The webinar is hosted by IASB technical staff members Angie Ah Kun and Elizabeth Figgie. They discuss the March 2019 meeting of the IFRS Interpretations Committee and walk through the relevant requirements in IFRS 9 for amortized cost measurement and impairment.

Review the press release and webinar on the IASB’s website.

Background

The IFRS Interpretations Committee received a submission about IAS 12, Income Taxes and the recognition of deferred tax in relation to leases (when a lessee recognizes an asset and a liability at the lease commencement) and decommissioning obligations (when an entity recognizes a liability and includes the decommissioning costs in the cost of the item of of property, plant and equipment). The submitted fact pattern assumed that lease payments and decommissioning costs were deductible for tax purposes when paid and identified different approaches in practice.

The Committee discussed the submission at its meetings in March 2018 and June 2018 and came to the conclusion that the matter was relevant and widespread, as there are various kinds of contracts and fact patterns affected. Moreover, the question as to whether tax deductions are attributable to a contract, a (single) asset/liability, or rather to cash flows, and as to which consequences this may have for determining temporary differences, is fundamental within IAS 12. Therefore, the Committee recommended that the IASB develop clarifying amendments to IAS 12.

The IASB discussed the issue in October 2018 (general discussion of the issue and agreement with the IFRS Interpretations Committee's recommendation) and January 2019 (transition, retrospective application, and early application) and has now published an exposure draft of proposed clarifying amendments.

Suggested changes

The main change proposed in ED/2019/5 Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction (Proposed amendments to IAS 12) is a proposed exemption from the initial recognition exemption provided in IAS 12.15(b) and IAS 12.24. Accordingly, the initial recognition exemption would not apply to transactions in which both deductible and taxable temporary differences arise on initial recognition that result in the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities of the same amount. This is also explained in the newly inserted paragraph IAS 12.22A.

Comments on the proposed changes are requested by November 14, 2019.

Effective date and transition

The exposure draft does not contain a proposed effective date as the IASB intends to decide on this after exposure. The proposed amendments would be applied retrospectively in accordance with IAS 8 and early adoption would be permitted.

For practical and cost reasons, some simplification is provided for the assessment of the probability that a taxable profit will be available against which the deductible temporary difference can be utilized. A similar simplification is proposed for first-time adopters.

Additional information

• IASB press release
• Access to the IASB exposure draft
• IASB short In brief overview of the proposed amendments

The register is being created to increase transparency and "continue demonstrating the Board’s independence and accountability and is also in line with stakeholder feedback." The register will include speaking engagements and face-to-face, web-based or phone meetings of more than 30 minutes duration. IASB members will record the date, the name of the relevant stakeholder organization, and location and purpose of each engagement.

This development can be traced back, among other things, to demands made by the European Commission in its annual report on the activities of the IFRS Foundation, EFRAG and PIOB in 2017, which was published in October 2018. The Commission had observed:

When members of the IFRS Foundation meet with stakeholders outside the framework of the Due Process Handbook, no formal record is kept.

The Commission had noted that it would take action in this regard:

The Commission will engage with the beneficiaries in 2018 in order to ensure (even) higher standards of transparency, in particular with regard to the establishement of mandatory transparency registers on meetings with external stakeholders.

As the Commission has made similar comments when reporting on the activities of EFRAG, it is likely that EFRAG will also present a transparency register in the near future.

Review the Commission report on the European Commission's website and press release on the IASB's website.

Listen to the first such podcast in which Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Interpretations Committee Sue Lloyd joins Technical Staff member Patrina Buchanan for a discussion that focuses on the June 2019 meeting of the Interpretations Committee. Among the topics covered in this podcast are questions about applying the new financial instruments, revenue recognition and leases Standards—IFRS 9, IFRS 15 and IFRS 16—as well as the accounting for holdings of cryptocurrencies. 

Here is the link to the 24 minute podcast on the IASB web­site.

This recording took place to provide national standard-setters with an overview of the proposed amendments to IFRS 17. The presenters are Laura Kennedy and Roberta Ravelli, Technical Staff at the IFRS Foundation. 

Here is the link to the 25 minute webinar on the IASB website.

Ann Tarca, IASB Member and Anne McGeachin, IASB Technical Staff presented at two IFRS Foundation events at the annual congress, covering:

• IASB Technical Update
• Guide to new Standards—IFRS 9, IFRS 15, IFRS 16 and research opportunities
• IASB Technical Update: Primary Financial Statements

Here is the link to the presentations on the IASB web­site.

Most companies understand how critical the record-to-report process is to their business. However, lopsided attention and investment on the front side (recording, closing and consolidating) have left the financial analysis and reporting functions trailing behind in both efficiency and effectiveness — despite reporting being the most visible and scrutinized part of the process.

Thankfully, enterprises have potent tools to quickly improve their financial reporting and make it both faster and more accurate. Such tools, along with streamlined processes and a renewed commitment to the reporting function, can alleviate most of the issues plaguing financial reporting in organizations.

Review the full article on Accounting Today's website.

Dr. Nicolas Peter, Chief Financial Officer of BMW AG, gave the keynote address at a stakeholder event in Munich on June 26, 2019, jointly hosted by the Trustees of the IFRS Foundation and the Deutsche Rechnungslegungs Standards Committee (DRSC, the German accounting standard-setter). In his speech, Dr. Peter outlines the importance of IFRS Standards to BMW AG and the global financial market, and discusses some of the challenges for the future.

Here is the link to the speech on the IASB web­site.

The statement covers:

• Alternative reference rates
• Managing the transition from LIBOR
• Division specific guidance

Review the full statement on the SEC's website.

The topics discussed at the meeting included:

• Disclosure of sensitive information
• Goodwill and impairment
• Primary financial statements
• Business combinations under common control
• Management commentary
• Targeted standards-level review

The next GPF meeting will be held on October 8, 2019; the next CMAC meeting will take place on October 10, 2019.

Review the press release, meeting page and meeting summary on the IASB's website.