payments of RWF2,100 per annum in arrears.
The implicit rate of interest is 11.35%.
Page 93
* 5,100 x 11.35% = 579
** (5,100 + 579) – 2,100 = 3,579
In year one, extracts from the financial statements would show:
Income Statement:
RWF
Finance charge 579
RWF6,000
Depreciation 2,000
3 years
Balance Sheet:
Leased assets (6,000 – 2,000) 4,000
Non-current liabilities
Leasing obligations 1,885
Total 3,579
Current liabilities
Leasing obligations (3,579 – 1,885) 1,694
Note: An alternative, quicker way to calculate the sum-of-digits is to use the formula:
n(n+1)
2
Where n = number of years in the lease.
In the above example, this becomes:
3(4)
=6
2
Next, calculate the total interest payable over the life of the lease:
RWF
Total amount financed 5,100
Total repayments (RWF2,100 x 3) 6,300
∴ Total interest 1,200
Page 94
Income Statement:
RWF
Finance charge 600
Depreciation (as before) 2,000
Balance Sheet:
Leased assets 4,000
Non-current liabilities
Leasing obligations 1,900
Total 3,600 i.e.
Current liabilities (5,100 + 600) – 2,100
Leasing obligations 1,700
Note: There is a slight difference in the finance charge, and therefore the closing balance of
the liability, between the two methods.
Example 2
Company Z Limited acquired a machine by way of a lease agreement. The fair value of the
machine was RWF15,850. Estimated life of the machine is 4 years.
The terms of the lease are:
Annual lease rental of RWF5,000 payable in arrears each year for 4 years.
The implicit interest rate is 10%.
Solution
Is this lease a finance lease?
RWF
PV of minimum lease payments = 15,850
Cash price (fair value) = 15,850
∴It is a finance lease
Initially,
RWF RWF
Dr Leased machinery 15,850
Cr Leasing obligation 15,850
Then, to calculate the finance charge and the closing balance of the liability (using the
actuarial method):
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In year one, the extracts from the financial statements would show:
Income Statement:
RWF
Finance charge 1,585
RWF15,850
Depreciation 3,962
4 years
Balance Sheet:
Leased assets (15,850 – 3,962) 11,888
Non-current liabilities
Leasing obligations 8,678
Total 12,435
Current liabilities
Leasing obligations 3,757
Note: If the sum of digits method was to be used in the above example, the calculation of the
annual finance cost would be:
4 year lease
Sum of digits = 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 4 (5)
= 10
10 or 2
RWF
Fair value of asset 15,850
Total repayments (4 x RWF5,000) 20,000
Interest 4,150
The depreciation charge would not change, thus the carrying value of the leased asset in the
balance sheet would also be the same.
The total value of the leasing obligation at the end of year 1 would be:
Opening balance + interest – payment
Thus,
15,850 + 1,660 – 5,000 = 12,510
In the examples used so far, the lease payments were “in arrears” i.e. the payment is made on
the last day of the period.
If the payments are made in advance, i.e. on the first day of the period, the calculation of
interest and therefore the closing balance of the lease obligation is different.
Actuarial Method
Consider the following example.
RKY Limited enters into a finance lease on the first day of the current financial period. The
lease equipment has a cash purchase price of RWF80 million. Its useful life is estimated at 5
years. The terms of the lease are:
5-year lease
Annual payment of RWF20 million in advance
Implicit interest rate 12% per annum
Thus, the calculation of interest over the first 2 years of the lease would be:
Year Opening Lease Payment 12% Interest Closing Balance
Balance
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
1 80,000 20,000 *7,200 67,200
2 67,200 20,000 5,664 52,864
* (80,000 – 20,000) x 12% = 7,200
The closing liability must be split between its current and non-current elements:
Current Liabilities RWF20,000,000
Since this represents the amount to be paid next year
Sum of Digits
If the sum of digits method is used, then one year is deducted from the lease life. In the
above example:
5 year lease, in advance
Sum of digits = 5 – 1 = 4
Thus,
4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 10
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Thus the interest charge in year one will be:
RWF
Total payments (5 x 20m) 100,000,000
Cash value of machine 80,000,000
Total interest 20,000,000
With payments in advance, there will be no finance charge in the final year of the lease. This
is because the final lease payment, clearing the outstanding liability, is made on the first day
of the period. Therefore, no more interest is incurred.
If an asset has been acquired under a lease agreement by the lessee, the treatment of the lease
in the books of the lessor will be the converse of that adopted by the lessee.
Thus, as we have seen, in a finance lease the lessee treats the asset in a similar way to an
owned asset. It is capitalised and depreciated. Taking this substance over form concept to its
logical conclusion, the lessor has provided finance to the lessee. This means that in the
lessor’s books, the finance lease should be treated as being equivalent to the provision of
finance.
It follows that the operating lease should be accounted for by the lessor by capitalising and
depreciating the asset.
The differences between the two types of leases can be summarised as follows:
In treating the finance lease, the lessor will create a receivable in the balance sheet, in respect
of the net investment in the lease. This is the cost of the asset less any grants receivable.
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The lease rentals that the lessor then receives must be split into:
• Interest element, shown then as gross earnings in the income statement; and
• The repayment of capital, reducing the receivable in the balance sheet
In other words, the lessor treatment of the finance lease is the mirror image of the lessee’s
treatment of the same lease.
In the case of an operating lease, the lessor will show the asset in its balance sheet. Lease
rentals from the lease should be shown in the income statement on a straight-line basis over
the life of the lease. Depreciation of the asset should also be provided for.
Finance Leases
In addition to complying with IAS 32 Financial Instruments, the following information must
be disclosed for finance leases:
(a) The net carrying amount in the balance sheet for each class of asset
(b) A reconciliation between the total future minimum lease payments and their present
value, at the balance sheet date.
In addition, disclose the future minimum lease payments and their present value,
analysed for each of the following periods:
(i) Not later than one year
(ii) Later than one year and not later than five years
(iii) Later than five years
(c) Contingent rents recognised as an expense in the period.
(d) The total future minimum sublease payments expected to be received under non-
cancellable subleases at the balance sheet date
(e) A general description of the lessee’s material leasing arrangements, including but not
limited to:
(i) The basis on which contingent rent payable is determined
(ii) The existence and terms of renewal or purchase options and escalation clauses
(iii) Restrictions imposed by lease agreements, such as those concerning dividends,
additional debt and further leasing
Operating Leases
In addition to meeting the requirements of IAS 32, the following information must be
disclosed for operating leases:
(a) The total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases for
each of the following periods:
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(i) Not later than one year
(ii) Later than one year and not later than five years
(iii) Later than five years
(b) The total future minimum sublease payments expected to be received under non-
cancellable subleases at the balance sheet date
(c) Lease and sublease payments recognised as an expense in the period with separate
amounts for minimum lease payments, contingent rents and sublease payments
(d) A general description of the lessee’s significant leasing arrangements including, but not
limited to:
(i) The basis on which contingent rent payable is determined
(ii) The existence and terms of renewal or purchase options and escalation clauses
(iii) Restrictions imposed by lease arrangements, such as those concerning dividends,
additional debt and further leasing
Finance Leases
In addition to meeting the requirements in IAS 32, the following must be disclosed:
(a) A reconciliation between the gross investment in the lease at the balance sheet date and
the present value of minimum lease payments receivable at the balance sheet date.
In addition, an entity shall disclose the gross investment in the lease and the present
value of minimum lease payments receivable at the balance sheet date, for each of the
following periods:
(i) Not later than one year
(ii) Later than one year and not later than five years
(iii) Later than five years
(b) Unearned finance income
(c) Unguaranteed residual values accruing to the benefit of the lessor
(d) The accumulated allowance for uncollectible minimum lease payments receivable
(e) Contingent rents recognised as income in the period
(f) A general description of the lessors material leasing arrangements
Operating Leases
In addition to meeting the requirements of IAS 32, the following must be disclosed:
(a) The future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases in
aggregate and for each of the following periods:
(i) Not later than one year
(ii) Later than one year and not later than five years
(iii) Later than five years
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(b) The total contingent rents recognised as income in the period
(c) A general description of the lessors leasing arrangements
If a sale and leaseback transaction results in a finance lease, any excess of sales proceeds over
the carrying amount should be deferred and amortised over the lease term. The excess
therefore should not be immediately recognised as income by the seller-lessee.
This is because the transaction is a means whereby the lessor provides finance to the lessee,
with the asset as security. It would not be appropriate therefore to recognise the excess as
income.
If the sale and leaseback transaction results in an operating lease, and it is clear that the
transaction reflects fair value, any profit or loss should be recognised immediately.
If the sale price is below fair value, any profit or loss shall be recognised immediately, unless
the loss is compensated for by below market price future lease payments. If this is the case, it
should be deferred and amortised in proportion to the lease payments over the period which
the asset is to be used.
If the sale price is above fair value, the excess over fair value should be deferred and
amortised over the period which the asset is to be used.
In the case of operating leases, if the fair value at the time of a sale and leaseback transaction
is less than the carrying amount of the asset, a loss equal to the amount of the difference
should be recognised immediately.
Example:
A property with a net book value of RWF2,400,000 has been sold for RWF5,000,000 on 1st
November 2009. The market value of the property at the date of sale was RWF2,600,000.
The property will be leased back for RWF600,000 per annum for 10 years, with the first
payment due on 31st October 2010. The remaining useful life of the property at the date of the
transfer was 40 years.
Solution
In the implementation guidance to IAS 17 Leases, it sets out the appropriate accounting
treatment for sale and leaseback transactions that result in an operating lease. If the sale is a
price above fair value, then the excess profit must be deferred and amortised over the useful
economic life.
Page 101
But, the market value was only 2,600,000. Therefore, there is excess profit of 2,400,000
(5,000,000 – 2,600,000) and this must be deferred and amortised over the 10 year period of
the operating lease. The remaining profit of 200,000 is recognised immediately on disposal
Also, since the lease commenced two months before the year end, only two months
amortisation is taken into account for the current year.
At Year End, part of the deferred profit is amortised to the income statement.
Also, there is a need to accrue for the lease rental payments in respect of the two months to
31st December 2009
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Study Unit 8
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Exclusions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Definition
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Subsequent Measurement
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Cost Model
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Transfers
___________________________________________________________________________
K. Disposals
___________________________________________________________________________
L. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. OBJECTIVE
To outline the accounting treatment for investment properties and the disclosure
requirements.
B. EXCLUSIONS
C. DEFINITION
Investment property is property (land or buildings or part of a building) held to earn rental or
for capital appreciation or both, rather than for:
(a) Use in the production or supply of goods or services or for administrative purposes or
(b) Sale in the ordinary course of business.
Note that the standard says it is “property held”. This means that the entity does not have to
own title to the property. Investment property held under a finance lease is included in the
definition.
Recent changes to IAS 40 have seen the possible inclusion in the definition of property held
under an operating lease. Property held by a lessee under an operating lease shall qualify as
an investment property if, and only if, the property would otherwise meet the definition of an
investment property and the lessee uses the “fair value” model for the asset recognised. It
should be noted, however, that once this model is selected for one property held under an
operating lease, all property classified as investment property should be accounted for using
the “fair value” model.
This aspect of recognising investment property was included in the Standard in response to
the situation in some countries where properties are held under long leases that provide rights
that are broadly similar to those of a purchaser. The inclusion in the Standard of such
interests allows the lessee to measure such assets at fair value.
The nature of investment properties is different from other types of land and buildings and
consequently the accounting treatment will be different also. By earning rentals or capital
appreciation (or both), investment properties generate cash flows that are mostly independent
of other assets held by the entity.
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(a) It is probable that future economic benefits will flow to the entity from the property,
and
(b) The cost of the property can be measured reliably.
An investment property should be measured initially at its cost. Transaction costs should be
included in the cost of the property.
The cost of a purchased investment property includes its purchase price and any other directly
attributable expenditure, for example:
• Legal fees
• Property transfer taxes (e.g. stamp duty)
• Other transaction costs
The cost of a self-constructed investment property is its cost at the date when the construction
is completed. (Up to the date of completion, the property would be accounted for using IAS
16).
If the property is held under a lease, then the asset should be measured initially at the lower
of the:
(a) Fair value of the property, and
(b) Present value of the minimum lease payments (including any premium paid for lease).
E. SUBSEQUENT MEASUREMENT
IAS 40 allows the entity to choose from two different options when accounting for the
subsequent measurement of its investment properties. These options are:
(a) Cost model, or
(b) Fair Value Model
F. COST MODEL
Using this approach, all investment properties are treated like other properties under IAS 16
Property, Plant and Equipment i.e. shown at:
Cost
Less Accumulated Depreciation
Less Accumulated Impairment Losses
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[Note, that if the investment property is held for sale as defined in IFRS 5 Non-Current
Assets Held For Sale and Discontinued Operations, the investment property should be
measured in accordance with that standard.]
This model requires the entity to revalue all of its investment property at fair value.
[As stated earlier, if the property is held by the lessee under an operating lease, the fair value
model must be applied.]
Any gain or loss that arises from revaluing to fair value should be treated as part of the profit
or loss for the period (i.e. in the income statement).
The fair value is the price at which property could be exchanged between knowledgeable,
willing parties in an arm’s length transaction.
This fair value should reflect market conditions at the Statement of Financial Position date.
Thus, the fair value is usually calculated by comparing current prices for similar properties in
an active market.
In estimating fair value, the entity should consider a number of factors and sources:
(a) Current prices in an active market for properties of a different nature, condition or
location, adjusted to reflect those differences
(b) Recent prices of similar properties on less active markets, adjusted to reflect changes in
economic conditions
(c) Discounted cash flow projections based on reliable estimates of future cash flows.
[In exceptional circumstances, if the fair value of the property cannot be estimated reliably on
a continuing basis, the property should be measured using the cost model in IAS 16. This
policy should be applied until the property is disposed of.]
There is a major difference between the fair value policy allowed in IAS 40 and the
revaluation policy allowed under IAS 16.
In IAS 40, all gains and losses on revaluation to fair value go to the Income Statement.
In IAS 16, if an asset is revalued to fair value, gains are credited to a revaluation reserve.
The IASB take the view that the fair value model is appropriate for investment properties as
this is consistent with accounting for financial assets held as investments require by IAS 39
Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement.
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H. COST MODEL vs. FAIR VALUE MODEL
The following model demonstrates the potential impact on the financial statements of the two
options.
Example:
BBT purchases a property in Kigali for RWF10m on 1st June 2009. The property was
purchased for both rental income and capital appreciation. The building has a useful life of
50 years.
Estimates of the market value of the building on 31st May 2010 show a value of RWF12m.
What is the impact on the financial statements for the year ended 31st May 2010 if the
company uses:
(a) Fair Value Model
(b) Cost Model
Permitted under IAS 40.
Solution:
(a) Fair Value Model
RWF RWF
Dr Investment Property 2m
Cr Income Statement 2m
Thus, there is a gain in the Income Statement of RWF2m, increasing profit for the
period.
In the Statement of Financial Position, the investment property is shown at RWF12m.
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IAS 40 goes on to state that it considers a change from the fair value to the cost model
resulting in a more appropriate presentation as “highly unlikely”.
Furthermore, an entity is “encouraged but not required” to use the services of an experienced
independent valuer with recognised relevant professional qualifications when determining the
fair value of its investment properties.
[All entities must determine the fair value of investment property, regardless of the
accounting treatment. If an entity uses the cost model, it must still disclose the fair value of
the property in the notes to the financial statements.]
I. TRANSFERS
Transfers to or from investment property can only be made when there is a change in use.
(c) Transfer from owner occupied property to investment property i.e. end of owner
occupation.
If the investment property is to be carried at fair value, the entity should apply IAS 16
up to the date of change in use.
Any difference at that date, between the carrying amount of the property under IAS 16
and its fair value, is treated in the same way as a revaluation in accordance with IAS 16.
That is, gains will be credited to a revaluation reserve and losses will be charged to the
income statement.
[Please refer to IAS 16 for treatment of such gains and losses where there have been
previous revaluations.]
(e) Transfer from property in the course of construction or development (covered by IAS
16) to investment property i.e. end of construction/development.
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As with (d), any difference between the fair value of the property and its carrying
amount at that date should be recognised in profit or loss.
Example
WTE Limited (“WTE”) purchased a property on 1st January 2008 for RWF3,000,000. WTE
intended to renovate the property and let the building to a government department, due to
locate in the area under its decentralisation programme. A further RWF600,000 was spent
over the next 11 months in getting the building ready for letting. No lease had been signed by
the government department. The building was ready for tenant occupation on 1st December
2008.
The valuation of the completed property on 31st December 2008 was RWF4,000,000.
However, due to unforeseen budgetary difficulties, the government shelved its
decentralisation plan and the property remained unoccupied.
In February 2009, the property was valued at RWF4,200,000 and WTE decided to
immediately relocate its head office to this property. WTE secured tenants for its old
headquarters. The book value of that head office was RWF3,000,000 and the market value at
the date of letting in February 2009 was RWF3,600,000.
How should WTE account for these property movements under IAS 40 and IAS 16,
assuming the company implements the Fair Value Model and the Revaluation Model,
respectively?
When the property was acquired in 2008, it was the intention of WTE to let the property out
to a government department. The property was held to acquire rentals and thus, qualifies as
an investment property under IAS 40. The acquisition cost, together with the cost of
renovation, which totalled RWF3,600,000, should be included as investment property in the
Statement of Financial Position.
At 31st December 2008, the property is revalued to its fair value of RWF4,000,000 and the
gain of RWF400,000 should be recognised in the Income Statement for that year.
In February 2009, the property was valued at RWF4,200,000 and WTE decided to relocate its
head office to this property. Since the property is now owner occupied (see Section J below),
it no longer meets the definition of an investment property. It is no longer held for rentals (or
capital appreciation) but for use in the business. It’s changed in status means that from the
date of change, it will now be dealt with under IAS 16.
At the time of the transfer from investment property to PPE, the fair value is deemed to be
the “cost” of the property under its new classification. The increase from its book value of
RWF4,000,000 to its fair value of RWF4,200,000 (i.e. RWF200,000) should be recorded in
the calculation of profit for the period.
Page 109
In addition, WTE secured tenants for its old Head Office building. Again, there is a change in
the status of that building as it is now meets the definition of an investment property, and is
no longer PPE. Thus, it will now be dealt with under IAS 40.
IAS 16 applies up to the date of the transfer from PPE to investment property. Any difference
arising between the carrying value under IAS 16 at that date and the fair value is accounted
for as a revaluation under IAS 16.
The carrying value of the property was RWF3,000,000 and the market value in February
2009 was RWF3,600,000. Therefore, the increase of RWF600,000 is recorded as a
revaluation surplus prior to reclassification. It is not included in the profit calculation for the
period.
This is property held for use in the production or supply of goods or services or for
administrative purposes, and thus is not investment property.
IAS 40 points out, however, that some properties comprise a portion that is held for rentals
and/or capital appreciation and another portion that is owner-occupied.
If these portions could be sold separately, (or leased out separately under a finance lease) an
entity accounts for the portions separately. If the portions cannot be sold separately, the
property is an investment property only if an insignificant portion is held for use in the
production or supply of goods or services or for administration purposes.
The term “insignificant” is not defined and is left to subjective judgement. However, in other
Standards, indications are that 2% may be an applicable level.
In the case of groups of companies, where one group member leases a property to another
group member, then at group or consolidation level, the property is classified as owner
occupied. However, at an individual company level, the owner of the property should treat it
as an investment property. Thus, appropriate adjustments would need to be made in the group
accounts.
K. DISPOSALS
Such gains or losses should be recognised in the Income Statement, in the period of the
disposal, (unless IAS 17 requires otherwise on a sale or leaseback).
Page 110
L. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS: FAIR VALUE MODEL AND COST MODEL
Cost Model
If the cost model is being applied, the entity must disclose, in addition to other disclosures
mentioned above:
(a) The depreciation methods used
(b) The useful lives or depreciation rates used
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(c) The gross carrying amount and the accumulated depreciation (including any impairment
losses) at the beginning and end of the period
(d) A reconciliation of the carrying amount at the beginning and end of the period,
showing:
(i) Additions
(ii) Additions resulting from acquisitions through business combinations
(iii) Assets classified as held for sale
(iv) Depreciation
(v) Impairment losses
(vi) Net exchange differences on translating foreign investment property
(vii) Transfers to and from inventories and owner occupied property
(viii) Other changes
(e) The fair value of investment property. If it cannot determine fair value reliably, it must
disclose
(i) A description of the investment property
(ii) An explanation of why fair value cannot be determined reliably
(iii) If possible, the range of estimates within which fair value is highly likely to lie.
Page 112
Study Unit 9
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Exclusions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Definition
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Accounting Treatment
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Exchange of Assets
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Research
___________________________________________________________________________
J. Development
___________________________________________________________________________
L. Cost Model
___________________________________________________________________________
M. Revaluation Model
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 113
N. Useful Life
___________________________________________________________________________
P. Disclosure Requirements
___________________________________________________________________________
S. Questions
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 114
A. OBJECTIVE
To outline the accounting treatment for intangible assets that are not dealt with specifically in
another standard.
B. EXCLUSIONS
C. DEFINITION
In addition, the ability of the entity to control an asset is important in determining whether to
recognise that asset in the accounts. An entity controls an asset if it has the power to obtain
the future economic benefits flowing from that asset and also restrict the access of others to
those benefits.
Usually, the ability to control these benefits derives from enforceable legal rights, but IAS 38
recognises that there are potentially other ways to control these benefits, though admittedly it
is more difficult to demonstrate control in the absence of legal rights. An example given in
the Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements of such a
Page 115
situation is know-how obtained from a development activity which may meet the definition
of an asset when, by keeping that know-how secret, an entity controls the benefits that are
expected to flow from it.
D. ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
IAS 38 requires that intangible assets be recognised at cost in the financial statements if:
(a) It is probable that future economic benefits attributable to the asset will flow to the
organisation, and
(b) The cost of the asset can be measured reliably.
The cost of the asset refers to the amount of cash or cash equivalents paid or the fair value of
other consideration given (e.g. equity shares) to acquire an asset at the time of its acquisition.
[Note: if the intangible asset is acquired in an acquisition, then the fair value of the
asset at the date of acquisition is used in accounting for the business combination.]
The fair value of an asset is the amount for which that asset could be exchanged between
knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length transaction.
The fair value is easy to determine if there is an active market for the asset type. If an active
market does not exist, then the fair value will have to be estimated. In determining this
amount the entity should consider the outcome of recent transactions for similar assets. An
active market is a market in which all the following conditions exist:
(a) The items traded in the market are homogenous
(b) Willing buyers and sellers can normally be found at any time
(c) Prices are available to the public
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E. ACQUISITION BY GOVERNMENT GRANT
There may be situations where an intangible asset may be acquired free of charge through a
government assistance/grant, e.g. licences for Radio/TV stations.
The entity may choose to recognise both the intangible asset and the grant initially at fair
value. This would be in accordance with IAS 20.
Alternatively, the entity can recognise the asset initially at a nominal amount plus any
expenditure that is directly attributable to preparing the asset for its intended use.
F. EXCHANGE OF ASSETS
If the acquired asset is not measured at fair value, its cost is measured at the carrying amount
of the asset given up.
[There will be a fuller description of the treatment of goodwill elsewhere in this book.]
This is because it is not an identifiable resource controlled by the company that can be
measured reliably at cost.
IAS 38 points out that the recognition of internally generated intangible assets may be
problematic because of difficulties in:
(a) Determining whether and when the asset will generate future economic benefits, and
(b) Determining the cost of the asset reliably
The standard does not prohibit, per se, the recognition of internally generated intangible
assets but it does specifically mention that internally generated brands, mastheads, publishing
titles, customer lists and items similar in substance shall not be recognised as intangible
assets.
Page 117
This is because expenditure on these items cannot be distinguished from the cost of
developing the business as a whole.
Research and development activities are aimed at the development of knowledge. Therefore,
although these activities may result in an asset with physical substance (e.g. a prototype), the
physical element of the asset is secondary to its intangible component, i.e. the knowledge
embodied in it.
I. RESEARCH
Research is original and planned investigation undertaken with the prospect of gaining new
scientific or technical knowledge and understanding .
J. DEVELOPMENT
An intangible asset arising from development shall be recognised if, and only if, an entity can
demonstrate all of the following:
(a) Probable future economic benefits will be generated by the asset
(b) Intention to complete and use or sell the asset
(c) Resources exist to complete the development and to use/sell the asset
(d) Ability to use or sell the asset
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(e) Technical feasibility of completing the asset so that it will be available for use or sale
(f) Expenditure attributable to the development of the asset can be measured reliable
The cost of an internally generated intangible asset is the total expenditure incurred from the
date when the intangible asset first meets the recognition criteria.
This cost includes all directly attributable costs necessary to create, produce and prepare the
asset to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management. For example:
• Costs of materials/services uses
• Fees to register a legal right
• Amortisation of patents and licences used to generate the intangible asset
Note that expenditure on an intangible item that was initially recognised as an expense cannot
be recognised as part of the cost of an intangible asset at a later date, i.e. such an expense
cannot be re-instated as an asset at a later date.
If the two phases cannot be distinguished, then the entire expenditure is classified as research.
A project can very often commence with a research phase and subsequently evolve into a
development phase. In this situation, it will be necessary to determine at what point in time
the project has entered into this development stage. Expenditure incurred up to this point
must be expensed in the income statement and expenditure after this point can be capitalised
as an intangible asset (assuming the afore-mentioned conditions apply).
Using hindsight to capitalise the entire expenditure in not allowed. Research expenditure
must be expensed when incurred and IAS 38 does not allow the re-instatement of previously
written off costs. In addition, it is not permissible to accumulate costs in an account and then
consider the nature of the entire project only when preparing the year end financial
statements.
Page 119
L. COST MODEL
M. REVALUATION MODEL
The “fair value” should be determined by reference to an active market. If there is no active
market for the asset, it cannot be revalued. Thus, the revaluation model would be
inappropriate in this case.
If a revaluation policy is used, the revaluation should be carried out regularly so that the fair
value of the asset does not differ materially from its carrying amount at the Statement of
Financial Position date.
This means that the frequency with which an intangible asset is revalued depends on the
volatility of the fair values of the asset. Accordingly, some intangible assets will be revalued
on an annual basis while others may show only insignificant movements in fair value, thereby
necessitating less frequent revaluations.
If an intangible asset shows a revaluation gain, that gain should be credited to reserves.
However, if the gain reverses a previous revaluation loss of the same asset, and that loss was
recognised in the Income Statement, then the present gain shall be credited to the Income
Statement, with any excess going to reserves.
If the intangible asset shows a revaluation loss, that loss shall be recognised in the Income
Statement. However, if the loss reverses a previous revaluation gain of the same asset, and
Page 120
that gain was credited to reserves, the loss should be debited to reserves to the extent of any
credit balance in the revaluation surplus in respect of that asset.
[The cumulative revaluation surplus included in equity may be transferred directly to retained
earnings on disposal or retirement of the asset. Alternatively, some of the surplus may be
realised as the asset is used by the entity.
The transfer from revaluation surplus to retained earnings is not made through the Income
Statement but through the Statement of Changes in Equity.]
Example
Tuktuk Cabs Ltd. owns a freely transferable taxi operators licence, which it acquired on 1st
January 2007, at an initial cost of RWF20,000. The useful life of the licence is 5 years (its
valid life). Straight line amortisation is used.
Licences such as these are traded frequently between both existing operators and new
entrants to the industry. At the year end 31st December 2008, the traded value of a licence
was now RWF24,000 as a result of an increase in taxi fares announced by the Taxi Regulator.
The journal entries to be recorded are as follows: RWF RWF
Debit Accumulated Amortisation 8,000
Credit Intangible Asset 8,000
(Being the elimination of accumulated depreciation against the cost of the asset)
Debit Intangible asset – cost 12,000
Credit Revaluation reserve 12,000
(Being uplift of net book value to revalued amount)
The asset now has a revised carrying amount of RWF24,000 (20,000 – 8,000 + 12,000)
N. USEFUL LIFE
IAS 38 states that an entity should assess the useful life of an intangible asset. In particular,
whether that useful life is:
(a) Finite, or
(b) Indefinite
All relevant factors must be considered in assessing the lifespan of an intangible asset, for
example:
• Product life cycles
• Industry stability
• Likely actions by competitors
• Legal restrictions
• Whether the useful life is dependent on the useful life of other assets
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Note that “indefinite” does not mean “infinite”.
An intangible asset with a finite life should be amortised over its estimated useful life. Such
amortisation is usually on a straight-line basis and no residual value is provided for unless:
(a) There is a commitment by a third party to purchase the asset at the end of its useful life,
or
(b) There is an active market for the asset and:
(i) The residual value can be determined by reference to that market and
(ii) It is probable that such a market will exist at the end of the assets useful life.
Amortisation of an intangible asset with a finite life commences when the asset is available
for use and will cease when the asset is derecognised or when the asset is classified as held
for sale, whichever is earlier.
The amortisation of an intangible asset is usually recognised in the profit or loss for the
period. The amortisation period and method should be reviewed on an annual basis, and
changed if necessary.
If an intangible asset is deemed to have an indefinite life, that asset should not be amortised.
However, it should be tested for impairment annually and whenever there is an indication that
the asset may be impaired.
The asset is said to have an indefinite life if there is no foreseeable limit to the periods over
which the asset is expected to generate net cash inflows.
If a change occurs, resulting in an intangible asset with a heretofore indefinite life becoming
an asset with a finite life, such an alteration is considered to be a change in estimate (IAS 8)
and thus does not require a prior year adjustment.
Any gain or loss on derecognition should be calculated and included in the profit or loss for
period.
P. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
The entity must disclose the following for each class of intangible assets, distinguishing
between internally generated intangible assets and other intangible assets:
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(a) Whether the useful lives are indefinite or finite and, if finite, the useful lives or the
amortisation rates used.
(b) The amortisation methods used for intangible assets with finite useful lives.
(c) The gross carrying amount and any accumulated amortisation (aggregated with
accumulated impairment losses) at the beginning and end of the period
(d) The line item(s) of the income statement in which any amortisation of intangible assets
is included
(e) A reconciliation of the carrying amount at the beginning and end of the period showing:
(i) Additions, indicating separately those from internal development, those acquired
separately and those acquired through business combinations
(ii) Assets classified as held for resale under IFRS 5
(iii) Increases or decreases in the period arising from revaluations and impairment
losses recognised or reversed directly in equity under IAS 36
(iv) Impairment losses recognised in profit or loss during the period under IAS 36
(v) Impairment losses reversed in profit or loss during the period under IAS 36
(vi) Any amortisation recognised in the period
(vii) Exchange differences (net) arising on the translation of the financial statements of
a foreign operation
(viii) Other changes during the period
An entity must also disclose:
(a) For an asset assessed as having an indefinite useful life, the carrying amount of that
asset and reasons supporting the assessment of an indefinite useful life
(b) The amount of contractual commitments for the acquisition of intangible assets
(c) The aggregate amount of research and development expenditure recognised as an
expense during the period
(d) Details of revaluations
(e) The existence and carrying amounts of assets whose title is restricted and the carrying
amounts of assets pledged as security for liabilities
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Q. ASSETS WITH BOTH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS
IAS 38 recognises that some intangible assets may be contained in or on a physical substance
such as a compact disc (in the case of computer software), legal documentation (in the case of
a licence or patent) or film.
It must then be determined whether an asset that incorporates both intangible and tangible
elements should be treated under IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment or under IAS 38
Intangible Assets. In order to resolve this issue, the entity must use judgement to assess which
element is more significant.
For example, computer software for a computer-controlled machine tool that cannot operate
without that specific software is an integral part of the related hardware and it is treated as
Property, Plant and Equipment. The same applies to the operating system of a computer.
But when the software is not an integral part of the related hardware, computer software is
treated as an intangible asset.
In most modern business environments, websites now exist which introduce the products /
services of the entity to the market. A website has many of the features of both a tangible and
intangible asset and SIC 32 Intangible Assets – Website Costs was issued to deal with the
accounting issues surrounding web site costs.
SIC 32 states that a website that has been developed for the purposes of promoting and
advertising an entity’s products and services does not meet the criteria for the capitalisation
of costs under IAS 38. Therefore, costs incurred in setting up such websites should be
expensed.
S. QUESTIONS
Example 1
HTN Ltd. develops and manufactures exhaust systems. The company has 3 projects in hand
on 30th June 2009; A1, B2 & C3. The details for each are as follows:
A1 B2 C3
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
Deferred development expenditure at 1st July 2008 1,080 1,500 -
Development expenditure incurred in year ended 30th
June 2009: 180 - 120
Wages and Salaries 30 - 24
Material 9 - 18
Overheads
Project A1
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All expenditure on this project was capitalised until 30th June 2008 as the conditions
necessary for capitalisation, as laid down by IAS 38, were present. However, during the
current year, the future profitability of the project became doubtful due to previously
unforeseen competitive pressures.
Project B2
All expenditure on this project was incurred and deferred prior to the current year.
Commercial production began in September 2008. Actual and estimated sales from year end
30th June 2009 to 30th June 2012 are as follows:
30th June 2009 800,000 units
th
30 June 2010 2,400,000 units
30th June 2011 3,600,000 units
th
30 June 2012 400,000 units
The directors believe it to be imprudent to defer any expenditure beyond 30th June 2012.
Project C3
This project only commenced in the year under review and appears to satisfy the criteria for
deferral.
REQUIREMENT:
Show how the above 3 projects would affect the financial statements of HTN Ltd. for the
year ended 30th June 2009
SOLUTION
Project A1
The balance brought forward at the start of the year and all the expenditure incurred during
the year ended 30th June 2009 must be written off, as the conditions for deferral no longer
apply.
Thus, write off RWF1,299,000.
Project B2
Since commercial production has commenced and revenue is now flowing from the sale of
the units, it is now appropriate to amortise the deferred development expenditure too. This
means that costs and revenues from the project will be “matched”. IAS 38 states that
development expenditure should be amortised on a systematic basis to reflect the pattern in
which the assets future economic benefits are expected to be consumed by the entity (or on a
straight line basis if no consumption patter is evident).
Units Development expenditure to
I/S
30th June 2009 800,000 1,500 x (800/7,200) = 167
30th June 2010 2,400,000 1,500 x (2,400/7,200) = 500
30th June 2011 3,600,000 1,500 x (3,600/7,200) = 750
30th June 2012 400,000 1,500 x (400/7,200) = 83
Total 7,200,000
Project C3
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The expenditure incurred during the year ended 30th June 2009 can be capitalised. Thus,
show RWF162,000 as an intangible asset in the financial statements.
Example 2
In a major shift in the focus of operations, OFL Ltd plans to sell its products through the
internet. During 2008, the company purchased a domain name for RWF30,000 from an
individual who had previously registered it.
How should the cost of acquiring the domain name be accounted for in the financial
statements for the year ended 31st December 2008?
SOLUTION
The issue to be resolved here is whether the cost of acquiring the domain name should be
capitalised as an asset or written off as an expense. One argument is that since the payment
was made with the expectation that the organisation would generate future economic benefits
from conducting its business through the new website, it qualifies as an asset and should
therefore be capitalised. However, similar arguments apply to other costs such as advertising
and marketing expenditure, which are not allowed to be capitalised.
The payment is certainly not an identifiable asset in its own right, since the payment made by
OFL Ltd. was solely to facilitate carrying out its own business, albeit through the internet.
OFL Ltd. could choose not to acquire its domain name, but this in itself would not prevent
the company from trading through the net, as it could always register another name.
The only advantage of trading through the internet using the same name is to enable OFL
Ltd. to exploit its existing presence in the marketplace. The real economic benefit to the
organisation comes not from the name registration but from the internally generated brand
that OFL has already developed. It is also doubtful that the name could be separately
marketable, since it is unlikely to have any value to a third party.
On this basis, the payment for the name is effectively a one-off cost that OFL Ltd. has
incurred to remove an obstacle to conducting business through the internet. An analogy
would be a payment to the registrar of companies for registering the OFL name.
It is, therefore, very much in the nature of a pre-operating cost that should be written off to
the Income Statement in the year it is incurred.
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Study Unit 10
IAS 2 – Inventories
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Measurement
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Valuation Methods
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 127
A. OBJECTIVE
IAS 2 sets out the accounting treatment for inventories. For many entities, closing inventory
can be a highly significant figure and is used in the calculation of profit and also shown as a
current asset in the Statement of Financial Position.
Thus, the main issue addressed in IAS 2 is the establishing of the amount of cost that should
be recognised in the accounts.
B. DEFINITIONS
C. MEASUREMENT
Inventories should be measured at the lower of cost and net realisable value.
Net Realisable Value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less the
estimated costs of completion and the estimated costs necessary to make the sale.
The costs of purchase include the purchase price, import duties (and other taxes not
recoverable by the entity), transport and handling costs and any other directly attributable
costs. However, note that trade discounts, rebates and other similar items must be deducted.
The costs of conversion include costs that are directly related to the units of production e.g.
direct labour, direct expenses, work subcontracted to third parties. They also include a
systematic allocation of fixed and variable overheads. When allocating such overheads, the
overheads must be based on normal level of activity.
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The other costs mentioned above are any other costs incurred in bringing the inventory to its
present condition and location.
The standard mentions other costs which must be excluded from the cost of inventories.
These are:
(a) Abnormal amounts of wasted materials, labour and other production costs
(b) Storage costs (unless necessary in the production process before a further production
stage)
(c) Administration overheads which do not contribute to bringing inventories to their
present condition and location
(d) Selling costs
Instead, these costs are to be charged as expenses in the period they are incurred.
In relation to Net Realisable Value, the standard makes the following points:
(a) Inventories may have to be written down below cost to NRV if the inventory becomes
damaged, obsolete or if the selling price has declined
(b) Inventories are normally written down to NRV, in such circumstances, on an item-by-
item basis, although it may be appropriate to group similar or related items, in some
cases
(c) Estimates of the NRV are based on the most reliable estimate, at the time estimates are
made, of the amount the inventory is expected to realise
(d) A new assessment of NRV is made in each subsequent period
If the circumstances which caused inventories to be written down below cost no longer apply,
the amount of the write-down is reversed.
Example:
Value the following items of inventory (each relating to separate entities)
(a) A consignment of goods purchased three weeks before the year-end for RWF20,000
was subsequently damaged in an accident. The original estimated selling price of these
goods was RWF27,000. However, in order to make the goods ready for sale, remedial
work costing RWF4,500 needs to be carried out, after which the goods will be sold for
RWF23,000.
(b) Materials were purchased for RWF18,000. Since these items were purchased, a new
competitor has entered the market, forcing down the cost of supplies. The cost price of
the goods has fallen to RWF15,000. The goods are expected to be sold for RWF25,000.
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(c) For operational reasons, an entity could not carry out its annual stocktake until five days
after the year-end. At this date, stock on the premises was RWF20 million at cost.
Between the year-end and the stocktake, the following transactions were identified:
• Normal sales at a mark-up on cost of 30%, RWF1,560,000
• Sales on a sale or return basis at a margin of 20%, RWF930,000
• Goods received at cost, RWF780,000
Solution:
(a) Cost of goods RWF20,000
NRV (RWF23,000 – RWF4,500) RWF18,500
Goods should be included in inventory at RWF18,500
(c) RWF
Cost of goods per stocktake 20,000,000
Add: Cost of items sold between year end and stocktake
Normal sales 1,200,000
Sale or return 744,000
Less: Cost of items purchased between year end and stocktake (780,000)
Cost of goods 21,164,000
If the cost is less than the NRV, value at RWF21,164,000
D. VALUATION METHODS
The same cost formula should be used for all inventories having a similar nature and use.
If the inventories are not interchangeable, they should be valued using specific identification
of their individual costs.
E. DISCLOSURE
Example
CDO Ltd. manufactures bicycles and in its most recent financial year, the costs associated
with this were as follows:
RWF
Materials 15,000
Labour 10,000
Machinery depreciation 5,000
Factory rates 5,000
Sundry Factory Expenses 12,000
Selling expenses 4,000
Head Office expenses 18,000
Total 69,000
At the end of the year, there are 500 bicycles in stock. The value placed on these should be as
follows:
Materials 15,000
Labour 10,000
Machinery depreciation 5,000
Factory rates 5,000
Sundry factory expenses 12,000
47,000
20,000 units were produced.
Thus, the cost per unit is RWF47,000/20,000, i.e. RWF2.35.
Closing Inventory is 500 units x RWF2.35 = RWF1,175.
Example
SDN Ltd. manufactures footballs. The following information is available regarding the cost
of its finished goods, currently in inventory.
Direct Materials RWF1.50 per unit
Direct Labour RWF1.00 per unit
Direct expenses RWF0.75 per unit
Production overhead for the year RWF800,000
Administration overhead for the year RWF200,000
Selling Overhead for the year RWF400,000
Interest for the year RWF100,000
Page 131
There are 10,000 units in inventory at the year end. Normal production is 1,000,000 units per
year, but due to ongoing industrial unrest during the year, actual production was only 500,000
units.
Therefore, the goods in inventory at the year end should be valued at:
Direct materials RWF1.50
Direct labour RWF1.00
Direct expenses RWF0.75
Prime cost RWF3.25
Production overhead (RWF800,000/1,000,000) RWF0.80
Cost per unit RWF4.05
Thus, 10,000 units x RWF4.05 = RWF405,000 should be shown in the accounts as closing
inventory.
Page 132
Study Unit 11
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Provisions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Restructuring
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Onerous Contract
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Contingent Liabilities
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Contingent Assets
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Disclosures
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 133
A. OBJECTIVE
The objective of IAS 37 is to ensure that appropriate recognition criteria and measurement
bases are applied to provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets and that sufficient
information is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements to enable users to understand
their nature, timing and amount.
B. PROVISIONS
The IASB recognised the need for detailing specific rules regarding the creation of
provisions. Without such rules, it would be possible for entities to mislead the users of
accounts, whether unintentionally or deliberately.
For example, an entity might engage in profit-smoothing. It might create a provision in years
where profits are high (thereby artificially reducing profits) and subsequently reverse those
provisions in years where profits are low (thereby artificially increasing profits).
Thus, IAS 37 states that provisions can only be made where there are valid grounds for their
creation.
C. DEFINITIONS
A liability is a present obligation arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected
to result in an outflow from the entity of resources embodying economic benefits.
In order for a provision to be recognised in the financial statements, the following conditions
must all be met:
(a) There is a present obligation as a result of a past event. [This obligation can be legal or
constructive.]
(b) It is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required to settle the
obligation.
(c) A reliable estimate can be made of the obligation.
If all three conditions are met, then a provision can be created. Generally this is done by:
Dr Expense (in Income Statement)
Cr Provision (liability in the Statement of Financial Position)
When the obligation is discharged in the future, the liability is removed from the Statement of
Financial Position, or indeed, more information may become available requiring the
provision to be adjusted.
Page 134
It is necessary to take a closer look at the conditions for creating a provision, and in particular
the terminology used.
Firstly, an obligation (or commitment) arises from a past event that creates a legal or
constructive obligation that results in an enterprise having no realistic alternative to settling
that obligation.
The absence of a realistic alternative is critical in determining the validity of the provision.
IAS 37 states that the amount recognised as a provision should be the best estimate of the
expenditure required to settle the present obligation at the Statement of Financial Position
date.
Such estimates are determined by the judgement of management, who will use their
experience of similar transactions and, if necessary, reports from independent experts.
In cases where there are a range of possible outcomes, management can use the “expected
value” statistical method.
Page 135
Example:
A company sells goods with a warranty for parts and labour after sales, for any
manufacturing defects. Past experience indicates the following:
• 75% of goods had no defect
• 20% of the goods had a minor defect
• 5% of the goods had a major defect
Management expect past trends and costs to continue. They sold 100,000 units in the period.
Is there a present obligation as a result of a past event? Yes, there is a legal contract as a
result of the warranty given to customers.
Is it probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation?
Yes, repairing items have a cost that must be met.
Can a reliable estimate be made of the obligation? Yes, using expected value it can be
calculated as follows:
RWF
100,000 units x 75% x RWF0 = Nil
100,000 units x 20% x RWF30 = 600,000
100,000 units x 5% x RWF150 = 750,000
1,350,000
Thus the company should create a provision in the amount of RWF1,350,000 for the
estimated future cost of repairing items.
In calculating the amount of a provision, where the effect of the time value of money is
material, the provision should be the present value of the expenditure required to settle the
obligation.
The discount rate in calculating the present value should be appropriate to the company, i.e.
reflect current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the
liability.
The discount rate to be used in calculating the present value should be the pre-tax discount
rate that reflects current market assessments of time value of money and the risks specific to
the liability.
Page 136
Note that gains from the expected disposal of assets should not be taken into account in
measuring a provision.
Provisions should be reviewed at each Statement of Financial Position date and adjusted if
necessary. If it is no longer appropriate for the provisions to continue, then it should be
reversed.
Provisions should not be created for future operating losses. This is because they do not meet
the definition of a liability, as set out earlier. [However, expected future losses may suggest
that assets are impaired and so the entity should test the assets for impairment under IAS 36.]
D. RESTRUCTURING
E. ONEROUS CONTRACT
An onerous contract is a contract in which the unavoidable costs of meeting the obligations
under the contract exceed the economic benefits expected to be received under it.
Page 137
The unavoidable costs are the lower of the cost of fulfilling the contract and any penalties
arising from failure to fulfil it.
F. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
An entity should not recognise a contingent liability in the financial statements. However, it
should disclose the following:
(a) Description of the contingent liability
(b) An estimate of its financial effect
(c) An indication of the uncertainties relating to the amount or timing of the liability
(d) The possibility of any reimbursement
However, the position of a contingent liability is often fluid. Thus the entity should
continually assess the situation to determine if the status of the contingency should be
changed to a provision or removed altogether from the notes to the financial statements.
G. CONTINGENT ASSETS
A contingent asset is a possible asset that arises from past events and whose existence will be
confirmed only by the occurrence or non-occurrence of one or more uncertain future events
not wholly within the control of the entity.
An example of a contingent asset is a claim that the entity is pursuing through the courts,
where the outcome is uncertain.
However, if the realisation of income is virtually certain, the asset is not a contingent asset
any longer and should be recognised.
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Again, contingent assets should be continually reviewed and any change in status should be
recorded appropriately.
Paragraph 92 states that where disclosure of such information might seriously prejudice the
position of the entity in a dispute with other parties on the subject matter of the provision,
contingent asset or contingent liability, then the entity need not disclose the information.
In that case, the entity should disclose the nature of the dispute as well as the fact and reason
why the information has not been disclosed.
H. DISCLOSURES
In relation to contingent liabilities, unless the possibility of settlement is remote, the entity
must disclose:
(a) A brief description of the nature of the contingent liability
(b) An estimate of its financial effect
(c) An indication of the uncertainties relating to the amount or timing of the outflow
(d) The possibility of a reimbursement
In relation to contingent assets, where an inflow is probable, the entity must disclose:
(a) A brief description of the nature of the contingent asset; and
Page 139
(b) Where practicable, an estimate of their financial effect
In extremely rare cases, disclosures required for provisions, contingent liabilities and
contingent assets may prejudice seriously the position of the entity in a dispute with other
parties on the subject matter of the provision, contingent asset or contingent liability. In such
cases, an entity need not disclose the information. Instead, it should disclose the general
nature of the dispute, together with the fact that, and the reason why, the information has not
been disclosed.
DECISION TREE
Start
Present
No Possible No
obligation as obligation
the result of an ?
Yes Yes
Yes No
Reliable No (rare)
estimate?
Yes
Disclose
Provide Do Nothing
contingent
liability
Note in rare cases, it is not clear whether there is a present obligation. In these cases, a past
event is deemed to give rise to a present obligation if, taking account of all available
evidence, it is more likely than not that a present obligation exists at the Statement of
Financial Position date.
Page 140
Study Unit 12
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definition
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Dividends
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Updating Disclosures
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 141
A. OBJECTIVE
The purpose of IAS 10 is to outline the circumstances when an entity should adjust its
financial statements for events that occur after the Statement of Financial Position date and
also the disclosures necessary after these events have occurred.
The standard also indicates that if these events after the reporting date suggest that the going
concern assumption is no longer appropriate, then the entity should not prepare its accounts
on the going concern basis.
That is, if management determines that it will liquidate the entity or to cease trading or that it
has no other realistic alternative, then the financial statements should not be prepared on a
going concern basis. Instead, the Statement of Financial Position should be adjusted onto a
break-up basis.
B. DEFINITION
Events after the reporting date are those events, both favourable and unfavourable, that occur
between the reporting date and the date the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Events which occur between these dates may provide information which may help in the
preparation of the statements.
Page 142
(ii) The sale of inventories after the Statement of Financial Position date may
give evidence about their net realisable value at the Statement of Financial
Position date
• The determination after the Statement of Financial Position date of the cost of
assets purchased, or proceeds of assets sold, before the year-end.
• The discovery of fraud or errors that show the financial statements are incorrect.
As their title would suggest, the entity should not adjust its financial statements to
reflect these events.
However, the standard recognises that these events may be relevant to users of the
accounts i.e. the events could influence the economic decisions that the users make.
Thus, if the events are material, they should be disclosed in the notes to the accounts.
The note should detail:
(a) The nature of the event; and
(b) An estimate of its financial effect, or a statement that such an estimate cannot be
made
Page 143
C. DIVIDENDS
If an entity declares dividends to holders of equity shares after the Statement of Financial
Position date, these dividends cannot be included as a liability at the Statement of Financial
Position date.
This is because the dividends do not meet with the criteria of a present obligation in IAS 37.
The International Accounting Standards Board also discussed whether or not an entity’s past
practice of paying dividends could be considered a constructive obligation and concluded that
such practices do not give rise to a liability to pay dividends. However, the dividends are
disclosed in the notes in accordance with IAS 1.
D. UPDATING DISCLOSURES
If an entity receives information after the Statement of Financial Position date about
conditions that existed at the Statement of Financial Position date, then the disclosures should
be updated to reflect the new information.
For example, if further information is received concerning a contingent liability that existed
at the Statement of Financial Position date, the disclosures regarding that item as required
under IAS 37 will have to be updated.
E. DISCLOSURE
The entity must disclose the date when the financial statements were authorised for issue and
who gave that authorisation.
If the financial statements can be amended after issue, this fact must be disclosed.
If the entity’s financial position deteriorates after the year end to an extent that doubt is cast
on the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, IAS 10 requires that the entity should
not prepare its financial statements on a going concern basis. If it is management’s intention
to liquidate or cease trading, or that no realistic alternative exists, the accounts should be
prepared on a “break-up basis”. In addition, disclosures prescribed by IAS 1 under such
circumstances should also be complied with.
Page 144
Study Unit 13
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Accounting Policies
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Disclosures
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Questions
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 145
A. INTRODUCTION
The Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, published by
the IASB, identifies “comparability” as one of the four qualitative characteristics of financial
statements. The Framework recognises the importance of comparing both the financial
statements of an entity from one period to another as well as the financial statements of other
entities. This comparison is needed in order to compare and contrast financial performance,
financial position and changes in financial position.
IAS 8 deals with selecting and changing accounting policies, accounting estimates and errors.
Its main objectives are to:
• Enhance the relevance and reliability of financial statements
• Ensure comparability of the financial statements of an entity over time as well as with
financial statements of other entities.
B. DEFINITIONS
Accounting policies are the specific principles, bases, conventions, rules and practices
adopted by an entity in preparing and presenting financial statements.
Prior period errors are omissions from, and misstatements in, the entities financial
statements from one or more periods arising from a failure to use, or misuse of, reliable
information that:
a. Was available when financial statements for those periods were authorised for issue,
and
b. Could reasonably be expected to have been obtained and taken into account in the
preparation and presentation of those financial statements
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Retrospective restatement is correcting the recognition, measurement and disclosure of
amounts of elements of financial statements as if a prior period error had never occurred
a. Applying the new accounting policy to transactions, other events and conditions
occurring after the date as at which the policy is changed, and
b. Recognising the effect of the change in the accounting estimate in the current and future
periods affected by the change.
C. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The existence and proper application of accounting policies are central to the proper
understanding of the information contained in the financial statements, as prepared by
management. A clear outline of all significant accounting policies used in the preparation of
financial statements should be provided in all cases. This is especially important in situations
where alternative treatments, permissible under certain IFRS, are possible. Failure to outline
the accounting policy pursued by the entity in such a situation would compromise the ability
of users of the financial statements to make relevant comparisons with other entities.
Accounting policies are determined by applying relevant IFRS or IFRIC and considering any
relevant implementation guidance issued by the IASB.
In this regard, when exercising such judgement, management should refer to (in this order):-
a. The requirements and guidance of the IFRS’s and IFRIC’s dealing with similar and
related issues
b. The definitions, recognition criteria and measurement concepts for assets, liabilities and
expenses in the framework
Furthermore, management can also consider (to the extent that they do not conflict with
IASB standards and the Framework):
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• Recent pronouncements of other standard setting bodies that use a similar conceptual
framework to develop standards,
• Other accounting literature
• Accepted industry practices
It is important for users of financial statements to be able to compare the financial statements
of an entity over a period of time in order to identify trends and patterns in its financial
position, financial performance and cash flows. Thus, it is important that there is consistency
in the treatment of items from period to period. To help facilitate this, the same accounting
policies are adopted in each period unless a change in these policies is merited.
The IAS restricts the instance in which a change in accounting policy is permissible. An
entity should change an accounting policy only if the change
(a) Is required by a Standard or an interpretation; or
(b) Results in a more appropriate presentation of events or transactions in the financial
statements, that is the financial statements will provide relevant and more reliable
information to the user of the accounts
The standard highlights two types of event that do not result in the change of an accounting
policy:
1. The application of an accounting policy for transactions, other events or conditions that
differs in substance from those previously occurring
2. The application of a new accounting policy for transactions, other events or conditions
that did not occur previously or were immaterial.
In the case of non-current tangible fixed assets, a move to revaluation accounting will not
result in a change of accounting policy under IAS 8 but a revaluation as per IAS 16.
This consequently means that the comparatives presented in the financial statements must
also be restated, as if the new policy had always been applied. The impact of the new policy
on retained earnings prior to the earliest period presented should be adjusted against the
opening balance of retained earnings.
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E. DISCLOSURES
The entity should also disclose the impact of new IFRS that have been issued but have not yet
come into force.
The Standard defines the term “impracticable” to mean the entity cannot apply it after making
every effort to do so. For a particular period, it is impracticable to apply a change in
accounting policy if:
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G. CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Because of the uncertainties that form part of everyday business, there are many items
contained in the financial statements that cannot be measured precisely and thus estimates are
used for these items. This is due to uncertainties inherent in business activities. In arriving at
an estimate, careful consideration is made of the latest reliable information that is available at
the time.
It is acknowledged that the use of reasonable estimates is an essential part of the preparation
of financial statements and consequently does not undermine their reliability. By their nature,
these estimates may have to be revised periodically if the circumstances on which the
estimate is based have changed. Alternatively, new information may come to light or more
experience may be acquired which may necessitate a change in previous estimates in order to
preserve the reliability and relevance of the financial statements.
It is important, then, to realise that the revision of an estimate is not an error nor does it relate
to prior periods.
The effect of a change in an accounting estimate should be included in the period of the
change if the change affects that period only or the period of the change and future periods if
the change affects both. Any corresponding changes in assets and liabilities, or to an item of
equity, are recognised by adjusting the carrying amount of the asset, liability or equity item in
the period of change.
The nature and the amount of the change in an accounting estimate should be disclosed,
unless it would involve undue cost or effort. If this is the case, then this fact should be
disclosed.
Note also that it can be difficult to distinguish between a change in an accounting policy and
a change in an accounting estimate. In a case where such a distinction is problematical, then
the change is treated as a change in accounting estimate, with appropriate disclosure.
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H. CORRECTION OF PRIOR PERIOD ERRORS
It is also important to recognise the difference between the correction of an error and a
change in an accounting estimate.
Remember, estimates are approximations that may need revision as more information
becomes known. For example, the gain or loss on the outcome of a contingency that could
not previously have been estimated reliably does not constitute an error.
A material prior period error is corrected retrospectively in the first set of financial statements
authorised for issue after its discovery. The comparative amounts for the prior period(s)
presented in which the error occurred are restated. This simply means that material errors
relating to prior periods shall be corrected by restating comparative figures in the financial
statements for the year in which the error is discovered, unless it is “impracticable” to do so
(the strict definition of “impracticable”, mentioned earlier, applies).
IAS 1 (Revised) also requires that where a prior period error is corrected retrospectively, a
statement of financial position must be provided at the beginning of the earliest comparative
period.
Errors can normally be corrected through the income statement of the period when uncovered
unless the errors are material. In the event that the errors uncovered relate to a previous
period and they are classed as material, then it is necessary to correct them as a prior period
adjustment.
Only where it is impracticable to determine the cumulative effect of an error on prior periods
can an entity correct the error prospectively.
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BLANK
Page 152
Study Unit 14
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Control
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Accounting Dates
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Accounting Policies
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Cessation of Control
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Disclosure – IAS 27
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Acquisition Costs
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. INTRODUCTION
An entity may expand by acquiring shares in other entities. Where one entity gains control
over another entity, a parent-subsidiary relationship now exists between the two entities.
Each will prepare their own individual financial statements, using the IFRS’s in the normal
way. However, in addition, the parent and subsidiary (collectively referred to as the group)
are obliged by law to prepare a combined set of accounts, known as the consolidated
accounts. These consolidated accounts are prepared and presented as if all the companies
in the group are just one single entity. This means that it is necessary to exclude
transactions between group companies, as failure to do so could result in the assets and
profits being overstated for group purposes.
The accounting rules governing the preparation of consolidated accounts (also known as
group accounts) are set out in a number of standards, namely:
(a) IFRS 3 (Revised) Business Combinations
(b) IAS 27 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements
(c) IAS 28 Investments in Associates
(d) IAS 31 Interests in Joint Ventures
IFRS 3 has recently been revised and those revisions are now examinable. The main changes
that have been introduced are as follows:
• Expenses that can be treated as part of acquisition costs have been restricted.
• The treatment of Contingent Consideration has been significantly altered.
• A new method of measuring Non-Controlling Interests (formerly known as Minority
Interest) has been introduced. This new method (though not mandatory), if used, will
have an effect on goodwill.
• The recognition and measurement of identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquired
subsidiary has been refined. Guidance has now been provided on intangible assets such
as market-related, customer-related, artistic-related and technology-related assets
IAS 27 covers some of the principles that must be applied in consolidating the accounts of
group companies. It also sets out the circumstances when subsidiary companies must be
excluded from consolidation.
B. DEFINITIONS
In both IAS 27 and IFRS 3, the definitions of a subsidiary and control are the same.
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Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity so as to obtain
benefits from its activities.
C. CONTROL
The extent to which an entity can control another is central to deciding the appropriate
accounting treatment. Control is normally established when one company owns more than
50% of the shares carrying voting rights of another company.
IAS 27 however, outlines four other situations where control exists. Even though the parent
might own half or less of the voting power of another company, control also exists when
there is:
(a) Power over more than half of the voting rights by virtue of an agreement with other
investors;
(b) Power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity under a statute or an
agreement
(c) Power to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the board of directors or
equivalent governing body and control of the entity is by that board or body; or
(d) Power to cast the majority of votes at meetings of the board of directors or equivalent
governing body and control of the entity is by that board or body.
A parent loses control when it loses the power to govern the financial and operating policies
of the subsidiary. The loss of control can occur with or without a change in ownership levels;
for example, if the subsidiary becomes subject to an administrator or liquidator.
IAS 27 requires that, in general, all parent entities must prepare and present consolidated
financial statements that include all of its subsidiaries.
However, there are exemptions from the requirement to prepare group accounts if, and only
if, the following situations apply:
(a) The parent is itself a wholly owned subsidiary, or is a partially owned subsidiary and its
other owners have been informed about, and do not object to, the parent not presenting
consolidated financial statements.
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For example:
P
75%
60%
P owns 75% of the ordinary shares of S and S owns 60% of the ordinary shares of T.
P must prepare group accounts combining all three companies. S may have to prepare
group accounts combining S and T. But if the other owners of S (25%) agree, S is
exempt from preparing such group accounts.
(b) The exemption only applies if the parents shares or debt is not traded in a public market
or is about to issue shares in a public market; and
(c) The ultimate parent (or intermediate parent) of the parent produces consolidated
financial statements that comply with IFRS’s.
(d) The parent did not file nor is it filing its financial statements with a securities
commission or other regulator for the purpose of issuing shares.
All subsidiaries of the parent must be included in the consolidated accounts. Previously, it
was argued that some subsidiaries should be excluded from the group accounts. But now, the
standards are unequivocal. There are no exceptions to the requirement for a subsidiary under
the control of the parent to be included in the group accounts.
However, if on acquisition a subsidiary meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale in
accordance with IFRS 5, it must be accounted for in accordance with that standard. This
requires that it will be shown separately on the face of the consolidated Statement of
Financial Position. There should be evidence that the subsidiary has been acquired with the
intention of disposing it within 12 months and management is actively seeking a buyer.
A subsidiary that has previously been excluded from consolidation and is not disposed of
within the 12 month period must be consolidated from the date of acquisition.
However, if there are severe restrictions on the ability of the parent to manage a subsidiary,
so that its ability to transfer funds to the parent is impaired, then such an entity must be
excluded from the consolidation process, as control has effectively been lost. In this situation,
the investment in the subsidiary will be treated under IAS 39, as a non-current asset
investment.
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E. ACCOUNTING DATES
IAS 27 requires that the financial statements of the individual companies in the group be
prepared as of the same reporting date. If the reporting date of the parent and subsidiary
differ, then the subsidiary should prepare additional financial statements as of the same date
as the parent, unless it is impracticable to do so.
F. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
All companies in the group should have the same accounting policies, without exception. If a
member of the group uses different policies from those adopted in the financial statements,
appropriate adjustments are made to its financial statements in preparing consolidated
financial statements.
G. CESSATION OF CONTROL
If an entity ceases to be a subsidiary, then the investment in the entity will be accounted for in
accordance with IAS 39 Financial Instruments from the date it ceases to be a subsidiary,
provided that it does not become an associate company or a jointly controlled entity.
H. DISCLOSURE – IAS 27
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I. ACQUISTION COSTS
In the previous IFRS 3, directly related costs such a professional fees (legal, accounting,
valuation etc.) could be included as part of the cost of the acquisition. This is now no longer
the case and such costs must now be expensed.
The costs of issuing debt or equity are to be accounted for under the rules of IAS 39
Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement.
CONTINGENT CONSIDERATION
The previous version of IFRS 3 required contingent consideration to be accounted for only if
it was considered probable that it would become payable. This approach has now been
amended.
The revised standard requires the acquirer to recognise the fair value of any contingent
consideration at the date of acquisition to be included as part of the consideration for the
acquiree. The “fair value” approach is consistent with the way in which other forms of
consideration are valued. Fair value is defined as “the amount for which an asset could be
exchanged, or liability settled between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length
transaction”.
However, applying this definition to contingent consideration is not easy as the definition is
largely hypothetical. It is most unlikely that the acquisition-date liability for contingent
consideration could be (or would be) settled by “willing parties in an arm’s length
transaction”. It is expected that in an examination context, the fair value of any contingent
consideration at the date of acquisition will be given (or how to calculate it).
The payment of contingent consideration may be in the form of equity or a liability such as a
debt instrument and should be recorded as such under the rules of IAS 32 Financial
Instruments: Presentation (or other applicable standard).
The standard also addresses the problem of changes in the fair value of any contingent
consideration after acquisition date. If the change is due to additional information obtained
after acquisition date that affects the fact or circumstances as they existed at acquisition date,
this is treated as a “measurement period adjustment” and the liability (and goodwill) are re-
measured. In essence, this is a retrospective adjustment and is similar in nature to an
adjusting event under IAS 10 Events After the Reporting Period.
However, changes due to events after the date of acquisition (for example, achieving a profit
target which requires a higher payment than was provided for at acquisition) are treated as
follows:
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• Contingent consideration classified as an asset* or a liability that
– Is not within the scope of IAS 39 shall be accounted for in accordance with IAS
37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets (or other IFRSs as
appropriate).
*Contingent consideration is normally a liability but may be an asset if the acquirer has the
right to a return of some of the consideration transferred, if certain conditions are met.
An acquirer has a maximum period of 12 months to finalise the acquisition accounting. The
adjustment period ends when the acquirer has gathered all the necessary information, subject
to the one year maximum. There is no exemption from the 12-month rule for deferred tax
assets or changes in the amount of contingent consideration. The revised standard will only
allow adjustments against goodwill within this one-year period.
Deferred consideration should be measured at fair value at the date of acquisition. This means
that future payment should be shown at its Present Value, by discounting the future amount at
the company’s cost of capital. Each year, the discount will be then “unwound”. This will
increase the deferred liability every year, with the discount treated as a finance cost in the
income statement.
EXAMPLE
WNR Ltd acquires 27 million shares in LSR Ltd. The consideration is effected by a share for
share exchange of two shares in WNR for every three shares acquired in LSR and a cash
payment of RWF2 per share acquired, payable 3 years after acquisition. WNR Ltd’s shares
have a nominal value of RWF1 and a market value of RWF2.50 at acquisition.
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J. MECHANICS AND TECHNIQUES
For the preparation of a consolidated statement of financial position, the following six steps
should be followed:
RWF RWF
Cost of Investment Cost of Investment
X X
Less: Less:
Parents share of net assets Parents share of net assets
at date of acquisition at date of acquisition
(X) (X)
Goodwill at Acquisition Goodwill at Acquisition- Parents Share
X X
Less:
Total Goodwill impaired Fair Value of NCI at acquisition
to date X
(X) Less:
Carrying Value in SFP NCI share of net assets at acquisition
X (X)
Goodwill at Acquisition – NCI Share
X
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If goodwill on acquisition is positive, the following consequences should be observed:
• It is capitalised as an intangible asset in Non-Current Assets
• It should not be amortised
• It should be tested for impairment on an annual basis
If impairment arises, the accounting entries for the treatment of the impairment loss
depends on the method used to value NCI.
Negative Goodwill
IFRS 3 refers to negative goodwill as “discount on acquisition”. It arises when the fair
value of the consideration given to acquire the subsidiary is less than the fair value of
the net assets purchased.
It is an unusual situation to arise, and the standard advises that should negative goodwill
be calculated, the calculation should be reviewed, to ensure that the fair value of assets
and liabilities are not inadvertently misstated.
Following the review, any negative goodwill remaining is credited to the income
statement immediately.
OR
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5. Calculate Consolidated Reserves
The Retained Earnings to be included in the consolidated statement of financial position
are calculated as follows:
Retained Earnings of parent (subject to adjustments in step 2)
X
PLUS
Group share of post acquisition earnings of subsidiary (subject to adjustments in step 2)
X
LESS
Total Goodwill Impairments to date
(X)
X
Pre-Acquisition reserves are the reserves existing at the date the subsidiary company is
acquired. They are included in the goodwill calculation.
Post-Acquisition reserves are reserves generated after the date of acquisition. They are
included in group reserves.
In addition, the Goodwill, NCI and Consolidated reserves as calculated in Steps 3, 4 and
5 are included.
Note that the Share Capital and Share Premium to be included will be those of the
parent company only.
EXAMPLE
The draft SOFPs of PD Ltd and PPR Ltd at the 31st December 2009 are shown below:
PD PPR
RWF’000
RWF’000
Assets
Property, Plant and Equipment 90
100
Investment in PPR (at cost) 110 -
Current Assets 50 30
250 130
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Ordinary share Capital RWF1 100
100
Retained earnings 120
20
220 120
Current Liabilities 30 10
250 130
PD Ltd purchased 80% of the ordinary shares of PPR Ltd on 1st January 2009 when the
retained profits of PPR were RWF15,000. To date, goodwill is not impaired.
Prepare the consolidated Statement of Financial position at the 31st December 2009,
assuming that the PD Group values the non-controlling interest using the proportion of
net assets method.
Step 2 Adjustments
Not applicable in this question
At date of At date of
acquisition SFP
RWF’000 RWF’000
Share Capital 100 100
Retained Earnings 15 20
115 120
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Step 5 Calculate Consolidated Retained Earnings
PD Ltd.
Per SFP 120
PPR Ltd.
Per SOFP 20
At acquisition 15
Post Acquisition 5
x group share x 80%
4
Consolidated Retained Earnings 124
PD GROUP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT 31ST DECEMBER
2009
ASSETS
RWF’000
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill 18
Property, plant and equipment (90 + 100) 190
208
CURRENT ASSETS (50 + 30) 80
288
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Study Unit 15
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Inter-Company Debts
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Inter-Company Dividends
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 165
A. INTRODUCTION
Once the basic concept of consolidating accounts has been understood, the more complicated
adjustments can be introduced.
The adjustments involve a number of different scenarios, but a theme common to most of
them is that they involve amounts that have been paid or remain payable between companies
in the group.
When the parent company acquires the subsidiary company, the identifiable assets and
liabilities acquired must be accounted for at their fair values on preparation of the subsequent
consolidated financial statements (IFRS 3). This is to ensure that an accurate figure is
calculated for goodwill (as well as to ensure the purchase price paid is accurate).
IFRS 3 defines the fair value of an asset (and a liability) as being the amount for which an
asset could be exchanged, or a liability settled, between knowledgeable willing parties in an
arm’s length transaction.
The standard goes on to outline how the fair values of various assets and liabilities can be
determined and is summarised in the following table:
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• Disposal costs
• Reasonable profit allowance
Contingent liabilities Should be included in net assets acquired, if their fair value
can be measured reliably, even if they would not normally be
recognised
In general, only assets and liabilities that existed at the date of acquisition can be included in
the calculation of goodwill.
Acquired intangible assets must always be recognised and measured. Unlike the previous
IFRS 3, there is no exception where reliable measurement cannot be obtained.
If further evidence regarding the fair values of acquired assets and liabilities only becomes
available after acquisition (i.e. some asset or liability values were only estimated at
acquisition), the consolidated financial statements should be adjusted to reflect this additional
evidence. But, this adjustment can only be made if the new evidence becomes available
within twelve months after the acquisition.
If this is the case, the assets or liabilities should be adjusted to the new values, as if these new
values had been used from the date of acquisition.
If an asset is to be revalued upwards at the date of acquisition, from its carrying amount to its
fair value, then the following adjustment is made when preparing the consolidated accounts:
Example
P acquired 75% of the share capital of S, four years ago. At the date of acquisition, the fair
value of a machine exceeded the book value by RWF10,000, in the books of S.
Solution
When preparing the consolidated accounts, the following journal adjustment will be carried
out:
RWF RWF
Dr. Machine Account 10,000
Cr. Revaluation at acq and SOFP date 10,000
In addition, the depreciation will have to be accounted for. For group purposes, the
depreciation should be based on the fair value.
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Thus RWF10,000 x 20% x 4 years = RWF80,000
For group purposes, this RWF80,000 will have to be charged. Thus:
RWF RWF
Dr Reserves (S) 80,000
Cr Asset Account 80,000
(This is the shortest way of putting through the depreciation. The reserves of S fall by
RWF80,000, which is the effect that RWF80,000 extra depreciation would have. Likewise,
the asset book value will fall also).
Companies in a group often trade with each other. If one company in the group sells goods to
another company in the group, at a profit, then a problem arises if the buyer has some or all
of those goods in stock at the Statement of Financial Position date.
The goods, shown in inventory, will contain an element of profit which from a group
perspective, has not been realised. Bearing in mind that the group accounts seek to present
the members of the group as if they were one single entity, this profit must be eliminated.
Example
P acquired 75% of S four years ago. During the year, P sold goods to S for RWF10,000.
This included a mark-up of 25%. At the end of the year, S has one quarter of the goods
remaining in stock.
Solution
(a) Calculate profit.
The goods were sold for RWF10,000 including a mark-up of 25%. This means the
profit on the transaction was RWF2,000.
One quarter of the goods remains in stock, so one quarter of the profit remains also.
Thus RWF2,000 x ¼ = RWF500 must be eliminated.
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(b) Eliminate the profit.
RWF RWF
Dr Reserves of P* 500
Cr Inventory 500
*P sold the goods and recorded the profit. Thus it is P’s reserves that are
adjusted.
This is similar to the previous situation. One company in the group sells a non-current asset
to another company in the group, at a profit. For the same reasons as above, this profit must
be eliminated (and thus the asset shown at its original cost to the group).
(a) Calculate the profit.
(b) Eliminate the profit. This can be done by:
Dr Reserves of seller
Cr Asset Account
With the profit
Example
P purchased 75% of S, four years ago. Two years ago, S sold a machine with a book value of
RWF20,000 to P for RWF23,000.
P charges depreciation on its assets at 20% per annum, straight-line.
Solution
(a) Calculate the inter-group profit.
The profit made by S on the sale was RWF3,000.
(b) Eliminate the profit
RWF RWF
Dr Reserves of S 3,000
Cr Machine Account 3,000
However, there is also the extra problem of depreciation. P on buying the asset, charges
depreciation on its cost to P (RWF23,000). But, for group purposes the asset should be
depreciated based on its original cost to the group (RWF20,000)
Thus, for group purposes, over the last two years, total extra depreciation charged by P on the
asset would be:
RWF3,000 x 20% x 2 years = RWF1,200
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To rectify this for the consolidated accounts
RWF RWF
Dr Machine Account 1,200
Cr Reserves of P* 1,200
*P purchased the asset, so P charged the depreciation. This journal adjustment reverses the
extra depreciation charged.
E. INTER-COMPANY DEBTS
As the entities in the group are being presented as if they are just one single economic entity,
amounts owing between group companies must be eliminated for consolidation purposes.
The holding company and subsidiary are likely to trade with each other, which could lead to
inter-company debtors and creditors arising at the year end. Inter-company indebtedness
should be cancelled out when preparing the consolidated Statement of Financial Position.
Example:
Set out below are the respective Statement of Financial Positions of H Limited and S Limited.
Statement of Financial
Position
H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Non Current Assets 700 300
Investment in Subsidiary 500 -
Inventories 240 220
Receivables 190 180
Bank 70 170
1,700 870
H Limited acquired 100% of S Limited several years ago when the reserves of S Limited
were Nil. At the year-end H Limited’s receivables figure includes RWF60 owing from S
Limited. S Limited’s payables figure includes RWF60 owing to H Limited.
Page 170
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position H Ltd Group
RWF
Non Current Assets (700 + 300) 1,000
Inventories (240 + 220) 460
Receivables (190 + 180 - 60) 310
Bank (70 + 170) 240
2,010
Ordinary Share Capital 1,000
Reserves (500 + 250) 750
1,750
Payables (200 + 120 – 60) 260
2,010
Note:
The receivables and payables are reduced by RWF60, which is the inter-company
indebtedness.
Inter-company transactions include loans by the holding company to the subsidiary and vice
versa and current accounts maintained by the holding company and subsidiary.
Example:
Set out below are the respective Statement of Financial Positions of H Limited and S Limited.
Statement of Financial
Position
H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Non Current Assets 700 900
Investment in Subsidiary 500 -
Loan to S Limited 300 -
Current Account 200 -
Other Current Assets 50 350
1,750 1,250
H Limited acquired 100% of S Limited several years ago when the reserves of S Limited
were Nil. H Limited made a loan of RWF300 to S Limited to help finance the expansion of S
Limited. H Limited and S Limited trade with each other and maintain a current account to
identify their indebtedness.
Page 171
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position H Limited Group
RWF
Non Current Assets (700 + 900) 1,600
Current Assets (50 + 350) 400
2,000
The loan by H Limited to S Limited cancels out against the loan in S Limited’s Statement of
Financial Position. Likewise the current account in H Limited cancels out against the current
account in S Limited. Occasionally the receivables/payables or the current accounts
maintained by the holding company and subsidiary company may not agree, the reason for
this difference will be due to either inventory in transit and/or cash in transit from one entity
to another.
Example:
Set out below are the respective Statement of Financial Positions of H Limited and S Limited.
Statement of Financial
Position
H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Non Current Assets 1,800 1,000
Investment in Subsidiary 500 -
Current Account 200 -
Inventory 300 270
Receivables 250 260
Bank 150 100
3,200 1,630
H Limited acquired 100% of S Limited for RWF500 several years ago when the latter had a
reserves balance of Nil. Inventory in transit from S Limited to H Limited at cost price
amounted to RWF20. Cash in transit from S Limited amounted to RWF30.
Page 172
• Insert the current account balances from the respective Statement of Financial Positions
• Increase (debit) inventory and bank in the consolidated Statement of Financial Position
by the amounts for inventory in transit and cash in transit
• Credit the inter-company account with the amounts for inventory and cash in transit
thereby reconciling the current accounts
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position H Limited Group
RWF
Non Current Assets (1,800 + 1,000) 2,800
Inventory (300 + 270 + 20) 590
Receivables (250 + 260) 510
Bank (150 + 100 + 30) 280
4,180
Inter-Company Account
RWF RWF
Current Account - H Limited 200 Current Account - S Limited 150
Inventory 20
- Bank 30
200 200
However, the holders of preference shares are entitled to participate in the profits of a
company upon its winding up.
The parent, as well as purchasing ordinary (equity) shares, may also purchase preference
shares, though the relevant percentage holdings may be different. For example, P might own
75% of the equity shares of S, but only 30% of the preference shares.
In calculating the goodwill figure, the cost of preference shares is compared to their nominal
value. This will be done in the cost of control account.
The nominal value of the preference shares held by outside interests will be reflected in the
Non-Controlling Interest account.
Page 173
G. LOAN NOTES IN A SUBSIDIARY COMPANY
Loan notes/debentures/loan stock etc. do not affect the parent-subsidiary relationship either.
If the parent buys these loan notes, like preference shares, the difference between their cost
and nominal value will be included in the cost of control account in arriving at the overall
goodwill figure.
The balance of the loan notes not held by the parent, though held by outside interests, is not
included in the Non-Controlling Interest figure. Rather, it is shown separately as non-current
liabilities in the consolidated Statement of Financial Position.
H. INTER-COMPANY DIVIDENDS
The treatment of inter-group dividends can be confusing. This is mainly because there are a
number of different possible situations.
IAS 10 Events After the Reporting Date allows dividends to be included as a liability in the
balance only if those dividends had been declared before the year-end. Declared means that
the dividends have been appropriately authorised and are no longer at the discretion of the
entity.
So, in treating dividends payable in the question, make sure that they can be recognised in the
first place.
There are two classes of dividends to be aware of when preparing consolidated accounts:
Page 174
There are a number of possible situations in regard to such dividends:
(b) Dividends proposed by the Subsidiary and the Parent has taken account of this in
its books
Here, because the parent has taken credit for its share, it is rather similar to the
treatment of inter-company debts. One company in the group owes money to another
company in the group, in this case a dividend.
Example
P acquired 75% of S, four years ago. In the current year, the directors of S propose a
dividend of RWF80,000. The proposal is made prior to the year-end.
P reflects the dividend receivable in its books.
Solution
Extracts from the Statements of Financial Position of P and S would show:
P S P S
RWF RWF RWF RWF
Dividends 60,000 - Dividends Payable - 80,000
Receivable*
*P owns 75% of the shares, so it will get 75% of the dividend i.e. RWF80,000 x 75% =
RWF60,000
Thus, the required journal entry would be:
RWF RWF
Dr Dividends Payable 60,000
Cr Dividends Receivable 60,000
Dividends Receivable
RWF RWF
Balance b/d (P) 60,000 Dividends Payable 60,000
Page 175
Dividends Payable
RWF RWF
Dividend Receivable 60,000 Balance b/d (S) 80,000
(c) Dividends proposed by the subsidiary and the parent has not taken account of this
in its books
In this case, the parent has not reflected the dividend due to it in its own books. The
easiest treatment is to bring the dividend receivable into the books of the Parent
Company and then cancel the inter company amount.
The procedure would be as follows:
Dr Dividends Receivable
Cr Reserves of Parent
With the amount of the inter-group dividend
Then:
Dr Dividends Payable
Cr Dividends Receivable
With the amount of the inter-group dividend
Example
Same as before, except P does not reflect its share of the dividend in its books.
Solution
Extracts from the Statement of Financial Position of P and S would show:
P S P S
RWF RWF RWF RWF
Dividends - - Dividends Payable - 80,000
Receivable
Page 176
Then:
RWF RWF
Dr Dividends Payable 60,000
Cr Dividends Receivable 60,000
Being the cancellation of the inter-group amount
Dividends Receivable
RWF RWF
Reserves (P) 60,000 Dividends Payable 60,000
*Again this balance would be shown as a current liability in the consolidated Statement
of Financial Position.
Care should be taken to reduce the reserves of the subsidiary at the date of acquisition by the
total dividend it receives. Goodwill is then calculated using this reduced cost of investment
and the subsidiary reserves after the dividend.
Example
H Limited acquired 80% of S Limited for RWF1,700 when the latter company’s reserves
were RWF1,000. Several months after the acquisition, S Limited paid a dividend of
RWF150 out of their RWF1,000 reserves. H Limited credited its share of the dividend, 80%
of RWF150, i.e. RWF120 and reduced the cost of the investment from RWF1,700 to
RWF1,700 - RWF120, i.e. RWF1,580. The Statements of Financial Position of H Limited
and S Limited are set out below several years after acquisition.
Page 177
Statement of Financial
Position
H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Non Current Assets 6,000 3,000
Investment in Subsidiary 1,580 -
Current Assets 3,420 2,000
11,000 5,000
Calculation of Goodwill:
Cost of Investment in S 1,580
Less:
Share of net assets acquired:
Capital 500
Reserves (1,000 – 150) 850
1,350
Group share 80%
1,080
Goodwill 500
Assuming the group uses the proportion of net assets method for valuing NCI
Calculation of NCI:
20% x (500 + 4,500) = 1,000
S
Per SOFP 4,500
At acquisition 850
(1,000 – 150) .
Post Acquisition 3,650
Group Share x 80%
2,920
8,920
Page 178
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position H Limited Group
RWF
Non Current assets (6000 + 3,000) 9,000
Goodwill 500
Current Assets (3,420 + 2,000) 5,420
14,92
0
Note:
Pre-acquisition dividends as with pre-acquisition reserves do not affect the calculation of the
Non-Controlling Interest.
Often in examination questions, the holding company may have credited its share of the pre-
acquisition dividend to its reserves. In this case, a correcting journal entry should be made in
preparing the consolidated Statement of Financial Position, i.e.
Dr H Limited reserves
Cr Investment in Subsidiary
Thereby effectively reducing the cost of the investment
When the parent company acquires the subsidiary during a year, it may be necessary to
calculate the revenue reserves at that date in order to determine goodwill.
Example
H Limited acquired 80% of S Limited on 30th June 20X4 for RWF350. The revenue reserves
of S Limited at 1st January 20X4 were RWF100. Set out below are the respective Statements
of Financial Position of H Limited and S Limited.
Page 179
Statement of Financial
Position
H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Non Current Assets 600 280
Investment in Subsidiary 350 -
Current Assets 250 70
1,200 350
The profits of S Limited were RWF50 for the year and are deemed to have accrued evenly
throughout the year.
Calculation of Goodwill:
Cost of Investment 350
Less:
Share of net assets acquired at acquisition
Capital 200
Reserves (see below) 125
325
x group share x 80%
260
Goodwill 90
Reserves at acquisition:
RWF
Reserves at 1st January 20X4 100
Profits accrued to 30th June 20X4 RWF50 x 25
6/12
125
Page 180
Before we look at a comprehensive example requiring the preparation of a consolidated
Statement of Financial Position, remember the six steps to be taken in solving the question.
2. Determine the adjustments to be made and the journal entries to effect these
adjustments.
The goodwill calculation, at its most basic, measures what was paid for the investment
and what was acquired in return.
What was paid is found in P’s Statement of Financial Position in its investment in
subsidiary (subject to any adjustments e.g. pre-acquisition dividends, deferred
consideration, contingent consideration).
What was received is its share of the capital and reserves (i.e.net assets) that existed at
the date of acquisition.
The difference between these amounts will be either positive or negative goodwill.
Examine the question to see if goodwill has become impaired. If it has, reduce
goodwill and set it against consolidated reserves.
Example
HY acquired 4 million of SG’s equity shares paying RWF4.50 each and RWF500,000 (at par)
of its 10% redeemable preference shares on 1st April 2007. At this date the accumulated
retained earnings of SG were RWF8,400,000.
Reproduced below are the draft Statements of Financial Position of the two companies at 31st
March 2010.
Page 181
HY SG
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
Assets
Non Current Assets
Property, plant and 42,450 22,220
equipment
Investment in Sibling:
Equity 18,000 -
Preference 500 -
60,950 22,220
Current Assets
Inventories 9,850 6,590
Trade receivables 11,420 3,830
Cash and bank 490 -
21,760 10,420
Total Assets 82,710 32,640
Extracts from the unadjusted income statement of Sibling for the year to 31st March 20X8
are:
RWF’000
Profit before interest and tax 5,400
Interest paid
10% Loan notes (400)
Preference dividend (200)
4,800
Income taxes (1,600)
Retained profit for period 3,200
Page 182
(1) Included in the property, plant and equipment of SG is a large area of development land
at its cost of RWF5 million. Its fair value at the date SG was acquired was RWF7
million and by 31st March 2010 this had risen to RWF8.5 million. The group valuation
policy for development land is that it should be carried at fair value and not depreciated.
(2) Also at the date that Sibling was acquired, its property, plant and equipment included
plant that had a fair value of RWF4 million in excess of its carrying value. This plant
had a remaining life of 5 years. The group calculates depreciation on a straight-line
basis. The fair value of Sibling’s other net assets approximated to their carrying values.
(3) During the year Sibling sold goods to HY for RWF1.8 million. Sibling adds a 20%
mark-up on cost to all its sales. Goods with a transfer price of RWF450,000 were
included in HY’s inventory at 31st March 20X8.
The balance on the current accounts of the parent and subsidiary was RWF240,000 on
31st March 20X8.
REQUIREMENT
(a) Prepare the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position of HY at 31st March 20X8,
assuming the group uses the proportion of net assets method for measuring Non-
Controlling Interest. Goodwill is not impaired.
(b) Calculate the Non-Controlling Interest in the adjusted profit of SG for the year to 31st
March 20X8.
2. Journal Adjustments
(a) Revaluation of Property Plant and Equipment
There are two increases to consider:
From RWF5 million to RWF7 million at acquisition
From RWF7 million to RWF8.5 million in the post acquisition period
Page 183
(b) Revaluation of Plant at Acquisition
RWF’000 RWF’000
Dr Property, Plant and Equipment 4,000
Cr. Revaluation reserve at acquisition
and at SFP date
4,000
Therefore:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Dr Reserves SG 2,400
Cr Property, Plant and Equipment 2,400
Page 184
3. Calculate Goodwill
First, determine net assets of SG:
At date of At date of
acquisition SFP
‘000 ‘000
capital 5,000 5,000
retained earnings 8,400 15,280
fair value adjustment: land 2,000 2,000
plant 4,000 4,000
Post-Acq revaluation: land - 1,500
depreciation adjustment - ( 2,400)
inventory adjustment - ( 75)
______ ______
19,400 25,305
______ ______
The redeemable preference shares were acquired at par. No premium was paid, thus no
goodwill implication.
4. Calculate NCI
20% x 25,305 = 5,061
Note:
Because the preference capital is redeemable, the portion belonging to the Non-
Controlling Interest must be shown as a liability, in accordance with IAS 32.
Page 185
5. Calculate Consolidated Reserves:
Retained earnings
HY
Per SFP 52,640
SG
Per SFP 15,280
Depreciation ( 2,400)
Inventory profit ( 75)
12,805
At Acquisition 8,400
Post acquisition 4,405
Group Share x 80%
3,524
Consolidated Retained Earnings 56,164
Revaluation Reserve
SG
Per SFP -
Revaluation 1,500
1,500
At acquisition - .
Post acquisition 1,500
Group Share x 80%
1,200
Page 186
Retained earnings 56,164 67,364
Non-Controlling Interest 5,061
72,425
Non-current liabilities
10% Loan notes (12,000 + 4,000) 16,000
10% Redeemable preference capital (NCI share) 1,500 17,500
Current liabilities
Trade payables (5,600 + 3,810 – 240) 9,170
Operating overdraft 570
Provision for income taxes (2,470 + 1,980) 4,450
14,190
Total equity and liabilities 104,115
Page 187
BLANK
Page 188
Study Unit 16
C. Disclosure Requirements
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 189
A. INVESTMENTS IN ASSOCIATES AND INTERESTS IN JOINT VENTURES
Associates
Sometimes the investment in another entity is not enough to give it control, but such is the
amount of voting power acquired that the investor exercises significant influence over the
investee.
In this case, the entity in which such an investment is held is called an “associate” company.
Thus, the associate is an entity over which the investor has significant influence and that is
neither a subsidiary nor an interest in a joint venture.
Significant influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy
decisions of the investee but is not control or joint control over those policies. The standard
goes on to state that if the investor has 20% or more of the voting power of the investee, then
there is a presumption of participating interest.
A shareholding of less than 20% does not give significant influence, unless such influence
can be clearly demonstrated.
Associates are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. This is a method
whereby the investment is initially recognised at cost and adjusted thereafter for the post-
acquisition change in the investor’s share of net assets in the investee.
In the income statement, the profit or loss of the investee is included in the profit or loss of
the investee.
The investment in an associate must be accounted for using the equity method, except in the
following circumstances:
(a) The investment is classified as held for sale in accordance with IFRS 5.
Page 190
(b) If a parent also has an investment in an associate, but that parent is itself a subsidiary,
then it does not have to present consolidated financial statements.
(c) Similar exemptions apply to IAS 27, mentioned in the previous chapters.
Use of the equity method must cease if the investor loses significant influence over an
associate.
Differing Dates
When applying the equity method, the associate company’s most recent financial statements
are used. When the accounting dates differ, the associate should produce financial statements
at the same date of the investor. Where this is impracticable, the financial statements of the
different date may be used, but subject to adjustment for significant events and transactions.
C. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
Investments in associates accounted for using the equity method must be classified as non-
current assets. The investor’s share of the profit or loss of the associates, and the carrying
amount of the investment, must be disclosed separately in the accounts.
Page 191
D. MECHANICS AND TECHNIQUES
None of the individual assets and liabilities of the associate are consolidated with those of the
parent and subsidiaries.
Under equity accounting, the investment in an associate is carried to the consolidated balance
sheet at a valuation. This valuation is calculated as:
In addition, the goodwill arising on acquisition of the shares in the investment must be
calculated. This goodwill is not separately shown; rather it is included in the cost of the
investment.
However, if the goodwill becomes impaired, this will reduce the value of the investment.
Therefore:
Dr Reserves of Parent
Cr Investment in Associate
With the amount of goodwill impaired
Note: If the question mentions nothing about impairment, there is no need to calculate
goodwill.
Page 192
Example
P acquired 25% of the ordinary share capital of A for RWF640,000 on 31st December 2008
when the retained earnings of A stood at RWF720,000. P appointed two directors to the
board of A and the investment is regarded as long-term. Both companies prepare their
financial statements to 31st December each year. The summarised balance sheet of A on 31st
December 2010 is as follows:
RWF’000
Sundry assets 2,390
Capital and reserves
Share capital 800
Share premium 450
Retained earnings 1,140
2,390
A has made no new issues of shares nor has there been any movement in the share premium
account since P acquired its holding.
Show at what amount the investment in A will be shown in the consolidated balance sheet of
P as on 31st December 2010.
Solution
This figure is calculated as:
RWF
Cost 640,000
Share of post-acquisition profits (25% x (1,140 – 720)) 105,000
745,000
Page 193
Alternatively, the figure could be calculated as follows:
Investment in Associate
RWF
RWF2,390,000 x 25% 597,500
Add Goodwill (see below) 147,500
745,000
Goodwill Calculation:
RWF RWF
Cost of investment 640,000
Less: Share of net assets at acquisition
Share capital (25% x 800,000) 200,000
Share premium (25% x 450,000) 112,500
(25% x 720,000) 180,000
(492,500)
Goodwill 147,500
Inter-Company Sales
An adjustment is only required in the case of sales between the associate and the group if
inventories remain at the balance sheet date as a result of the trading.
Thus:
(a) Calculate the profit on inventory
(b) Calculate the group share of the profit
(c) Cancel the group share of profit. This is done as follows:
Dr Reserves of Parent
Cr Investment in Associate
With the group share of profit on inventory
(Note: If the inventory lies with the parent, credit inventory instead of investment in
associate)
Inter-Company Debts
Because the associate company is not consolidated, inter-company loans (between the
investor and associate) will not be cancelled out.
Loans to and from associates and parents are not netted off. Long-term loans may appear,
sometimes, in the same section as investments in associates, though this is rarely done.
Page 194
F. INTERESTS IN JOINT VENTURES
IAS 31 outlines the accounting treatment necessary in dealing with joint ventures.
Joint control is the contractually agreed sharing of control over an economic activity and it
exists only when the strategic financial and operating decisions relating to the activity require
the unanimous consent of the parties sharing control. (These parties are known as the
venturers).
The contract therefore becomes a very important factor in a joint venture. The contract may
take a variety of forms e.g. a contract between the venturers, the minutes of discussions
between venturers or writing an arrangement into the articles of the joint venture.
The agreement between the venturers usually indicates how the revenue and any expenses
incurred in common are to be shared out.
Page 195
An example would be where two venturers, X and Y, combine their resources and expertise
to build a new rocket. Different parts of the manufacturing process are carried out by each.
Each incurs its own cost and share the revenue, as agreed by contract.
Each venturer takes a share of the output from the assets and each bears an agreed share of
the expenses incurred.
Such a joint venture is often used in the oil, gas and mineral extraction industries. For
example a number of oil companies may jointly own a pipeline. Each uses it to transport
their own oil and each pays an agreed proportion of the expenses.
The jointly controlled entity has its own assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Each
venturer is entitled to a share of the profits of the joint venture.
The jointly controlled entity maintains its own records and prepares its own financial
statements. Each venturer contributes cash and/or other resources which are included in the
records of the venturer as an investment in a joint venture.
In the preparation of consolidated financial statements, IAS 31 recognises two methods that
are acceptable:
(a) Proportionate (proportional) Consolidation
Page 196
(b) The Equity Method
The equity method approach treats the joint venture in the same way as an associate, i.e. the
investment in the joint venture is increased by the group share of the post acquisition profits
of the joint venture.
Proportionate Consolidation
This is a method of accounting whereby a venturer’s share of each of the assets, liabilities,
income and expenses of a jointly controlled entity is combined, line by line, with similar
items in the venturer’s financial statements or reported as separate line items in the venturer’s
financial statements.
Applying this method means that the balance sheet of the venturer includes its share of the
assets that it jointly controls and its share of the liabilities it is jointly responsible for.
The income statement of the venturer will include its share of the income and expenses.
G. DISCLOSURE
A venturer must disclose the aggregate of the following contingent liabilities, unless
probability of loss is remote, separately from the amount of other contingent liabilities:
(a) Any contingent liabilities the venturer has incurred in relation to its interests in joint
ventures, and its share of contingent liabilities incurred jointly with other venturers.
(b) Its share of the contingent liabilities of the joint ventures themselves for which it is
contingently liable.
(c) Those contingent liabilities arising because the venturer is contingently liable for the
liabilities of other venturers in the joint venture.
A venturer must disclose commitments in respect of the joint venture separately to other
commitments.
A venturer must disclose a listing and description of interests in significant joint ventures and
the proportion of ownership held in jointly controlled entities.
A venturer must also disclose the method it uses to account for its interest in jointly
controlled entities.
Page 197
Example:
AGMT, a medium-sized listed company, entered into an expansion programme on 1st
October 20X7. On that date the company purchased from BGST two investments in private
limited companies:
(i) The entire share capital of CLDW; and
(ii) 50% of the share capital of DBU.
Both investments were previously wholly owned by BGST. DBU was to be run by AGMT
and BGST as a jointly controlled entity. AGMT makes up its financial statements to 30th
September each year. The terms of the acquisitions were:
CLDW
The total consideration was based on a price earnings (PE) multiple of 12 applied to the
reported profit of RWF2 million of CLDW for the year to 30th September 20X7. The
consideration was settled by AGMT issuing an 8% Loan Note for RWF14 million (at par)
and the balance by a new issue of RWF1 equity shares, based on a market value of RWF2.50
each.
DBU
The value of DBU at 1st October 20X7 was mutually agreed as RWF37.5 million. AGMT
satisfied its share (50%) of this amount by issuing 7.5 million RWF1 equity shares (market
value RWF2.50 each) to BGST.
Note: AGMT has not recorded the acquisition of the above investments or the issuing of the
consideration.
The summarised balance sheets of the three entities at 30th September 20X8 are:
AGMT CLDW DBU
RWF’00 RWF’00 RWF’00 RWF’00 RWF’00 RWF’00
0 0 0 0 0 0
Assets
Non-
current
assets
Property, 34,260 27,000 21,060
Plant &
Equipmen
t
Current
assets
Inventorie 9,640 7,200 18,640
s
Trade and 11,200 5,060 4,620
other
receivable
s
Cash - 3,410 40
Page 198
20,840 15,670 23,300
Total 55,100 42,670 44,360
assets
Equity
and
liabilities
Equity
Equity 10,000 20,000 25,000
capital
RWF1
each
Retained 20,800 15,000 4,500
earnings
30,800 35,000 29,500
Current
liabilities
Trade and 17,120 5,270 14,100
other
payables
Operating 1,540 - -
overdraft
Provision 5,640 2,400 760
for
income
taxes
24,300 7,670 14,860
55,100 42,670 44,360
Required
(a) Prepare the journal entries (ignoring narratives) to record the acquisition of CLDW and
DBU in the accounting records of AGMT as at 1st October 20X7. Show your
workings.
(b) Prepare the Consolidated Balance Sheet of AGMT as at 30th September 20X8.
Page 199
Solution
(a) Recording the acquisition of CLDW.
Consideration is RWF2 million x 12 = RWF24 million
RWF14 m loan notes given. Thus, the balance of RWF10m satisfied by shares. Market
value of the shares was RWF2.50. This means that 4 million shares were issued.
Therefore:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Dr Investment in CLDW 24,000
Cr 8% Loan notes 14,000
Cr Equity shares 4,000
Cr Share premium 6,000
Recording the purchase of DBU.
Value of DBU is RWF37.5 million
The value of AGMTs share 50% is RWF18.75 million
AGMT issued 7.5 million shares with a market value of RWF2.50 each.
Therefore:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Dr Investment in DBU 18,750
Cr Share capital 7,500
Cr Share premium 11,250
2. Adjustments
In this question there are no journal adjustments required, apart from the need to
record the investments, as seen above.
3. Calculate Goodwill
CLDW
First, determine the net assets of CLDW
At date of At date of
Acquisition SFP
RWF’000 RWF’000
Share Capital 20,000 20,000
P/L reserves 7,000* 15,000
27,000 35,000
* 15,000 – 8,000
Cost of Investment 24,000
Page 200
Less:
Share of Net assets Acquired (27,000 x 100%) 27,000
Negative Goodwill 3,000
The negative goodwill is credited in full immediately to the consolidated reserves.
DBU
First, determine the net assets of DBU
At date of At date of
Acquisition SFP
RWF’000 RWF’000
Share Capital (50%) 12,500
12,500
P/L reserves 1,250 *
2,250**
13,750 14,750
*(4,500 – 2,000) x 50%
**4,500 x 50%
Cost of Investment 18,750
Less:
Share of Net assets Acquired 13,750
Goodwill 5,000
The goodwill is not impaired and so will be shown at 5,000 in the Consolidated
SFP
4. Calculate NCI
Not Applicable in this question
Total 32,800
______
Page 201
AGMT Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 30th September 20X8
RWF’000 RWF’000
Assets
Non-current assets
Property Plant & Equipment 71,790
Goodwill 5,000
76,790
Current assets
Inventories 26,160
Trade and Other Receivables 18,570
Cash 3,430
48,160
124,950
Equity and Liabilities
Capital and Reserves
Equity capital 21,500
Share premium 17,250
Consolidated Accumulated Profit 32,800
71,550
Non-current liabilities
8% Loan notes 14,000
Current liabilities
Trade payables 29,440
Overdraft 1,540
Provision for Income Tax 8,420 39,400
124,950
Page 202
Study Unit 17
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Non-Controlling Interest
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Inter-Company Profits
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Dividends
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Transfers to Reserves
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Debenture Interest
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 203
A. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the consolidated income statement is to present the results of the parent
company and the subsidiary as if it were a combined/single entity.
Example 1
H. Ltd owns 100% of S. Ltd acquired when the latter company had a reserves/profit and loss
balance of Nil.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500
Tax (400) (200)
Profit after Tax 600 -
Dividends Paid (100) 300
Balance brought forward 700 300
Balance carried forward RWF1,200 RWF300
The total column represents the consolidated income statement which is presented thus:
Movement on reserves:
Opening Balance 700
Profit for period 900
Dividend (100)
Balance carried forward RWF1,500
Page 204
One point to note at this stage is that the dividends in the Consolidated Income Statement
represent those of the parent company only. The treatment of subsidiary's dividends will be
dealt with in a later section.
B. NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST
If there is a Non-Controlling Interest in a subsidiary, give them their share of the profit after
tax of the subsidiary. The Non-Controlling Interest is shown below the consolidated income
statement, alongside the share of profit attributable to the parent
Note the full profit before tax and tax of the subsidiary are consolidated.
Furthermore, if the Fair Value method is being used, then the NCI share of any goodwill
impairment must be deducted in arriving at the NCI amount in the consolidated Income
Statement.
Example 2
Assume the same facts as before except H. Ltd. owns 80% of S. Ltd.
Movement on reserves:
Balance brought forward 700
Profit for period 840
Dividends Paid (100)
Balance carried forward RWF1,440
Page 205
C. PROFIT AND LOSS - BALANCE FORWARD IN SUBSIDIARY
In examination questions it is normal for students to be given the income statement of the
parent company and subsidiary several years after acquisition. In practice a consolidated
income statement will be prepared each year and the balance forward of profits will be
known. For examinations it is necessary to work out the balance brought forward. It
comprises the parent company's balance forward plus group's share of the post acquisition
profits of the subsidiary.
Example 3
H. Ltd acquired 100% of S. Ltd when the balance on the latter company’s reserves was Nil.
Movement in reserves:
Balance brought forward 1,100
Profit for period 900
Dividends Paid (100)
Balance carried forward RWF1,900
Page 206
Example 4Assume the same facts as before except H. Ltd owns 80% of S. Ltd.
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Total
RWF RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500 1,500
Tax (400) (200) (600)
600 300 900
Non-Controlling Interest - (60) (60)
600 240 840
Dividends Paid (100) - (100)
500 240 740
Example 5
Same facts as Example 4 except H. Ltd acquired its interest on S. Ltd when the latter
company had a profit and loss balance of RWF150.
Test
H. Ltd acquired 75% of S. Ltd when the latter company has a profit and loss balance of
RWF100.
Page 207
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 2,000 800
Tax (1,200) (300)
Profit after Tax 800 500
Dividends (60) -
740 500
Balance brought forward 860 460
Balance carried forward RWF1,600 RWF960
Solution
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Total
RWF RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 2,000 800 2,800
Tax (1,200) (300) (1,500)
800 500 1,300
Non-Controlling Interest 25% - (125) (125)
800 375 1,175
Dividends Paid (60) - (60)
740 375 1,115
This figure represents the parent company's profit and loss balance of RWF1,600 plus group's
share of the post acquisition profits of the subsidiary, i.e. Balance Now RWF960 - Balance
Acquisition RWF100 = 860 x 75% = RWF645.
The principle is to eliminate inter company profits and show assets at their cost to the group.
The elimination of profits or losses relating to intragroup transactions should be dealt with in
the income statement of the company in which the profit/loss arose.
Example 6
H. Ltd sold goods to S. Ltd, which originally cost RWF500 at a profit of RWF80. Half of the
goods were in S. Ltd's inventory at the year end. H. Ltd owns 80% of S. Ltd.
Page 208
H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500
Tax (400) (200)
600 300
Balance brought forward 400 Nil
Balance carried forward RWF1,000 RWF300
Example 7
Assume the same facts as Example 6 except that S. Ltd sold the goods to H. Ltd. In this
instance the inventory profit is eliminated in the income statement of S. Ltd.
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Total
RWF RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500
Inventory Adjustment - (40)
1,000 460 1,460
Tax (400) (200) (600)
600 260 860
Non-Controlling Interest - (52) (52)
600 208 808
Balance brought forward 400 - 400
Balance carried forward RWF1,000 RWF208 RWF1,208
Where non-current assets are sold by the parent company to the subsidiary or vice versa two
problems emerge
1. Inter company profit on sale of non-current assets.
2. Excess depreciation arising in the company acquiring the non-current assets.
Page 209
Example 8
One year ago H. Ltd sold a non-current asset to S. Ltd for RWF600 (original cost to H. Ltd
RWF500). S. Ltd depreciates its non-current assets at 20% per annum. H. Ltd owns 80% of
S. Ltd, balance at acquisition Nil.
E. DIVIDENDS
Introduction
Dividends received/receivable from the subsidiary which have been credited to the parent
company's income statement should be eliminated in preparing the consolidated accounts.
The profits of the subsidiary, out of which the dividends have been appropriated, are being
consolidated; if the dividends were not eliminated a duplication would arise in the
consolidated accounts.
Page 210
Example 9
H Ltd acquired 100% of S Ltd when the latter company had a reserves balance of Nil.
In the incorrect solution above the dividend of RWF300 is included in H Ltd and thereby
leading to a duplication of this amount in the consolidated profit before tax
A second problem needs to be tackled in the above example; that is the composition of the
consolidated income statement retained balance of RWF1900. Simply put how much of the
RWF1900 is retained in the parent company’s income statement and the subsidiary profit and
loss account? The disclosure of these amounts is required.
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Total
RWF RWF RWF
Balance 1,200 700 1,900
Dividend Inter Company 300 (300) -
Retained RWF1,500 RWF400 RWF1,900
The approach is to transfer group's share of the subsidiary's post acquisition dividend from
the subsidiary's column to the parent company's column leaving retained of RWF1,500 in the
holding company and RWF400 in the subsidiary.
Page 211
Non-Controlling Interest
Example 10
Assume the same facts as Example 9 except that H Ltd owns 80 % of S Ltd
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Total
(continued)
RWF RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,300 500
Dividend Elimination 300 x 80% (240) -
1,060 500 1,560
Tax (400) (200) (600)
660 300 960
Non-Controlling Interest - (60) (60)
660 240 900
Dividends Paid (100) - (100)
560 240 800
As you can see from example 10 group's share of the dividend is eliminated from the profit
before tax workings and group's share of the post acquisitions dividend is transferred from
the subsidiary to the parent company in computing the composition of the group retained
profit.
Dividend Provided by Subsidiary not Credited to Profit and Loss by Parent Company
In this case no adjustment is required to the profits before tax as the dividend from the
subsidiary is not included in the parent company's profit before tax, however the transfer
between the subsidiary and the parent company is still required. A dividend provided by a
subsidiary will ultimately be paid out and increase the parent company's reserves.
Example 11
H Ltd owns 75% of S Ltd. S Ltd provided a dividend of RWF200, which has not yet been
taken in by H Ltd. Prepare the consolidated income statement.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 5,000 2,000
Tax (2,000) (800)
3,000 1,200
Dividend Provided Nil (200)
3,000 1,000
Balance brought forward Nil Nil
Page 212
Balance carried forward RWF3,000 RWF1,000
*The minority shareholders are entitled to their share of the profit after tax before dividends.
Dividends paid out/provided by the subsidiary will affect the amount retained by the Non-
Controlling Interest in the balance sheet not their entitlement in the income statement.
Preference Dividends
The same principles that relate to ordinary dividends are applied when there are preference
dividends except watch the calculation of the Non-Controlling Interest.
Example 12
H Ltd acquired 80% of S Ltd when the latter company had a reserves balance of Nil. H Ltd
owns none of the 8% Preferential Share Capital of Nominal Value RWF500. H Ltd has not
recorded its share of dividends provided by S Ltd.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500
Tax (400) (200)
Profit after tax 600 300
Dividends Ordinary - (260)
Provided:
Preference - (40)
600 Nil
Balance brought forward 700 400
Balance carried forward RWF1,300 RWF400
Page 213
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Total
RWF RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500 1,500
Tax (400) (200) (600)
600 300 900
Non-Controlling Interest - (92) (92)
(working 1)
600 208 808
Page 214
Tax (2,000) (1,000) (3,000)
5,570 2,000 7,570
Non-Controlling Interest - (660) (660)
(working 1)(Non equity
RWF120)
5,570 1,340 6,910
Dividend Provided (100) - (100)
5,470 1,340 6,810
Working 1
Profit after Tax 2,000
Preference dividend (200) x 60% = 120
Available to Ordinary Shareholders 1,800 x 30% = 540
Total RWF660
F. TRANSFERS TO RESERVES
Group Share of transfers to reserves made by the subsidiary should be aggregated with the
parent company's transfers to reserves.
Example 13
H Ltd owns 75% of S Ltd acquired when the latter company had a reserves balance of Nil.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 5,000 2,000
Tax (2,000) (800)
Profit after Tax 3,000 1,200
Transfer to plant replacement reserve (300) (200)
2,700 1,000
Balance brought forward 800 300
RWF3,500 RWF1,300
Page 215
Profit before Tax 5,000 2,000 7,000
Tax (2,000) (800) (2,800)
Profit after tax 3,000 1,200 4,200
Non-Controlling Interest 25% - (300) (300)
3,000 900 3,900
Transfer to plant replacement (300) *(150) (450)
reserve
2,700 750 3,450
The accounting treatment of a debit balance on the subsidiary's income statement at the date
of acquisition is the opposite to that of a credit balance
Example 14
H Ltd acquired 80% of S Ltd when the latter company's reserves were RWF(150)
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Profit before Tax 1,000 500
Tax (400) (200)
Profit after tax 600 300
Dividends Paid (100) -
500 300
Balance brought forward 700 400
Balance carried forward RWF1,200 RWF700
Page 216
700 440 1,140
Balance carried forward RWF1,200 RWF680 RWF1,880
Example 5 shows the situation where there was a pre-acquisition profit and loss account
balance of RWF150.
Company law requires the disclosure of group sales and group cost of sales, a problem arises
though where there is inter company trading.
Example 15
H Ltd owns 80% of S Ltd. H Ltd sold goods which cost RWF500 to S Ltd for RWF600, half
of the goods are included in S Ltd year end inventory.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Sales 10,600 5,000
Cost of Sales (8,500) (2,600)
Profit before Tax 2,100 2,400
Tax 1,000 800
Profit after Tax RWF1,100 RWF1,600
Balance brought forward Nil Nil
In this situation we introduce a further column into the Columnar Workings called an
adjustment column:-
- Aggregate the sales of H Ltd and S Ltd and adjust for the inter company sales,
- Aggregate the cost of sales of H Ltd and cost of sales of S Ltd and adjust for the inter
company sales.
Page 217
I. DEBENTURE INTEREST
The amount of debenture interest charged in the consolidated income statement is that which
has been paid to non-group debenture holders. Any inter company debenture interest should
cancel out.
Example 16
H Ltd owns 80% of the Ordinary Share Capital of S Ltd and 30% of the 15% debentures
nominal value RWF1,000. The debenture interest of RWF150 has been accrued for in S Ltd
but H Ltd has not recorded its share of it yet.
In this case it is necessary to include in H Ltd the debenture interest receivable. When this has
been done the debenture interest receivable will cancel against the debenture interest payable
and leave the debenture interest payable to non group debenture holders charged in the
consolidated profit before tax.
If a subsidiary is acquired during the year, only the post acquisition results of the subsidiary
are consolidated.
Example 17
H Ltd acquired 80% of S Ltd half way through the year. The respective non-consolidated
income statements are set out below. Prepare the consolidated income statement.
Page 218
Income Statement H S Ltd
Ltd
RWF RWF
Sales 1,300 1,200
Cost of sales (660) (530)
Gross Profit 640 670
Administration (210) (180)
Distribution (130) (120)
Interest (80) (30)
Profit before Tax 220 340
Tax (70) (90)
Profit after Tax 150 250
Dividends (50) Nil
Retained for Year 100 250
Retained at Start of Year 400 120
Retained at End of Year 500 370
Solution
H S Total
Ltd Ltd
RWF RWF RWF
Sales 1,300 600 1,900
Cost of Sales (660) (265) (925)
Gross Profit 640 335 975
Administration (210) (90) (300)
Distribution (130) (60) (190)
Profit 300 185 485
Interest (80) (15) (95)
Profit before Tax 220 170 390
Tax (70) (45) (115)
Profit after Tax 150 125 275
Non-Controlling Interest - (25) (25)
150 100 250
Dividends (50) - (50)
100 100 200
Retained at Start of Year 400 120 -
Non-Controlling Interest - (24) -
Pre Acquisition - (96) -
400 Nil 400
Brought forward 500 100 600
Page 219
Consolidated Income Statement
RWF RWF
Sales
Continuing 1,300
Acquisition 600
1,900
Cost of Sales (925)
Gross Profit 975
Administration (300)
Distribution (190)
Profit
Continuing 300
Acquisition 185
485
Interest (95)
Profit before Tax 390
Tax (115)
Profit for period 275
Attributable as follows:
Equity holders in parent 250
Non-Controlling Interest 25
275
Movement in Reserves:
Retained reserves brought forward 400
Profit for period 250
Dividends (50)
Retained reserves carried forward 600
Question 1
Consolidated Income Statement
H Ltd purchased 80% of S Ltd when the latter company had a balance on its income
statement of RWF800. The draft income statement of H Ltd and S Ltd are given below.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Sales 5,000 2,000
Cost of sales (1,800) (900)
Gross profit 3,200 1,100
Operating expenses (1,000) (400)
Profit 2,200 700
Dividends received/receivable 240 -
Profit before tax 2,440 700
Page 220
Tax (800) (200)
Profit after tax 1,640 500
Dividends (400) (300)
Retained 1,240 200
Brought forward 3,200 1,200
4,440 1,400
Requirement:
Prepare a consolidated income statement, using the proportion of net assets method.
You are informed of the following:
H Ltd sold goods to S Ltd valued at RWF600. None of these goods remain in the closing
inventory of S Ltd.
Solution 1
Consolidated Income Statement
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Adj. Total
RWF RWF RWF RWF
Sales 5,000 2,000 (600) 6,400
Cost of sales (1,800) (900) 600 (2,100)
Gross profit 3,200 1,100 4,300
Operating expenses (1,100) (400) (1,400)
Profit 2,200 700 2,900
Dividends received / 240 - -
receivable
Eliminated (240) - -
Profit before tax 2,200 700 2,900
Taxation (800) (200) (1,000)
1,400 500 1,900
Non-Controlling Interest - (100) (100)
1,400 400 1,800
Dividends payable (400) - (400)
1,000 400 1,400
Brought forward 3,200 1,200 -
Non-Controlling Interest - (240) -
1,200 x 20%
Pre Acquisition 800 x 80% - (640) -
3,200 320 3,520
Carried forward 4,200 720 4,920
The balance carried forward of RWF4,920 must be broken down between the amount
retrained in the parent company and the subsidiary.
Page 221
H S Total
Ltd Ltd
RWF RWF RWF
Carried forward 4,200 720 4,920
Dividend shuffle 240 (240) -
Retained 4,400 480 4,920
H Ltd
Consolidated Income Statement year ended …..
RW
F
Sales
6,400
Cost of sales
(2,100
)
Gross profit
4,300
Operating expenses
(1,400
)
Profit before tax
2,900
Taxation
(1,000
)
Profit for period
1,900
Attributable as follows:
Equity holders in parent 1,800
Non-Controlling Interest 100
1,900
Movement in Reserves:
Retained reserves brought forward
3,520
Profit for period 1,800
Dividends
(400)
Retained reserves carried forward
4,920
Retained as H Ltd
follows: 4,440
S Ltd
480
4,920
Page 222
Question 2
Consolidated Income Statement
H Ltd purchased 75% of S Ltd when the latter company had a balance on its income
statement of RWF500. H Ltd also bought 50% of S Ltd’s debentures. The draft income
statement of H Ltd and S Ltd are given below.
Income Statement H Ltd S Ltd
RWF RWF
Sales 12,400 6,300
Cost of sales (4,800) (2,900)
Gross profit 7,600 3,400
Administration (1,200) (700)
Distribution (800) (400)
Interest payable (600) (300)
Dividends receivable 300 -
Profit before tax 5,300 2,000
Tax (2,000) (900)
Profit after tax 3,300 1,100
Dividends (600) (400)
Transfer to reserves (500) (200)
Retained 2,200 500
Brought forward 5,800 1,100
8,000 1,600
Page 223
Requirement:
Prepare a consolidated income statement, using the proportion of net assets method.
You are informed of the following:
(a) H Ltd bought goods to S Ltd valued at RWF2,000. Half of these goods were in H Ltd
closing inventory. The profit margin was 20%.
(b) H Ltd has not yet recorded interest receivable from S Ltd.
Solution 2
Consolidated Income Statement
Columnar Workings
Columnar Workings H Ltd S Ltd Adj. Total
RWF RWF RWF RWF
Sales 12,400 6,300 (2,000) 16,700
Cost of Sales (4,800) (2,900) 2,000 (5,900)
Inventory profit (2,000 x ½ - (200) -
x 20%)
Gross profit 7,600 3,200 10,800
Administration (1,200) (700) (1,900)
Distribution (800) (400) (1,200)
Interest payable (600) (300) (750)
Interest receivable 150 - -
Dividend receivable 300 - -
Elimination (300) - -
Profit before tax 5,150 1,800 6,950
Taxation (2,000) (900) (2,900)
Profit after tax 3,150 900 4,050
Non-Controlling Interest - (225) (225)
900 x 25%
3,150 675 3,825
Dividends (600) - (600)
Transfer to reserves (500) (150) (650)
Retained for year 2,050 525 2,575
Brought forward 5,800 1,100 -
Non-Controlling Interest - (275) -
1,100 x 25%
Pre Acquisition 500 x 75% - (375) -
5,800 450 6,250
Carried forward 7,850 975 8,825
Dividend shuffle 300 (300) -
8,150 675 8,825
H Ltd
Consolidated Income Statement for the year ended ….
RWF
Sales 16,700
Cost of sales (5,900)
Page 224
Gross profit 10,000
Administration (1,900)
Distribution (1,200)
Interest payable (750)
Profit before tax 6,950
Taxation (2,900)
Profit for the period 4,050
Attributable as follows:
Attributable to equity holders of parent (bal. fig) 3,825
Non-Controlling Interest (as calculated) 225
4,050
A reporting entity that prepares consolidated financial statements should include its
associates in those statements using the equity method of accounting.
Under this method, the associate company’s revenue, cost of sales and expenses are not
consolidated with those of the investing group. Instead, the investor’s share of the profit after
tax of the associate is brought into the consolidated income statement. The share of the
associates profit is shown in the consolidated income statement before profit before tax.
The share of profit after tax will include any accounting adjustments that arise in the question
in relation to the associate, as well as any goodwill impairment that must be accounted for.
Example 1:
H Ltd acquired 80 % of S Ltd and 40% of A Ltd when both companies had reserves of
RWFnil. The income statements of each entity are as follows:
H S A
Ltd Ltd Ltd
RWF RWF RWF
Profit 1,100 520 210
Interest (100) (20) (10)
Profit before tax 1,000 500 200
Tax (400) (200) (80)
Page 225
Profit after tax 600 300 120
Requirement:
Prepare the consolidated income statement.
Solution 1
H S Total
Ltd Ltd
RWF RWF RWF
Profit 1,100 520 1,620
Interest (100) (20) (120)
Profit before tax 1,000 500 1,500
Tax (400) (200) (600)
Profit after tax 600 300 900
Non-Controlling Interest - (60) (60)
600 240 840
Associate Company:
Share of profit after tax RWF120 x 40% = RWF48
Share of profit brought forward (RWF180 – 0) x 40% =
RWF72
Attributable as follows:
Page 226
Equity holders in parent 888
Non-Controlling Interest 60
948
Movement in Reserves
Retained Reserves brought forward (see note) *1,872
Profit for year 888
Retained reserves carried forward 2,760
If there are profits at the date of the acquisition of the associate, these must be considered
when calculating group’s share of post acquisition profits of the associate brought forward
from earlier years.
Example 2
Using the same facts as Example 1 except H Ltd acquired 80% of S Ltd and 40% of A Ltd
when the latter company’s’ reserves were RWF200 and RWF80 respectively, calculate the
retained profits brought forward at the start of the year.
Solution 2
Retained Reserves Brought Forward RWF
H 1,400
S (RWF500 - RWF200) x 80% 240
A (RWF180 - RWF80) x 40% 40
1,680
In the consolidated statement of changes in equity, the investor’s share of the total recognised
gains and losses of its associates should be included , for example if there is a revaluation of
property in the associate, groups share of this should be included in statement of changes in
equity.
Page 227
M. GOODWILL ON ACQUISITION OF AN ASSOCIATE
When an entity acquires an associate, fair values should be attributed to the investor’s
underlying assets and liabilities, identified using the investor’s accounting policies.
The investor’s assets used in calculating the goodwill arising should not include any goodwill
carried in the balance sheet of the investee.
Example 3
H Ltd bought 40% of A Ltd for RWF260. The balance sheet of A Ltd at acquisition was as
follows:
RWF
Non Current Assets 350
Current Assets 230
580
The non current assets were undervalued by RWF30. Goodwill, an acquisition, is calculated
as follows:
Comprehensive Example
H Ltd acquired 70% of S Ltd and 25% of A Ltd in January 20X2 when the companies had
reserve balances of RWF1,000 and RWF160 respectively.
The income statement and balance sheets of each entity for 31 December 20X4 are set out
below.
Page 228
Gross Profit 10,800 6,820 3,120
Administration (3,100) (2,070) (1,070)
Distribution (2,400) (1,500) (850)
Profit 5,300 3,250 1,200
Investment Income 400 - -
Interest (300) (250) (200)
Profit before Tax 5,400 300 1,000
Tax (2,400) (800) (400)
Profit after Tax 3,000 2,200 600
Dividend Paid (800) (500) (200)
2,200 1,700 400
Brought forward 4,800 3,000 1,600
7,000 4,700 2,000
Requirement:
Prepare a consolidated income statement and a consolidated balance sheet for 31 December
20X4, using the proportion of net assets method.
Page 229
Interest
(550)
Share of profit of Associate (see below)
*150
8,150
Tax
(3,200)
Profit for period
4,950
Attributable as follows:
Equity Holders in Parent
4,290
Non-Controlling Interest
660
4,950
Movement in Reserves:
Retained reserves brought forward (see below)
**6,560
Profit for year
4,290
Dividend
(800)
Retained reserves carried forward
10,050
(Note that the total of reserves in the Schedule of Movement in reserves is equal to the
Consolidated Reserves in the Balance Sheet below).
Page 230
Consolidated Balance Sheet
RWF
Non-Current Assets
Intangibles
Property Plant and Equipment (6,200 + 6,100)
12,30
0
Goodwill
650
Investment in associate
1,110
14,06
0
Current assets
9,200
23,26
0
20,05
0
Non-Controlling Interest
3,210
23,26
0
Page 231
Profit after tax 2,600 2,200 4,800
Non-Controlling Interest (2,200 x - (660) (660)
25%)
2,600 1,540 4,140
Dividend (800) - (800)
1,800 1,540 3,340
Page 232
Associate
Note:
RWF
H Ltd 4,800
S Ltd (3,000 – 1,000) x 70% 1,400
A Ltd (1,600 – 160) x 25% 360
6,560
Page 233
BLANK
Page 234
Study Unit 18
Contents
______________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
______________________________________________________________________
Page 235
A. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of IAS 21The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates is to outline the
following issues:
• The definition of functional and presentation currencies
• Accounting for an entities individual transactions in a foreign currency
• Translation of the financial statements of a foreign subsidiary
The functional currency is the currency of the primary economic environment where the
entity operates. In most cases, the functional currency is the currency of the country in which
the entity is situated and in which it carries out most of its transactions. In essence, it is the
currency an entity uses in its day-to-day transactions.
IAS 21 states that the following factors should be considered when determining the
functional currency of an entity:
• The currency that mainly influences sales prices for goods and services (i.e. the
currency in which prices are denominated and settled)
• The currency of the country whose competitive forces and regulations mainly determine
the sales price of goods and services
• The currency that mainly influences labour, material and other costs of providing goods
and services
• The currency in which funding from issuing debt and equity is generated
• The currency in which receipts from operating activities are usually retained
The first three points are seen as the primary factors in determining an entities functional
currency.
Page 236
Where the indicators are mixed, management must exercise its judgement as to the functional
currency to adopt that best reflects the underlying transactions.
Putting the above into context, if an entity operates abroad as an independent operation
(generating income and expenses and raising finance, all in its own local currency), then its
functional currency would be its local currency. On the other hand, if the entity was merely
an overseas extension of the parent and only sells goods imported from the parent and remits
all profits back to the parent, then the functional currency should be the same as the parent. In
this case, the foreign entity would record its transactions in the currency of the parent and not
its local currency.
Once the functional currency has been determined, it is not subsequently changed unless
there is a change in the underlying circumstances that were relevant when determining the
original functional currency.
The presentation currency is the currency in which the financial statements are presented.
IAS 21 states that, whereas an entity is constrained by the above factors in determining its
functional currency, it has a completely free choice as to the currency in which it presents its
financial statements.
If the presentation currency is different from the functional currency, then the financial
statements must be translated into the presentation currency. Therefore, if a parent entity has
subsidiaries whose functional currencies are different from that of the parent, then these must
be translated into the presentation currency so that the consolidation process can take place.
When an entity enters into a contract where the consideration is denominated in a foreign
currency, it will be necessary to translate that foreign currency into the entity’s functional
currency for inclusion in its accounts. Examples of such foreign transactions include:
• Importing of raw materials
• Importing non-current assets
• Exporting finished goods
• Raising an overseas loan
• Investment in foreign shares / debt instruments
When translating the foreign currency transaction, the exchange rate used should be either:
• The spot exchange rate on the date the transaction occurred (the spot rate is the
exchange rate for immediate delivery); or
• For practical reasons, an average rate over a period of time, providing the exchange rate
has not fluctuated significantly
Page 237
When cash settlement occurs, the settled amount should be translated using the spot rate on
the settlement date. If the exchange rate has altered between the transaction date and the
settlement date, there will be an exchange difference.
These exchange differences must be recognised as part of the profit or loss for the period in
which they arise.
Example
MSHN Ltd has a year end of 31st December. On the 16th November, MSHN purchased goods
from an American supplier for $125,000. On the 5th December, MSHN paid the American
supplier in full.
The treatment of any foreign items remaining in the statement of financial position will
depend on whether they are classified as monetary of non-monetary items.
Monetary Items are defined as money /cash and assets and liabilities to be received or paid in
fixed or determinable amounts. Examples include cash, receivables, payables, loans, deferred
tax, pensions and provisions.
The main characteristic of non-monetary items is the absence of a right to receive a fixed or
determinable amount of money. They represent other items in the statement of financial
position that are not monetary items and include things like property plant and equipment,
inventory, investments, prepayments, goodwill, intangibles and inventory.
The rule for the treatment of these foreign items at the reporting date is as follows:
Page 238
Monetary items: Re-translate using the closing rate of exchange (i.e. the spot exchange
rate at the reporting date)
Exchange differences arising on the re-translation of monetary items at the reporting date
must be recognised as part of the profit or loss for the period in which they arise.
Similarly, exchange differences arising on the subsequent settlement of these monetary items
after the reporting date should be recognised as part of the profit or loss for the period in
which they arise.
Example:
PTN Ltd. purchases specialised machinery for use in its production process from a foreign
supplier (whose currency is known as KR) on 18th September. The machine cost KR300,000
and was paid for in full one month later. The year end is 31st December.
KR300,000 / 4 = RWF75,000
No further translation will occur. All depreciation charged on this asset will be based on
RWF75,000.
Page 239
Example:
DBRW Ltd entered into the following foreign transactions with foreign-based suppliers and
customers during the year ended 31st December 2009:
Date Fr : RWF
31st January 1.5 : 1
9th April 1.8 : 1
30th June 1.6 : 1
23rd September 1.2 : 1
5th December 1.3 : 1
31st December 1.4 : 1
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30th June 2009
In addition, at the year ended 31st December 2009, any outstanding monetary items must be
re-translated at the closing rate. In this example, there are two such monetary items
remaining:
• The Receivables arising from the sale of goods on 30th June
• The Loan taken out on 5th December
Page 241
Summary of FX Gains / Losses for the year ended 31st December 2009:
RWF
th
9 April Gain 33,333
23rd September Loss (41,667)
st
31 December Gain 35,714
31st December Gain 27,472
Net Gain to I/S for year 54,852
Note that when the Receivable is received in 2010, a further exchange gain or loss will need
to be calculated upon settlement and included as part of the profit or loss for the year ended
31st December 2010.
Where a subsidiary entity’s functional currency differs from the presentation currency of its
parent, its financial statements must be translated into the parent’s presentation currency prior
to consolidation.
There are a number of different methods that can be used to deal with the translation of a
foreign subsidiary. The method below outlines one such approach.
Note that the average rate for the year is used for expediency. Ideally, each item of income
and expenditure should be translated at the rate in existence for each transaction. But if there
has been no significant variance over the period, the average rate can be used.
Assets & Liabilities: closing rate (i.e. the rate at the reporting date)
Share Capital: historic rate (i.e. the rate at the date of acquisition)
Pre-Acquisition reserves: historic rate
Post –Acquisition reserves: Balancing figure
Exchange differences arise because items are translated at different points in time at different
rates of exchange, for example, the profit or loss for the year forms part of the entity’s overall
retained earnings in the Statement of Financial Position. But, the profit or loss for the year is
arrived at by using the average rate, whereas the reserves figure as a whole in the Statement
of Financial Position does not use the average rate at all.
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The exchange difference arising on translation of foreign currency accounts arises as follows:
Opening net assets + Profit for the year = Closing net assets
In the previous year’s Revenue and expenses are translated
financial within the Income Statement at the
statements, these were average rate.
translated
at last year’s closing rate. However, the profit is included
within this year’s closing net assets
For the purposes of this at the closing rate
year’s
accounts, they are included
within
closing net assets at this
year’s closing
rate
Goodwill on consolidation
Goodwill is calculated in the normal way, e.g. if using the proportion of net assets method:
Page 243
Goodwill is then translated twice:
1. At the rate existing at the date of acquisition
The exchange difference arising will form part of the total exchange difference disclosed as
other comprehensive income and accumulated in other components of equity.
Non-Controlling Interest
Income Statement / Statement of Comprehensive Income:
NCI is the share of the subsidiary’s profit as translated for consolidated purposes
In either case, the NCI is translated at the closing rate at the reporting date.
An Individual Company
Exchange differences will normally be a part of operating profit, and so there is no problem if
the foreign currency transaction is settled during the year.
If a transaction has not been settled, then there is no cash flow, and any exchange difference
must be eliminated when preparing the cash flow statement. This is straightforward when the
foreign currency transaction is in working capital, as the adjustment will automatically be
made when calculating the cash flow from operating activities.
The cash flow statement should show the real cash flows for the year.
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Study Unit 19
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Operating Activities
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Investing Activities
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Financing Activities
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Worked Examples
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Taxation
___________________________________________________________________________
J. Dividends
___________________________________________________________________________
K. Worked Example
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 245
N. Advantages of the Cash Flow Statement
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 246
A. OBJECTIVE
The objective of IAS 7 is to require the provision of information about the historical changes
in cash and cash equivalents of an entity by means of a cash flow statement, which classifies
cash flow into:
• Operating Activities
• Investing Activities
• Financing Activities
The standard requires the cash flow statement to be presented as an integral part of the
financial statements.
All entities need cash to conduct their operations, discharge their obligations and provide
returns to their investors.
The cash flow statement, taken together with the other financial statements, helps users to
evaluate the position and performance of the entity.
Cash flow statements assist in assessing the ability of an entity to generate cash and cash
equivalents. Also, cash flows generated in the past are often used as an indicator of future
cash flows.
B. DEFINITIONS
Cash comprises cash on hand and demand deposits. Bank overdrafts, because they can be
repayable on demand, are often included as a component of cash.
Cash equivalents are short term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to
known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.
They are held to meet short-term cash commitments rather than for investments and usually
have a maturity of three months or less.
Cash flows do not include movements in cash and cash equivalents. It is considered that such
items are part of the cash management of an entity rather than part of its operating, investing
and financing activities.
C. OPERATING ACTIVITIES
These are the main revenue producing activities of the entity. The cash flow from operating
activities is a key indicator of the extent to which the operations of the entity has generated
cash to:
• Repay loans
• Maintain the operating capability
Page 247
• Pay dividends
• Make new investments
Without using external sources of finance.
D. INVESTING ACTIVITIES
These are the acquisition and disposals of long-term assets and other investments. It is
important to disclose the cash flows from investing activities separately because these
represent the extent to which expenditures have been made for resources intended to generate
future income and cash flows.
E. FINANCING ACTIVITIES
These are activities that result in changes in the size and composition of the contributed
equity and borrowings of the entity. The disclosure of cash flows arising from financing
activities is useful in predicting claims on future cash flows by providers of capital.
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(e) Cash payment reducing the liability relating to a finance lease
The reporting of cash flows from operating activities can be either by:
(a) The Direct Method, whereby major classes of gross cash receipts and gross cash
payments and cash receipts from customers, and cash payments to suppliers are
disclosed
Or
(b) The Indirect Method, whereby profit or loss is adjusted for the effects of transactions
of a non-cash nature and the accrual or deferral of past or future operating cash receipts
or payments e.g. profit adjusted for depreciation and any increase in trade payables and
accruals.
The standard encourages the use of the direct method as it provides information which may
be useful in estimating future cash flows.
Taxes on Income
Cash flows from taxes on income should be separately disclosed and classified under
operating activities unless they can be specifically identified with financing and investing
activities.
Page 249
Indirect Method – Cash Flow Statement
The remainder of the cash flow statement is the same as the indirect method.
Page 250
G. WORKED EXAMPLES
A cash flow statement essentially links together the opening balance sheet, the income
statement and the closing balance sheet.
Example 1
Z Limited’s opening balance sheet had cash of RWF60,000 and ordinary shares of
RWF60,000. Its trading activities for the year ended 31st December 2010 are as follows:
RWF RWF
Cash sales 100,000
Cash purchases 70,000
Closing inventory Nil
Cost of sales 70,000
Gross profit 30,000
Cash expenses (12,000)
Profit 18,000
The balance sheet at the year-end, and at the start of the year are set out below:
Balance Sheet
Year Start
End
RWF RWF
’00 ’00
0 0
Non-Current assets Nil Ni
l
Cash (60 + 18) 78 60
78 60
Shareholders Equity
Ordinary shares 60 60
Retained earnings 18 -
78 60
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Cash Flow Statement – Direct Method
RWF’000
Cash received from customers 100,000
Cash paid to suppliers (70,000)
Cash paid to employers and other cash payments (12,000)
Net cash from operating activities 18,000
Example 2
In the year ended 31st December 2011, Z Limited borrowed RWF40,000 on a long-term
basis. It bought equipment for RWF20,000. It’s trading activities for the year ended 31st
December 2011 are as follows:
RWF RWF
Cash sales 130,000
Cash purchases 90,000
Closing inventory Nil
Cost of sales (90,000)
Gross profit 40,000
Cash expenses (14,000)
Depreciation (5,000)
21,000
Interest paid 2,000
Profit before taxation 19,000
The opening and closing balance sheets are set out below:
Balance Sheet
Year Start
End
RWF RWF
’00 ’00
0 0
Non-Current assets 15 Ni
l
Cash* 12 78
2
13 78
7
Page 252
Liabilities
Loan 40 -
40 -
Shareholders equity
Ordinary shares 60 60
Retained earnings 37 18
97 78
Total liabilities and equity 13 78
7
RWF’000
*Cash at start 78
Cash sales 130
Cash purchases (90)
Cash expenses (14)
Loan 40
Interest paid (2)
Non-Current asset (20)
122
Cash Flow Statement – Indirect Method
Cash Flows from Operating Activities RWF RWF
Profit before taxation 19,000
Adjustments for:
Depreciation 5,000
Interest expense 2,000
Cash generated from operations 26,000
Interest paid (2,000)
Net Cash from Operating Activities 24,000
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Purchase of equipment (20,000)
Net Cash used in Investing Activities (20,000)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Proceeds from loan 40,000
Net Cash from Financing Activities 40,000
Net Increase in Cash 44,000
Cash at Start of Year 78,000
Cash at End of Year 122,000
Cash Flow Statement – Direct Method
RWF’000
Cash received from customers 130
Cash paid to suppliers (90)
Cash paid to employees and other cash payments (14)
Interest paid (2)
Net Cash Inflow from Operating Activities 24
Page 253
Investing and Financing Activities as above.
Example 3
In the year ended 31st December 2009 Z Limited had the following trading activities:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Sales 175
Opening inventory Nil
Purchases 116
Closing inventory (25)
Cost of sales (91)
Gross profit 84
Cash expenses (22)
Depreciation (5)
Operating profit 57
Interest paid (4)
Profit before taxation 53
Income tax paid (14)
Profit after taxation 39
Page 255
Example 4
In the year ended 31st December 2004 Z Limited had the following trading activities:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Sales 220
Opening inventory 25
Purchases 127
Closing inventory (34)
Cost of sales (118)
Gross profit 102
Cash expenses (28)
Depreciation (5)
Operating profit 69
Interest expense (4)
Profit before taxation 65
Income tax (22)
Profit after taxation 43
Dividend paid (10)
Retained for year 33
Balance Sheet
Year Start
End
RWF’0 RWF’
00 000
Non-Current assets 5 10
Inventory 34 25
Trade receivable 23 18
Bank 186 153
243 196
Total assets 258 206
Liabilities
Trade payables 25 16
Interest accrued 2 -
Income tax payable 22 14
49 30
Loan 30 40
Total liabilities 79 70
Shareholders Equity
Ordinary shares 60 60
Retained earnings 109 76
169 136
Total Liabilities and Shareholders Equity 248 206
Page 256
Cash Flow Statement – Indirect Method
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
RWF’000 RWF’000
Profit before taxation 65
Adjustments for:
Depreciation 5
Interest expense 4
74
Increase in inventory (9)
Increase in trade receivables (5)
Increase in trade payable 9
Cash generated from operations 69
Interest paid (4 – 2) (2)
Income tax paid (14)
Net Cash from Operating Activities 53
The disposal of a tangible non-current asset has two implications for a cash flow statement:
(i) Adjust the profit before taxation for any profit or loss on disposal, if a loss add to profit
before taxation and if a profit deduct from profit before taxation
And
(ii) The sale proceeds will be included under the heading “investing activities”.
Example
Year 1 Year 2
RWF’000 RWF’000
Plant - cost 1,000 800
- depreciation 400 480
During the year plant costing RWF200,000, which had been depreciated by RWF120,000,
was sold for RWF90,000.
The depreciation charge and profit/loss on disposal can be ascertained using “T” accounts.
Page 257
Plant - Depreciation
RWF’000 RWF’000
Balances b/f 400
Disposal 120 P & L (bal. figure) 200
Balance c/f 480
600 600
Plant - Disposal
RWF’000 RWF’000
Plant – cost 200 Plant – depreciation 120
Profit on disposal (bal. figure) 10 Bank 90
210 210
I. TAXATION
The taxation paid figure in the cash flow statement is calculated as follows:
Taxation Account
RWF’000 RWF’000
Balance b/d 135 Balance b/d 120
∴Bank tax paid 120 Income statement 135
255 255
Page 258
J. DIVIDENDS
The dividends paid figure in the cash flow statement is calculated in a similar fashion to the
taxation paid:
Dividend Account
RWF’000 RWF’000
Balance c/d 100 Balance b/d 80
∴Bank Dividend paid 80 Income statement 100
180 180
K. WORKED EXAMPLE
(4) 50,000 ordinary RWF1 shares were issued at a premium of RWF0.20 per share during
Year 2
(5) The current asset investments are readily disposable.
Required:
Prepare a cash flow statement for the year ended 31st December Year 2 using the indirect
method to comply with the provisions of IAS 7 Cash Flow Statements.
Solution
ERW Ltd Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 31st December Year 2
RWF’000 RWF’000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Profit before taxation 300
Adjustments for:
Interest paid 75
Interest received (25)
Depreciation 90
Profit on Disposal of Investment (5)
Loss on disposal 13
448
Increase in inventory (48)
Page 260
Increase in trade receivables (75)
Increase in trade payables 8
Cash generated from operations 333
Interest paid (75)
Income tax paid (110)
Net Cash from Operating Activities 148
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Payments for tangible non-current assets (210)
Payments for intangible assets (50)
Proceeds from disposal of tangibles 32
Proceeds from disposal of investments 30
Interest received 25
Net Cash used in Investing Activities (173)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Proceeds from issue of shares 60
Proceeds from long-term loan 100
Dividend paid (80)
Net Cash from Financing Activities 80
Net increase for cash and cash equivalents 55
Cash and cash equivalents at start of Year (89 – 1) (88)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year (33)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year
Investments 50
Cash 2
Bank Overdraft (85)
(33)
Working 1
Tangibles
RWF’000 RWF’000
Opening 595 Closing 720
Additions 210 Disposal 85
805 805
Accumulated Depreciation
RWF’000 RWF’000
Closing 340 Opening 290
Disposal 40 Depreciation 90
380 380
Disposal
RWF’000 RWF’000
Cost 85 Accumulated depreciation 40
Bank 32
Loss 13
85 85
Page 261
Working 2
Income Tax
RWF’000 RWF’000
Closing 190 Opening 160
Bank 110 Income statement 140
300 300
Working 3
Dividends
RWF’000 RWF’000
Closing 100 Opening 80
Bank 80 Income Statement 100
180 180
In addition to the usual cash flow items indicated earlier, when the consolidated cash flow
statement of a group of companies is being prepared, there are potentially three other entries
required in the statement:
(a) Dividends received from associate companies and/or joint ventures
(b) Dividends paid to non-controlling interest
(c) Purchase of subsidiary undertakings
If the figure for these dividends is not given in the question, it can be calculated by
reconstructing the “T” account, for example:
Investment in Associate Account
Balance b/d (per opening b/s) X Share of tax (per i/s) X
Share of profit (per i/s) X ∴ Dividend received (bal. fig) X
Balance c/d X
X X
Balance b/d (per closing b/s) X
If the figure for these dividends is not given in the question, it can be calculated by
reconstructing the minority interest “T” account, for example:
Non-Controlling Interest Account
Balance b/d (per opening b/s) X
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∴ Dividend received (bal. fig) X
Share of profit of NCI (per i/s) X
Balance c/d X
X X
Balance b/d (per closing b/s) X
Any non-cash element of the consideration, e.g. shares, loan stock, etc is excluded from
the cash flow statement.
The total net cash cost of acquiring the subsidiary is included in the heading “Cash
Flows from Investing Activities”.
Again, only the cash element of any consideration received is included in the cash flow
statement.
[Note, however that receivables, payables and inventories of the subsidiary that exist at
the date of acquisition must be excluded when calculating the increase or decrease of
receivables, payables and inventories in the cash flow statement. Furthermore, other
relevant balances at acquisition must be taken into account in preparing the cash flow
statement for the year of acquisition]
SHVN Limited is a long established company operating in the hotel and leisure industry. In
recent years, it has diversified into other areas, achieving its corporate expansion by the
acquisition of other companies.
Following the successful acquisition of four companies in the previous six years, as well as
obtaining an associate interest in another, SHVN acquired a 75% shareholding in BNKA
Limited on the 1st January 2010. This was the only acquisition in the current financial year.
Page 263
The consolidated financial statements, in draft form, are as follows:
SHVN Limited Draft Consolidated Income Statement for the year ended 31st December 2010
RWF’000 RWF’000
Operating profit 4,455
Share of associate profits 1,485
Investment income 600
Interest payable (450)
Profit before tax 6,090
Tax (2,055)
Profit for period 4,035
Attributable to:
Equity holders of the parent 3,735
Non-Controlling Interest 300
4,035
Page 264
Non-Current Liabilities
Finance lease obligations 2,130 510
Loans 4,380 1,500
Deferred tax 90 39
6,600 2,049
Current liabilities
Trade payables 1,500 840
Finance lease obligations 720 600
Income tax 1,386 651
Accrued interest 120 90
3,726 2,181
41,475 24,015
Notes:
1. Non-current assets comprise:
2010 2009
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
Buildings at book value 6,225 6,600
Machinery: Cost 9,000 4,200
Accumulated (3,600) (3,300)
Depreciation
NBV 5,400 900
11,625 7,500
Machinery that had originally cost RWF1.5m was sold for RWF1.5m, resulting in a
profit of RWF300,000. New machinery was acquired in 2010, including additions of
RWF2.55m acquired under finance leases.
3. Loans were issued at a discount in 2010 and the carrying amount of the loans at 31st
December 2010 included RWF120,000 representing the finance cost attributable to the
discount and allocated in respect of the current period.
Page 265
Trade payables (204)
Income tax (51)
756
Non-Controlling Interest (25%) (189)
567
Goodwill 300
867
Consideration paid:
2,640,000 shares 825
Cash 42
867
Required
Prepare a draft consolidated cash flow statement for SHVN Group for the year ended 31st
December 2010, in accordance with the indirect method laid out in IAS 7.
Solution
SHVN Limited Draft Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 31st December
2010
RWF’000 RWF’000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net profit before tax 6,090
Adjustments for:
Depreciation (W1) 975
Profit on sale of plant (300)
Share of associates profit (1,485)
Investment income (600)
Interest payable 450
Operating profit before working capital changes 5,130
Increase in receivables (W2) (1,641)
Increase in inventories (W2) (2,829)
Increase in payables (W2) 456
Cash generated from operations 1,116
Interest paid (W3) (300)
Income tax paid (W4) (750)
Net cash from operating activities 66
Page 266
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Issue of ordinary share capital (W8) 7,359
Issue of loan stock (W9) 2,760
Capital payments under finance leases (W10) (810)
Dividends paid (W11) (900)
Dividends paid to non-controlling interest (W12) (144)
Net cash flows from financing activities 8,265
Workings
(W1) Depreciation
(a) Buildings
RWF’000 RWF’000
NBV 2009 6,600
NBV 2010 6,225
Depreciation 375
(Note: there was no disposal of buildings during
the year)
(b) Machinery
Provision for Depreciation on Machinery
Depreciation on disposal (see 300 Balance b/d 3,300
below)
Balance c/d 3,600 ∴ Charge for year (bal. fig.) 600
3,900 3,900
Balance b/d 3,600
Disposal Account
Machinery account (cost) 1,500 Bank (sales proceeds) 1,500
Profit on disposal (given) 300 ∴ Depreciation on disposal (bal. 300
fig.)
1,800 1,800
Page 267
Total Depreciation charged for year:
Buildings 375
Machinery 600
975
Page 268
(W5) Purchase of Subsidiary Undertaking
RWF’000
Cash paid (42)
+ Cash acquired on acquisition 336
Net cash flow 294
Page 269
Note: 2,640,000 shares issued as consideration for BNKA
RWF’000 RWF’000
Dr Investment in BNKA 825
Cr Share capital (2,640 x RWF 0.25) 660
Cr Share premium (balance) 165
Page 270
M. LIMITATIONS OF THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT
When users of the financial statements are assessing the extent of future cash flows, then cash
flow statements, though useful, should not be considered in isolation. Information from
income statements and balance sheets, together with the cash flow statements, give an overall
indication of the company’s performance and financial position.
The cash flow statement suffers from a number of drawbacks which may hinder its
usefulness.
1. It is based on historical information. Past performance might not be a reliable indicator
of future performance.
2. Cash flow statements are open to manipulation of cash flows, for example delaying
payment to creditors beyond the year-end has a positive, but short-term impact on cash.
3. While cash flow is important for a business to survive, so too is its ability to generate
profit. Concentrating on short-term cash generation may be detrimental to investment
in longer term projects which may be very profitable.
The cash flow statement provides information that is not available from the balance sheet and
income statements. In particular:
1. It indicates the quality of the relationship which exists between the profitability of the
business and its ability to generate cash.
2. The present value of future cash flows can be used to value and compare entities. The
availability of past cash flow statements can help assess the accuracy of these
valuations.
3. Cash flow is not affected by subjective judgement or by accounting policies.
4. The cash flow statement helps users of the accounts to assess the likelihood and extent
of future cash flows.
5. It gives further indications of the liquidity of the business. Since the balance sheet is
prepared in respect of a single day of the financial year, liquidity ratios calculated from
it may be misleading. The cash flow statement may give a more complete picture of the
overall liquidity of the business.
Page 271
O. SURMOUNTING A CASH SHORTAGE
If the entity appears to be generating insufficient cash amounts, there are a number of
strategies it could possibly adopt, either individually or in combination.
• Use or increase its overdraft facility
• Increase its longer term borrowing
• Raise cash through the issue of shares
• Engage in tighter working capital management
• Restrict large outlays on capital items; consider leasing instead
• Sell non-essential business assets
• Reduce dividends (usually a last resort)
• Scale back activity levels (overall or in some sectors)
Page 272
Study Unit 20
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Contracts
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Contract Costs
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Contract Revenue
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Stage of Completion
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Presentation
___________________________________________________________________________
J. Disclosures
___________________________________________________________________________
K. Further Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 273
A. OBJECTIVE
Construction contracts, by their nature, usually are completed over more than one accounting
period. Thus, the main issue addressed by IAS 11 is the allocation of the revenue and costs
of the contract over this extended time period.
B. DEFINITIONS
Essentially the standard is referring to a contract for the construction of a substantial asset
like a motorway, a bridge, a ship, a skyscraper, etc.
The accounting treatment that is adopted must recognise the common factor that the above
examples contain i.e. the assets usually take more than one accounting period to complete.
So, how and when is the profit or loss on such items shown in the accounts?
Rather than waiting for the contract to be completed before any profit is recognised (which
may lead to misleading financial statements), IAS 11 establishes the principle that such profit
can be recognised once the overall profitability of the project can be estimated reliably.
In essence, this means that a portion of the profit is recognised on an annual basis. This is
called the “percentage of completion” method, indicating that the amount of profit to be
recognised is based on the percentage of the project that has been completed.
C. CONTRACTS
If a contract covers a number of assets, the construction of each asset should be accounted for
separately if:
(a) Separate proposals have been submitted for each asset
(b) Each asset has been subject to separate negotiation and both the contractor and the
customer have the ability to accept or reject the part of the contract relating to each
asset
(c) The costs and revenues of each asset can be identified
Page 274
On the other hand, a group of contracts should be treated as a single construction contract
when:
(a) The group of contracts is negotiated as a single package
(b) The contracts are so closely related that they are, in effect, part of a single project with
an overall profit margin
(c) The contracts are performed concurrently or in a continuous sequence.
D. CONTRACT COSTS
Contract costs include costs from the date the contract is secured to the final completion of
the contract. Costs incurred in securing the contract may be included if they can be:
(a) Separately identifiable,
(b) Measured reliably, and
(c) It is probable that the contract will be secured
E. CONTRACT REVENUE
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Contract revenue is measured at the fair value of consideration received or receivable. The
revenue may be uncertain and dependent on future events. Thus the revenue may increase or
decrease from period to period.
Revenues and costs of a construction contract can be recognised if the outcome of the
contract can be measured reliably.
If the contract is expected to make a profit, then the “percentage of completion” method is
used.
If the contract is expected to make a loss, then the total loss must be recognised immediately
in the income statement. (If any profit has been recognised prior to the loss becoming
apparent, this previous profit must be reversed also).
The point at which the outcome of a contract can be measured reliably depends on whether it
is a fixed-price contract or a cost-plus contract.
H. STAGE OF COMPLETION
There are a number of methods by which the stage of completion can be calculated. Among
the most common methods are:
Cost to date
A. x 100
Total expected cost
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Value of work
certified
B. x 100
Total contract
revenue
I. PRESENTATION
If no profit is being recognised on the contract for the period (assuming there is no loss
either), then the revenue included in the income statement will equal the recoverable costs
incurred. The recoverable costs will be shown, as part of cost of sales, thus no profit arises.
If the contract is at a stage when profit can be taken, the revenue and costs relating to that
stage are calculated, using the percentage of completion.
Both the revenues and costs will be for the current period only. This means that any previous
revenue and costs from prior periods should be deducted.
If a loss is anticipated on completion of the contract, the loss to date is brought in by the
inclusion of the revenue and costs to date. The remainder of any loss is then shown as an
expense.
Example 1:
D&N Limited are engaged in the construction of a state-of-the-art abattoir. The following are
the details of the contract:
RWFm
Contract revenue (fixed) 20
Cost incurred to date 8
Estimated cost to complete 4
Progress billings 12
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There is a 10% retention from progress billings. The company believes that the outcome of
this contract can be estimated reliably.
The company policy for measuring the percentage of completion of a contract is:
Progress billings
Total contract x 100
revenue
The contract was commenced in the current year and is expected to take two years in total to
complete.
Requirement:
Show the relevant extracts in relation to the construction of the abattoir.
Solution:
In questions like this, begin by asking two questions:
1. Is the contract profitable?
Here the answer is yes. Total revenue is RWF20m, total costs (RWF8m + RWF4m) is
RWF12m. Thus estimated profit is RWF8m.
Since the project is expected to be profitable and its outcome can be measured reliably, an
element of profit is included in this year’s financial statement.
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Example 2:
CCCN Limited designs and builds indoor sports arenas. The company commenced a four
year contract early in 2007. The contract price was initially agreed at RWF12 million.
Profit, which was reasonably foreseeable from the year ended 31st December 2007 is to be
taken on a costs basis. Revenue is to be taken on a consistent basis.
Relevant figures are as follows:
2007 2008 2009 2010
RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000 RWF’000
Costs incurred in year 2,750 3,000 4,200 1,150
Anticipated future costs 7,750 7,750 1,550 -
Work certified and invoiced to date 3,000 5,000 11,000 12,500
Requirement:
Show how the above would be disclosed in the income statement and Statement of Financial
Position of CCCN Limited for each of the four years above.
Work to the nearest RWF’000.
Solution:
2007:
1. Is the contract profitable? Yes
2. What is the stage of completion?
Cost to date
x
Estimated total
100
cost
2,750 x = 26%
10,500 100 approx.
Income Statement:
RWF’000
Revenue (12,000 x 26%) 3,120
Cost of sales (10,500 x 26%) 2,750
Recognised profit 370
(Note, in year one of the contract, the cost of sales will be the costs incurred to date.)
2008:
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1. Is the contract profitable? No
There is an estimated loss of RWF1,500 i.e. (12,000 – 2,750 – 3,000 – 7,750)
Thus, this loss must be shown in full in this year’s accounts, as well as reversing the
recognised profit in last year’s accounts.
This means the total loss to be shown is RWF1,500 + RWF370 = RWF1,870
5,750
x
5,750 + = 43%
100
7,750
Income Statement
RWF’000
Revenue (12,000 x 43%) – 3,120 (revenue of previous year) 2,040
∴ Cost of Sales (balancing figure) (3,910)
Recognised loss (1,870)
(Note, we calculated the loss first and thus put in a figure for cost of sales to make it work
out.)
2009:
1. Is the contract profitable? Yes
(12,000 – 2,750 – 3,000 – 4,200 – 1,550 = 500)
2. What is the stage of completion?
Cost to date
x
Estimated total
100
cost
9,950 x = 87%
11,500 100 approx.
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Income Statement
RWF’000
Revenue (12,000 x 87%) – 3,120 – 2,040 5,280
Cost of sales (11,500 x 87%) – 2,750 – 3,910 (3,345)
Recognised profit 1,935
2010:
1. Is the contract profitable? Yes
(12,500 – 2,750 – 3,000 – 4,200 – 1,150) = 1,400
Note the change in revenue. The final amount invoiced was RWF12,500, not
RWF12,000. Unless told otherwise, assume this increase arose in the final year.
2. What is the stage of completion?
100%. This was the last year of the contract.
Income Statement
RWF’000
Revenue (12,500 x 100%) – 3,120 – 2,040 – 5,280 2,060
Cost of sales (11,100 total costs incurred – 2,750 – 3,910 – 3,345 from previous 1,095
years)
Recognised profit 965
Statement of Financial Position
RWF’000
Total costs incurred 11,100
+ Recognised profit (370 – 1,870 + 1,935 + 965) 1,400
12,500
– Billings 12,500
Nil
(Note, in this case, no outstanding asset or liability)
Note:
RWF’000
Total Actual Profit (12,500 – 11,100) 1,400
Total Profit Recognised over the 4 years (370 – 1,870 + 1,935 + 965) 1,400
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J. DISCLOSURES
K. FURTHER DEFINITIONS
Retentions: Retentions are amounts of progress billings that are not paid by the customer
to the contractor until a specified stage has been reached or any defects have
been rectified.
Progress Billings:Progress billings are amounts billed for work performed on a contract
whether or not they have been paid by the customer.
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Study Unit 21
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Explanatory Note
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Scope
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Number of Shares
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Retrospective Adjustments
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. EXPLANATORY NOTE
The need for the disclosure of Earnings Per Share (EPS) is based on the increasing use of the
Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio as a standard stock market indicator. The formula for the
calculation of the P/E ratio is:
Market Price of Share
EPS
Therefore, the P/E ratio can be seen as a “purchase of a number of year’s earnings” but
perhaps more significantly, for many investors it also represents the future prospects of the
share. A higher P/E ratio is believed to indicate a faster growth in the company’s EPS in the
future. Conversely, the lower the P/E ratio, the lower the expected future growth.
The continued use of P/E ratios requires that the EPS, on which that ratio is based, should be
calculated and disclosed on a comparable basis as between one company and another and as
between one financial period and another, so far as this is possible.
In addition to this, the trend shown by a comparison of a company’s profits over time is a
rather crude measure of performance and can be misleading without careful interpretation of
all the events that the company has experienced. Particularly, this would be the case where a
company is enlarged by amalgamation or issues of shares for cash. Profits can be expected to
increase as the resources of the company increase. Earnings Per Share will show whether
profits are increasing less, equally or more than the company’s resources. As new shares are
issued, a company may well show rising profits without reflecting a corresponding growth in
EPS.
IAS 33 Earnings Per Share outlines the principles for the determination and presentation of
EPS, in order to improve comparisons between different companies in the same reporting
period and between different reporting periods for the same company.
B. SCOPE
IAS 33 applies to entities whose ordinary shares (or potential ordinary shares) are publicly
traded and to entities that are in the process of issuing shares (or potential ordinary shares) in
public securities markets.
C. DEFINITIONS
Ordinary Share An equity instrument that is subordinate to all other classes of equity
instruments. It is an instrument that falls under the definition of “equity
shares” in IAS 32, i.e. a contract that evidences a residual interest in the
assets of an entity after deducting all of its liabilities. Ordinary shares
participate in the net profit for the period only after other types of shares,
such as preference shares. An entity may have more than one class of
ordinary shares.
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Earnings The earnings should be the after-tax net profit / loss after deducting
preference dividends and other appropriations for non-equity shares. All
items of income and expense that are recognised in a period, including
exceptional items and Non-controlling Interests, are included in the
determination of net profit or loss for the period.
The amount of preference dividends that is deducted from the net profit for the period is:
Where an entity has more than one class of ordinary shares, the earnings for the period are
apportioned over different classes of shares in accordance with their dividend rights or other
rights.
D. NUMBER OF SHARES
For the purpose of calculating basic earnings per share, the number of shares should be the
weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period.
The weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period reflects the
fact that the amount of shareholders capital may be varied during the period as a result of a
larger or lesser number of shares being outstanding at any time. It is the number of ordinary
shares outstanding at the beginning of the period, adjusted by the number of ordinary shares
bought back or issued during the period multiplied by a time weighting factor.
The time weighting factor is the number of days that the specific shares are outstanding as a
proportion of the total number of days in the period (a reasonable approximation of the
weighted average is adequate in many circumstances).
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E. MEASUREMENT OF BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
IAS 33 says that the entity must calculate the EPS amounts for profit or loss attributable to
ordinary equity holders of the parent entity and , if presented, profit or loss from continuing
operations attributable to those equity holders.
EXAMPLE 1
Company X has 1,000,000 ordinary RWF1 shares and 500,000 RWF1 10% Cumulative
preference shares
Solution
EPS is: 450,000 –
50,000
1,000,000
= 40c
Note that if the preference shares were non-cumulative, the EPS would be
EPS is: 450,000 –
40,000
1,000,000
= 41c
EXAMPLE 2
X Ltd made a profit after tax of RWF1.5 million, out of which a preference dividend of
RWF200,000 was paid. There are 10 million ordinary shares in issue.
RWF
Earnings are: Profit after tax 1,500,000
Preference dividend (200,000)
1,300,000
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Number of Ordinary Shares: 10,000,000
EPS: 13c
EXAMPLE 3
A company’s capital structure at 31st December 2011 comprised:
Profits before tax were RWF1,000,000. Assume corporation tax 50% of Profits.
Solution
EPS = RWF1,000,000 -
RWF500,000 -
RWF100,000*
1,800,000 shares
= 22.22c
* RWF1,250,000 x 8% = RWF100,000
EXAMPLE 4
CDE Ltd. reported profit before tax in the year ended 31st March 2006 of RWF95,000. Tax
for the year amounted to RWF40,000 and the company paid the preference dividend of
RWF8,000. The number of ordinary shares in issue at that date was 500,000.
Solution
EPS = RWF95,000 -
RWF40,000 -
RWF8,000
500,000 shares
= 9.4c
When a firm’s capital structure changes, the denominator of the EPS fraction changes also.
There are a number of possible causes for such a change. The most common are:
1. Issue of shares at their full market price
2. A Capitalisation or Bonus issue
3. A Rights Issue
4. Share Exchange
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Do not adjust previous year’s EPS
The rationale of this approach is that cash or other assets are introduced into the
business during the year as a result of the share issue. These assets should generate
additional earnings for that portion of the year for which they are issued. Therefore, in
order to compare like with like, the denominator should include the additional shares
only for that portion of the year in which shares are issued.
EXAMPLE
Company X issued 450,000 shares for RWF1 each on the 1st July 2008. This was in
addition to the 3,600,000 shares already in issue.
What is the EPS for the year ended 31st December 2008?
Solution
Number of Shares for EPS purposes:
3,600,000 x 6/12 = 1,800,000
+
4,050,000 x 6/12 = 2,025,000
Total 3,825,000
EPS = RWF396,000
3,825,000
shares
= 10.35c
Rule = Bonus shares are deemed to be issued on the 1st day of the earliest period
being reported (usually, the 1st day of the comparative year). The effect will
be as if the bonus shares had always been in issue.
Thus, no time weighting
Adjust previous years EPS
EXAMPLE
Company Y had earnings for EPS purposes of RWF75,000 in 2008.
The company issued a bonus issue of 1 for 5 half way through the year
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Solution
A 1 for 5 bonus issue means 100,000 free shares were issued.
EPS = RWF75,000
(500,000 +
100,000)
= 12.5c
EXAMPLE
ENTO Ltd. had earnings in 2009 and 2010 of RWF360,000 and RWF396,000
respectively. At the start of 20X6, there were 3,600,000 ordinary shares in issue. In
20X6, ENTO Ltd. made a 1 for 9 bonus issue.
Solution
2010 EPS Earnings 396,000
Shares 4,000,000
EPS 0.099
2009 EPS (comparative) Earnings 360,000
Shares 4,000,000
EPS 0.09
As an alternative to adjusting the 2009 EPS in the method shown above, it is also
acceptable to multiply the previous year’s EPS by a ‘bonus factor’. This bonus factor
depends on the terms of the bonus issue itself. In the question above, the bonus issue
was a 1 for 9. Thus, the bonus factor is 9/10th (a 1 for 2 issue would have a bonus factor
of 2/3rd, a 1 for 3 issue would have a bonus factor of 3/4th etc.).
In 2009, the EPS would have been calculated as 0.1 (RWF360,000/3,600,000). Thus,
the adjusted 2009 figure in the accounts for 2010 would be 0.1 x 9/10th =0.09.
Note that even though the bonus shares were not issued until 2010, the comparative
EPS figure for 2009 is then recalculated to include the bonus shares as if they had
existed back then. This is done to preserve comparability between the periods.
3. Rights Issue
A rights issue is an issue of shares, pro rata, to existing shareholders. The exercise price
is often less than the fair value of the shares. Therefore, such a rights issue includes a
bonus element in calculating EPS; this has to be taken into consideration.
Rule = Calculate the “Theoretical Ex Rights Price” (TERP)
Weight shares on a time basis
Adjust previous years EPS
The Theoretical Ex Rights Price is the price the shares will have, in theory, after the
rights issue occurs.
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The market price of the shares immediately before the rights issue takes place is often
referred to as the “Cum Rights Price”.
Both the Theoretical Rx Rights Price and the Cum Rights Price are used in the
calculation of EPS and in the adjusting of the previous year’s EPS.
EXAMPLE
Company A had earnings (for EPS) of RWF396,000 in 2005 and RWF360,000 in 2004
At the start of 2005, it had 3,600,000 shares in issue
On the 1st July 2005, the company made a 1 for 4 for 50c rights issue. The “cum rights”
price was RWF1. What is the EPS for 2005?
Solution
Calculate the T.E.R.P.
RWF
4 shares x RWF1.00 = 4.00
1 share x RWF0.50 = 0.50
5 shares 4.50
T.E.R.P. = 0.90
RWF396,000
(3,600,000 x 1.00 / .90 x 6/12) + (4,500,000 x
6/12)
RWF396,000
4,250,000
0.0932
4. Share Exchange
Shares issued to acquire a subsidiary are deemed to be issued on the first day of the
period for which profits of new subsidiary are included in group earnings
This is because the results of the new subsidiary are only included in the consolidated
accounts from that date onwards.
EXAMPLE
Company X has 1 million shares in issue on 1st January 2005. On 30th September,
Company X acquired 80% of the Ordinary shares of Y Ltd.
As part of the consideration, Company X issued 600,000 ordinary shares with a market
value of RWF4 each
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Solution
For the EPS calculation in 2005, the number of shares is:
= 1,150,000 shares
Comprehensive Example involving more than one change in the capital structure of a
company
Extracts from the balance sheet of RDN as at 1st April 2005 are:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Ordinary shares of 0.25 each 4,000
8% Preference shares 1,000
Reserves
Share premium 700
Capital redemption reserve 1,300
Revaluation reserve 90
Retained earnings 750
2,840
7,840
10% convertible loans 2,000
The following draft income statement has been prepared for the year to 31st March
2006:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Profit before interest and tax 1,800
Loan interest (200)
Profit before tax 1,600
Taxation
Provision for 2006 300
Deferred tax 390
(690)
910
Dividends paid: Ordinary 320
Preference 80
(400)
510
(i) A bonus issue of 1 new share for every 8 ordinary shares held was made on 7th
September 2005
(ii) A fully subscribed rights issue of 1 new share for every 5 ordinary shares held at a
price of 50 cents each was made on 1st January 2006. Immediately prior to the
issue, the market price of RDN’s ordinary shares was RWF1.40 each
(iii) The EPS was correctly reported in last year’s accounts at 8 cents
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Solution
Earnings (910 – 80) RWF830,000
Number of Shares
01/04/05 Opening Balance 16,000,000
07/09/05 Bonus Issue (1 for 8) 2,000,000
18,000,000
1/1/06 Rights Issue (1 for 5) 3,600,000
31/3/06 Closing Balance 21,600,000
EPS RWF830,000
(18,000,000 x 1.40 / 1.25 x 9/12) + (21,600,000
x 3/12)
RWF830,000
20,520,000
0.04
* This fraction represents the ‘bonus factor’ and is used to factor in the effect of the
bonus issue. The bonus issue terms were 1 for 8, thus the bonus factor is 8/9.
The entity must present, on the face of the Income Statement, the EPS in respect of the profit
or loss from continuing operations, attributable to the ordinary equity holders.
If the entity reports a discontinued operation, it must disclose the EPS for the discontinued
operation either on the face of the Income Statement or in the notes to the financial
statements.
(a) The amount used as the numerator in calculating EPS, together with a reconciliation of
those amounts to the net profit or loss for the period
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(b) The weighted average number of ordinary shares used as the denominator in calculating
the EPS, together with a reconciliation of these denominators to each other.
If the entity makes a net loss for the period, the EPS is still calculated using the net loss (as
adjusted) as the numerator. Thus, the EPS will be a negative figure. Disclosure is still
mandatory when the EPS is negative.
H. RETROSPECTIVE ADJUSTMENTS
If these changes occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are
authorised for issue, the EPS calculations for those and any prior period financial statements
presented must be based on the new number of shares. The fact that the EPS calculation
reflects such changes in the number of shares must be disclosed.
In addition, the EPS of all periods presented in the financial statements must be adjusted for
the effects of errors and adjustments arising from changes in accounting policies accounted
for retrospectively.
[Note that other major share transactions after the balance sheet date are Non-Adjusting
Events according to IAS 10 and so are not applied retrospectively. However, they must be
disclosed in the notes to the financial statements].
The rationale of fully diluted earnings per share is that the existing earnings will be required
to be spread over a greater number of shares in future as a result of the exercise of existing
rights to share at some future date. The word “diluted” is used to indicate that the earnings
are to be spread more widely – hence diluting the amount per share.
In essence, diluted earnings per share (DEPS) is showing the present effect of a future
dilution, on the assumption that all the dilutive potential ordinary shares convert into ordinary
shares.
Figures for basic and diluted earnings per share are required to be presented on the face of the
profit and loss account.
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There are a number of situations which give rise to the possible dilution of EPS in the future,
that is, future shares may be issued in the future with or without a change in the earnings of
the organisation. Examples of these “potential ordinary shares” are:
• Share warrants and options
• Contingently issuable shares
• Convertible debt
These are dealt with below.
Share warrants and options allow the holder to buy shares in the future, usually at a price
below the fair value. To calculate diluted earnings per share, assume that the warrants and
options have already been exercised. The assumed proceeds should be regarded as having
been received from the issue of a number of shares at fair value.
The difference between the number of shares issued and the number that would have been
issued at fair value (to raise the same amount of finance) should be treated as a bonus issue
and added to the existing number of ordinary shares. Fair value for this purpose is calculated
on the basis of the average price of the ordinary shares during the year.
EXAMPLE
ENST Ltd has earnings for 2007 of RWF1,200,000 and 5 million ordinary shares. It has 1
million share options with an exercise price of RWF3. The average fair value of an ordinary
share during the year was RWF4.
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K. CONTINGENTLY ISSUABLE SHARES
These are shares which are issuable depending upon the outcome of some future event e.g.
the opening of a new store or profits reaching a desired level.
These are included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share as at the beginning of the
period when the relevant financial instrument is issued or the rights are granted. An example
follows.
Company A opened one new retail outlet on 1 April 20X0 and another on 1 February 20X2.
Company A, with a year end of 31 December, reported earnings for the three years of
RWF300,000, RWF475,000 and RWF350,000 respectively.
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Diluted Earnings Per Share: 20X1 RWF
Earnings 475,000
Shares 1,020,00
0
Earnings Contingency:
Excess Earnings (RWF300,000 + 475,000 – 700,000) = RWF75,000
RWF75,000 x 2,000/1,000 150,000
1,170,00
0
Diluted Earnings Per Share 40.6c
Basic Earnings Per Share: 20X2
RWF
Earnings 350,000
Shares 1,020,00
0
Retail Outlet Contingency 20,000 x 11/12 18,333
1,038,33
3
Basic Earnings Per Share 0.337
Diluted Earnings Per Share: 20X2 RWF
Earnings 350,000
Shares 1,038,33
3
Retail Outlet Contingency 1,667
Earnings Contingency:
Excess Earnings: (RWF300,000 + 475,000 + 350,000 – 700,000) =
RWF425,000 850,000
RWF425,000 x 2,000/1,000
1,890,00
0
Diluted Earnings Per Share 0.185
These are financial instruments which the holder usually has an option to convert the bond
into ordinary shares at some future date.
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Example
ENST Ltd has earnings in 20X6 of RWF396,000 and 3,600,000 ordinary shares in issue. At
the beginning of 20X6 the company issued RWF1,250,000 8% convertible loan stock for
cash. Each RWF100 nominal of the stock will be convertible in 20X7/20Y0 in the number of
ordinary shares set out below:
On 31st December 20X7 112 Shares
On 31st December 20X8 108 Shares
On 31st December 20X9 90 Shares
On 31st December 20Y0 85 Shares
The tax rate for the year was 30%.
On 31st December 20X6, none of the loan stock holders exercised their right of conversion.
Convertible Bonds Loan Stock – Conversion during the year. When part of the
convertible stock has been converted during the year, both the basic and diluted earnings per
share can be affected.
Example
ENST Ltd has earnings in 20X7 of RWF480,000 and had 3,600,000 ordinary shares in issue
at the beginning of 20X7. At the beginning of 20X6 the company issued RWF1,250,000 8%
convertible loan stock for cash. Each RWF100 nominal of the stock will be convertible in
20X7/20Y0 in the number of ordinary shares set out below:
On 31st December 20X7 112 Shares
On 31st December 19X8 108 Shares
On 31st December 19X9 90 Shares
On 31st December 19X0 85 Shares
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The tax rate for the year was 30%.
On 31st December 20X7 half of the loan stock holders exercised their right of conversion;
however they do not rank for dividend for 20X7.
Potential ordinary shares should be treated as dilutive only when the actual conversion to
ordinary shares would have the effect of decreasing net profit or increasing a net loss per
share from continuing operations. The effects of anti-dilutive potential ordinary shares are to
be ignored in calculating diluted earnings per share.
The following example illustrates the effect on diluted EPS calculations.
Example:
Determining the order in which to include dilutive securities in the calculation of weighted
average number of shares
Earnings - net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders RWF12 million
Net profit attributable to discontinued operations RWF2 million
Ordinary shares outstanding 20 million
Average fair value of one ordinary share during year RWF7.50
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Options 5 million with exercise price of RWF6
Convertible preference 800,000 entitled to a cumulative dividend of RWF8 per share.
shares Each is convertible to two ordinary shares.
2% Convertible bond Nominal amount RWF100 million. Each RWF1,000 bond is
convertible to 40 ordinary shares.
Tax rate 40%
Determining the order in which to include dilutive securities in the calculation of diluted
earnings per share.
Calculate the earnings per incremental share for each dilutive security.
Increas Increase Earnings
e in in per
earning number incrementa
s of l share
RWF ordinary RWF
shares
Options
Increase in earnings NIL
Incremental shares issued for no consideration 5
million - 1,000,000 NIL
(RWF6 x 5m/7.5) i.e. 4m
Convertible preference shares
Increase in net profit RWF8 × 800,000 6,400,00
0
Incremental shares 2 × 800,000 1,600,000 4.00
2% Convertible bonds
Increase in net profit RWF100,000,000 × 0.02 1,200,00
× (1 − 0.4) 0
Incremental shares 100,000 × 40 4,000,000 0.30
The options will be included first in determining diluted earnings per share whilst the
convertible preference shares will be dealt with last.
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Calculate diluted earnings per share.
Net profit Ordinary Earnings
attributable shares Per share
to continuing Number
operations RWF
RWF
As reported 10,000,00 20,000,00 0.50
0 0
Options - 1,000,000
10,000,00 21,000,00 0.476 Dilutive
0 0
2% Convertible bonds 1,200,000 4,000,000
11,200,00 25,000,00 0.448 Dilutive
0 0
Convertible preference shares 6,400,000 1,600,000
17,600,00 26,600,00 0.662
0 0 Antidilutive
The potential share issues are considered in order from the most to the least dilutive.
Since diluted earnings per share is increased when taking the convertible preference shares
into account (from RWF 0.45 to 0.66), the convertible preference shares are antidilutive and
are ignored in the calculation of diluted earnings per share.
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Shown as follows on the face of the Income Statement:
Basic EPS Diluted
EPS
RWF RWF
Profit from continuing operations attributable to ordinary
equity holders of the parent entity 0.50 0.448
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BLANK
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Study Unit 22
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 303
A. OBJECTIVE
IFRS 5 requires non-current assets and groups of assets (disposal groups”...see below) that
are ‘Held-For-Sale’ to be presented separately on the face of the Statement of Financial
Position and the results of ‘Discontinued Operations’ to be presented separately in the income
statement.
A non-current asset shall be classified as held for sale if its carrying amount will be recovered
principally through a sale transaction rather than through continuing use.
A “Disposal Group” is a group of assets to be disposed of, by sale or otherwise, together as a
group in a single transaction, and liabilities directly associated with those assets that will be
transferred in the transaction.
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If the asset is not sold within the 12 month stipulated period, it can still be classified as held
for sale as long as any delay is beyond the control of the board and they are still committed to
sell.
If the criteria for ‘Held-For-Sale’ are no longer met, the entity must cease to classify the
assets or disposal group as ‘held-For-Sale’. The assets or the disposal group must be
measured at the lower of:
1. Its carrying amount before it was classified as held for sale adjusted for the depreciation
that would be charged if it were never classed as held for sale
2. Its recoverable amount at the date of the decision not to sell
Any adjustment to the value should be shown in income from continuing operations for the
period.
If the assets are to be abandoned or gradually wound down, then they cannot be classified as
‘Held-For-Sale’ since their carrying amounts will not be recovered principally through a sale
transaction. They might, however, qualify as discontinued operations once they have been
abandoned.
A non-current asset or a disposal group that is held for sale should be carried at the lower of
it’s:
1. carrying value; or
2.fair value less sales costs.
An impairment loss should be recognised when the carrying value is greater than the fair
value less sales costs.
When a disposal group is being written down to fair value less costs to sell, the impairment
loss reduces the carrying amount of assets in the order outlined by IAS 36 Impairment of
assets That is, write down goodwill first and then allocate the remaining loss to the assets on
a pro-rata basis (based on their carrying amount).
Non-current assets held for sale should not be depreciated, even if they are still being used by
the entity.
Where a non-current asset has previously been revalued and is now classified as being ‘Held-
for-Sale’, it should be revalued to fair value immediately before it is classified as ‘Held-For-
Sale’. It is then revalued again at the lower of the carrying amount and the fair value less
costs to sell. The difference is the selling costs and these should be charged against the profits
for the period.
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D. ASSETS HELD FOR SALE - PRESENTATION IN THE STATEMENT OF
FINANCIAL POSITION
IFRS 5 states that assets classified as ‘Held-For-Sale” should be presented separately from
other assets in the statement of financial position. The liabilities of a disposal group classified
as held for sale should be presented separately from other liabilities in the statement of
financial position.
Assets and liabilities held for sale should not be offset.
The major classes of assets and liabilities classified as ‘Held-For-Sale’ must be separately
disclosed either on the face of the statement of financial position or in the notes.
• On occasion, entities can acquire non-current assets exclusively for resale. In these
cases, the non-current asset must be classified as ‘Held-For-Sale’ at the date of the
acquisition only if it is anticipated that it will be sold within a one year period and it is
highly probable that the held-for-sale criteria will be met within a short period of the
acquisition date (normally no more than three months).
• If the criteria for classification of an asset as ‘Held-For-Sale’ occur after the year end,
the non-current asset should not be shown as ‘Held-For-Sale’. However, certain
relevant information should be disclosed about the asset in question. This is a non-
adjusting event after the reporting date.
• A non-current asset that has been temporarily taken out of use or service cannot be
classified as being abandoned.
• Assets classified as held for sale at the statement of financial position date are not
reported retrospectively. Therefore, comparative statements of financial position are not
restated.
Example 1
On 1st January 2005, CHX Ltd. acquired a building for RWF600,000. The building had an
expected useful life of 50 years. On 31st December 2008, CHX Ltd. put the building up for
sale. The criteria necessary for classification as “Held-For-Sale” are deemed to be met.
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On 31st December 2008, the building has an estimated market value of RWF660,000 and
selling costs of RWF45,000 will be payable on disposal (including a RWF15,000 tax charge).
How should this building be accounted for?
SOLUTION
Until 31st December 2008, the normal rules of IAS 16 apply. The carrying value of the
building is $552,000 ($600,000 – (12,000 x 3)). At this date, the building is reclassified as a
non-current asset held for sale. It is measured at the lower of:
1. Carrying Amount of RWF552,000
2. Fair Value Less costs to sell RWF630,000
The building will therefore be measured at RWF552,000 at 31st December 2008. (Note that
any applicable tax expense is excluded from the calculation of ‘costs to sell’).
Example 2
Filo Ltd. has an asset that has been designated as ‘Held-For-Sale’ in the financial year to 31st
December 2007. During the financial year to 31st December 2008, the asset remains unsold.
The market conditions have deteriorated significantly, but the directors of Filo believe that
the market will improve and have therefore not reduced the price of the asset, which
continues to be classified as held for sale.
The fair value of the asset isRWF15 million and the asset is being marketed at RWF21
million.
Should the asset be classified as ‘Held-For-Sale’ in the financial statements for the year
ending 31st December 2008?
SOLUTION
Because the price is in excess of the current fair value, this means that the asset is not
available for immediate sale. Consequently, it should not be classified as held for sale.
An entity should present and disclose information that enables users of the financial
statements to evaluate the financial effects of discontinued operations and disposals of non-
current assets or disposal groups.
A discontinued operation is a component of an entity that has either been disposed of or is
classified as ‘Held-For-Sale’ and:
1. Represents a separate major line of business or geographical area of operations
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A component of an entity can be a business, geographical or reportable segment, a cash-
generating unit or a subsidiary.
If the operation has not already been sold, then it will only be a discontinued operation if it is
held for sale.
The entity should disclose a single amount on the face of the income statement comprising
the total of:-
a. The post tax profit or loss of discontinued operations and
b. The post tax gain or loss on the measurement to fair value less costs to sell or on the
disposal of the assets or disposal group constituting the disposal group
The above-mentioned single amount must be analysed, either in the notes or on the face of
the income statement, into:
a. The revenue, expenses and pre-tax profit or loss of discontinued operations
b. The related income tax expense
c. The gain or loss recognised on the re-measurement to fair value less costs to sell or on
the disposal of the assets of the discontinued operation
d. The related income tax expense
The entity should disclose the net cash flows attributable to the operating, investing and
financing activities of discontinued operations. These disclosures may be presented either on
the face of the cash flow statement or in the notes.
If the decision to sell an operation is taken after the year end, but before the financial
statements are authorised, this is treated as a non-adjusting event after the reporting date and
is disclosed in the notes. The operation does not qualify as a discontinued operation at the
reporting date and separate presentation is not appropriate.
RWF’000
Sales revenue 50,000
Cost of sales 27,000
23,000
Operating expenses (34,000)
Operating loss (11,000)
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In addition, the net assets of the division were sold off at a profit of RWF7,300,000. The tax
attributable to this profit is RWF2,300,000
Show the extract from the income statement in relation to the discontinued operation
Solution
First, make sure the figures have not been included as part of other figures.
For example, if the sales have been included in the sales from all divisions for the year, sales
from the software division must be deducted from total sales to avoid double-counting
Discontinued operations:
Loss for the period from discontinued operations (2,500)
Profit/(Loss) for the period X
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BLANK
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Study Unit 23
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Current Tax
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Deferred Tax
___________________________________________________________________________
G. Tax Rate
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Disclosure Requirements
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. INTRODUCTION
IAS 12 deals with the accounting treatment of tax liabilities. In this chapter, it is assumed that
the tax liability for the period has already been computed, and the entity now must deal with
the treatment of tax in the financial statements.
The title of the standard suggests that it deals with Income Tax only, but the standard deals
with any tax on company profits, regardless of what the tax is actually called (e.g. corporation
tax).
B. CURRENT TAX
Current tax is the amount of tax payable (or recoverable) in respect of taxable profit (or
allowable loss) for the period. IAS 12 states that current tax for the current and prior periods
should be recognised as a liability in the Statement of Financial Position to the extent that it
has not yet been settled. To the extent that the amounts already paid exceed the amount due,
than an asset should be recognised.
In addition, a tax asset should be recognised in the event that the benefit of a tax loss can be
carried back to recover current tax of a prior period.
Current tax liabilities should be measured at the amount expected to be paid to the tax
authorities. Likewise, current tax assets should be measured at the amounts expected to be
recovered from the tax authorities. This means, in both situations, the amounts involved
should be calculated using the rates / laws that have either been enacted or substantially
enacted at the reporting date.
Current tax assets and liabilities should be shown separately in the financial statements. They
can only be offset if there is a legally enforceable right to do so and it is the entity’s intention
to offset them.
Any adjustments required to reflect any under or over provisions for tax in previous years
should be included in the tax charge (or credit) in the income statement for the current period.
It is, after all, merely the correction of an estimate, and is accounted for as such (i.e. it does
not necessitate a retrospective adjustment)
Example
FiveStarz Limited is preparing its financial statements for the year ended 30th June 2010. The
following information is relevant to the tax expense / liability at the year end:
(i) The current tax due is RWF2,500,000. This reflects the proposed new tax rates
announced by the government in an emergency budget in April 2010, which are to be
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enacted from August 2010 onwards. If the old rates are applied, the tax liability would
be RWF2,100,000.
(ii) During the year ended 30th June 2010, payments on account to the tax authorities
amounted to RWF1,100,000 in respect of current tax for 2010.
What is the tax expense and end-of-year liability to be shown in the financial statements for
the year ended 30th June 2010?
Since the new tax rate is “substantially enacted” at the year end, the current tax for 2010 is
RWF2,500,000. The over-estimate in the previous year must also be factored in and this will
result in a tax expense in the income statement of RWF2,375,000 (RWF2,500,000 -
RWF125,000).
In the Statement of Financial Position, the tax liability shown in Current Liabilities will be
the amount actually outstanding at the year end, i.e. RWF2,500,000 - RWF1,100,000 =
RWF1,400,000.
C. DEFERRED TAX
Deferred tax is the estimated future tax consequences of transactions and events recognised in
the financial statements of the current and previous periods. The need for deferred tax arises
because the profit for tax purposes may differ from the profit shown in the financial
statements.
The difference between accounting profit and taxable profit is caused by:
• Temporary differences
• Permanent differences
Deferred tax is a means of “ironing out” the tax inequalities arising from temporary
differences.
Temporary Differences
These are differences between the carrying amount of an asset or liability in the statement of
financial position and the tax base of the asset or liability. The tax base is the amount
attributed to that asset or liability for tax purposes (often known as the Tax Written Down
Value).
A temporary difference arises when an item is allowable for both accounting and tax
purposes, but there is a difference in the timing of when the item is dealt with in the accounts
and when it is dealt with in the tax computations.
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not deductible. It is added back and capital allowances (or tax depreciation) are granted
instead. If the accounting depreciation and capital allowances are calculated at a different
rate, there will be a difference between the accounting profit and the taxable profit.
This is a temporary difference because eventually, the cause of the difference will disappear
entirely. That is, the asset will eventually be fully depreciated and no further depreciation
expense in respect of that asset will appear in future income statements and all capital
allowances will also have been claimed, leaving no further deductions in future tax
computations in respect of the asset.
Permanent Differences
Some income and expenses may not be chargeable / deductible for tax and therefore there
will be a permanent difference between accounting and taxable profits. That is, the difference
will not reverse in the future
Deferred tax arises in respect of temporary differences only. Deferred tax is not
concerned with permanent differences.
Deferred tax is calculated using the liability method. Under this method, deferred tax is
calculated by reference to the tax base of an asset (or liability) compared to its book value.
IAS 12 requires full provision for all taxable temporary differences (except goodwill).
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Example 1
BTE Ltd. purchased an item of machinery for RWF2,000,000 on 1st January 2007. It had an
estimated life of eight years and an estimated residual value of RWF400,000. The machine is
depreciated on a straight line basis. The tax authorities do not allow depreciation as a
deductible expense. Instead, a tax expense of 40% of the cost of this type of asset can be
claimed against income tax in the year of purchase and 20% per annum (on a reducing
balance basis) of its tax base thereafter. The rate of income tax can be taken as 25%.
In respect of the above item of machinery, calculate the deferred tax charge / credit in
BTE’s statement of comprehensive income for the years ended 31st December 2007, 2008
and 2009 and the deferred tax balance in the statements of financial position at those
dates.
Solution
Non-Current Liabilities
Deferred Tax 150
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RWF’000
Non-Current Liabilities
Deferred Tax 160
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Extract from Income Statement
RWF’000 RWF’000
Tax
Current Tax X
Deferred Tax (2)
Total X
Non-Current Liabilities
Deferred Tax 158
A similar process will be followed over the remaining useful life of the asset. By the end of
the assets life, the deferred tax liability will have fully reversed and there will be no
remaining balance in the Statement of Financial Position.
An explanation of why deferred tax is provided lies in the understanding that accounting
profit (as reported in a company’s financial statements) differs from the profit figure used by
the tax authorities to calculate a company’s income tax liability for a given period.
If deferred tax was ignored, a company’s tax charge for a particular period might bear little
resemblance to the reported profit. For example, if a company makes a large profit in a
particular period, but because of high levels of capital expenditure, it is entitled to claim large
capital allowances for that period, this would reduce the amount of tax it had to pay. The
result of this could be that the company reports a large profit and a small tax charge. This
situation is usually reversed in subsequent periods as tax charges appear to be much higher
than the reported profit suggests they should be.
It is argued that such a reporting system is misleading because the profit after tax, which is
used to calculate the company’s EPS, may appear disconnected from the pre-tax profit. This
may mean that a government’s fiscal (taxation) policy may distort a company’s profit trends.
Providing for deferred tax reduces this anomaly or inconsistency but it can never be entirely
eliminated due to items in the profit and loss that may never be allowed for tax purposes
(permanent differences).
Where capital allowances (tax depreciation) is different from the related accounting
depreciation charges, this leads to the tax base of an asset being different from the carrying
value in the Statement of Financial Position. This is referred to as a temporary difference and
a provision for deferred tax is created.
This “liability approach” is the general principle on which IAS 12 bases the calculation of
deferred tax. The effect of this is that it usually brings the total tax charge (i.e. the provision
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for the current year’s income tax plus the deferred tax) into proportion with to the profit
reported to shareholders.
The main debate in the area of providing for deferred tax is whether the provision meets the
definition of a liability. If the liability is likely to crystallise (actually develop), then it is a
liability. However, if it will not crystallise in the foreseeable future, the arguably it is not a
liability and should not be provided for. The standard setters take a prudent approach and the
standard does not accept the latter argument.
The main benefits, therefore, of providing for deferred tax are as follows:
• Profit after tax, used to calculate EPS, may bear little resemblance to the pre-tax profit.
If the tax charge is fluctuating because of the way in which certain items are treated for
tax, the EPS will fluctuate too. Thus, providing for deferred tax reduces the fluctuation
caused by temporary differences.
• The EPS is used in the calculation of the Price Earnings (P/E) ratio, which in turn can
impact on share price. Without providing for deferred tax, the share price may be
adversely affected by government fiscal policy.
• Over-statement of profit, by not allowing for deferred tax, can lead to demands for
consequently over-optimistic dividends.
• Accounting for deferred tax satisfies the accruals concept in that the cost of the asset is
matched with the benefit of that asset over its useful life.
Liabilities:
IAS 12 requires that a deferred tax liability must be recognised for all taxable temporary
differences (with minor exceptions). A taxable temporary difference arises where the carrying
value of an asset is greater than its tax base.
Assets:
IAS 12 requires that deferred tax assets should be recognised for all deductible temporary
differences. A deductible temporary difference arises where the tax base of an asset exceeds
its carrying value. The deferred tax asset will be recognised to the extent that taxable profit
will be available against which the deductible temporary difference can be utilised.
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G. TAX RATE
The tax rate in force (or expected to be in force) when the asset is realised or the liability is
settled should be used to calculate deferred tax.
This rate must be based on tax rates and legislation that has been enacted or substantively
enacted by the reporting date.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities should not be discounted to present value.
Example
At 31st December 2009, the carrying value of property plant and equipment was
RWF88 million and its tax base was RWF54 million. The carrying value of RWF88
million includes a surplus of RWF12 million that arose as a result of a property
revaluation on 31st December 2009. This revaluation had no effect on the tax base of the
property. The property had not previously been revalued. The tax rate is 25%.
The deferred tax liability at 31st December 2008 was RWF4 million. This liability
related to taxable temporary differences for property, plant and equipment.
At the year end 31st December 2009, the deferred tax calculation is as follows:
RWF’000
Carrying value 88,000
Tax base 54,000
Temporary difference 34,000
Tax rate 25%
Deferred Tax Liability 8,500
Thus, the deferred tax on the revaluation is: RWF12 million x 25% = RWF3 million.
This goes directly to equity (and Other Comprehensive Income).
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At the 31st December 2009:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Deferred Tax Liability 8,500
Balance brought forward 4,000
Increase in liability 4,500
2. Impairment Losses:
An impairment loss gives rise to a reduction in the carrying amount of an asset and a
consequent change in the deferred tax provision.
Example
Property with a carrying value of RWF100,000 is impaired by RWF20,000 and the end
of the financial year. The tax base of RWF60,000 is unaffected by the impairment. The
tax rate is 25%.
Thus, the deferred tax provision is reduced by RWF5,000 (i.e. RWF20,000 x 25%)
3. Leasing:
A finance lease transaction can give rise to deferred tax implications. This is caused by
the temporary differences arising on the treatment of the lease for accounting and tax
purposes. The income statement will include a finance cost and depreciation expense.
However, it is the lease payment itself that may be allowable for tax purposes for the
period.
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Example
Stripes Limited entered into a finance lease arrangement on 1st January 2009. The lease
rental for the year was RWF6,000. The income statement was charged with
depreciation of RWF2,910 and a finance cost of RWF2,274. The tax rate is 25%.
When multiplied by the tax rate of 25%, this gives rise to a deferred tax asset of
RWF204.
4. Development Expenditure:
If development costs are capitalised in the Statement of Financial Position, this situation
can give rise to deferred tax implications. This is caused by the temporary differences
arising on the treatment of the development expenditure for accounting and tax
purposes. The expenditure is capitalised and amortised over future periods, whereas the
expenditure is allowable for tax purposes immediately.
Example:
Since July 2008, Epsilon Limited has been carrying out a project to develop a more
efficient production process. On the 1st April 2009, the project was assessed and found
to be at a stage that justified capitalising future costs incurred on the project.
Accordingly, an intangible asset of RWF900,000 was included in the draft Statement of
Financial Position at 31st December 2009. Amortisation is expected to begin sometime
in the year ended 31st December 2011. All expenditure on the project qualifies for tax
relief as the expenditure is incurred. The tax rate is 25%.
RWF
Carrying amount 900,000
Tax base 0 .
Temporary Difference 900,000
Tax rate 25%
Deferred Tax Liability 225,000
RWF RWF
Debit Income Statement (tax charge) 225,000
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5. Unrealised inventory profit:
In consolidated accounts, an unrealised inventory profit has deferred tax implications.
An unrealised inventory profit adjustment reduces the consolidated profit but has no
effect on taxable profit. A temporary difference arises, which will reverse in the next
year as the inventory is sold and the unrealised profit is realised.
Example
On 1st December 2009, Alpha Limited sold goods to one of its subsidiaries for
RWF4,000,000. The goods cost Alpha RWF3,000,000 to manufacture. Prior to the year
end 31st December 2009, the subsidiary sold 40% of the goods to a non-group company
for RWF2,200,000. The tax rate is 25%.
The profit on the inter company sale was RWF1,000,000. 60% of the goods remain in
inventory at the year end; therefore 60% of the profit remains also. Thus, in the
consolidated accounts, an adjustment must be made for RWF600,000.
This RWF600,000 is a temporary difference, as it treated in different periods for
accounting and tax purposes.
I. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
There are extensive disclosure requirements in relation to tax. The main disclosures are:
• The tax expense (income) should be presented on the face of the income statement.
• The major components of the tax expense (income) should be disclosed separately in a
note.
• The amount of income tax relating to each component of other comprehensive income
• An explanation of the relationship between tax expense (income) and accounting profit
in either or both of the following forms:
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– A numerical reconciliation between tax expense (income) and the product of
accounting profit multiplied by the applicable tax rate, disclosing also the basis on
which the applicable tax rate is computed
– A numerical reconciliation between the average effective tax rate and the
applicable tax rate, disclosing also the basis on which the applicable tax rate is
computed.
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BLANK
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Study Unit 24
IAS 18 – Revenue
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Recognition
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Sale of Goods
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Rendering of Services
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. THE TIMING OF REVENUE RECOGNITION
The operating cycle refers to the time between the acquisition of assets for processing and
their realisation in cash. Typically, this cycle has a number of stages for a business. For
example:
(i) Receiving an order from a customer
(ii) Purchasing raw materials
(iii) Production
(iv) Delivery
(v) Cash receipts
(vi) After sales services
The time frame of the operating cycle varies from business to business. Some operating
cycles, like that of a retail organisation, may be very short while a construction company’s
cycle may stretch over several years.
However, financial statements are produced for specific periods of time and are not geared
around the operating cycle of the entity. Thus, transactions must be allocated to accounting
periods.
B. RECOGNITION
Before revenue is recognised in the income statement, two conditions must traditionally be
met.
(i) The revenue must be earned i.e. the entity has substantially completed the activities
necessary to create the revenue
(ii) The revenue must be realised. This means the revenue must be capable of being
measured reliably.
During the operating cycle, there will come a point at which most or all of the uncertainty
surrounding a transaction will disappear. This is called the “critical event” and it is the point
at which revenue is recognised.
For example, in the operating cycle referred to earlier, most businesses would regard the
delivery of the goods to the customer as the critical event, and thus the revenue would be
recognised at this point. However, each business must be mindful of its own particular
situation and adapt accordingly.
An alternative to the critical event approach is called the accretion approach and would be
appropriate in situations where there is a long production period or where services are
supplied over a period of time. Thus, the revenue, under this approach, will be recognised
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over a period of time rather than at a particular point in time, for example in IAS 11
Construction Contracts.
Income can be comprise both revenue and gains. Revenue is income that arises in the course
of ordinary activities of the entity. It goes by a number of different names including sales,
fees, interest, dividends and royalties.
IAS 18 sets out the accounting treatment of revenue that arises from certain types of
transactions and events. But the main question addressed by the standard is when to
recognise revenue.
This revenue must be measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable.
In most cases, consideration is in the form of cash or cash equivalents and therefore the
amount of revenue is the cash or cash equivalents that is received or receivable.
If the sale is a credit sale, then the revenue is the amount of anticipated cash. Note, however,
that bad debts and sales returns are usually disclosed separately. If, for example, an item was
sold for RWF150 and only RWF120 becomes collectible, revenue shown would still be
RWF150, with RWF30 shown separately as a bad debt.
If the inflow of cash or cash equivalents is deferred, the fair value of the consideration may
be less than the nominal amount of cash receivable. An example might be providing interest
free credit to the customer.
When an arrangement effectively constitutes a financing transaction, the fair value of the
consideration is determined by discounting all future receipts. The difference between the
fair value and the nominal amount is recognised as interest revenue in the periods over which
the credit is granted.
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E. SALE OF GOODS
Revenue from the sale of goods should be recognised when all the following conditions have
been satisfied.
(a) The seller has transferred the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods to
the buyer
(b) The seller retains neither continuing managerial involvement to the degree usually
associated with ownership nor effective control over the goods
(c) The amount of revenue can be measured reliably
(d) It is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the
entity
(e) The costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured
reliably
Therefore, identifying the critical event in the operating cycle is important. After the critical
event, the conditions above will be met.
F. RENDERING OF SERVICES
When the outcome of a transaction involving the rendering of services can be estimated
reliably, revenue associated with the transaction should be recognised by reference to the
stage of completion of the transaction at the balance sheet date.
The outcome of a transaction can be estimated reliably when all the following conditions are
satisfied:
(a) The amount of revenue can be measured reliably
(b) It is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the
entity
(c) The stage of completion of the transaction at the balance sheet date can be measured
reliably
(d) The costs incurred for the transaction and the costs to complete the transaction can be
measured reliably.
When the outcome of the transaction involving the rendering of services cannot be estimated
reliably, revenue shall be recognised only to the extent of the expenses recognised that are
recoverable.
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(b) The amount of the revenue can be measured reliably
H. DISCLOSURE
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BLANK
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Study Unit 25
Contents
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A. IAS 32 – FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS: PRESENTATION
The objective of IAS 32 is ‘to enhance financial statement users’ understanding of the
significance of on balance sheet and off balance sheet financial instruments to an entities
financial position, performance and cashflows’
The standard should be applied to the presentation of all types of financial instruments,
whether recognised or unrecognised. Certain items are excluded including subsidiaries,
associates, joint ventures and insurance contracts.
Definitions
Financial Instrument: any contract that gives rise to both a financial asset of one entity and
a financial liability or equity instrument of another entity.
Equity instrument: any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of an entity
after deducting its liabilities
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Fair value: the amount that an asset could be exchanged, or a liability settled, between
informed and willing parties, in an arm’s length transaction, other than in a forced or
liquidation sale
Derivative: a financial instrument or other contract with all three of the following
characteristics:
1. Its value changes in response to the change in a specified interest rate, financial
instrument price, commodity price, foreign exchange rate, index of prices or rates, credit
rating or credit index, or other variable
2. It requires no initial net investment or an initial net investment that is smaller than would
be required for other types of contracts that would be expected to have a similar response
to changes in market factors, and
3. It is settled at a future date
One of the most common types of component financial instruments is convertible debt. This
contains a primary financial liability for the entity but also gives the holder an option to
convert to equity. Basically this is identical to a liability and a warrant to issue equity.
Example:
On the 1st January 2005, FZBL Ltd issued RWF80 million 8% convertible loan stock at par.
The stock is convertible into equity shares, or redeemable at par, on the 31st December 2009,
at the option of the stockholders. The terms of conversion are that each RWF100 of loan
stock will be convertible into 50 equity shares of FZBL Ltd. A finance consultant has advised
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that if the option to convert to equity had not been included in the terms of the issue, then a
coupon rate of 12% would have been required to attract subscribers for the stock.
The value of RWF1 receivable at the end of each year at a discount rate of 12% can be taken
as:
Year RWF
1 0.89
2 0.80
3 0.71
4 0.64
5 0.57
Show the initial journal entry to record the issue of the convertible debt and the Income
Statement finance charge for the year 31st December 2005 and the Balance Sheet extracts at
the same date in respect of the issue of the convertible debt.
Solution
Calculate the liability component first. This is valued at the Present Value of cash flows
associated with the convertible debt, discounted at the market rate for similar bonds with no
conversion rights.
The difference between this Present Value and the net proceeds constitute the equity element.
Year Payment Discount Factor Present Value
RWF’000 RWF’000
1 6,400 0.89 5,696
2 6,400 0.80 5,120
3 6,400 0.71 4,544
4 6,400 0.64 4,096
5 86,400 0.57 49,248
Total Liability Component 68,704
Equity Component (bal. fig.) 11,296
Net proceeds 80,000
RWF’000 RWF’000
Debit Bank 80,000
Credit Equity (share options) 11,296
Credit 8% Convertible Debt (non current 68,704
liability)
At the end of the year, the liability value will have changed:
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2 70,548 8,466 6,400 72,614
3 72,614 8,714 6,400 74,928
4 74,928 8,991 6,400 77,519
5 77,519 9,302 86,400 -
(The closing balance for year 1 will be the opening balance for year 2, and so on)
Thus:
Terms
Market risk – one of currency, interest or price risk
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Currency risk – is the risk that the value of a financial instrument will fluctuate with changes
in foreign exchange rates
Interest rate risk – is the risk that the value of a financial instrument will fluctuate due to
changes in market interest rates
Price risk – is the risk that the value of a financial instrument will fluctuate as a result of
changes in market prices whether those changes are caused by factors specific to the
individual instrument or its issuer or factors affecting all securities traded on the market
Credit risk – is the risk that one party to a financial instrument will fail to discharge an
obligation and cause the other party to incur a financial loss
Liquidity risk – is the risk that an entity will encounter difficulty in raising funds to meet
commitments associated with financial risk. Liquidity risk may result from an inability to sell
a financial asset quickly at close to its fair value
Information to be Disclosed
Information must be disclosed about the following:-
• Risk management policies and hedging strategies
• Terms, conditions and accounting policies
• Interest rate risk
• Credit risk
• Fair value
• Material items of income, expense, gains and losses resulting from financial assets and
liabilities.
IAS 39 applies to all entities and to all types of financial instruments except those specifically
excluded, as listed below, for example most investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint
ventures.
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For contract A, the entity does not recognise a liability for the copper until the goods have
been delivered. The contract is not a financial instrument as it involves a physical asset as
opposed to a financial asset.
For contract B, the entity recognises a financial liability (obligation) on the commitment date,
rather than waiting for the closing date in which the exchange takes place.
Derecognition
An entity should derecognise a financial asset when:
a. The contract rights to the cash flows from the asset expires; or
b. It transfers substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset to
another party
An entity should derecognise a financial liability when it is extinguished, i.e. when the
obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or has expired. A financial
liability may be partially derecognised when only part of the obligation is removed.
The exception to this is where the financial instrument is designated as at fair value through
profit or loss. In this case transaction costs are not added/subtracted from or to fair value at
initial recognition.
If the fair value is not readily available at recognition date it must be estimated using an
appropriate technique.
Subsequent Measurement
After initial recognition all financial instruments should be re-measured to fair value without
any deduction for transaction costs that may be incurred on sale of or other disposal, except
for:
a. Loans and receivables
b. Held to maturity investments
c. Investments in equity instruments that do not have a quoted market price in an actively
traded market and whose fair value cannot be reliably measured and derivatives that are
linked to and must be settled by delivery of such unquoted equity instruments.
Loans and receivables and held to maturity investments should be measured at amortised cost
using the effective interest method.
Investments whose fair value cannot be reliably measured should be measured at cost.
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Classification
Any financial instrument can be designated at fair value through profit or loss. This however
is a one off choice and has to be made on initial recognition. Once classified in this way, a
financial instrument cannot be re-classified.
For a financial instrument to be held to maturity it must meet certain criteria. These criteria
are not met if:-
• The entity intends to hold the financial asset for an undefined time
• The entity stands ready to sell the asset in response to changes in interest rates or risks,
liquidity needs and similar factors
• The issuer has a right to settle the financial asset at an amount significantly below its
amortised cost
• It does not have the resources available to continue to finance the investment until
maturity
• It is subject to an existing legal or other constraint that could frustrate its intention to
hold the financial asset to maturity
There is a penalty for selling or reclassifying an asset that was designated as held to maturity.
If this has occurred during the current financial year or during the two preceding financial
years then no asset can be classed as held to maturity.
Available for sale financial assets: gains and losses are recognised in reserves and on disposal
of the asset the balance in equity is transferred to the profit and loss account to allow the
profit/loss on disposal be calculated.
Financial instruments carried at amortised cost: gains and losses are recognised in profit and
loss as a result of the amortisation process and when the asset is derecognised.
Financial assets and financial liabilities that are hedged items: special rules apply.
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Financial Assets Carried At Amortised Cost
Recognise the impairment in the profit and loss account
Financial Assets at Cost
Recognise the loss in the profit and loss account. Such impairments cannot be reversed.
Objectives
The objectives of the standard are:
• Add certain new disclosures about financial instruments to those currently required by
IAS 32
• Puts all financial instruments disclosures in a new standard. (The remaining parts of
IAS 32 deal only with presentation matters).
Disclosure Requirements
An entity must group its financial instruments into classes of similar instruments and make
disclosures by class (when disclosures are required).
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Income Statement and Equity:
• Items of income, expense, gains and losses
• Interest income and interest expense for those financial instruments that are not
measured at fair value through profit and loss
• Fee income and expense
• Amount of impairment losses on financial assets
• Interest income on impaired financial assets
Other disclosures:
• Accounting policies for financial instruments
• Information about hedge accounting
• Information about the fair values of each class of financial asset and financial liability,
together with:
(i) comparable carrying amounts
(ii) description of how fair value was determined
(iii) detailed information if fair value cannot be reliably measured
(Note that disclosure of fair values is not required when the carrying amount is a
reasonable approximation of fair value, such as short term trade receivables and
payables or for instruments whose fair value cannot be measured reliably).
Information About The Nature And Extent Of Risks Arising From Financial
Instruments.
Qualitative disclosures:
These describe:
• risk exposures for each type of financial instrument
• managements objectives, policies and processes for managing those risks
• changes from the prior period
Quantitative disclosures:
The quantitative disclosures provide information about the extent to which the entity is
exposed to risk, based on information provided internally to the entity’s key management
personnel. These include:
• summary quantitative data about exposure to each risk at the reporting date
• disclosures about credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk
• concentrations of risk
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Credit Risk:
Includes:
• maximum amount of exposure, description of collateral, information about credit
quality of financial assets that are neither past due or impaired
• for financial assets that are past due or impaired, analytical disclosures re required
Liquidity Risk:
Includes:
• a maturity analysis of financial liabilities
• description of approach to risk management
Market Risk:
This is the risk that the fair value or cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate due to
changes in market prices. Market risk reflects interest rate risk, currency risk and other price
risks.
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Page 342
Study Unit 26
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Interested Parties
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Profitability Ratios
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Liquidity Ratios
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Investment Ratios
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Worked Example
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. INTRODUCTION
The ability to comprehend, assess, interpret and criticise the financial statements and related
information of different businesses is the quality above all others, which distinguishes the
accountant from the bookkeeper. Complete mastery of accounts can be gained only as a
result of wide experience, but whatever your personal circumstances, you can increase your
understanding by careful and systematic reading of the financial columns of the daily press
and by close attention to the professional journals.
Examination questions frequently call for appraisal of a specific document presented in the
question, perhaps a balance sheet or income statement. Students often find such a problem
difficult, not because they lack the necessary knowledge but because they are uncertain how
to apply it. As a result, points are jotted down on the answer paper as they are thought of and
such answers are naturally badly arranged and displayed and fail to exhibit any logical
process of order and reasoning.
The object of this study unit is to show you the method which must underlie all good reports
and appraisals, and the way in which they should be drafted.
The second type, being the accounts upon which the policy of the concern is based, are
usually in much greater detail than the first.
In either case, greater reliance can be placed on accounts which have been audited by a
professional firm of standing than on any others; in particular, accounts drawn up by a trader
himself are always open to question.
Analysis of accounts (meaning final accounts) does not, therefore, include any other accounts
which may appear in the books. It is not an audit of the books or an investigation into the
way in which the books have been kept. So long as the balance sheet and accounts are
genuine, it does not matter whether the books have been well or badly kept.
Purpose of Analysis
The primary object of analysis of accounts is to provide information. Analysis which does
not serve this purpose is useless.
The type of information to be provided depends on the nature and circumstances of the
business and the terms of reference. By the latter we mean the specific instructions given by
the person wanting the enquiry to the person making it. Of course, if the person making the
enquiry is also the person who will make use of the information thus obtained, he will be
aware of the particular points for which he is looking.
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The position of the ultimate recipient of the information must be especially noted. Suppose
you are asked by a debenture holder to comment on the balance sheet of a company in which
he is interested. It should be a waste of time to report at length on any legal defects revealed
in the balance sheet. You would naturally pay attention to points which particularly concern
the debenture holder, e.g. the security for his loan to the company, and the extent to which his
interest in the debentures is ‘covered’ by the annual profits.
This does not mean that legal defects should be ignored. It is very important that they should
be mentioned (although briefly), for failure to comply with legal requirements may be
indicative of more serious shortcomings, possibly detrimental to the security of the debenture
holder.
This matter of approach is vital to the task of analysis. We shall now consider certain
special matters in which various parties will be particularly interested. For the sake of
illustration, we will deal with their positions in relation to the accounts for a limited
company, but many of the points we are going to mention are relevant to the accounts of a
sole trader or partnership.
B. INTERESTED PARTIES
Debenture Holders
These are interested in both the long- and short-term position of the company. In the long
term they are interested in the company’s ability to repay the sums lent by them (assuming
they are redeemable). They would look to see whether a sinking fund has been created, and
for the realisable value of the assets which form security for their loans. The basis of
valuation of assets would therefore be important, and whether the depreciation provision is
adequate.
In the short term the debenture holder will consider the company’s ability to pay the loan
interest and hence will examine the working capital (current assets less current liabilities).
Trade Payables
As a general rule, a trade creditor will rely on trade references or personal knowledge when
forming an opinion on the advisability of granting or extending credit to a company. He is
not often concerned with the accounts, which he rarely sees, but if he does examine the
accounts he will be as much concerned with existing liabilities as with assets. In particular,
he will note the following:
• Working capital position or ability of company to pay debts when they fall due.
• Ease with which current assets can be converted into cash.
• Prior claims to company’s assets in the event of a liquidation, i.e. secured loans or
overdrafts.
• Earnings record and expansion programme.
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Bankers
Before making a loan or granting an overdraft, the bank would consider:
• The nature and purpose of the loan.
• The duration of the loan (bankers prefer the short- or medium-term loan to those for
longer periods).
• The arrangements for repayment.
• The prospects of repayment.
• Security and prior rights to the assets of the company on liquidation.
• Financial policies of the company, and calibre of management.
Shareholders
The average shareholder is interested in the future dividends he will receive. Future profits
are of secondary importance, so long as they are adequate to provide the dividend.
Past dividends provide the basis on which future dividends may be estimated, just as past
profits afford a similar indication as to future profits. Estimates may, however, be upset
because of radical changes in the nature of trade, production methods, general economic
conditions, etc.
If the shares are listed on a stock exchange, it will be found that the market price varies more
or less directly with the dividends declared. It is generally accepted that a company ought not
to pay out more than two-thirds of its distributable profits each year in the form of dividend.
Cover is a vital factor in respect of any shares carrying fixed dividend rights, e.g. preference
shares. The coefficient of cover is determined by dividing the annual dividend into the
amount of the annual profits.
With redeemable shares, attention will be paid to the ability of the company to redeem on the
due dates. There may be a sinking fund created for this purpose.
Overall, the shareholder would be concerned with whether the company still provides the best
home for his investment or whether his money would be better utilised elsewhere.
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Potential Takeover Bidders
In a takeover situation, the buying company may see hidden potential in another company in
the form of under-valued assets or under-utilised funds. It may therefore be able to make a
successful offer to the shareholders, who may not be aware of their company’s real value.
Potential takeover bidders would consider:
• Current value of assets as opposed to book values.
• The asset-stripping potential, i.e. can the assets be sold off for a profit and the company
liquidated rather than bought as a going concern for continuation in the future?
• The effect of the directors’ financial and dividend policies in fostering shareholders’
loyalties (e.g. is there ill feeling and aggravation at the annual general meeting?).
C. PROFITABILITY RATIOS
Control of all costs, direct and indirect, is essential if profit is to be maximised. In a broad
and general fashion, excluding the advanced techniques of budgetary control and cost
accounting, it is possible to watch total costs of each type, and to take action to reduce them
when necessary.
This may be done by comparing manufacturing costs, administration costs, and selling and
distribution costs with profit (gross or net) or with sales. The broad headings, manufacturing
costs, etc. can, of course, be usefully analysed into their constituent parts and similar
comparison made with profit or sales. The trend of the ratio - whether there has been an
increase or decrease in costs as compared with profit or sales - is the significant factor.
Each one will lend itself to comparison with previous years’ results or with the appropriate
margins of another company.
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Like so many aspects of ratio analysis, these figures can only provide a rough measure and
care must be taken not to read too much into each. Consider the following example:
Normally only totals would be studied and, as you can see, the company has increased sales
and increased total profits; its margin has also increased from 15% to between 16% and 17%.
Notice that to leave the matter with only totals would have ignored important underlying
factors. Product A has increased its profit margin but Product B has become less efficient,
despite increased sales.
The same sort of distorting factors can be seen in a situation where any final, total figures are
made up of different products each having a different margin of profit. This is called the
product mix and means that a total profit margin can change, even if efficiency has
remained the same, because there has been a change in the proportion of sales taken by
component products. You can see this important point illustrated in the following example:
Year 1 Year 2
RWF RWF
Sales Sales
Product X 30,000 Product X 70,000
Product Y 60,000 Product Y 220,000
90,000 290,000
Profit margins for X and Y for both years are 7% and 15% respectively.
Although margins have increased from 12.3% to 13.1% the company has not become any
more efficient. The reason for the better figures in Year 2 is because product Y, with a much
better margin of profit, has taken up a much larger share of total sales than has product X.
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Even this illustration is itself an oversimplification and you must always approach profit
margins with caution. For instance, it is important to think about accounting policies. An
example would be the treatment of development expenditure, which can be capitalised and
amortised, provided the criteria in IAS 38 are met.
The meaning of capital employed can be approached from two angles - the finance and the
asset approaches.
(a) Finance Method
Income is related to total funds invested in the business and this involves taking the
total of all shareholders’ (proprietors’ if sole trader or partnership) funds plus future and
current liabilities as shown in the balance sheet.
We are really talking about the same figure, as a balance sheet must balance. The difference
between the two will concern the assets or funds to be counted. Are all funds/assets included
in the figure for capital employed, whether employed during the year or not? Is working
capital to be counted, or only fixed capital?
There is no easy answer to these questions and again the wisest approach will be one of
caution. Generally, however, total funds or total assets will be favoured since investors
expect all resources to be used. In any case, all resources have an opportunity cost, i.e.
alternative uses.
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Sales Per Employee
This is obtained by dividing the value of sales for a period by the average number of persons
employed during that period. Expressed on its own it is of relative insignificance, but it is
normally used in comparison with previous periods.
D. LIQUIDITY RATIOS
Current Ratio
(a) Definition
Current assets are compared with current liabilities. Generally speaking, the larger the
former in relation to the latter the more financially stable is the business. As a very
general rule, total current assets should be at least twice total current liabilities.
The length of time an asset is held or a liability is outstanding determines the category
into which it falls, i.e. whether current or non-current. If an asset is to be held for up to
a year, not longer, or a liability is to be paid off within a year, then one is a current asset
and the other a current liability. Non-current assets or ‘non-current” liabilities, e.g. loan
capital, are of a permanent nature.
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Current ratio 184,700 : 60,000 = 3 to 1 (approx.)
From the information given, therefore, it would appear that the current ratio is quite
satisfactory. The following points should, however, receive attention before any
conclusion is reached:
(i) The type of trade carried on by the business. In particular, trade fluctuations,
owing to seasonality of sales of the product and the like, are extremely important.
If the selling season is a number of months away, the inventory carried may build
up considerably (giving a larger total of current assets) and yet, for all practical
purposes, from the point of view of liquid resources the position will have
deteriorated.
(ii) Having regard to what is stated in (i), you will see that it is not the total ratio
which is of importance but rather the composition of the total assets and total
liabilities. Referring to the figures in the example, we may ask:
• Is the inventory composed mainly of raw materials or finished goods? Is the
inventory slow moving? The aim should be to predetermine a desirable
relationship between the different types of inventory and follow it as closely
as possible.
• Will the receivables pay promptly?
• How quickly must the trade payables be paid off?
• Will the bank extend the overdraft or is there a danger of it being called in?
The real question is the rate at which money will be received into the business as
compared with the rate of payments to cover current liabilities. There is nothing static
about a business but, unfortunately, this is often the erroneous impression gathered from
accounting ratios. A clear understanding of the underlying implications is essential if
ratios are to be a useful tool of management.
(b) Application
From what we have said, it should be clear that ‘2 to 1’ is only an approximate guide.
At times a lower or higher ratio may be regarded as normal, e.g. a 5 to 1 ratio may be
present at certain times of the year and be quite acceptable.
Once an ideal ratio for the business has been established, the most important point, from
a financial point of view, is to ascertain whether there is a rise or fall, for, generally
speaking, the former may be regarded as a favourable trend and the latter an
unfavourable one. Again, no hard and fast rule is possible for much depends upon the
circumstances.
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(i) Large quantities of materials are purchased.
(ii) Extra workers and staff are employed to deal with the additional production and
sales.
(iii) There is a rise in all other operating costs.
Next, after a time, the length of which depends upon the production and sales cycles,
extra revenue from sales is received. Often a number of months will have elapsed
before this extra cash is received. There has, however, been immediate payment of
wages and salaries and only a limited period of credit will normally be allowed by
payables. Possibly a bank overdraft will be obtained to accommodate immediate needs.
If not, or when the limit of the overdraft is reached, an anxious creditor may apply for a
petition, and the business may then be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.
Even if a business does manage to survive, it will not, for a considerable period, be able
to take advantage of a new market, the development of new ideas or a similar project.
There is thus a second danger of being forced out of business, this being brought about
by the competition of more progressive rival concerns.
In the circumstances outlined, only the availability of cash can avert the dangers. This
is thus of the greatest possible importance to any business; without cash it is unlikely to
survive. Stocks form part of the working capital and these, in the short term, are of
limited value. It may be possible to attract cash customers by giving a discount, but this
will mean that less profit is earned.
It is advantageous to keep this ratio in balance, as during the normal course of business
events revenue from receivables will usually be required to pay payables. This helps to
maintain stocks at a stable level and profits earned can be used to increase liquid resources.
If the liabilities are to be met, the ratio must clearly be at least 1 to 1, i.e. liquid assets must be
equal to payables. Any falling short indicates that additional cash has to be obtained. The
trend of the ratio will be a very helpful guide, for under stable trading conditions it should
remain steady, without appreciable movement either way. A sharp fall in the liquid assets
available without a similar fall in payables will show that immediate action is necessary.
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Ratio of Current to Non-Current Assets
Current assets are compared with non-current assets and the ratio established. Owing to
differences in types of business, and conditions under which they operate, it is virtually
impossible to state a desirable ratio which can be applied generally. For the individual
business it should be possible to establish the ideal ratio. Comparing ratios within an industry
will usually show that the stronger businesses have the larger proportion of current assets.
There is nothing to be gained by comparing ratios for concerns in different industries.
We’ve already explained the term ‘current assets’. Non-current assets are properties,
machines, equipment and other possessions held in the business permanently for the purpose
of earning profit. Examples are land and buildings, plant and machinery, office furniture and
machinery, motor vehicles and loose tools. The significant fact to remember is that these
assets are not held in the normal course of business, but are retained so that materials may be
converted to finished goods and the latter then sold.
The two are compared to give the ratio of shareholders’ to payables’ equity. A strong
business will have the largest proportion of its total liabilities composed of the net worth.
Weaker concerns are those which are dependent upon payables and thus any adverse
interference from them may lead to serious consequences. The strong company is fully ruled
by shareholders without interference from payables.
(a) Receivables
The earlier payment is received from receivables, the better is the liquidity position. A
rough measure of time taken by receivables to pay is possible by using the ratio:
Receivables (end
of year) x 365
Sales
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This gives the number of days taken to pay, which can be very useful in terms of credit
control. This is illustrated by the following figures:
Year 1 Year 2
RWF RWF
Sales 80,000 Sales 120,000
Receivables 8,000 Receivables 20,000
RWF8,000 RWF20,000
x 365 = 36 days x 365 days = 61 days
RWF80,000 RWF120,000
Closing
Stock levels
(ii) stock as a %
=
Sales
This percentage can be measured against previous levels and comparisons can be
made with other firms and departments.
Of course there is rarely one balance sheet item called ‘inventory and you will have to deal
with the different types of inventory - raw materials, work in progress, finished goods.
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E. INVESTMENT RATIOS
Introduction
In addition to the management ratios, investors frequently need to assess the merits of
particular investments. The following ratios are commonly used, and can be illustrated by
using the summarised accounts of a limited company which follow.
Current Assets:
Inventory 71,000
Accounts receivables 164,000
Cash at bank and in hand 5,000
240,000
420,000
Capital and Reserves:
Called up Share Capital:
30,000 RWF1 Preference Shares 30,000
600,000 Ordinary RWF 0.25 Shares 150,000
180,000
General Reserve 79,000
Profit and Loss 63,000
142,000
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable 65,000
Proposed dividends 33,000
98,000
420,000
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The shares were quoted on the Stock Exchange on 31 December at the following prices:
Preference shares RWF 0.9
Ordinary shares RWF 0.6
We will use these summarised accounts as the basis for illustrating the investment ratios.
Dividend Yield
This is the actual dividend payable for a year, including both interim and final, expressed as a
percentage of the quoted share price. It is calculated as:
Dividend paid
Quoted share price x No. of x 100 = Dividend yield
Shares
The dividend yield is a measure of the income return on an investment, and ignores retained
profits. Normally, the higher the dividend yield on ordinary shares, the greater the risk,
though this is not always true. Preference shares tend to have a higher dividend yield than
ordinary shares, mainly to offset the fact that there is little scope for capital appreciation.
Dividend Cover
This ratio represents the extent to which the distributable profits compare with the dividend
payable. Distributable profits represent the profits after corporation tax and any other
appropriations have been deducted. It is calculated in the following way:
Distributable
profits = Dividend cover
Dividend
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(b) Ordinary Shares
In this case it will be necessary to adjust distributable profits for the interest paid to the
preference shareholders. The adjusted distributable profits will therefore be:
RWF
Profits after taxation 75,000
Less Preference dividend 3,000
Available for ordinary shares 72,000
Earnings Yield
This is the profits available for distribution to the ordinary shareholders, expressed as a
percentage of the quoted market value of the ordinary share capital. It is computed as
follows:
Distributable profits (less Preference
dividends) x 100 = Earnings yield
Number of ordinary shares x Market value
The earnings yield gives the true rate of return on an investment, assuming that all the profits
available for distribution are paid out as dividends. In the majority of cases a proportion of
the profits is retained, and it is the dividend yield that enables an investor to determine his
income.
The earnings yield can also be expressed as earnings per ordinary share, which is the
distributable profit earned on one share. This is:
Distributable Profit
= Earnings per ordinary share
Number of shares
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Quoted share price
= P/E Ratio
Earnings per share
The P/E ratio is significant insofar as it establishes the number of years it will take for the
capital invested to be repaid out of earnings. In our example it will be:
0.60
= 5 times
0.12
It will therefore take 5 years, in this case, to recover from dividends the sum of money
originally invested. It can be compared with the payback period of assessing a capital
product. Similar to the dividend yield, the P/E ratio can be an indicator of risk; in this case,
the higher the rate the lower the risk, though this is not an absolute rule.
It must be emphasised that accounting ratios are only a means to an end, and not an end in
themselves. By comparing the relationship between figures, only trends or significant
features are highlighted. The real art in interpreting accounts lies in defining the reason for
the features and fluctuations. In order to do this effectively, the interested party may need
further information and a deeper insight into the business’s affairs. The following points
should also be borne in mind:
• The date to which the accounts are drawn up. Accurate information can only be
obtained from up-to-date figures. Seasonal trends should not be forgotten, as at the end
of the peak season the business presents the best picture of its affairs.
• The position as shown by the balance sheet. The arrangement of certain matters can be
misleading and present a more favourable position, i.e. making the effort to collect
debts just before the year-end in order to show more cash and lower receivables than is
usual; ordering goods to be delivered just after the year-end so that stocks and payables
can be kept as low as possible.
• Management interim accounts should be examined wherever possible to obtain a clearer
idea of trends.
• Comparison with similar businesses should also be made.
The ratios we have outlined are the more common measures of company performance.
Attention should, however, be paid to the gearing of the company, i.e. the capital structure
and the way the company finances its assets. The word ‘capital’ here is used in a wider sense
than share capital.
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(a) Least Risk
(i) Debenture holders (who have first claim on money from a company in the event
of a winding-up)
(ii) Payables (who are unsecured but can sue for their debts)
If a company is low-geared it means that the proportion of preference shares and debentures
is low compared with ordinary shares. Hence the preference shareholders and debenture
holders have greater security for payment of dividends/loan interest and the ordinary
shareholders are not liable to such violent changes in return on their investment, as there is
less to pay before they receive their entitlement.
High gearing, on the other hand, means a high proportion of preference shareholders and
debenture holders to ordinary shareholders. Here there is greater risk for the ordinary
shareholders as a greater proportion of the profits is to be paid out to a fixed return capital,
before they receive their entitlement.
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Page 360
Study Unit 27
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Accounting Policies
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Comparative Information
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 361
A. INTRODUCTION
IFRS 1 was issued to ensure that an entity’s first IFRS financial statements, and any interim
financial reports for part of the period covered by those financial statements, contain high
quality information that:
(a) Is transparent for users and comparable over all periods presented;
(b) Provides a suitable starting point for accounting under International Financial Reporting
Standards; and
(c) Can be generated at a cost that does not exceed the benefits to users.
IFRS 1 applies to all entities adopting IFRS for the first time on or after 1st January 2004.
A first time adopter is an entity that presents its first IFRS financial statements. The entity
must make an explicit or unreserved statement that the annual financial statements comply
with all relevant IFRS’s.
The date of transition to IFRS’s is the beginning of the earliest period for which an entity
presents full comparative information under IFRS’s in its first IFRS financial statements.
IFRS 1 states that the starting point for the adoption of IFRS’s for the year ended 31st
December 2005 is to prepare an opening IFRS balance sheet at 1st January 2004 (or the
beginning of the earliest comparative period).
The general rule is that this balance sheet will need to comply with each IFRS effective at
31st December 2005 (the reporting date).
The opening balance sheet need not be published. Its main function is to provide opening
balances in order that future financial statements can be prepared in accordance with IFRS.
B. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The entity must use the same accounting policies in its opening IFRS balance sheet and
throughout all periods presented in its IFRS financial statements.
Those accounting policies must comply with each IFRS effective at the reporting date for its
first IFRS financial statements (except with exemptions apply).
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This requirement can cause a number of practical difficulties:
(a) At the effective date of transition, it is not totally clear which IFRS’s will be in force
two years later. Thus, the originally prepared balance sheet may have to be amended
several times prior to the publication of the first IFRS financial statements.
The entity cannot apply different versions of IFRS’s that were effective at earlier dates.
However, an entity may apply a new IFRS that is not yet mandatory if it permits early
application.
(b) The costs of retrospectively applying the recognition and measurement principles of
IFRS’s might be considerable. IFRS 1 grants a limited number of exemptions from the
general requirements where the cost of complying with them would be likely to exceed
the benefits to users.
(c) The accounting policies used in the opening IFRS balance sheet may differ from those
that it used for the same date using previous GAAP. The resulting adjustments arise
from events and transactions before the date of transition to IFRS’s.
The entity must recognise those adjustments in retained earnings (or, if appropriate,
another category of equity) at the date of transition to IFRS’s.
The entity must explain how the transition from previous GAAP to IFRS’s affected its
reported financial position, financial performance and cash flows.
In general, the transitional provisions in other IFRS’s do not apply to first time adoption.
However, IFRS 1 does not allow full retrospective application of IFRS’s in the following
areas:
(a) Assets classified as held for sale and discontinued operations
(b) Derecognition of financial assets and financial liabilities
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(c) Estimates
(d) Hedge accounting
If a subsidiary adopts IFRS’s later than the parent, the subsidiary may value its
assets/liabilities either:
(a) At its own transition date; or
(b) Its parents.
D. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION
To comply with IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements, an entity’s first IFRS financial
statements must include at least one year of comparative information under IFRS’s.
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Study Unit 28
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Materiality
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 365
A. INTRODUCTION
IAS 34 recognises the usefulness of timely and reliable interim financial reporting in
improving the ability of investors, creditors and others to understand an entity’s capacity to
generate earnings and cash flows and its financial condition and liquidity.
The standard does not oblige entities to publish interim financial reports. However, entities
whose debt or equity securities are publicly traded are often required by governments, stock
exchanges, accountancy bodies, etc to publish interim financial reports.
If interim financial reports are published and purport to comply with IFRSs, then IAS 34
governs their content.
Each financial report, annual or interim, is evaluated on its own for conformity to IFRSs. If
an entity’s interim financial report is described as complying with IFRSs, it must comply
with all of the requirements of IAS 34.
The interim period is a financial period shorter than a full financial year. The interim
financial report means a financial report containing either a full set of financial statements (in
accordance with IAS 1) or a set of condensed financial statements (as outlined in IAS 34) for
an interim period.
An interim report may consist of a condensed version of the full financial statements and
should include an explanation of the events and transactions that are significant to an
understanding of the interim financial statements.
If the entity publishes a set of condensed financial statements in its interim financial report,
those condensed statements should include, at a minimum each of the headings and subtotals
that were included in its most recent annual financial statements, together with selected
explanatory notes as outlined by IAS 34.
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The recognition and measurement principle should be the same as those used in the main
financial statements.
Additional line items or notes should be included if their omission would render the interim
reports misleading.
Basic and diluted earnings per share should be presented on the face of an income statement
for an interim period.
If, however, an entity chooses to publish a complete set of financial statements in its interim
financial report, the form and content of those statements must conform to IAS 1 for a
complete set of financial statements.
The following information must be included, as a minimum, in the notes to the interim
accounts (assuming they are material and not included elsewhere in the interim financial
statements):
(a) A statement that the same accounting policies used for the interim report were used for
the most recent annual financial statements. If the policies have changed a description
of the nature and effect of the change must be given.
(b) Explanatory comments about the seasonality or cyclicality of interim operations.
(c) The nature and amount of items that are unusual because of their nature, size or
incidence.
(d) The nature and amount of changes in estimates of amounts reported in prior interim
periods of the current financial year and if those changes have a material effect in the
current interim period.
(e) Issuances, repurchases and repayments of debt and equity securities.
(f) Dividends paid.
(g) Segment revenue and segment results for business or geographical segments, whichever
is the primary basis of segment reporting (only disclose segment reporting in interim
accounts if it is required in the full annual accounts).
(h) Material events after the end of the interim period that have not been reflected in the
interim accounts.
(i) The effect of changes in the composition of the entity during the interim period e.g.
business combinations.
(j) Changes in contingent liabilities or contingent assets since the last annual balance sheet
date.
If an entity’s interim financial report is in compliance with IAS 34, this fact should be
disclosed. To be in compliance, it must comply with all of the requirements of IFRSs.
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D. PERIODS FOR WHICH INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE
REQUIRED TO BE PRESENTED
E. MATERIALITY
In recognising, measuring, classifying or disclosing items for the interim report, materiality
for the interim period must be assessed. But, in assessing materiality, it must be recognised
that interim statements may rely on estimates to a greater extent than measurements of annual
financial data.
In measuring income and expenditure for the purposes of interim reports IAS 34 adopts an
approach where:
(i) Revenue received and costs incurred seasonally or unevenly should not be anticipated
or deferred when preparing interim financial statements unless that treatment would be
appropriate at the end of the year.
(ii) If there is a change in accounting policy during a financial year, figures for prior interim
periods of the current financial year should be adjusted for the change, so that the same
accounting policies are in force throughout the year.
Thus, if a company is preparing interim accounts for six months, it will report actual figures
for those six months. This is the case even if the business is seasonal in nature, with only, say
30% of its sales being made in those six months.
Tax is the only exception to this rule. Tax is computed for the period by charging the
expected rate of tax for the year to the profits of the interim period.
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Study Unit 29
IAS 41 – Agriculture
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Government Grants
___________________________________________________________________________
F. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 369
A. INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is fundamentally different from other types of business. Instead of wearing out
or being consumed over time, many agricultural assets actually grow. It can be argued that
depreciation is irrelevant in this situation. Hence, biological assets are measured at fair value
and any changes in fair value are reported as part of net profit/loss for the period.
As a result, not only can a farmers profit on sales recorded but so too will increases in the
value of the farm’s productive assets as a whole, such as land or the coffee bushes
themselves.
At first glance, this may appear counter-intuitive as it departs from the traditional accounting
realisation concept where a profit is not recognised before a sale has been made. In the case
of forestry for example, IAS 41 allows profits to be recognised years before the products are
even ready for sale. In fact, IAS 41 particularly impacts upon agricultural activities where the
income-producing biological assets are expected to have economic lives that extend beyond
one accounting period.
However, the rationale is that by requiring all changes in the value of a farm to be reported
openly and transparently, farm managers will be unable to boost profits by selling off an
unsustainable amount of produce. An example of this would be where a forestry company
could show large short-term profits by cutting down and selling all trees without replacing
them. The profit would reflect the sales but ignore the fall in the value of the forest.
The change in the fair value of biological assets has two dimensions:
1. There can be physical change in the asset through growth
2. There can be a price change
Separate disclosure of these two elements is encouraged but not required. Where biological
assets are harvested, then fair value measurement ceases at the time of harvest and after that,
IAS 2 Inventories applies.
B. DEFINITIONS
Agricultural produce: the harvested product of the entity’s biological assets, for example,
milk, millet, cassava, coffee beans or bananas
Page 370
A biological asset: a living animal or plant
Harvest: is the detachment of produce from a biological asset or the cessation of a biological
asset’s life processes.
Active Market: a market where the items traded are homogenous, willing buyers and sellers
can be found at any time and prices are available to the public.
Fair Value: the amount for which an asset can be exchanged or a liability settled in an arm’s
length transaction between knowledgeable and willing parties. The fair value of an asset is
based on its present condition and location.
This standard shall be applied to account for the following when they relate to agricultural
activity:
a. Biological assets
b. Agricultural produce at the point of harvest
c. Grants related to agricultural activities
An entity should recognise a biological asset or agricultural produce when and only when
a. The entity controls the asset as a result of past events; and
b. It is probable that future economic benefits associated with the asset will flow to the
entity; and
c. The fair value or cost of the asset can be reliably measured
A biological asset shall be measured on initial recognition and at each subsequent Statement
of Financial Position date at fair value less point of sale costs, except where the fair value
cannot be estimated reliably.
Agricultural produce harvested from biological assets shall be measured at fair value less
point of sale costs at the point of harvest. Unlike a biological asset, there is no exception in
cases in which fair value cannot be measured reliably. IAS 41 states that agricultural produce
can always be measured reliably. Fair value less estimated point of sale cost at the point of
harvest forms “cost” for the purposes of IAS 2.
The point of sale costs include commissions payable to brokers and dealers, levies by
regulatory agencies and commodity exchanges and transfer taxes and duties. Point of sale
costs exclude transport and other costs necessary to get assets to markets.
If an active market does not exist which would allow the assessment of fair value then the
company may employ some of the following to assist in determining fair value:
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a. Assess the most recent market price, provided there has not been a significant change in
economic circumstances between the date of that transaction and the Statement of
Financial Position date
b. Consider market prices for similar assets with adjustments to reflect differences, and
c. Use sector benchmarks such as the value of beans or seed per bushel, kilogramme or
hectare
If an entity has access to different markets, then the entity should choose the most relevant
and reliable price that is the one at which it is most likely to sell the asset.
In some cases, market prices or values may not be available for an asset in its present
condition. In these cases, the entity can use the present value of the expected net cash flow
from the asset, discounted at a current market pre-tax rate. In some circumstances, costs may
be an indicator of fair values, especially where little biological transformation has taken place
or the impact of biological transformation on the price is not expected to be significant.
The standard specifically requires that fair value not be determined by reference to a future
sales contract. Contract prices are not necessarily relevant in determining fair value, because
fair value reflects the current market value in which a willing buyer and seller would enter
into a transaction. Consequently, the fair value of the biological asset or agricultural produce
is not adjusted because of the existence of a contract.
The difficulty in establishing the fair value of a biological asset increases when the asset is a
“bearer asset”. This is an asset which itself will not eventually become agricultural produce
e.g. a coffee bush. The problem is exacerbated the more long-lived the asset is.
Coffee bushes - they take 3-4 years to mature then may live and produce fruit/beans for a
further 10 years or more. The standard does not require external independent valuations but,
in such cases where fair values are otherwise difficult to determine, it may be possible and
appropriate to apply IAS 36 Impairment to determine both the value in or before use and the
net selling price of the asset and to use the higher of these two amounts to represent
valuation.
When the presumption that fair value can be established can be rebutted and until such time
as a fair value becomes measurable with reliability, the asset is carried on the statement of
financial position at cost less any accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment
losses. All the other biological assets of the entity must still be measured at fair value. IAS 41
also contains additional disclosure requirements in such a situation.
EXAMPLE
At 31st December 2008, a plantation consists of 100 trees that were planted 10 years ago.
These trees take 30 years to mature and will ultimately be processed into building material
for housing and furniture. The weighted average cost of capital is 6% per annum.
Only mature trees have established fair values by reference to a quoted price in an active
market. The fair value (inclusive of transport costs to market) for a mature tree of the same
grade as in the plantation is:
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As at 31st December 2008: RWF171
As at 31st December 2009: RWF165
Thus at 31st December 2008, the mature plantation would have been valued at RWF17,100,
while the following year, the mature plantation would have been valued at RWF16,500.
Assuming immaterial cash flow between now and the point of harvest, the fair value (and
therefore the amount reported as an asset in the statement of financial position) of the
plantation is estimated as follows:
31st December 2008
Present value of RWF17,100 discounted at 6% for 20 years = RWF5,332
31st December 2009
Present value of RWF16,500 discounted at 6% for 19 years = RWF5,453
At initial recognition, the fair value (less estimated point of sale costs) of a biological asset is
reported as a gain or loss in the income statement. A loss may arise on initial recognition
when the estimated point of sale costs exceed the fair value of the asset in its present state.
The change in fair value (less estimated point of sale costs) of a biological asset between two
period end dates is reported as a gain or loss in the income statement.
A gain or loss arising on initial recognition of agricultural produce at fair value less estimated
point of sale costs is included in net profit or loss for the period.
In the example above, the difference in fair value of the plantation between 31st December
2008 and 2009 is RWF121 (5,453 – 5,332). This will be reported in the income statement as a
gain (irrespective of the fact that it has not yet been realised). The aggregate gain of RWF121
is attributed to two factors:
1. The effect of change in market price; and
2. The physical change (growth) of the trees in the plantation.
The aggregate gain is analysed as follows:
1. The price change, which represents, at the biological asset’s state as at the previous
accounting year end:
The value of the biological asset at assets prevailing as at the current accounting year
end less the value of the biological asset at prices prevailing as at the previous
accounting year end.
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(16,500 x .3305) – (16,500 x .3118) = 5,453 – 5,145 = 308 (gain)
That is, 16,500 discounted at 6% for 19 years less 16,500 discounted at 6% for 20 years.
Thus, the aggregate is: 187 (loss) + 308 (gain) = 121 net gain.
The government grants are as defined in IAS 20 Accounting for Government Grants and
Disclosure of Government Assistance.
A government grant that is related to a biological asset measured at fair value less estimated
point of sale costs should be recognised as income when the government grant becomes
receivable. If there are conditions attached to the grant, then the entity will only recognise the
government grant when the conditions attaching thereto are complied with.
IAS 20 is applied only to a government grant that is related to a biological asset which has
been measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.
IAS 41 does not deal with grants related to agricultural produce. These grants may include
subsidies. Subsidies are normally payable when the produce is sold and would therefore be
recognised as income on the sale.
F. DISCLOSURE
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(c) Decreases due to sales and biological assets held for sale in accordance with IFRS
5
(d) Decreases due to harvest
(e) Increases resulting from business combinations
(f) Net exchange differences from foreign current transactions
(g) Other changes
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BLANK
Page 376
Study Unit 30
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Definition
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Reportable Segments
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 377
A. INTRODUCTION
Large companies can often operate within several different business sectors and/or in
different geographical locations. Each of these sectors/locations can involve risks and
opportunities that can differ significantly from each other. For example, while an entity’s toy
division might be facing stiff competition from Chinese imports, its food division might be
performing very well and expanding market share rapidly.
If the results of all divisions of the company are amalgamated into a single set of financial
statements without any analysis of divisional performance, it would be very difficult for users
of these statements to engage in a meaningful measure of company performance for the
period.
Thus, IFRS 8 requires entities within the scope of the standard to disclose information that
will allow users to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business activities in which
it engages and the economic environments in which it operates.
IFRS 8 Operating Segments applies only to organisations whose equity or debt securities are
publicly traded and to organisations that are in the process of issuing equity or debt securities
in public securities markets. Should other organisations opt to disclose segment information
in financial statements that comply with international financial reporting standards, it must
comply fully with the requirements of IFRS 8.
According to the core principle of IFRS 8, an entity should disclose information to enable
users of its financial statements to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the types of
business activities in which it engages and the economic environments in which it operates.
The emphasis is now on disclosing segmental information for external reporting purposes
based on internal reporting within the entity to its “chief operating decision maker”. The
IASB believes that by requiring entities to report segmental information using the approach
adopted by IFRS 8 (that is, a “management approach”) allows the users of the financial
statements to review segmental information from the “eyes of management”, as opposed to a
“risks and rewards” approach under the old IAS 14.
In addition, the cost and time needed to produce such segmental information is greatly
reduced since most, if not all, of this information is already available within the entity, which
is a distinct advantage in the case of public companies that are required to report on a
quarterly basis.
B. DEFINITION
• Whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the entity’s chief operating decision
maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its
performance
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• For which discrete financial information is available.
Segmental reports are designed to reveal significant information that might otherwise be
hidden by the process of presenting a single statement of comprehensive income, income
statement and statement of financial position for the entity.
C. REPORTABLE SEGMENTS
An entity should report financial and descriptive information about its reportable segments.
Not all operating segments would automatically qualify as reportable segments. IFRS 8
requires segmental information to reflect the way that the entity is actually managed. The
operating segments are those that are used in its internal management reports. Consequently,
management identifies the operating segments.
The standard prescribes the criteria for an operating segment to qualify as a reportable
segment and must separately report information about an operating segment that meets any of
the following thresholds (the “alternative quantitative thresholds”):
(a) Its reported revenue, from both external customers and intersegment sales or transfers,
is 10% or more of the combined revenue (internal and external) of all operating
segments; OR
(b) The absolute measure of its reported profit or loss is 10% or more of the greater, in
absolute amount, of
1. The combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss
and
2. The combined reported loss of all operating segments that reported a loss; OR
(c) Its assets are 10% or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
Furthermore, if the total revenue attributable to all operating segments (as identified by
applying the alternative quantitative thresholds criteria, above) constitutes less than 75% of
the entity’s total revenue as per its financial statements, the entity should look for additional
operating segments until it is satisfied that at least 75% of the entity’s revenue is captured
through such segmental reporting.
In identifying the additional operating segments as reportable segments (for the purposes of
meeting the 75% threshold); the Standard has relaxed its requirements of meeting the
“alternative quantitative thresholds” criteria. In other words, an entity has to keep identifying
more segments even if they do not meet the “alternative quantitative thresholds” test until at
least 75% of the entity’s revenue is included in reportable segments.
There is no precise limit to the number of segments that can be disclosed, but if there are
more than ten, the resulting information may become too detailed. Information about other
business activities and operating segments that are not reportable are combined into “all other
segments” category.
It is important to note that even though IFRS 8 defines a reportable segment in terms of size,
size is not the only criterion taken into account. There is some scope for subjectivity.
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EXAMPLE
FG & Co carries out a number of different business activities. The summarised information
regarding these activities is below:
Manufacture and sale of computer hardware and contract work on IT products are clearly
reportable segments by virtue of size. Each of these two operations exceeds all three “10%
thresholds”.
On the face of it, it appears that the development of software is a third segment. It would
make intuitive sense for both parts of this operation to be reported together, as supply to users
of other hardware forms only 3% of total revenue and 6% of total profit before tax.
Although, technical support and training falls below all three 10% thresholds, it should be
disclosed as a fourth reportable segment because it has different characteristics from the rest
of the business.
(b) Information about the reported segment profit or loss, including certain specified
revenues and expenses included in segment profit or loss, segment assets and segment
liabilities and the basis of measurement; and
(c) Reconciliations of the totals of segment revenues, reported segment profit or loss,
segment assets, segment liabilities and other material items to corresponding items in
the entity’s financial statements.
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The standard clarifies that certain entity-wide disclosures are required even when an entity
has only one reportable segment. These disclosures include information about each product
and service or groups of products and services.
Additional disclosures include:
(a) Analyses of revenues and certain non-recurrent assets by geographical area, with an
expanded requirement to disclose revenues / assets by individual foreign country (if
material), irrespective of identification of the operating segments, and
(b) Information about transactions with “major customers”, that is, those customers that
individually account for revenues of 10% or more of the entity’s revenues.
IFRS 8 also expands considerably the disclosure of segment information at interim reporting
dates.
Despite the usefulness of the information provided by segmental reports, there are limitations
which must be borne in mind.
• IFRS 8 states that segments should reflect the way in which an entity is managed. This
means that segments are defined by directors. This may lead to too much flexibility. It
also means that segmental information is useful only for comparing the performance of
the same entity over time, not for comparing the performance of different entities.
• Common costs may be allocated to different segments on whatever basis the director
sees as reasonable. This can lead to the arbitrary allocation of these costs.
• A segment’s operating results can be distorted by trading with other segments on non-
commercial terms.
• These limitations have applied to most systems of segmental reporting, regardless of the
accounting standard being applied. IFRS 8 requires disclosure of some information
about the way in which common costs are allocated and the basis for inter-segment
transactions.
EXAMPLE
EN Ltd is a listed entity. You are the financial controller of the entity and its consolidated
financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2011 are being prepared. The board of
directors is responsible for all key financial and operating decisions, including the allocation
of resources. Your assistant is preparing the first draft of the statements. He has a reasonable
general accounting knowledge but is not familiar with the detailed requirements of all
relevant financial reporting standards. He has sent you a note as shown below:
“We intend to apply IFRS 8 – Operating Segments – in this year’s financial statements. I am
aware that this standard has attracted a reasonable amount of critical comment since it was
issued. The board of directors receives a monthly report on the activities of the five
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significant operational areas of our business. Relevant financial information relating to the
five operations for the year to 31 March 2011, and in respect of our Head Office, is as
follows:
SOLUTION
Following your recent memorandum here is a response to the queries you raised:
Page 382
The term ‘CODM’ identifies a function, and not necessarily a manager with a specific title.
The key function is allocation of resources and assessment of performance. The CODM can
be an individual or a group of directors. In our case the board of directors is the CODM.
• Its reported revenue is 10% or more of the combined revenue of all operating segments.
• The absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10% or more of the greater, in
absolute amount, of
(i) The combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss;
and
(ii) The combined reported loss of all operating segments that reported a loss.
• Its assets are 10% or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
• If, having applied these tests to individual operating segments, the external revenue of
the reportable segments is less than 75% of the external revenue of the combined entity,
more operating segments should be designated as reportable until the 75% threshold is
reached.
• Where two or more segments exhibit similar long term financial performance it is
necessary to aggregate them for the purposes of the size tests.
Segments A and B are separately reportable because in each case their revenue is more than
10% of the total revenue of the business. There is no need for any further consideration.
Segment C is reportable despite its revenue being less than 10% of the total revenue. Its
assets are more than 10% of the total of the assets of all operating segments. There is no need
for any further consideration.
Segments D and E are considered as a single segment. They fail both the revenue and the
assets tests but their profit (150 + 450 = 600) is more than 10% of the total profit of the
segments that report a profit (3,000 + 2,000 + 600 = 5,600).Therefore the segments are
reportable together as a single segment.
The reasons the standard has attracted such critical comment are:
• The identification of operating segments, and the segment information that is provided,
is based around the internal business organisation. Therefore the reports are potentially
vulnerable to management discretion in terms of what is reported and intercompany
comparison may be difficult or even impossible.
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• The standard was issued as a part of the convergence project with the US Financial
Accounting Standards Board and is based very much on the equivalent US standard.
Some commentators are concerned that the reason for the issue of the standard was
based on pragmatism, rather than on sound theoretical principles.
• The standard does not require entities to follow the measurement principles of IFRS in
its segment reports, but rather the measurement principles that are used internally.
Page 384
Study Unit 31
B. Distributable Profits
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 385
A. PURCHASE OF OWN SHARES
Where a limited company is permitted to purchase its own shares it must either cancel them
or sell them within 2 years
If the purchased shares are cancelled, the purchase must be financed by a fresh issue of
shares, thus ensuring that share capital is maintained, or by the transfer from distributable
profits to a capital redemption reserve fund or a sum equal to the nominal value of the shares
purchased. As the fund is not distributable, the profit is effectively frozen, thereby ensuring
that permanent capital is maintained intact.
If the shares are purchased at a premium and then cancelled, the premium must, in general, be
paid out of distributable profits. This ensures that the share premium account, which is part
of permanent capital, is not reduced. But where the purchased shares had been issued at a
premium, the premium on purchase of the shares may be made out of a fresh issue made to
finance the purchase. However, this may only be done up to the aggregate of all the
premiums received on the original issue of the shares or the present balance of the share
premium account, whichever is the lower.
Where a company purchases shares and holds them as treasury shares, the cost of the shares
must be met out of distributable profits. There is no requirement to create a capital
redemption reserve fund since the issued share capital has not been reduced. The cost of the
purchased shares should not be shown as an asset in the company’s balance sheet but should
be deducted from distributable profits.
Shares held as treasury shares do not carry voting rights nor do they qualify for dividend.
Also the Act restricts the number of shares which may be held as treasury shares i.e. not more
than 10% of the issued shares.
Example 1
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets 100,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF1 40,000
Income Statement 60,000
100,000
P Ltd decided to redeem 25% of its share capital, no fresh issue of shares took place to
finance the redemption.
Solution 1
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets (100,000 – 10,000) 90,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF1 30,000
Capital Redemption Reserve Fund 10,000
Income Statement 50,000
90,000
Page 386
Example 2
Same facts as Example 1 except P Ltd issued 4,000 10% preference shares of RWF1 to part
finance the redemption.
Solution 2
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets 94,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF1 30,000
10% Preference Shares of RWF1 4,000
Capital Redemption Reserve Fund (10,000 – 4,000) 6,000
Income Statement 54,000
94,000
As indicated above, where there is no fresh issue of shares, any premium payable on
redemption must be charged against the accumulated profits.
Example 3
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets 100,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF 1 40,000
Income Statement 60,000
100,000
P Ltd decided to redeem 25% of its share at a premium of RWF 0.2 per share, no fresh issue
of shares took place to finance the redemption.
Solution 3
No fresh issue of shares, premium of RWF2,000 is charged to income statement.
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets (100,000 – 10,000 – 2,000) 88,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF1 30,000
Capital Redemption Reserve Fund 10,000
Income Statement 48,000
88,000
Also where there is a fresh issue of shares any premium on redemption may be charged
against the share premium account.
Page 387
Example 4
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets 100,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF1 40,000
Share Premium 3,200
Income Statement 56,800
100,000
P Ltd decided to redeem 25% of its shares at a premium of RWF0.200 per share. The shares
were originally issued at a premium of RWF 0.080 per share. P Ltd issued 4,000 10%
preference shares of RWF1 to part finance the redemption.
Solution 4
1. Premium on redemption 10,000 x RWF0.22 = RWF2,000
2. (a) Premium when shares were originally issued 10,000 x RWF0.080 = RWF800
(b) Current balance on share premium account = RWF3,200
3. The amount of the premium on redemption which can be written off against the share
premium account is RWF800, the balance of RWF1,200 is charged to income
statement.
P Ltd
RWF
Net Assets (100,000 + 4,000 – 10,000 – 2,000) 92,000
Ordinary Shares of RWF1 30,000
Share Premium (3,200 – 800) 2,400
Capital Redemption Reserve Fund 6,000
10% Preference Shares of RWF1 4,000
Income Statement (56,800 – 6,000 – 1,200) 49,600
92,000
Advantages of purchase of its own shares by a limited company include:
(i) It is usually difficult to sell shares in a private company.
(ii) Dissident shareholders may be bought out in a relatively easy way.
(iii) It may enable a company to return surplus funds to the shareholders.
(iv) It may enable a family to retain control of a company.
(v) If purchased shares are held and not cancelled they must be re-issued within 2 years.
This could enable a company to buy in and re-issue shares under an employees’ share
scheme.
Disadvantages include:
(i) Compliance with legal requirements could freeze revenue reserves thereby reducing the
funds available for dividends.
(ii) The purchase might give rise to liquidity problems.
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(iii) Majority shareholders may end up with full control of the company as existing
shareholders are bought out.
B. DISTRIBUTABLE PROFITS
All companies are should not pay dividends except out of profits available for that purpose.
The general approach is that distributable profits consist of accumulated realised profits less
accumulated realised losses.
(a) A company may only make a distribution out of profits where ‘its accumulated realised
profits are less its accumulated realised losses’.
(b) Any provision shall be treated as a realised loss except any provision in respect of a
diminution in value in respect of all the non-current assets.
(c) If non-current assets have been revalued upwards and depreciation is provided thereon,
then the excess of this depreciation over depreciation on cost can be added back
notionally to the income statement for the determination of realised profits.
(d) On the disposal of a revalued asset any surplus held in reserves becomes realised.
(e) IAS 21 requires recognition of gains or losses on foreign currency transactions as part
of the profit or loss for the year. Such items should normally be treated as realised
except gains on unsettled long-term monetary items.
(f) Distributing group profits means distributing from the individual accounts of the
holding company. Profits of subsidiaries or associates would only be considered as
realised when dividends have been declared and are receivable by the holding company.
(g) Development expenditure carried forward in the balance sheet which fulfils the IAS 38
criteria.
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(b) Capital redemption reserve fund
(c) Unrealised profits less unrealised losses
(d) Any other reserve which the company is prohibited from distributing by any statute or
by its Memorandum or Articles of Association.
Example 1
Extracts from Statement of Financial Position:
(1) (2) (3)
RWF RWF RWF
Share capital 2,000 2,000 2,000
Share premium account 200 200 200
Capital redemption reserve fund 100 100 100
Unrealised profits 500 500 300
Unrealised losses (200) (600) (600)
Realised profits 300 300 300
Realised losses - (100) (200)
Share capital and reserves (= net assets) 2,900 2,400 2,100
2. Public company
(Net realised profits – new unrealised 300 100 Nil
losses)
Example 2
Further example of calculations of distributable profit: Extract from draft Balance Sheet of X
Ltd, a private company, at 31 December 2010.
RWF
Share capital 3,000
Share premium 1,000
Capital reserve 100
Fixed asset revaluation deficit (500)
Retained profit 2,400
6,000
Notes:
(i) Retained Profit, RWF2,400, represents retained profit for the year as per Draft Income
Statement RWF3,000 less retained losses brought forward, RWF600.
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(ii) Revaluation deficit, RWF500, arose from a revaluation of all non-current assets on 1
January 2005 and consists of:
RWF
Surplus on revaluation of property 300
Deficit on revaluation of other assets (800)
Net deficit (500)
Assets have been depreciated at the following rates during the current
year.
Property 5% of valuation
Other assets 10% of valuation
(iv) Adjustments have not yet been made for the following items:
. Since accounting standards are directed towards the preparation of accounts which are give
a true and fair view of the company’s state of affairs, it is generally accepted that realised
profits are realised profits as per accounts prepared in accordance with the requirements of
standard accounting practice (i.e. all profits that are included in the income statement in
accordance with IFRSs will be treated as realised, subject to certain exceptions).
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BLANK
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Study Unit 32
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Termination Benefits
___________________________________________________________________________
J. Disclosure
___________________________________________________________________________
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A. INTRODUCTION
IAS 19 outlines the accounting treatment of various benefits provided to employees by the
employer. All benefits provided to employees, whether long-term or short-term in nature,
must be accounted for to ensure that the financial statements of the entity reflect a liability
where employees have worked in exchange for future benefits.
• Post-employment benefits
– These include retirement benefits, pensions and post-retirement medical insurance
• Termination benefits
– For example, lump sum redundancy payments.
IAS 19 seeks to identify the correct expense to be charged in the period by an employer in
respect of services provided by employees and to recognise a liability for any of these
amounts that remain unpaid.
Where an employee has provided service to an entity during the period, the entity must
recognise the amount of short-term employee benefits due in exchange as follows:
• As an expense
• As a liability, to the extent that some or all of the amount remains outstanding at the end
of the period
Example
TX Ltd. incurred wages and salaries of RWF5.25m for the year ended 31st December 2009.
The employer’s Rwanda Social Security Fund (RSSF) contribution amounted to a further
RWF 262,000. A quarter of RSSF contribution remains to be paid at year end.
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The journal entry to record this is as follows:
Debit Wages & Salaries (I/S) 5,512,000
Credit Cash 5,250,000
Credit Accrued Expenses (SOFP) 262,000
Note that where wages and salaries have been incurred in respect of a self-constructed asset,
then the cost of this labour should be capitalised as part of the cost of the asset, and not
expensed to the Income Statement.
For accumulating compensated absences, the entity must recognise a liability in respect of
any expected amounts payable in the following period. In the case of non-accumulating
absences, the cost is recognised when the absences occur.
Example
AZ Ltd grants 15 days of paid annual leave to all of its employees. It allows employees, with
unused leave at the year end, to carry forward that leave into the next year. However, if the
employee has not used up this leave by the end of that next year, it will be forfeited by them.
At the 31st December 2010, a total of 150 days of unused annual leave existed. A total of 20
of these days had also been unused at 31st December 2009. The average cost of one day’s
leave (including employer RSSF contributions) is RWF 1,200.
Since the 20 days unused since 31st December 2009 are now forfeited, a total of 106 days can
be carried forward by the employees into 2011. This leave meets the definition of
accumulating compensated absence and AZ Ltd must recognise the accrued expense and
related liability. Thus:
Debit Wages and Salaries (I/S) 127,200
Credit Accrued Expenses (SOFP) 127,200
Being the annual leave outstanding at 31st December 2010 (106 days x
RWF 1,200 per day)
Note that the remaining annual leave of 20 days is lost as it has not been used in the allowed
timeframe.
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Profit-sharing and bonuses
Some employers, to encourage better productivity, are putting into place profit-share and
bonus schemes. Where this is so, the entity should recognise the expected cost of profit-
sharing and bonus payments when the following two conditions are met:
• The entity has a present obligation to make such payments as a result of past events (the
obligation may be legal or constructive in nature); and
The most common type of retirement plan or post-employment benefit is a pension. There are
two types of pension plans identified in IAS 19:
• Defined contribution plans
• Defined benefit plans
A pension plan consists of a pool of assets that has been built up, together with a liability for
pensions owed to the employees. Pension plan assets are made up of investments, cash,
properties and other assets that will generate a return. This return is used to pay the employee
pensions.
The accounting treatment of each plan differs greatly from the other, so it is crucial to
identify which type of pension plan exists in the question.
Therefore, all the risk falls on the employee or a third party. This risk is made up of:
• Actuarial risk (the risk that the benefits eventually paid out will be less than expected);
and
• Investment risk (the risk that the assets invested will be insufficient to meet expected
benefits)
As a result of this, the annual cost of the pension plan to the employer is quite predictable and
the accounting treatment of such plans is straightforward.
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Defined Benefit Plans:
The entity has an obligation to provide an agreed pension to its current and former
employees. These obligations include both formal plans and those informal arrangements that
create a constructive obligation to the employees. Typically, under a defined benefit plan, a
retired employee will receive a pension that is based both on either the average or final salary
of the employee during their career and their length of service.
It is the job of an actuary to calculate the level of contributions that must be paid into the plan
each year in order to meet the employer’s commitment under the terms of the pension
agreement. The actuary will use various estimates and assumptions including:
• Life expectancy
• Wage inflation
• Investment returns
Since the employer undertakes to finance a pension income of a certain amount, it has an
obligation to ensure that sufficient contributions to the plan are being made to fund the
eventual pensions that will be payable to the employees. If there is a shortfall in the assets of
the plan, the employer must make good this deficit. As a result, the cost of providing
pensions is not always predictable and varies from year to year.
Clearly, both the actuarial risk and the investment risk falls on the employer. As a result, the
accounting treatment of a defined benefit pension plan is more complex that a defined
contribution plan. The actual contributions paid by the employer in the period do not
normally represent the true cost to the employer of providing pensions in that period. The
financial statements must reflect that true cost.
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Example
OO Ltd makes contributions to the defined contribution pension plan of its employees at a
rate of 6% of gross salary. For convenience sake, the contributions made are RWF15,000 per
month, with the balance being paid in the first month of the following period. The wages and
salaries for 2009 were RWF3,200,000.
If the liability exceeds the assets, there is a pension deficit. This deficit is then reported in the
Statement of Financial Position.
If the fund’s assets exceed the liability, there is a surplus and this is reported in the statement
of financial position.
At the risk of being over-simplistic, the pension expense in the period is the difference
between the net deficit/surplus at the beginning of the period and the net deficit or surplus at
the end of the period.
The pension plans liabilities are measured on an actuarial basis at each reporting period. The
actuary uses a method called the Projected Unit Credit Method. The liabilities are discounted
to their Present Value. Discounting is essential because the liability will be discharged
potentially many years into the future. For example, a newly recruited young employee who
joins the company and qualifies for a defined benefit pension might not actually reach
pensionable age for another 40 years. Thus, the effect of the time value of money is material.
IAS 19 states that the discount rate used should be determined by market yields on high
quality corporate bonds at the reporting period.
The plan’s assets are measured at their fair value, which is normally their market value. If no
market value is available, then the fair value is estimated, for example by determining the
present value of the expected future cash flows from the assets. The standard does not detail
the maximum time interval between valuations, other than to say that they should be carried
out with sufficient regularity to ensure that the amounts recognised in the financial statements
do not differ materially from actual fair values at the reporting date.
If there are unpaid contributions at the year end, these are not included in the plan’s assets.
Rather, these are treated as an ordinary liability, due from the entity to the plan.
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Before we take a more in-depth look at accounting for defined benefit plans, it is important to
understand the meaning of the main terms that are used:
Term Definition
Current Service The increase in the actuarial liability arising from employee service in the
Cost current period
Past service The increase in the actuarial liability relating to employee service in the
Cost previous period, but only arising in the current period. Past service costs
arise usually because there has been an improvement in the benefits being
provided under the plan
Interest Cost The increase in the pension liability arising from the unwinding of the
discount, as the liability draws one period closer to being settled
Expected Return The expected return in the period earned on the pension scheme assets
on assets
Settlements and The gains and losses arising when major reductions are made to the
curtailments number of employees in the plan or the benefits promised to them.
Actuarial gains The increases and decreases in the pension asset or liability that occur
and losses because:
• Actuarial assumptions have changed (e.g. life expectancy increases);
and/or
• Differences between the previous actuarial assumptions and what has
actually occurred, for example, the actual return on assets may be less
that that expected. These are referred to as experience adjustments
* Note that there are a number of different methods of dealing with actuarial gains and
losses. It is vital that you determine which method is being used in the question.
IAS 19 recognises that in any given year, the extent of actuarial gains or losses can be very
large. In recent years, turmoil in the capital markets has given rise to huge falls in asset prices
worldwide. This has resulted in huge pension deficits in defined benefit plans for many
entities, as a gulf emerged between the fair value of the plans assets and the obligations that
the assets were supposed to fund.
IAS 19 attempts to limit the impact of actuarial losses on an entity’s profit or loss for the
period. The standard takes the view that in the long term, actuarial gains and losses may
offset one another and consequently, the enterprise is not obliged to recognise its actuarial
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gains and losses immediately. It gives a number of alternative approaches to the treatment of
actuarial gains and losses:
• Recognise them immediately in the profit or loss calculation for the period. Given
however the potential swing from year to year, many entities avoid this option.
• The entity may recognise them as “Other Comprehensive Income” in the Statement of
Comprehensive Income. This option is only available where the gains or losses are
recognised in the period in which they occur.
• “The Corridor Rule”, where the gains and losses are excluded from the Statement of
Comprehensive Income, provided the gains are losses are within certain limits (i.e. the
corridor). Gains or losses outside the corridor must be charged to profit or loss, but
again the impact can be alleviated. We will see the corridor rule in action later.
EXAMPLE 1
Nevad Ltd. operates two pension plans as follows:
1. The Nevad (2006) Pension Plan which commenced on 1st November 2006; and
2. The Nevad (1990) Pension Plan, which was closed to new entrants from 31st October
2006, but which was open to future service accrual for the employees already in the
scheme.
The assets of the schemes are held separately from those of the company in funds under the
control of trustees.
The following information relates to the two schemes:
(ii) Nevad Ltd contributes, currently, the same amount to the plan for the benefit of the
employees
(iii) On retirement, employees are guaranteed a pension which is based upon the number of
years service with the company and their final salary
The following details relate to the plan in the year to 31st October 2009:
Rwfm
st
Present Value of Obligation at 1 November 2008 200
Present Value of Obligation at 31st October 2009 240
st
Fair Value of Plan Assets at 1 November 2008 190
Fair Value of Plan Assets at 31st October 2009 225
Current Service Cost 20
Pension Benefits Paid 19
st
Total contributions paid to scheme for year to 31 October 2009 17
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It is company policy to recognise actuarial gains and losses arising in the period as “Other
Comprehensive Income” in the period.
Rwfm
Fair value of Plan Assets at 31st October 2009 21
st
Contributions paid by company for year to 31 October 2009 10
Contributions paid by employees for year to 31st October 2009 10
The discount rates and expected return on plan assets for the two plans are:
The company would like advice on how to treat the two pension plans, for the year ended
31st October 2009, together with an explanation of the differences between a defined
contribution plan and a defined benefit plan.
SOLUTION
A defined contribution plan is a pension plan whereby an employer pays fixed contributions
into a separate fund and has no legal or constructive obligation to pay further contributions.
Payments or benefits provided to employees may be a simple distribution of total fund assets
or a third party (an insurance company) may, for example, agree to provide an agreed level of
payments or benefits. Any actuarial and investment risks of defined contribution plans are
assumed by the employee or the third party. The employer is not required to make up any
shortfall in assets and all plans that are not defined contribution plans are deemed to be
defined benefit plans.
In a defined benefit scheme, it is the employer that underwrites the vast majority of costs so
that if investment returns are poor or costs increase, the employer needs either to make
adjustments to the scheme or to increase levels of contribution. Alternatively, if investment
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returns are good, the contribution levels could be reduced. In a defined contribution scheme,
the contributions are paid at a fixed level and, therefore, it is the scheme member who is
shouldering the risks. If they fail to take action by increasing contribution rates when
investment returns are poor or costs increase, then their retirement benefits will be lower than
they had planned for.
For defined contribution plans, the cost to be recognised in the period is the contribution
payable in exchange for service rendered by the employees during the period. The accounting
for a defined contribution plan is straightforward because the employer’s obligation for each
period is determined by the amount contributed for that period. Often, contributions are based
on a formula that uses employee compensation in the period as its base. No actuarial
assumptions are required to measure the obligation or the expense and there are no actuarial
gains or losses.
The employer should account for the contribution payable at the end of each period based on
employee services rendered during that period, reduced by any payments made during the
period. If the employer has made payments in excess of those required, the excess is a
prepaid expense to the extent that the excess will lead to a reduction in future contributions or
a cash refund.
For defined benefit plans, the amount recognised in the Statement of Financial Position
should be the present value of the defined benefit obligation (that is, the present value of the
expected future payments required to settle the obligation resulting from employee service in
the current and prior periods), as adjusted for unrecognised actuarial gains and losses and
unrecognised past service cost, and reduced by the fair value of plan assets at the reporting
date. If the balance is an asset, the amount recognised may be limited under IAS 19.
In the case of Nevad Ltd. the 1990 plan is a defined benefit plan, as the employer has the
investment risk as the company is guaranteeing a pension based on the service lives of the
employees in the scheme. The employer’s liability is not limited to the amount of the
contributions. There is a risk that if the investment returns fall short, the employer will have
to make good the shortfall in the scheme.
The 2006 plan, however, is a defined contribution scheme because the employer’s liability is
limited to the contributions paid.
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The accounting for the two plans is as follows:
Step 1 Determine the amount of the actuarial gains or losses for the period
This is done by analysing the change in assets and in the pension obligation for the period.
The actuarial gains or losses are balancing figures. The calculations are made year by year,
because the closing figures for each year from the opening figures for the following year.
Actual cash receipts and payments appear in the plan assets calculation. Contributions
received increase the plan assets and benefits paid reduce the plan assets.
Benefits paid appear in both calculations because the payment reduces assets but also reduces
the liability.
Liability: RWFm
Present Value of obligation 1st November 2008 2000
Interest cost (at 5%) 100
Current service cost 200
Benefits paid (190)
2110
Present Value of obligation at 31st October 2009 2400
Actuarial loss (balancing figure) 290
Asset:
Fair Value of plan assets at 1st November 2008 1900
Expected return on assets (at 7%) 133
Contributions received 170
Benefits paid (190)
2013
Fair Value of plan assets at 31st October 2009 2250
Actuarial gain (balancing figure) 237
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RWFm
Actuarial loss on obligation 290
Actuarial gain on asset 237
Net actuarial loss 53
It is company policy in this instance to show this net actuarial loss as “Other Comprehensive
Income”
Step 2 Calculate the net pension liability (or asset) in the Statement of Financial
Position
This is the difference between the plan obligations and the plan assets.
RWFm
Present value of the obligation at 31st October 2009 2400
Fair Value of the assets at 31st October 2009 2250
Net pension liability 150
Movements in the net liability recognised in the Statement of Financial Position (proof):
This statement reconciles the figures in the statement of financial position, using the charges
to profit and loss and other comprehensive income:
Opening net liability (2,000 – 1,900) 100
Expense in Income statement (per step 3 above) 167
Net actuarial loss (per step 1 above) 53
Contributions paid (170)
Closing net liability (per step 2 above) 150
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E. THE 10% CORRIDOR RULE
As mentioned previously, there is an alternative method of dealing with actuarial gains and
losses. Under the Corridor approach, actuarial gains and losses may be excluded from the
Statement of Comprehensive Income. However, a portion of the actuarial gains or losses
should be charged to profit or loss if, at the end of the previous reporting period, cumulative
unrecognised actuarial gains and losses exceed the greater of:
(i) 10% of the present value of the defined benefit obligation; and
(ii) 10% of the fair value of any plan assets at that date
Gains and losses that exceed the 10% corridor must be charged to profit or loss, but they may
be spread over the average remaining working lives of employees in the plan. Furthermore,
any unrecognised actuarial gains or losses will impact on the final liability (or asset) to be
shown in the Statement of Financial Position.
EXAMPLE 2
IAS 19 Employee Benefits is applied to all employee benefits other than those to which IFRS
2 Share-Based Payments applies. Accounting for short-term employee benefits is relatively
straightforward. However, accounting for post-employment benefits can be rather more
complex. This particularly applies where post-employment benefits are provided via defined
benefit plans.
REQUIRED:
Explain:
(a) The meaning of post employment benefits and the manner in which such benefits
that are provided via defined contribution plans should be measured and recognised
in the financial statements of employers.
(b) Why accounting for post-employment benefits provided via defined benefit plans is
more complex than those provided via defined contribution plans in the financial
statements of employers
(c) The amounts that should be included in the financial statements of employers,
regarding post-employment benefits (ignore the effect of actuarial gains and losses at
this stage)
MN Ltd. provides post-employment benefits to its employees through a defined benefit
plan. The following date relates to the plan:
Year ended Year ended
31st March 31st March
2009 2008
RWF’000 RWF’000
Present Value of obligation at year end 36,000 33,000
Fair Value of plan assets at year end 31,000 30,000
Current service Cost 6,000 5,700
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Benefits paid by plan 8,000 7,500
Contributions paid into plan during year 5,800 5,600
Discount rate at start of year 10% 9%
Expected rate of return on plan assets at start 7% 6%
of year
Average remaining service lives of 20 years 20 years
participating employees
On 1st April 2008, MN Ltd. had net unrecognised actuarial losses of RWF4.2 million.
MN Ltd. accounts for actuarial gains and losses using the “corridor method”
(d) Prepare extracts from MN’s Statement of Financial Position at 31st march 2009 and
from its Income Statement for the year ended 31st March 2009, relating to the defined
benefits plan.
SOLUTION
(a) Post-employment benefits are employee benefits (other than termination benefits) that
are payable after completion of employment. Examples of such benefits include lump-
sum payments on completion of employment and ongoing cash sums payable on a
monthly basis in the form of a pension. Such benefits are often (but not necessarily)
payable via post-employment benefit plans. Where such plans are defined contribution
plans, the obligation of the entity is limited to the amount that it agrees to contribute to
the plan. Therefore, the related employee benefit is measured as the amount of
contributions payable by an entity (and perhaps also the employee) to the fund. Unless
another standard requires or permits the inclusion of the benefits in the cost of an asset,
the benefits should be recognised as an expense in the Income Statement. Any unpaid or
prepaid contributions should be recognised in the Statement of Financial Position as a
liability or an asset.
(b) Where post-employment benefits are provided via defined benefit plans, then the basis
of measuring the benefit payable differs from defined contribution plans. The benefit is
typically based on the length of service and the average or final salary of the former
employee. There is no guarantee that the contributions paid plus associated investment
income will be sufficient to fund the benefit payable. In such circumstances, the
contributing entity has a legal or constructive obligation to provide additional resources
to the plan to ensure that the benefit can be paid. In addition, these benefits are often
payable on a regular basis until the death of the employee. Therefore, measuring the
cost of the benefit to the contributing entity is a more complex matter.
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(c) IAS 19 requires entities initially to focus on amounts in the Statement of Financial
Position when accounting for benefits provided via defined benefit plans. The essential
principle is that, in the Statement of Financial Position, entities should measure the net
obligation to provide benefits based on service provided up to the reporting date. This
obligation should be measure at the net of the following amounts:
• The present value of the defined benefit obligation at the reporting date ; LESS
• Any obligation relating to past service costs that has not yet been recognised as an
expense because the relevant benefits have not completely vested; LESS
• The fair value at the reporting date of any plan assets out of which the obligations
are to be settled directly
Where the net obligation is negative, then IAS 19 allows entities to recognise an asset
provided this amount is recoverable either by receiving funds from the plan or reducing
future contributions that would otherwise be payable to the plan. This is sometimes
referred to as the “asset ceiling”, in that it potentially restricts the amount that can be
recognised as a pension asset.
The amounts that should be recognised in the Income Statement as costs (or in certain
circumstances, in the cost of an asset) are the net of:
• The current service cost
• The expected return on any plan assets (this is a credit to the Income Statement)
(d) Extracts from the Statement of Financial Position at 31st March 2009
RWF’000
Obligation at reporting date 36,000
Fair Value of plan assets at reporting date (31,000)
Unrecognised actuarial losses (see below) (4,755)
Net pension liability 245
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Extracts from the Income Statement for the year ended 31st March 2009
RWF’000
Workings:
Step 1 Determine the amount of the actuarial gains or losses for the period
Liability: RWF’000
Present Value of obligation 1st April 2008 33,000
Interest cost (at 10%) 3,300
Current service cost 6,000
Benefits paid (8,000)
34,300
Present Value of obligation at 31st March 2009 36,000
Actuarial loss (balancing figure) 1,700
Asset:
Fair Value of plan assets at 1st April 2008 30,000
Expected return on assets (at 7%) 2,100
Contributions received 5,800
Benefits paid (8,000)
29,900
Fair Value of plan assets at 31st March 2009 31,000
Actuarial gain (balancing figure) 1,100
RWF’000
Actuarial loss on obligation 1,700
Actuarial gain on asset 1,100
Net actuarial loss 600
It is company policy to use the corridor approach in the treatment of actuarial gains and
losses.
Therefore: RWF’000
10% of Present Value of obligations at the start of the year (10% x 33,000) 3,300
10% of fair value of plan assets at the start of the year (10% x 30,000) 3,000
Therefore, the corridor limit is RWF3,300,000.
The unrecognised actuarial losses at the start of the year are RWF4,200,000 (as given in the
question). The excess of unrecognised actuarial losses over the corridor limit is RWF900,000
(i.e. RWF4,200,000 – RWF3,300,000). This excess must be recognised in profit or loss, but
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spread out over the average remaining working lives of those employees in the plan, i.e. 20
years.
The unrecognised actuarial losses at the end of the year, carried forward into next year are as
flows:
RWF’000
Opening balance 4,200
Arising in year (as calculated in step 1) 600
Recognised in Income Statement (45)
4,755
This RWF4,755,000 is deducted in arriving at the net pension liability in the Statement of
Financial Position
IAS 19 allows entities to recognise actuarial gains and losses in the Income statement on any
rational basis that results in faster recognition than is the case under the corridor method. This
could include, for example, immediate recognition of all actuarial gains and losses as they
arise, or recognition of any corridor excess immediately, rather than over the average
remaining service lives of the employees participating in the plan.
As an alternative to recognising actuarial gains and losses in the Income Statement, an entity
may recognise them as “Other Comprehensive Income” in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income. This option is only available where the gains or losses are recognised in the period in
which they occur.
A settlement occurs when an entity enters into a transaction to eliminate the obligation for
part or all of the benefits under a plan. For example, an employee leaves the entity for a new
job elsewhere and is paid a cheque by the pension fund to transfer out of that plan.
• Amends the terms of a plan such that a material element of future service by current
employees will qualify for no or reduced benefits
For example, an entity closes a factory and makes those employees redundant.
The gain or loss arising on a curtailment or settlement should be recognised when the
curtailment or settlement occurs.
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The gain or loss comprises the difference between:
• The fair value of the plan assets paid out; and
• The reduction in the present value of the defined benefit obligation (together with the
relevant proportion of any unrecognised actuarial gains and losses and past service costs
in respect of the transaction)
Before determining the effect of a curtailment, the entity must re-measure the obligation and
plan assets using current actuarial assumptions. Curtailments and settlements do not affect
profit or loss if they have already been factored into the actuarial assumptions.
Example
Florid Ltd decides to close a business segment, making the employees redundant. These
employees will not earn any further pension benefits. Their plan assets will remain in the
scheme so that the employees will be paid a pension, albeit a reduced one, when they reach
pensionable age. (i.e. this is a curtailment without a settlement).
Before the curtailment, the plan assets had a fair value of RWF650,000 and there were
obligations with a present value of RWF800,000 and there were net cumulative unrecognised
actuarial losses of RWF50,000. The curtailment reduces the present value of the obligation
by RWF80,000 (because the employees will not now receive the pay rises they would have
been awarded.
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G. PAST SERVICE COSTS
Past service costs arise either where a new retirement plan is introduced, or where the benefits
under an existing plan are improved. Where a new plan is introduced, employees are often
given benefit rights for their years of service before the introduction of the plan.
If employees have the rights to receive benefits under the plan immediately, the benefits are
said to be “vested” and the cost must be recognised immediately. If employees become
entitled to benefits only at a later date, the benefits become vested at that later date and the
costs may be spread on a straight-line basis over the average period until the vesting date.
Because recognised past service costs increase the plan liability, any that are unrecognised
past service costs are deducted in arriving at the plan liability in the Statement of Financial
Position.
Example
An entity operates a pension plan that provides a pension of 2% of final salary for each year
of service. The benefits become vested after 5 years of service. On 1st January 2010, the
entity improves the pension to 3% of final salary, for each year of service starting from 1st
January 2006.
At the date of the improvement, the present value of the additional benefits for service from
1st January 2006 to 1st January 2010 is as follows:
RWF
Employees with 5 or more years service at 1st January 2010 180,000
Employees with less than 5 years service at 1st January 2010 (average period until vesting: 3
years) 150,000
330,000
Therefore, the entity recognises the RWF180,000 immediately, because those benefits are
already vested. The entity recognisesRWF150,000 on a straight line basis over 3 years, from
1st January 2010.
The accounting treatment of these benefits is similar to that outlined in respect of defined
benefit pension plans. An important difference however is that actuarial gains and losses are
recognised immediately. Thus, the corridor option allowed for defined benefit pension plans
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is not permitted in the case of other long-term employee benefits. In addition, all past service
cost is recognised immediately.
I. TERMINATION BENEFITS
Since termination benefits do not provide an entity with future economic benefits, they are
therefore recognised as an expense immediately. Termination benefits should be recognised
as a liability and an expense, however, only when the entity is demonstrably committed to
either:
(a) terminating the employment of an employee or group of employees before the normal
retirement date; or
(b) Providing termination benefits as a result of an offer made in order to encourage
voluntary redundancy.
An entity is demonstrably committed to a termination when, and only when, it has a detailed
formal plan that has no realistic possibility of withdrawal. If termination benefits are payable
after more than 12 months, they should be discounted to present value using the market yield
on high quality corporate bonds as the discount rate.
Example
In December 2010, DKT Limited announced a detailed plan for terminating the employment
of 5% of its workforce. The termination date scheduled by the company was 1 April 2011
and it was agreed that lump sum termination benefits totalling RWF1.6 million would be
made to the staff affected.
In December 2010, DKT Limited also announced detailed plans for voluntary redundancy. It
was expected that a further 100 staff would opt for the terms offered by the company, which
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involve a deferred lump sum payment of RWF50,000 per employee payable on 1 January
2013.
Outline the accounting treatment for the termination payments scheduled by DKT Limited.
The market yield on blue chip corporate bonds at 31st December 2010 was 6%.
Solution
DKT has a detailed formal plan in place in December 2010, which will result in the
termination of employment for 5% of its workforce. As there is no realistic possibility of that
plan being withdrawn, DKT is deemed to be demonstrably committed to the termination plan.
In the case of voluntary redundancy, IAS 19 requires that the measurement of termination
benefits shall be based on the number of employees expected to accept the offer.
DKT is expected to make voluntary redundancy payments totalling RWF5 million on 1st
January 2013. When discounted at an annual rate of 6%, these payments have a present value
of RWF4.45 million. The following journal entry is required in the financial statements for
the year ended 31st December 2010:
RWF’000 RWF’000
Debit Termination payments expense (I/S ) 4,450
Credit Provision for termination payments (SOFP) 4,450
J. DISCLOSURE
Given the complexity of the subject matter, IAS 19 has extensive disclosure requirements.
– The present value at the reporting date of defined benefit obligations that are
wholly unfunded
– The present value (before deducting the fair value of the plan assets) at the
reporting date of defined benefit obligations that are wholly or partly funded
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– The fair value of any plan assets at the reporting date
– The net actuarial gains or losses not recognised in the Statement of Financial
Position
– The past service cost not yet recognised in the Statement of Financial Position
– The amounts recognised in the Statement of Financial Position
• A reconciliation showing the movements during the period in the net liability (or asset)
recognised in the Statement of Financial Position
• The total expense recognised in profit or loss for each of the following (and the line
item in which they are included)
IAS 26 deals with accounting and reporting by the plan to all participants as a group.
Retirement benefit plans may be defined contribution plans or defined benefit plans:
• In a defined contribution plan, amounts to be paid as retirement benefits are determined
by the contributions to the fund, together with investment earnings thereon;
• In a defined benefit plan, amounts to be paid as retirement benefits are determined by
reference to a formula which is usually based on employees’ earnings and/or years of
service.
The financial statements should contain a statement of net assets available for benefits and a
description of the funding policy.
The objective of reporting by a defined contribution plan is to provide information about the
plan and the performance of its investments. That objective is usually achieved by providing
financial statements that include the following:
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• a description of significant activities for the period, and the effect of any changes
relating to the plan;
• a report on the transactions and investment performance for the period and the financial
position of the plan at the end of the period; and
• a description of the investment policies.
If an actuarial valuation has not been prepared at the date of the financial statements, the most
recent valuation should be used and the date of the valuation disclosed.
The financial statements should explain the relationship between the actuarial present value
of promised retirement benefits and the net assets available for benefits, together with the
policy for the funding of promised benefits.
The objective of the reporting by a defined benefit plan is to provide information about the
financial resources and activities of the plan that is useful in assessing the relationship
between the accumulation of resources and plan benefits over time. This objective is usually
achieved by providing financial statements that include the following:
• a description of significant activities for the period and the effect of any changes
relating to the plan;
• statements reporting on the transactions and investment performance for the period and
the financial position of the plan at the end of the period;
• actuarial information either as part of the statements or by way of a separate report; and
• a description of the investment policies.
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Disclosure
The financial statements of all retirement benefit plans should disclose:
• a statement of changes in net assets;
• a summary of significant accounting policies; and
• a description of the plan and the effect of any changes in the plan during the period.
Financial statements provided by retirement benefit plans should include the following if
applicable:
(a) Statement of net assets available for benefits, disclosing;
• assets at the end of the period;
• basis of valuation of assets;
• details of any single investment, exceeding either 5% of the net assets available
for benefits, or 5% of any class or type of security;
• details of any investment in the employer; and
• liabilities other than the actuarial present value of promised retirement benefits.
(b) Statement of changes in net assets available for benefits, showing the following:
• employer contributions;
• employee contributions;
• investment income;
• benefits paid;
• administrative expenses;
• other expenses;
• taxes on income;
• profits and losses on disposal of investments;
• changes in value of investments;
• transfers from and to other plans.
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Study Unit 33
A. Objective
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Definitions
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Disclosure Requirements
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 417
A. OBJECTIVE
The objective of IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures is to ensure that an entity’s financial
statements contain sufficient disclosures to highlight the possibility that the entity’s financial
position and / or performance may have been affected by:
• The existence of related parties and
• Transactions and remaining balances with related parties
Users of financial statements normally expect that the financial statements reflect “arms
length” transactions, i.e. transactions that occur on normal commercial terms. If this was not
always the case, users would have to be informed of such transactions and of the relationships
underlying the financial statements. This would result in important information being
provided to the users, because related parties might enter into transactions with each other on
terms that unrelated parties might not.
Various types of transactions might occur between related parties (for example a parent
company and its subsidiary) that may have a material impact on the Financial Statements.
Such transactions may or may not be on normal commercial terms (“at arm’s length”). Even
if they are, it is still important to see them as related party transactions. It is possible, after all,
that they might not have occurred in the first place but for the fact that the parties to the
transaction were related.
A parent company may buy goods from its subsidiary at normal prices. On the face of it, this
may seem perfectly proper. But it could mean that without the support of the parent, the
revenue and profits of the subsidiary might be far less than reported.
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C. DEFINITIONS
The definition of a related party is one of the longer definitions in accounting. The standard
also defines a related transaction.
Related Party
A party is related to an entity in any of the following situations:
• The party controls the entity, or is controlled by it, (either directly or through
intermediaries)
• It has significant influence over the entity
• It has joint control over the entity
• The parties are under common control
• The party is an associate
• The party is a joint venture in which the entity is a venturer
• The party is a member of the key management personnel of the entity or its parent. Key
management personnel are individuals with authority for planning, directing and
controlling the activities of the entity, including all directors (executive and non-
executive)
• The party is a close family member of any of the above
However, when considering whether a related party exists, the entity must examine the
substance of any possible relationship and not simply its legal form. For example, even
though Mr. X might be a director of two separate companies, those two companies might not
be considered related parties unless it can be shown that Mr X exerts influence over
transactions involving both companies.
Close family members are those family members who may be expected to influence (or be
influenced) by that individual and include:
• The individual’s partner, children and dependants
• Children or dependants of the individual’s partner
IAS 24 gives examples of likely exemptions, i.e. where related party relationships would not
normally exist. But again, it is important to examine the substance of the relationship before a
final decision is made.
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• Government departments and agencies
• Customers, suppliers, franchisors, other agents with whom the entity transacts a
significant volume of business
D. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
IAS 24 requires the following disclosures, irrespective of whether transactions have taken
place:
• Name of entity’s parent
• Name of the ultimate controlling party, if different.
If transactions between related parties have occurred, the following information must be
disclosed, irrespective of whether a price was charged:
• Nature of the related party relationship
• Amount of the transactions
• If an outstanding balance remains, detail:
– Amount
– Terms and conditions
– Existence of any guarantees
– Any bad debts provision
• The expense recognised in the period in respect of bad or doubtful debts due from
related parties.
The disclosures above should be given separately for each of the following categories of
related party:
• The parent
• Entities with joint control or significant influence over the entity
• Subsidiaries
• Associates
• Joint Ventures in which the entity is a venturer
• Key management personnel of the entity or its parent
• Other related parties
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In addition, IAS 24 requires full disclosure of compensation and remuneration to key
management personnel, in total, and for each of the following categories:
• Short-term employee benefits
• Post-employment benefits
• Other long-term benefits
• Termination benefits
• Share-based payments
Question
Which of the following fall within the definition of a related party of Company X?
1. A company in which the spouse of a director of Company X has the majority of voting
shares?
2. A company in which W, who is a director of Company X, is a non-executive director?
3. A bank that has lent money to the entity?
4. A supplier that supplies Company X with 65% of its raw material?
Solution
Answer 1 is the only correct response.
IAS 24 states that two parties are not necessarily related merely because they have a director
in common, regardless of the fact that key management personnel are included within the
definition of related parties. Further investigation would be required to examine the extent to
which W has exerted influence in any dealings between the two companies of which holds
directorships.
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BLANK
Page 422
Study Unit 34
A. Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
D. Disclosures
___________________________________________________________________________
E. Example
___________________________________________________________________________
Page 423
A. INTRODUCTION
A share-based payment is one in which the entity receives or requires goods and services in
return for equity instruments of the entity or incurs a liability for amounts that are based on
the prices of the entity’s shares or other equity instruments of the entity. The accounting for
the payments depends on how the transaction is settled. There are three main ways of settling
the transaction:
(i) By issuing equity shares
(ii) By paying cash
(iii) Where the third party has a choice of receiving either equity or cash.
Traditionally, there are three arguments for not recognising share based payments in the
financial statements
Page 424
The most common type of transaction is where the entity grants share options to employees
or directors as part of their remuneration.
The grant date is the date at which the entity and another party agree to the transaction.
Fair value is the amount for which an asset, a liability settled or an equity instrument granted,
could be exchanged between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length transaction
• If the transaction is with employees (or others providing a similar service), measure the
fair value of the equity instruments granted at the grant date.
• If the transaction is in respect of goods and services:
– If the fair value of the goods / services can be measured reliably, measure the fair
value of the goods and services at the date they were received.
– If the fair value of the goods / services cannot be measured reliably, measure the
fair value of the equity instruments granted at the grant date.
Example
AB purchased a property with a market value of RWF100,000,000 and settles by issuing
1000,000 RWF100 shares to the seller.
Debit Property RWF100,000,000
Credit Share Capital RWF10,000,000
Credit Share Premium RWF90,000,000
Example
CD obtains advice from a business consultant and pays 1000,000 RWF100 shares with a
market value of RWF300 each.
Debit Property RWF100,000,000
Credit Share Capital RWF10,000,000
Credit Share Premium RWF90,000,000
Equity settled transactions with employees / directors would normally be expensed on the
basis of their fair value at grant date. Wherever possible, fair value should be based on market
prices. However, many shares are not traded on an active market. In this case, valuation
techniques, such as the option pricing model, would be used.
IFRS 2’s objective for equity-based transactions with employees is to determine and
recognise compensation costs over the period in which services are rendered. For example, if
an entity grants share options to employees that vest in three years’ time on the condition that
they remain in the entity’s employ for that time, the following steps will be taken:
1. The fair value of the options will be determined at the date they were granted
2. The fair value will be charged to the income statement equally over the three year
vesting period, with adjustments made at each accounting date to reflect the best
estimate of the number of options that will eventually vest.
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3. Shareholders equity will be increased by an amount equal to the income statement
charge. The charge in the income statement reflects the number of options that are
vested, not the number of options granted. If employees decide not to exercise their
options because the share price is lower than the exercise price, then no adjustment is
made to the income statement.
Many employee share option schemes contain conditions that must be met before the
employee becomes entitled to the shares or options. These are called vesting conditions. For
example, an increase in profit or growth in share price might be required before the shares are
invested in the employees.
The treatment of such performance conditions depends on whether they are market
conditions, i.e. whether the conditions are specifically related to the market price of the
entity’s shares. Such conditions are ignored for the purposes of estimating the number of
equity shares that will vest, as IFRS 2 believes that these conditions are taken into account
when determining the fair value of the equity instruments granted.
Example
EF Ltd grants 1000 share options to each of its 50 employees, conditional on the employee
working for the entity over the next 3 years. The estimated fair value of each share option is
RWF150 at the grant date.
At the end of year 1, the company estimates that 16% of the employees will leave prior to the
vesting date.
At the end of year 2, the company revises its estimate on the employees that will qualify for
the options. It is now believes that 12% of the original employees will leave before vesting
date
The amount recognised in shareholders equity now becomes (with the increase going to the
income statement):
1,000x50 x 88% x RWF150 x 2/3 = RWF4,400,000
Debit Income Statement 2,300,000
Credit Shareholders Equity 2,300,000
At the end of year 3, a total of 7 employees have actually left the company in the 3 year
period. The amount recognised is:
1,000x(50 – 7) x RWF150 x 3/3 = RWF
Debit Income Statement 2,050,000
Credit Shareholders Equity 2,050,000
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Cash-Settled Share-Based Transactions
Cash-settled share-based transactions occur where goods or services are paid for at amounts
that are based on the price of the entity’s shares or other equity instruments. The expense
recognised for such transactions is the cash paid by the entity.
An example of such an arrangement would be Share Appreciation Rights (or SARS). These
entitle employees to cash payments equal to the increase in the share price of a given number
of the entity’s shares over a set period.
A cash settled transaction creates a liability. The cost that is recognised in respect of this
liability is based on the fair value of the instrument at the reporting date (not the grant date!).
The fair value of the liability is re-measured at each reporting date until it is finally settled.
Therefore, the cumulative expense recognised at each reporting date is the fair value on the
reporting date multiplied by the amount of the vesting period that has lapsed. Any change in
fair value between the vesting date and the settlement date is recognised immediately.
Furthermore, unlike equity settled transactions, any reduction in the value of the award is
recognised immediately, even if the award is not exercised. The payment of cash-settled
share based transactions can occur after the services are rendered.
Example
GH Ltd grants 100 share appreciation rights (SARS) to each of its 150 employees, on
condition that they remain with the company for the next 3 years.
During year 1, 10 employees leave and it is estimated that a further 20 will leave before the
end of year 3.
During year 2, 12 employees leave and a further 8 are expected to leave in year 3.
During year 3, 4 employees leave and at the end of year 3, the remaining employees exercise
their SARS.
Year 1
(150-10-20) x 100 SARS x RWF250 x 1/3 = RWF1,000,000
Debit Income Statement 1,000,000
Credit Liability in B/S 1,000,000
Page 427
Year 2
(–150-10-12-8) x 100 SARS x RWF325 x 2/3 = RWF2,600,000
Debit Income Statement 1,600,000
Credit Liability in B/S 1,600,000
Year 3
(–150-10-12-4) x 100 SARS x RWF360 x 3/3 = RWF4,464,000
Debit Income Statement 1,864,000
Credit Liability in B/S 1,864,000
The liability is now RWF4,464,000 and will be eliminated on the payment by the company of
this amount.
The accounting for this type of transaction depends on which party has the choice of
settlement method and the extent to which the entity has incurred a liability.
If the employee has the right to choose the settlement method, the entity is deemed to have
issued a compound instrument. In other words, it has issued an instrument with a debt
element (the cash component) and an equity element (where the employee has the right to
receive equity instruments).
If the fair value of the goods / services received can be measured directly and easily, the
equity element is calculated by measuring the fair value of the goods / services less the fair
value of the debt element of this instrument. The debt element is the cash payment that will
occur.
If the fair value of the goods / services is measured by reference to the fair value of the equity
instruments given, the whole of the compound instrument should be fair valued. Then, the
equity element becomes the difference between the fair value of the equity instruments
granted less the fair value of the debt component.
Example
JK Ltd purchases a property for RWF200m. The seller can choose how the purchase price
can be settled. The choices are:
• Receipt of 1 million shares of the entity in one year’s time OR
• Receipt of a cash payment in six months time equivalent to the market value of 875,000
shares.
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It is estimated that the fair value of the first alternative would be RWF220m and the fair
value of the second alternative would be RWF201.25m.
When JK receives the property, it should record a liability of RW180m and an increase in
equity of RWF20m (the difference between the value of the property and the fair value of the
liability).
Example
LM Ltd grants an employee the right to:
• A cash payment equal to the value of 1,000 shares; OR
• 1,200 shares.
However, the employee must complete three years’ service and if the 1,200 shares are
chosen, they must be held for a further 3 years before they can be sold.
At the grant date the share price is RWF500. At the end of years 1, 2 and 3, the share price
moves to RWF520, RWF550 and RWF600 respectively. At the grant date, the fair value of
the share alternative is RWF480.
At the grant date:
Year 1
1,000 x RWF520 x 1/3 = 173,333
Debit Income Statement 173,333
Credit Liability 173,333
Year 2
1,000 x RWF550 x 2/3 = 366,667
Debit Income Statement 193,334
Credit Liability 193,334
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Where the entity chooses the method of settlement, it must decide whether an obligation to
settle in cash has been created or not. Usually, the transaction will be treated as a cash-settled
transaction if the entity has a past practice or a stated policy of settling in cash or if the choice
of settlement in equity instruments has no commercial substance or if the equity instruments
to be issued are redeemable.
If none of the other conditions is apparent, the entity accounts for the transaction as equity
settled transaction. If the transaction is accounted for an equity-settled transaction, the
accounting treatment when the settlement occurs depends on which alternative has the greater
value.
D. DISCLOSURES
The entity should disclose information that allows the users of the financial statements to
understand the nature and extent of share-based arrangements that existed during the period.
The following should be disclosed, at the least:
• A description of each type of share-based arrangement that existed at any time during
the period, outlining the general terms and conditions of the arrangement.
• The number and weighted average exercise prices of share options:
– Outstanding at the beginning of the period
– Granted during the period
– Forfeited during the period
– Expired during the period
– Outstanding at the end of the period
– Exercisable at the end of the period
• For share options exercised during the period, the weighted average share price at the
date of exercise
• For share options outstanding at the end of the period, the range of exercise prices and
the weighted average remaining contractual life
• How the fair value of goods / services received, or the fair value of equity instruments
granted, during the period, was determined.
E. EXAMPLE
INK-WELL introduced a share option scheme on 1st January 2009. Under the scheme the
company awarded 200 shares per employee (140 employees in company at that date) at an
option price of RWF500 per share. On 1st January 2009 the company expected that 20 per
cent of employees would have left the company before the vesting date of 31st December
2012.
Page 430
On 31st December 2009 5 employees had left and management revised its estimate of leavers
to 15 per cent.
On 31st December 2010 due to the poor economic conditions no further employees have left
the company and management believe their estimate of leavers as at 31st December 2009 is
appropriate.
Management of INK-WELL plan to record the full cost of the option at the vesting date; 31st
December 2012.
Solution:
There is a 4 year vesting period, beginning in the previous year. Ink-Well has charged
nothing to its Income Statement yet (either this year or last), as the question says, it is waiting
until the end of the vesting period before accounting for the options scheme. This is an
incorrect accounting treatment.
The annual expense (and related credit to equity) must be estimated and accounted for at the
end of each accounting period.
The increase (or decrease) each year goes to the Income Statement. Thus beginning with
2009:
SOFP I/S
2009 (140 – 21) x 200 shares x RWF500 x 1/4 2,975,000 2,975,000
2010 (140 – 21) x 200 shares x RWF500 x 2/4 5,950,000 2,975,000
Because a charge was not made in 2009, this must be rectified. This represents a prior period
error and must be accounted for accordingly. Furthermore, in the 2010 accounts the
appropriate charge must be accounted for too, so that in the Statement of Financial Position,
an equity item in respect of RWF5,950,000 exists and retained earnings have been reduced by
the same total.
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Study Unit 35
Contents
___________________________________________________________________________
Traditionally, accounting and reporting has been as an exercise based on a set of ‘financial
numbers’, composed of for example income and expenditure, asset valuations, liabilities
owed and capital. However in recent decades a number of commentators have come to see
that organisations, both in the private and public sectors, have an enormous impact on
society. These include for example employment policies, charitable donations by
organisations and their contribution to the communities, both local and national, in which
they exist. A particularly important sub-set of this has been their impact on environmental
issues. We are aware that these are increasingly important – a very good example in a
Rwandan context would be the ban on the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags.
Organisations need to be aware of these issues for several reasons. There is first of all the
moral issue, namely that they have a duty to be responsible citizens in the same way that
individuals have. Indeed, it could be argued their responsibility is usually greater as they can
normally have more direct impact than individuals can, both positively and negatively. There
are also economic arguments too. For example, organisations that breach legislation can find
themselves in serious trouble, sometimes faced with heavy fines or, in the very worst cases,
faced with closure of the business. There have for example been some very significant cases
of oil companies in some countries whose activities have created widespread environmental
damage and have been fined multi-million US dollars as a result.
Then there is the effect of activities on customer perceptions. Consumers are becoming more
aware of social and environmental issues and may be attracted towards buying the goods and
services of those organisations that have a positive record in these areas and avoiding those
with negative records. For example in some countries consumers will be attracted to buying
imported Rwandan coffee with a ‘Fairtrade’ label over products of producers who do not
have this title. However, if those same consumers were to find out that the producer was not
acting in a way that deserved the ‘Fairtrade’ label then they may take their business
elsewhere.
Underlying principles
In order to address these issues adequately, organisations are increasingly adding additional
information to their annual reports. These cover a number of non-financial areas and are
considered in more detail below.
However, there are some underlying principles, indeed an underlying philosophy, which
contrasts with ‘traditional accounting’ and these in themselves are quite challenging, namely;
• that an organisation is accountable to a broad group of stakeholders, not just for
example shareholders;
• that the organisation should concern itself with more than just economic or financial
events;
• that results should not only be expressed in financial terms; and
• that as a result the purpose of reporting is extended beyond financial events.
These principles are not always easy to follow as there is a possible conflict between
maximising financial returns and minimising negative impacts on the environment.
It might be thought by some accountants that accounting is a ‘neutral’ subject in which there
is a right or wrong answer in every situation. But this is rarely if ever true in practice. For
example, when we attach a value to fixed assets we have a choice (within defined limits)
about whether to use historical cost or re-value them. When we depreciate these assets we
also (again within defined limits) can use a range of approaches, all of which are broadly
acceptable but all of which result in different answers.
Similarly accounting is not neutral in its impacts. So, if an accountant’s work shows that it
would be cheaper to close down a factory then keep it open, then the logical response would
be to close the factory. But that does not take into account the societal impact of such a
decision and the factory’s managers may decide not to close down the factory though they
may still have no choice economically but to at least for example try to reduce its costs.
Such accountability has several immediate benefits. It increases transparency and balances
organisational power (which is often extremely strong, especially if the organisation is large
and influential) with responsibility, something that some would argue has not always been the
case in practice and even now is debatable in many instances globally. It also emphasises that
for each economic benefit there is often a hidden social or environmental cost and these
should also be taken into account.
However, social accounting and reporting also has a purpose regarding management control
and the achievement of an organisation’s own objectives. Often reporting will be self-
reporting and individual reports are frequently referred to as social audits. These help
organisations to both plan and measure all aspects of their progress – social and
environmental as well as financial – towards their planned objectives.
As a result, organisations get better information for decision-making and sometimes more
accurate costing outcomes. They can also benefit from improved public relations and can
even identify marketing opportunities as a result of social accounting (for example, some
energy companies can develop products that do not rely on fossil fuels and this is an
increasingly attractive and marketable proposition in many markets globally.
Social accounting is still developing and is likely to become more significant in the future. In
some countries social accounting and reporting has focused on large companies who have
significant social and environmental impact. However, in others (such as Australia) attempts
are being made to incorporate small and medium-sized operations (SMEs) into the process. A
major issue currently though is that in most cases compliance with social accounting and
reporting is voluntary and therefore there may be a wide range of information and detail
included as a result.
One organisation that takes a leading research role on these matters is the UK-based Centre
for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR). It’s briefing paper on social
and environmental accounting and reporting makes specific criticisms of the accounting
profession for what it describes as its ‘characteristic conservatism’ and suggests that this has
been a barrier to further progress on the issue but that increased public interest in the matter
has led to more attention being paid to these matters.
Reporting
As we have already mentioned, there is no standard format for reports. However, here are
some of the topics that might be included in such reports;
In some cases, such issues can have a direct cost that is reflected in the financial statements of
an organisation. Sometimes an organisation may incur costs in a positive and voluntary way,
e.g. a mining company incurs costs to restore the habitat it has affected in its operations to its
original state once it has finished its extraction activities. In other cases, these costs may be
negative and enforced, e.g. a large oil-spill in the Gulf of Mexico in recent years involved the
company’s involved paying out substantial amounts in compensation for the damage caused.
However, environmental accounting goes beyond this. Information may still be quantitative
but may also be non-financial. This may concern for example information on pollution
emissions, resources used or natural habitats damaged or re-established. There is also an
increasing emphasis on eco-efficiency. Measures used can include energy use, including
statistics that show improvements to historical trends and waste per unit produced. Other
measures can include those which show the proportion of materials recycled.
Some countries such as Australia, the Netherlands and Denmark have already introduced
legislation for compulsory environmental reporting whilst some international organisations
such as the United Nations are also very active in the development of it. – further information
can be found in the UN Division for Sustainable Development’s publication Environmental
Management Accounting Procedures and Principles which was released in 2002.
Sustainability Accounting
A comparatively recent development has been the concept of sustainability accounting. It
attempts to measure in a quantitative way both social and economic sustainability of an
organisation. Sustainability in fact has three sub-elements, namely environmental factors,
social factors and economic factors and all three of them need to be in balance if an
organisation is to continue to survive and hopefully thrive whilst making a positive
environmental and social impact. It is important that this balance is kept; after all, being a
positive contributor to the environment and society is of no benefit if economically the
organisation is not sustainable and therefore goes out of business.
Whilst the process of allocating values to these elements is still in development, prospective
accountants should be aware of the existence of these factors and broad approaches as it is
likely to become more important in the future.
B. GOVERNMENT SECTOR FINANCIAL REPORTING
An International Perspective
In recent decades, accounting has become increasingly global. The trend towards
globalisation began with the development of International Financial Reporting Standards
(IFRSs) in the private sector. However this has in more recent times been replicated in the
public sector with the development of International Public Sector Accounting Standards
(IPSASs). However it would be true to say that for a variety of reasons global convergence
on accounting standards is closer in the private rather than the public sectors, and even in the
former there are still major challenges to be overcome if full convergence is to take place in
the near future.
Traditionally, government accounting and financial reporting around the world has been
based on cash accounting rather than an accruals-based approach as has been in use in most
private sector organisations for decades. There are several reasons for this. One of the major
ones is that governments themselves have been driven by cash. Government revenues such as
from taxation, customs duties etc. are forecast for the year ahead and matched to forecast
expenditure. There may often be a deficit, depending on the state of the national economy,
and if this is the case then governments will seek to borrow money to make up the difference
(or failing this will have to cut government expenditure and services or raise taxes).
These revenues and expenditure forecasts are factored into the detailed budget-setting
process. Budgets have traditionally been for a year ahead only, though more recently the
development of Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEFs) for a three-year period or
longer have helped to introduce longer planning horizons into the process. However, the
general economic approach which lies around the development of national budgets is driven
more by cash and what is available to spend than accounting concepts such as an accruals-
based approach.
Cash is also simpler to understand. It is after all what is available in the bank, in petty cash
and in other forms of cash and cash equivalents. There are no complicating factors to
understand - especially for non-accountants. There is no depreciation to worry about, no
revaluation of assets, no understanding of what is meant by equity capital and other forms of
capital required. There is also limited judgement involved. As soon as factors such as
depreciation are introduced then we are into discussions on various methods, useful economic
lives etc. and rather than having one clear answer to an accounting problem we have a range
of them depending on the approach used. Cash on the other hand is was it is.
Governments and politicians it would be fair to say like clear answers to questions. They and
other users can more easily understand cash accounting rather than accruals accounting.
However the use of cash accounting can lead to inefficient and ineffective use of funds. A
common problem in many countries is that, towards the end of the year, all unspent budgets
are hastily spent, sometimes in a frantic attempt to ‘use’ unspent funds rather than ‘lose’ them
by returning them to central government coffers.
But what is often disguised in the process is the sometimes-large volumes of unpaid creditors,
which can sometimes be so large that organisations can be virtually insolvent and it will not
be obvious until it is almost too late to address the underlying problem. This can even happen
at a national level; for example, in recent times the large levels of government borrowing in
Greece have only become apparent when repayment of major loans is looming. We are all
aware of the difficulties this has caused for the Eurozone and the wider international
economy.
In order to address these conceptual weaknesses of the traditional cash accounting approach,
the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) was established to
create global public sector accounting standards. The long-term aim of this is to encourage all
public sector bodies to embrace the accruals-based IPSASs – in June 2012, there were 32 of
these in existence. However this is very much a long-term project. Few countries have
embraced accruals-based accounting for their public sector.
Some have though. New Zealand was a trend-setter in this respect and the United Kingdom
introduced the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) project in the late 1990s; this
included amongst other things accruals-based accounting. Interestingly neither adopted
IPSASs. Instead they have adapted the IFRSs for the public sector.
This might seem strange but the reasoning behind this was that IPSASs were not developed
enough to adopt at the time that these countries made their accounting changes. However a
major project in 2010 updated the IPSASs and made them more contemporary in their
information.
Modified
Cash
Accounting
Accruals
Accounting
In the diagram above, these possibilities are quite deliberately shown sequentially. Moving to
accruals-based accounting in the public sector is a long-term aspiration. Accounting for non-
current assets alone is a huge undertaking and this is recognised by the fact that IPSAS 17 on
Property, Plant and Equipment allows for a 5-year transition before being adopted once a
country decides to move to accruals-based accounting approach for the public sector.
The move to accruals-accounting in the public sector is likely to take a number of years to
complete; for example the Republic of Georgia has declared it will move to accruals-based
accounting over a ten-year period. The IPSASB has issued guidance on cash accounting and
modified accruals accounting in Volume 2 of its annual publication of the IPSASs. We will
now see how this has been applied to Rwanda specifically.
The Rwandan Context
Rwanda has currently adopted a modified cash accounting approach to its public sector
financial reporting. The legal basis for this approach is to be found in Article 2 (20) of
Ministerial Order N. 002/07 dated 9 February 2007 which relates to Financial Regulations
and states that the modified cash basis should be used “using appropriate accounting policies
supported by reasonable and prudent judgements and estimates”.
More important legal background is given in the Organic Law No. 37/2006 on State Finances
and Property. This requires (Article 70) the submission of annual reports from all budget
agencies which include all revenues collected and received during the fiscal year and all
expenditures made during the same period. It also requires a statement of all outstanding
receipts and payments which are known at the end of the fiscal year.
Responsibility for maintaining the accounts and records rests with the Chief Budget Manager
(stipulated by Article 21 of the aforementioned Organic Law and Article 9 and 11 of the
aforementioned Ministerial Order). He/she is also responsible for preparing reports on budget
execution, managing revenues and expenditures, preparing, maintaining and coordinating the
use of financial plans, managing the financial resources for the budget agency effectively,
efficiently and transparently, ensuring sound internal control systems in the budget agency
and safeguarding public property held by it.
This very clear statement of accountability is vital. It means that the Budget Manager is clear
that, although they may delegate responsibility for individual accounting tasks, they cannot
delegate accountability. The result of this onerous but necessary accountability should be that
they take their task very seriously indeed.
The Chief Budget Manager also signs a Statement of Management’s Responsibilities which
forms part of the Financial Statements. This states that “in the opinion of the Chief Budget
Manager, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the financial affairs
of X”. It also states publicly that they are responsible for the maintenance of accounting
records that can be relied upon in the preparation of financial statements, ensuring adequate
systems of internal financial control and safeguarding the assets of the budget agency. An
example of the Statement is shown below:
Proforma Statement of Responsibilities
Article 70 of the Organic Law N° 37/2006 of 12/09/2006 on State Finances and Property requires
budget agencies to submit annual reports which include all revenues collected or received and all
expenditures made during the fiscal year, as well as a statement of all outstanding receipts and
payments before the end of the fiscal year.
Article 21 of the Organic Law N° 37/2006 and Article 9 and Article 11 of Ministerial Order N°002/07 of
9 February 2007 further stipulates that the Chief Budget Manager is responsible for maintaining
accounts and records of the budget agency, preparing reports on budget execution, managing
revenues and expenditures, preparing, maintaining and coordinating the use of financial plans,
managing the financial resources for the budget agency effectively, efficiently and transparently,
ensuring sound internal control systems in the budget agency and safeguarding the public property
held by the budget agency.
The Chief Budget Manager accepts responsibility for the annual financial statements, which have been
prepared using the "modified cash basis" of accounting as defined by Article 2 (20) of the Ministerial
Order N°002/07 of 9 February 2007 relating to Financial Regulations and using appropriate accounting
policies supported by reasonable and prudent judgements and estimates.
These financial statements have been extracted from the accounting records of XXX and the
information provided is accurate and complete in all material respects. The financial statements also
form part of the consolidated financial statements of the Government of Rwanda.
In the opinion of the Chief Budget Manager, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the
state of the financial affairs of XXX. The Chief Budget Manager further accepts responsibility for the
maintenance of accounting records that may be relied upon in the preparation of financial
statements, ensuring adequate systems of internal financial control and safeguarding the assets of the
budget agency.
Signature: ______________________________________________
Name: _________________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
General rules
An important Note always included in the financial statements is that on the Basis of
Accounting. This will tell the reader the detailed approaches that have been used in the
accounting. As well as confirming that modified cash accounting has been used, it will
typically include statements along the following lines:
• That generally all transactions are recognised only at the time that the associated cash
flows take place.
• That expenditure on the acquisition of non-current assets is not capitalised. There is
no depreciation and the total cost of acquiring the assets involved is effectively
written-off when payment is made.
• That all pre-paid expenditure and advances are written-off in the period of
disbursement.
It will also normally detail how the ‘modification’ to this cash-based accounting is
performed. This will be as follows:
• Invoices for goods and services which are outstanding at the reporting date are
recognised as liabilities for that specific year.
• Loans and advances will be recognised as assets or liabilities at the time of
disbursement and interest on them recognised only when disbursement is made.
• Any balances denominated in foreign currency are converted into Rwandan Francs at
the rates in force at that date. Any associated exchange losses are reported as recurrent
expenditure whilst any gains are dealt with as recurrent revenue.
Based on these principles the key financial statements are shown below.
Expenditure
This is not a complex presentational layout. The points to note are as follows:
• The sub-headings should be adapted to the needs of the specific entity. For example,
whereas for the RRA taxation receipts would be very significant they would be
irrelevant for most other entities. On the other hand, transfers from Treasury will
likely be common to many entities. So too would staff costs.
• Prior-year comparative information should be presented alongside the current year.
• For key items, more detailed analysis should be given in Notes which should be cross-
referenced in the above Statement.
Cash at Bank
Cash in Hand
Accounts Receivable
Liabilities
Represented by:
• The only assets and liabilities included are payables and receivables.
• The ‘Equity’ (‘Represented by’) section at the bottom half of the statement is in fact
just the total surpluses and deficits. In practice, a review of some Rwandan financial
statements has shown that occasionally prior-year adjustments to the financial
statements may be required and they are also included in this section if necessary.
• Again, prior-year information should be shown alongside the current year.
• For key items, more detailed analysis should be given in Notes which should be cross-
referenced in the above Statement.
OTHER INFORMATION
Notes
We have already mentioned that key items should receive more detailed analysis by way of
Notes to the Financial Statements. Students should note that the primary purpose of Financial
Statements is disclosure which is associated with key concepts such as transparency and
understandability. Notes should therefore not be seen as incidental to the Financial
Statements and accordingly less important than the individual Statements we have discussed
above. They are instead integral and fundamental to the Financial Statements as a whole (the
IPSASs guidance is specific on this point but it is also common sense as users need more
information to fully understand the financial situation).
What should be specifically included in the Notes depends on the individual entity. Proper
judgement should be used – the preparers of financial statements should put themselves in the
position of users who do not have the access to detailed organisational knowledge that they
do. However, as we have already seen the Note on the Basis of Accounting is vital in all
financial statements. Other areas which will often be presented include:
Audit
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) will be responsible for auditing the draft Financial
Statements and the Auditor General will express an opinion on whether or not they give a
true and fair view of the state of financial affairs of the entity.
C. ACCOUNTING FOR INFLATION
Inflation is a feature of most economies. Over time prices and costs generally increase
(though on occasions they may exceptionally fall; this is known as deflation). Prices and
costs vary partly through general economic conditions such as fluctuations in foreign
exchange rates but may also vary based on specific conditions (e.g. global shortages of oil
may drive up the costs if fuel).
Usually, there is no direct impact on the financial statements of entities because of rates of
inflation. Many organisations still use historical costs as the basis for preparing their financial
statements and in such cases, in normal circumstances, there will be no adjustments made for
inflation.
There is however an exception this, even in ‘normal’ circumstances, and that is when an
entity chooses, or is required to, report certain assets at fair value (usually though not always
equating to market value). This would cover for example property, plant and equipment and
biological assets (IAS 16 and IAS 41 respectively). In some circumstances, specific indices
may be applied to assets to revalue them; this is known as current cost accounting.
There is an implicit assumption here, namely that the effect of inflation is not significant
enough to require a restatement of values to take account of inflation. This may be a
simplification but is usually considered not to be an especially misleading one. But it does
impact on the comparability of financial statements. For example, financial statements will
normally require that prior year comparative information is included and, if prices have risen
in the interim, it means strictly speaking we are not comparing like with like. The assumption
is that any differences will not be major and are unlikely to affect the decisions of users of the
financial statements.
There is a recognition here of several factors that must be remembered when preparing
financial statements. First of all, there is a balance to be struck between the costs of preparing
extra information against the benefits to be obtained from reviewing it. The implicit
assumption in not requiring financial values to be restated is that there is not enough
significant benefit to be gained from doing so.
There is another important factor, and that is how easy it is to understand the financial
statements. The more complex the accounting, the more difficult it is for non-financial
experts to understand the financial statements. Therefore the lack of routine restatement for
inflation is perhaps an acknowledgement that doing so would make it more difficult to
understand the financial statements.
• The general population prefers to keep its wealth in non-monetary assets rather than
monetary assets.
• The general population prefers to keep its wealth in a relatively stable foreign
currency e.g. US dollars, rather than the local currency. Prices will often be quoted in
that foreign currency.
• Sales and purchases on credit include terms that are intended to compensate for the
expected loss in purchasing power by the time the credit transaction is settled by cash
or equivalent.
• Interest rates, wages and prices are linked to a price index.
• The cumulative inflation rate over the previous three years is approaching, or over,
100%.
The last indicator is especially important; some of the others may exist in isolation without
necessarily meaning that hyperinflation is present.
Example
The simple example below illustrates how this works;
An item of machinery was purchased on 31st December 2008 at a cost of 10 million RwF. It
has a carrying value as adjusted for depreciation of 6 million RwF at 31st December 2012 –
this is on a historical cost basis. A general price index shows a base value of 100.0 at
31/12/2008 and 280.0 at 31/12/2012. What should the asset be valued at assuming that IAS
29 applies?
Answer; the carrying amount would be revalued by a factor of 280/100 (i.e. multiplied by
2.8), and therefore the asset would be valued in the financial statements at 16.8 million RwF
(6 million x 2.8).
This can also be estimated by applying the change in a general price index to the weighted
average for the period for the difference between monetary assets and monetary liabilities.
The gain or loss on the net monetary position should be included in profit or loss. Any
adjustment for assets or liabilities made as a result of the restatement should be offset against
this gain or loss in net monetary position.
Example
You are given the following information and are required to present the restated financial
statements (Statement of Financial Position and Comprehensive Income) using the template
given below:
1.
The pertinent information is as follows:
• inventory on hand at the end of the period was assumed to have been acquired
towards the end of the period when the general inflation index was 170
• the general price index was 120 at the beginning of the period, 180 at the end of the
period and averaged 150 during the period
• revenue and expenses (except for depreciation) were assumed to have accrued evenly
during the period
• the physical assets (non-current assets) are all more than one year old.
Proforma template to complete (all figs in RWF’000s):
S
Statement of Financial Position Unadjusted Indexation Adjusted
Surplus/deficit o
i. NMP
n
2. Cash and investments 10,000
3. Inventories 2,000
4.
5. Physical assets:
6. Historical cost 40,000
7. Accumulated depreciation (20,000)
8. Net Book Value 20,000
9.
Total Assets 32,000
Borrowings (26,000)
Net Assets
Brought forward 4,000
Net surplus for period (see below) 2,000
6,000
Income 50,000
Depreciation (5,000)
Other expenses (43,000)
Surplus on net monetary position
Note that the surplus on net monetary position will be derived by applying the general
price index to the non-monetary items in the Statement of Financial Position and the
Statement of Comprehensive Income.
Answer:
Net Assets
Brought forward 4,000 180/120 6,000
(2,000)
Net surplus for period (see below) 2,000 See below 10,118
1,118
6,000 16,118
9,218