Post-employment benefits — Comprehensive project
Background
Accounting for employee benefits, particularly pensions and other post-retirement benefits, has long been a complex and difficult area.
The IASB has approached this project in two phases:
- Amendments to IAS 19 - improvements to the recognition, presentation and disclosures of defined benefit plans (IASB only, see our separate project page)
- Comprehensive project - improvements to the measurement of defined benefit plans and contribution-based promise plans, including plans that have the characteristics of both defined benefit and defined contribution plans (joint with FASB).
In addition, in July 2009 the IASB agreed to under a separate project to urgently amend IAS 19 paragraph 78 to remove the requirement to use a government bond rate when there is no deep market in high quality corporate bonds and to provide guidance on how to estimate a high quality corporate bond rate. The IASB did not ultimately proceed with this amendment.
Current status of the project
The IASB subsequently reactivated this project as an IASB-only research project. Board discussions are expected during the first and second quarter of 2015.
Project milestones
Date | Development | Comments |
---|---|---|
July 2006 | Project added to the IASB's agenda | |
March 2007 | Employee Benefits Working Group established | |
27 March 2008 | Discussion Paper Preliminary Views on Amendments to IAS 19 Employee Benefits published | Comment deadline 26 September 2008 |