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IFRIC (International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee) (blue) Image

IFRIC D20 on customer loyalty programmes

07 Sep 2006

The International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) has released for public comment Draft Interpretation D20 'Customer Loyalty Programmes'.

Customer loyalty programmes are used by entities to provide customers with incentives to buy their products. Examples are airline mileage programmes and hotel and bank points programmes. The customer can redeem the award credits for awards such as free or discounted goods or services.

 

The fundamental question addressed by the IFRIC is whether the entity's obligation to provide free or discounted goods or services should be recognised and measured by:

  1. Allocating some of the consideration received or receivable from the initial sales transaction to the award credits and deferring the recognition of revenue (i.e. applying paragraph 13 of IAS 18 Revenue); or
  2. Recognising the original revenue in full and, concurrently, recognising a provision for the estimated future costs of supplying the award goods or services (applying paragraph 19 of IAS 18).
In IFRIC D20, the IFRIC has proposed that an entity should:
  • Apply paragraph 13 of IAS 18 and account for award credits as a separately identifiable revenue component of the original sale transaction.
  • Allocate the fair value of the consideration received or receivable from that original sale translation between the goods and services originally sold and the award credits granted based on the relative fair values of the components.

 

 

The draft Interpretation would take effect three months after it is published as a final Interpretation, and would be applied retrospectively by restating prior period financial statements. Comment Deadline is 6 November 2006. Press Release (PDF 82k).

 

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PCAOB Chairman testifies on stock options

07 Sep 2006

Mark W.

Olson, Chairman of the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, testified before the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs about issues related to companies' stock option granting practices and related accounting and auditing matters. Key points in his testimony:
  • Stock option granting practices have raised concerns about companies' accounting for and disclosure of compensation costs.
  • Changes in regulatory requirements appear to have reduced the incidence of suspiciously-timed option grants.
  • The PCAOB has alerted auditors to use judgment in considering issues relating to stock option granting practices in their audits.
(PDF 89k).
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Agenda for September 2006 IASB meeting

07 Sep 2006

The International Accounting Standards Board will hold its September 2006 Board meeting at its offices, 30 Cannon Street, London, on Monday through Friday 18-22 September 2006. Presented below is the preliminary agenda for the meeting. 18-22 September 2006, London Monday 18 September 2006 Insurance Contracts - Phase 2 [Education Session] – Insurance industry representatives will brief the Board on recommendations those organisations have made for the accounting model for insurance entities Consolidations (including Special Purpose Entities) [Education Session] – focus on SIC-12 Consolidation - Special Purpose Entities Tuesday 19 September 2006 Amendments to IAS 37 – reconsidering the measurement principle proposed in the Exposure Draft Financial Statement Presentation Fair Value Measurements – continued discussion of the FASB's fair value measurements Statement IFRS 2 – comment analysis in respect of the proposed amendments to IFRS 2 for vesting conditions and cancellations Financial Instruments – Due Process Document Wednesday 20 September 2006 Insurance Contracts - Phase 2: Reporting changes in insurance liabilities Investment contracts A portfolio basis for measurement Unbundling Policyholder participation rights Universal life contracts Amendments to IAS 14 Segment Reporting IFRIC Issues IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement – Derecognition Application Issues Related Party Disclosures Thursday 21 September 2006 Accounting Standards for Small and Medium-sized Entities Conceptual Framework Revenue Recognition Friday 22 September 2006 Accounting Standards for Small and Medium-sized Entities IFRS 1 – Cost of a subsidiary in the separate financial statements of a parent on first-time adoption of IFRSs Business Combinations Phase II – Redeliberations of proposed revisions to IFRS 3 Technical Plan .

The International Accounting Standards Board will hold its September 2006 Board meeting at its offices, 30 Cannon Street, London, on Monday through Friday 18-22 September 2006. Presented below is the preliminary agenda for the meeting.

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18-22 September 2006, London

Monday 18 September 2006

Tuesday 19 September 2006 Wednesday 20 September 2006 Thursday 21 September 2006 Friday 22 September 2006
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IPSASB staff office opens in Toronto

07 Sep 2006

Canada is showing its support for the work of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) in two significant ways: The Treasury Board of Canada is providing funding of US$200,000 per year for five years and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) has agreed to provide, at its expense, a dedicated professional to support the IPSASB.

Beginning this month, some of the IPSASB's staff, including its new Technical Director, Stephenie Fox, will be located in an office in Toronto, Canada. The IPSASB develops accounting and financial reporting standards for national, regional and local governments and related governmental agencies. IPSASB standards are based on IFRSs, and governmental business activities are required to follow IFRSs. Canada's actions demonstrate the increasing recognition of the importance of these standards. Press Release (PDF 82k).
FEE (Federation of European Accountants - Fédération des Experts-comptables Européens) (lt green) Image

FEE urges adoption of ISAs for all audits throughout Europe

06 Sep 2006

The Federation of European Accountants (FEE) has prepared a briefing note for members of the European Parliament stating that it is in the public interest if statutory audits of all companies are carried out in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISAs).

FEE wrote in support of Article 26 of the Statutory Audit Directive that the Parliament adopted in April 2006. Article 26 requires that all statutory audits in Europe follow ISA, which are developed by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. The briefing note states:

In this briefing note FEE considers why the public interest is best served if the same auditing standards apply equally to all audits of financial statements, irrespective of whether the entities audited are large or small, public interest or private.

The adoption of IFRSs for accounting purposes and of ISAs for auditing purposes are appropriate European measures to reinforce confidence in the financial markets.

Therefore FEE welcomes Article 26 of the Statutory Audit Directive that provides for statutory audits of all companies to be carried out in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) adopted by the European Commission. The IAS Regulation 2002 already requires publicly traded companies to prepare their consolidated (group) accounts in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) adopted by the European Union.

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United Nations will adopt IPSASs

06 Sep 2006

The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) has approved a financial management reform program that calls for the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs) by the UN.

As a result, the UN will move from a system of modified accrual to full accrual. IPSASs are developed by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board, an independent standard-setting body within the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). The standards set out the requirements for financial reporting by governments and other public sector organisations. Click for IFAC Press Release (PDF 78k).
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Reminder about September comment deadlines

05 Sep 2006

We remind you of the upcoming deadlines for responding to the following documents: Amendment to IAS 23 Borrowing Costs – comments due 29 September 2006 Draft Due Process for the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee – comments due 30 September 2006: Consultation Document (PDF 299k). Press Release (PDF 44k). .

We remind you of the upcoming deadlines for responding to the following documents:

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Where do our IFRS e-learning downloaders come from?

04 Sep 2006

On 26 August 2006 we reported that, since Deloitte's IFRS e-learning was launched in January 2004, 693,777 IFRS e-learning modules have been downloaded by visitors to IAS Plus from over 150 jurisdictions.

Where exactly do our IFRS e-learning downloaders come from? We only know the origin of a little over half of them. For the 60,000 non-Deloitte downloaders during the first eight months of 2006, the table below shows where the top 20 came from. (We're surprised and pleased to see a sizeable number of developing countries on the list.) Deloitte is making our IFRS e-learning available to all in the public interest without charge. Please click on the light bulb icon on the IAS Plus home page.

  • 1. Unknown Origin 47.2%
  • 2. United States 24.6%
  • 3. United Kingdom 2.0%
  • 4. Singapore 1.9%
  • 5. Hong Kong 1.6%
  • 6. Saudi Arabia 1.5
  • 7. Germany 1.3%

  • 8. Colombia 1.2%
  • 9. Pakistan 1.1%
  • 10. Australia 1.0%
  • 11. South Africa 0.9%
  • 12. Belgium 0.9%
  • 13. New Zealand 0.9%
  • 14. Russian Federation 0.9%

  • 15. India 0.7%
  • 16. Viet Nam 0.7%
  • 17. Netherlands 0.6%
  • 18. Turkey 0.6%
  • 19. Italy 0.5%
  • 20. Malaysia 0.5%
  • Other Jurisdictions 9.4%
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'Technical Library' is new name of DART

02 Sep 2006

The Deloitte Accounting Research Tool (DART) is now called 'Technical Library: The Deloitte Accounting Research Tool.

Maintained by Deloitte & Touche LLP (USA), Technical Library is comprehensive online collection of accounting and financial disclosure literature – both official publications and Deloitte's own accounting manuals and other interpretive guidance. Updated every business day, Technical Library has an intuitive design and navigation system and powerful search features that enable users to quickly locate information any time, from any computer. Additionally, Technical Library subscribers receive periodic emails highlighting recent additions to the Technical Library.

Contents of Technical Library

  • Deloitte's proprietary interpretive guidance
  • The Financial Accounting Standards Board literature
  • Emerging Issues Task Force consensus decisions and issue materials
  • Securities and Exchange Commission rules, regulations, and forms
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants accounting and auditing literature
  • International Accounting Standards Board literature
For more information, including subscription details and an online Technical Library demonstration, visit Deloitte's Technical Library.
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Accounting Roundup – August 2006

01 Sep 2006

We have posted the (PDF 327k) published by Deloitte & Touche LLP (USA).

Topics covered in this issue include:

GASB Developments

  • GASB Issues Proposed Concepts Statement Elements of Financial Statements
AICPA Developments
  • Conforming Changes Made to Standard on Reporting on a Non-issuer's Internal Control Over Financial Reporting To Achieve Consistency with SAS 112
  • Audit Risk Alert: Not-for-Profit Organizations Industry Developments
SEC Developments
  • SEC Finalises Disclosure Requirements for Executive and Director Compensation
  • Extension of Section 404 Compliance for Certain Companies
  • SEC Moving Forward to Develop Software to Demonstrate the Interactive Capabilities of XBRL
  • SEC and CESR Launch Work Plan Focused on Financial Reporting
International Developments
  • IFRIC Issues Draft Interpretation on Asset Ceiling and Minimum Funding Requirements Related to Employee Benefits
  • IASB Posts Latest Version of Exposure Draft on Small and Medium-Sized Entities
Other Developments
  • GAO Releases a Report Studying Financial Restatements
You will find past issues of Accounting Roundup Here.

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