IASB proposes amendments to IAS 1 to clarify the classification of liabilities

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10 Feb, 2015

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has published an Exposure Draft (ED) of proposed amendments to IAS 1 'Presentation of Financial Statements'. The amendments aim at a more general approach to the classification of liabilities under IAS 1 based on the contractual arrangements in place at the reporting date. Comments are requested by 10 June 2015.

 

Background

The issue was originally adressed as part of the annual improvements project 2010 -2012 cycle. Exposure Draft ED/2012/1 Annual Improvements to IFRSs (2010—2012 Cycle), published in May 2012, proposed amendments to IAS 1.73 to clarify that a liability is classified as non-current if an entity expects, and has the discretion, to refinance or roll over an obligation for at least twelve months after the reporting period under an existing loan facility with the same lender, on the same or similar terms. During 2013, however, the IASB decided not to finalise the amendment, but instead pursue a narrow-scope project to refine the existing guidance in IAS 1 on when liabilities should be classified as current.

 

Suggested changes

The amendments proposed in ED/2015/1 Classification of Liabilities (Proposed amendments to IAS 1) aim at:

  • clarifying that the classification of liabilities as current or non-current should be based on rights that are in existence at the end of the reporting period by amending IAS 1.69(d) and IAS 1.73 so that both paragraphs refer to the "right" to defer settlement and both make explicit that only rights in place "at the end of the reporting period" should affect the classification of a liability;
  • making the link clear between the settlement of a liability and the outflow of resources from an entity by adding to IAS 1.69 that settlement refers to the "transfer to the counterparty of cash, equity instruments, other assets or services"; and
  • reorganising the guidance in IAS 1 with respect to classification of liabilities as current or non-current by deleting IAS 1.74–76 and moving their content to the expanded and renumbered paragraphs IAS 1.72R and IAS 1.73R so that similar examples are grouped together.

 

Effective date and transition requirements

The ED does not contain a proposed effective date. However, the ED proposes that the amendments would be applied retrospectively and that early application should be permitted.

 

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