September

Agenda for the October 2021 ASAF meeting

06 Sep, 2021

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has released an agenda and meeting papers for the meeting of the Accounting Standards Advisory Forum (ASAF), which is to be held by remote participation on 1 October 2021

The agenda for the meeting is summarised below:

Friday, 1 October (11:00-15:00)

  • Equity method
    • IASB update on the project and ASAF members’ views on how to develop solutions to application questions on the equity method
    • Presentation of research on the equity method by the ASBJ
  • Management commentary
    • Preliminary feedback from the ASAF members’ jurisdictions on the exposure draft published in May
  • Primary financial statements
    • Update on the redeliberations of the Board on the proposals in the exposure draft and ASAF members' views on any implications of the Board’s redeliberations so far on topics yet to be discussed
  • Rate regulated activities
    • Verbal update about the feedback on the exposure draft
  • Agenda planning

For more information, please see the agenda and meeting papers on the IASB's website.

Agenda for the September 2021 IFASS meeting

06 Sep, 2021

The International Forum of Accounting Standard Setters (IFASS) will meet on 29-30 September 2021. The meeting will be held virtually.

The full agenda for the meeting is summarised below.

Wednesday, 29 September 2021 (9:30–14:45)

  • Welcome and opening remarks
  • Message from IASB Chair and responses to questions from IFASS members
  • Climate reporting
    • Presentation by New Zealand
  • Regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities – Thoughts on the IASB exposure draft
    • Presentations by Canada, EFRAG, Hong Kong, India, and Norway
  • IPSASB – Project update
  • International financial reporting for non-profit organisations – IFR4NPO project update

Thursday, 30 September 2021 (9:45-15:15)

  • Presentations of research
    • Equity method of accounting (Japan)
    • Accounting estimation and estimates (Korea)
  • Issues surrounding separate financial statements
    • Presentations by Brazil, India, Italy, and Korea
  • Intangibles
    • Presentation of EFRAG discussion paper and research undertaken by Australia
    • Break-out sessions
    • Plenary session with presentation of group discussions
  • Closing remarks

UKEB final comment letter on the exposure draft on lack of exchangeability

06 Sep, 2021

The UK Endorsement Board (UKEB) has published its final comment letter on the International Accounting Standard Board’s (IASB's) Exposure Draft ED/2021/4 ‘Lack of Exchangeability’ (proposed amendments to IAS 21).

In the final comment letter, the UKEB supports the proposals in the IASB's Exposure Draft as they provide guidance on an area not covered by the existing standard.  The UKEB therefore believes that the proposals should reduce diversity in practice, leading to consistency and comparability of financial statements.  In its final comment letter the UKEB also proposes some minor changes to the wording of the amendments. 

The final comment letter and the feedback statement is available on the UKEB website.

UK Endorsement Board publishes final comment letter on the IASB’s DP/2020/2 Business Combinations under Common Control

06 Sep, 2021

The UK Endorsement Board (UKEB) has published its final comment letter and feedback statement on the International Accounting Standard Board’s (IASB's) Discussion Paper DP2020/02 Business Combinations under Common Control ("BCUCC").

In its final comment letter the UK Endorsement Board supports the proposals in the discussion paper and indicate that the proposals will provide users of financial statements with information on BCUCC which it calls a 'significant step forward from the minimal information required today'.

In particular, the UK Endorsement Board expect the proposals in the Discussion Paper will lead to improvements over current financial reporting as follows:

  • Measurement and disclosure requirements in the DP will reduce diversity in accounting practice, improve transparency and lead to greater comparability between financial statements.
  • The proportionate approach, whereby the book value method is required in situations where non-controlling shareholders are not affected, will reduce complexity and cost for preparers.

The final comment letter recommends that:

  • entities that qualify for the book value method should have an option to use the acquisition method; and
  • when considering the valuations to use for the book value method, the values recorded by the parent or “seller” company should also be permitted if they provide more relevant information.

Additionally, whilst supporting in principle the non-controlling shareholder exemption from using acquisition accounting, the UKEB indicates that there may be practical issues with its application.

The final comment letter and the feedback statement are available on the UKEB website.

FRC Lab calls for participants for a new project about cyber, digital & data risk

06 Sep, 2021

The Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC’s) Financial Reporting Lab (the Lab) is inviting companies, investors and interested parties to participate in a new project that seeks to understand the specific process and disclosure areas emerging around cyber, digital & data risk.

This project will consider how company processes are changing and how that might translate into useful external disclosures.

Further information including the press release is available on the FRC website.

FRC Lab publishes its latest project report on reporting on risks, uncertainties, opportunities and scenarios

06 Sep, 2021

The Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC’s) Financial Reporting Lab (the Lab) has published its latest project report on reporting on risks, uncertainties, opportunities and scenarios. The report outlines what investors want to understand from corporate reporting on risks, uncertainties, opportunities and the use of scenarios.

The report provides several practical examples of corporate reporting that better meet investors’ needs. The examples in the report cover four key areas identified about which investors seek information relating to risks, uncertainties and opportunities:

  • Governance and process.  Before understanding the nature of the risks, uncertainties and opportunities, investors want to understand how the board and management identifies, monitors and manages these areas and responds in an agile way.
  • Nature.  Investors want to build their knowledge of the risks, uncertainties and opportunities through disclosure addressing:
    • Context: what is the company’s market position and how does it view macro and micro trends and themes?
    • Importance: how does it fit within the company’s plans, how big is it, what is the likelihood and what priority attaches to it?
    • Form: how does the company identify and classify the risks, how do the risks align or connect with the opportunities and the wider company narrative and reporting?   
  • Approach.  Investors want to understand how management are responding to the risks, uncertainties and opportunities. This requires information about:
    • Linkage: to the wider strategy, business models and metrics that allow the monitoring of risks and opportunities.
    • Response: what is management tangibly doing to mitigate the risk (where relevant) and take forward the opportunity, what have they already done, what will they do in the short, medium and long term and how does this affect wider viability and resilience? 
  • Scenarios and stress-testing.  Investors want to understand more fully what is on the company’s horizon and how this is integrated into the risk and opportunity process. They seek to understand how uncertainty impacts the risks and opportunities and how scenarios provide insight into the range of possible futures.  Investors want to know that such exercises are conducted by the company and whether and how they influence its strategic decisions and, ultimately, its business model.

Alongside the report, the Lab has released a one-page summary of the report and a podcast from the Lab's project manager.  Following publication of the report, the Lab is inviting companies, investors and interested parties to participate in a new project that seeks to understand the specific process and disclosure areas emerging around cyber, digital and data risk.

Please click to access the press release, the report on risks, uncertainties and scenarios, the one-page summary and the podcast on the FRC website.

EFRAG publishes August 2021 issue of EFRAG Update

06 Sep, 2021

The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has published an ‘EFRAG Update’ summarising public technical discussions held and decisions made during August 2021.

The update covers the activities of the European Reporting Lab as well as webinars and online outreaches. The update also lists EFRAG publications issued in August 2021 including:

Please click to download the August EFRAG Update from the EFRAG website.

September 2021 IFRS Interpretations Committee meeting agenda posted

03 Sep, 2021

The IFRS Interpretations Committee has posted the agenda for its next meeting, which will be held by video conference on 14-15 September 2021.

The Committee will discuss the following:

  • IFRS 16 — Non-refundable value added tax on lease payments
  • IAS 32 — Accounting for warrants that are classified as financial liabilities on initial recognition
  • IFRS 16 — Lease liability in sale and leaseback
  • IAS 7 — Demand deposits with restrictions on use
  • IFRS 9 — Cash received via electronic transfer as settlement for a financial asset

The full agenda for the meeting can be found here. We will post any updates to the agenda, our comprehensive pre-meeting summaries as well as observer notes from the meeting on this page as they become available.

Call for papers – 3rd IPSASB research forum

02 Sep, 2021

In preparation of its 3rd Research Forum, which will be co-hosted by Comparative International Governmental Accounting Research Network (CIGAR) at its June 2022 conference, the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) is calling for scholarly contributions from the academic community.

The research areas of interest are:

  • Research on practical IPSAS implementation challenges 
    • Differential reporting 
    • Discount rates
  • Research on adoption and implementation of specific IPSAS
    • IPSAS 31 Intangible Assets
    • IPSAS 33 First-Time Adoption of Accrual Basis IPSAS
  • Broad future focused research
    • Climate change and public sector financial reporting related to sustainability 
    • Financial reporting impacts of digitization in the public sector

Please click for more information and the call for papers on the IPSASB website.

New resource page on the IFRS Foundation Trustees' sustainability reporting initiative

01 Sep, 2021

We have set up a new resource page on UK Accounting Plus that pulls together information regarding the background, an overview of developments, and news regarding the IFRS Foundation Trustees' project on sustainability-related reporting.

In the context of their periodic strategy review, the IFRS Foundation Trustees published a consultation paper in September 2020 to determine:

  • whether there is a need for global sustainability standards;
  • whether the IFRS Foundation should play a role in developing such standards; and
  • what the scope of that role could be.

Feedback to the consultation confirmed an urgent need for global sustainability reporting standards and support for the Foundation to play a role in their development. Since the start of 2021, the Trustees have, therefore, worked towards the potential creation of a new standard-setting board within the existing governance structure of the IFRS Foundation.

Please click for more information on our new dedicated resource page.

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