News

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The International Accounting Standards Board issues "Investor Update" newsletter

Mar 02, 2018

On March 2, 2018, the International Accounting Standards Board (the Board) issued the fifteenth edition of its newsletter "Investor Update", which provides investors with quick access to information about current accounting and financial reporting topics.

This issue features:

  • Spotlight — Timing and amount of revenue recognition
  • IFRS 15 In Profile
  • Project updates
  • Information on investor materials and current events

Review the Investor Update newsletter on the Board’s website.

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Transformative Leader Appointed as IFAC CEO-Designate

Mar 02, 2018

On March 2, 2018, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) announced that, after an extensive global search, Mr. Kevin Dancey, FCPA, FCA—former President and Chief Executive Officer of CPA Canada—has been selected as IFAC’s next Chief Executive Officer.

He will succeed current IFAC Chief Executive Officer, Fayez Choudhury, whose term expires at the end of the year.

Review the press release on the IFAC's website.

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AcSB Insurance Transition Resource Group Meeting Notes – February 1, 2018

Mar 02, 2018

On March 2, 2018, the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) released a summary of its Insurance Transition Resource Group meeting held on February 1, 2018.

The topics discussed at this meeting include:

  • Boundary of reinsurance contracts held
  • Separation of insurance components of a single insurance contract
  • Boundary of contracts with annual repricing mechanisms
  • Insurance acquisition cash flows paid on an initially written contract
  • Determining quantity of benefits for identifying coverage units
  • Insurance acquisition cash flows when using fair value transition
  • Reporting on other questions submitted to the IASB® Transition Resource Group for IFRS 17, Insurance Contracts

Review the summary on the AcSB's website.

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EFRAG publishes discussion paper on the impairment and recycling of equity instruments

Mar 01, 2018

On March 1, 2018, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) published a discussion paper "Equity Instruments - Impairment and Recycling" to gather constituents' views on recycling and impairment of equity instruments designated at fair value through other comprehensive income to develop its technical advice to the European Commission.

In the first phase of the project, the European Commission asked EFRAG to collect quantitative data on the current holdings of equity instruments and their accounting treatment and investigate if entities expect that the new accounting requirements will affect their decisions in relation to investment in equity instruments. EFRAG reported its findings from this first phase in January 2018.

In the second phase of the project, the Commission asked EFRAG to provide advice on whether and how the requirements in IFRS 9 on accounting for holdings of equity instruments could be improved. As part of its due process, EFRAG has now published the discussion paper to gather constituents' views on recycling and impairment of equity instruments designated at fair value through other comprehensive income.

EFRAG has not included a preliminary view on the issues explored. Rather, the paper analyses the relevance of recycling in the context of a long-term investment business model and presents arguments on the conceptual relationship between recycling gains and losses on derecognition and impairment. The paper considers how the application problems identified with IAS 39's impairment model for available-for-sale equity instruments could be addressed. It illustrates an impairment model and a revaluation model but does not express a preliminary view as to which, if either, of these two models is preferable.

​Comments on the discussion paper are expected by May 25, 2018.

Review the discussion paper on the EFRAG's website.

FASB (US Financial Accounting Standards Board) (lt blue) Image

FASB proposes changes in accounting for cloud computing costs

Mar 01, 2018

On March 1, 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a proposed accounting standards update aimed at improving how to account for the costs of implementing cloud computing. Comments are requested by April 30, 2018.

The proposed update would specifically clarify the accounting for implementation costs related to a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract. It also would provide more disclosures of the implementation costs for internal-use software and cloud computing arrangements.

Review the press release and the exposure draft on the FASBs website.

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GAO Report Reviews SEC Actions on Climate Disclosure

Feb 28, 2018

In February 2018, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued the report "Climate-Related Risks: SEC Has Taken Steps to Clarify Disclosure Requirements", which reviews the steps that the SEC has taken to clarify climate-related risk disclosure requirements, the SEC’s climate disclosure review process and the constraints the SEC faces in that process. The report also assessed stakeholder views of climate-related risk disclosures.

The GAO says that the biggest constraint that the SEC faces in reviewing the adequacy of climate-related disclosure is its dependence on self-reporting.

The GAO also found that, not surprisingly, companies think they’re doing enough in terms of climate-related risk disclosure. But while some investor groups push for more, the GAO says there’s not a clear consensus on how big a priority this should be.

Review the full report on the GAO's website.

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Purpose Beyond Profit: The Value of Value – Board-level Insights

Feb 28, 2018

In February 2018, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) released the results of a survey of executives from across the globe that seeks to understand trends and challenges in measuring, disclosing and understanding the value that companies create.

In the survey, 96% of respondents agree that bringing financial and non-financial information together provides a more forward-looking, longer-term view of performance.

Executives globally agree on the increasing benefit of understanding and communicating the value creation potential of their organizations to build relationships with stakeholders and improve integrated thinking and strategic decision-making.

But the latest Purpose Beyond Profit: The Value of Value – Board-level Insights survey shows executives lack the management and reporting information to understand and interpret the future drivers of their business.

Review the report on the IIRC's website.

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Federal Budget Allocates Significant Funds towards Cybersecurity

Feb 28, 2018

On February 28, 2018, Miller Thomson published an article on how the 2018 Federal Budget includes investments in several key areas of the Canadian economy, including in the area of cybersecurity. In his remarks, the Minister of Finance stated that “to safeguard Canadians’ privacy, and protect both our digital economy and our country, we are making an investment of over $750 million in cybersecurity.”

The proposed investment will serve primarily to establish the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the National Cybercrime Coordination Unit, which will serve as pillars of the federal government’s soon to be announced National Cyber Security Strategy.

Review the full article on Miller Thomson's website.

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Overcoming 3 Roadblocks to Strategic Resource Allocation

Feb 28, 2018

On February 28, 2018, FEI Daily published an article on how the highest corporate priority is to create long-term value, which requires resources be allocated to businesses, products and customers that can deliver profitable growth.

Corporate success often falters due to sub-optimal Strategic Resource Allocation (SRA), which includes the allocation of capital, marketing and R&D across existing businesses, which will be covered herein, but also acquisitions, debt repayment, dividends and buybacks.

Review the full article on FEI Daily's website.

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Moving Canada forward: Insights from the 2018-2019 federal budget

Feb 28, 2018

On February 28, 2018, we released our analysis, Moving Canada forward, where we explore how the federal budget advances three key areas where we believe bold action is needed to ensure the future prosperity of our businesses and our country.

In this year’s budget, the federal government outlines how it intends to support economic growth, promote sustainability, and foster a thriving, inclusive society for all Canadians in a time of rapid change and ongoing uncertainty.

What does the federal budget mean for Canada and Canadian businesses?

We discuss the following three areas:

  • Focusing investment and resources to drive competitive advantage
  • Accelerating the flow of people, goods and ideas
  • Disrupting the status quo in education and skills development

A video is also available where Albert Baker, Canadian Tax partner and Global Tax Policy Leader, offers his insights on the corporate tax measures contained in the 2018-2019 federal budget, reviewing both domestic and international tax proposals. And David Mason, Canadian Tax partner, discusses changes affecting private companies and their shareholders.

For more information, review the publication and a video.

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