Improvements to Not-for-Profit Standards - AcSB

Date recorded:

The Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) reaffirmed its commitment to continue:

  • to maintain a separate set of standards for not-for-profit organizations in the private sector that addresses transactions and circumstances unique to this sector;
  • with the improvements process to review the standards in Part III of the Handbook and update the standards as necessary; and
  • to work in collaboration with the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB), with the objective of achieving consistency between private and public sector standards for not-for-profit organizations when appropriate.

The AcSB approved the creation of a standing not-for-profit organizations advisory committee to assist the Board with its standards improvements initiatives, as well as providing input on other standard- setting matters of interest to private sector not-for-profit organizations.  An invitation soliciting interest will be posted shortly.

The AcSB approved the following projects to address all of the Principles relating to private sector standards that were proposed in the April 2013 joint AcSB/PSAB Statement of Principles, "Improvements to Not-for-Profit Standards."

Accounting Standards Improvements

The AcSB decided to conduct an accounting standards improvements project in two phases.  The first phase of the project will address whether and how to amend the standards regarding the accounting for capital assets other than the size exemption, but including collections of works of arts and historical treasures and the disclosure of related party transactions and allocated expenses (Principles 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 and 15). The second phase of the project will address whether and how to amend Section 4450, Reporting Controlled and Related Entities by Not-for-Profit Organizations, regarding how to account for controlled not-for-profit organizations and profit-oriented enterprises (Principles 10 and 11).  This phase of the project would also address the proposals related to the presentation and disclosure of expenses (Principle 14).

Contributions – Revenue Recognition and Related Matters

The AcSB approved a project to conduct further research on the recognition of revenue from contributions (Principles 1 to 4).  This project will also address the implications of the deliberations relating to the size exemption for capital assets (Principle 7) and financial statement presentation (Principle 13).

Review the executive summary.

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