IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts is set out in paragraphs 1–132 and appendices A–D. All the paragraphs have equal authority. Paragraphs in bold type state the main principles. Terms defined in Appendix A are in italics the first time that they appear in the Standard. Definitions of other terms are given in the Glossary for IFRS Standards. The Standard should be read in the context of its objective and the Basis for Conclusions, the Preface to IFRS Standards and the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors provides a basis for selecting and applying accounting policies in the absence of explicit guidance. [Refer:IAS 8 paragraphs 10–12]
1 | IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts establishes principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of insurance contracts within the scope of the Standard. The objective of IFRS 17 is to ensure that an entity provides relevant information that faithfully represents those contracts. This information gives a basis for users of financial statements to assess the effect that insurance contracts have on the entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC1–BC15 (reasons for issuing the Standard) and paragraphs BC16–BC62 (explanation of the main features of the Standard), in particular, paragraph BC16 explains the approach adopted by the Board.]
[Note: paragraph IN6 of the Introduction that accompanied the issue of IFRS 17 in May 2017 set out the key principles of IFRS 17. In addition to disclosure objectives, the key principles are that an entity:
Some insurance contracts provide investment-return or investment related-service in addition to insurance coverage. In June 2020, the Board amended IFRS 17 to require an entity to recognise the profit from a group of insurance contracts over the period the entity provides insurance contract services (Refer: Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC283A–BC283J).] |
2 | An entity shall consider its substantive rights and obligations, whether they arise from a contract, law or regulation, when applying IFRS 17. A contract is an agreement between two or more parties that creates enforceable rights and obligations. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC69] Enforceability of the rights and obligations in a contract is a matter of law. Contracts can be written, oral or implied by an entity’s customary business practices. Contractual terms include all terms in a contract, explicit or implied, but an entity shall disregard terms that have no commercial substance (ie no discernible effect on the economics of the contract). Implied terms in a contract include those imposed by law or regulation. The practices and processes for establishing contracts with customers vary across legal jurisdictions, industries and entities. In addition, they may vary within an entity (for example, they may depend on the class of customer or the nature of the promised goods or services). |
3 | An entity shall apply IFRS 17 to:
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4 | All references in IFRS 17 to insurance contracts also apply to:
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5 | All references in IFRS 17 to insurance contracts issued also apply to insurance contracts acquired by the entity in a transfer of insurance contracts or a business combination other than reinsurance contracts held. |
6 | Appendix A defines an insurance contract and paragraphs B2–B30 of Appendix B provide guidance on the definition of an insurance contract. |
7 | An entity shall not apply IFRS 17 to:
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8 | Some contracts meet the definition of an insurance contract but have as their primary purpose the provision of services for a fixed fee. An entity may choose to apply IFRS 15 instead of IFRS 17 to such contracts that it issues if, and only if, specified conditions are met. The entity may make that choice contract by contract, but the choice for each contract is irrevocable. The conditions are:
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8A | Some contracts meet the definition of an insurance contract but limit the compensation for insured events to the amount otherwise required to settle the policyholder’s obligation created by the contract (for example, loans with death waivers). An entity shall choose to apply either IFRS 17 or IFRS 9 to such contracts that it issues unless such contracts are excluded from the scope of IFRS 17 by paragraph 7. The entity shall make that choice for each portfolio of insurance contracts, and the choice for each portfolio is irrevocable. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC94D–BC94F and BC398C–BC398F] |
9 | A set or series of insurance contracts with the same or a related counterparty may achieve, or be designed to achieve, an overall commercial effect. In order to report the substance of such contracts, it may be necessary to treat the set or series of contracts as a whole. For example, if the rights or obligations in one contract do nothing other than entirely negate the rights or obligations in another contract entered into at the same time with the same counterparty, the combined effect is that no rights or obligations exist. |
10 | An insurance contract may contain one or more components that would be within the scope of another Standard if they were separate contracts. For example, an insurance contract may include an investment component or a component for services other than insurance contract services (or both). An entity shall apply paragraphs 11–13 to identify and account for the components of the contract. |
11 | An entity shall:
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12 | After applying paragraph 11 to separate any cash flows related to embedded derivatives and distinct investment components, an entity shall separate from the host insurance contract any promise to transfer to a policyholder distinct goods or services other than insurance contract services, applying paragraph 7 of IFRS 15. The entity shall account for such promises applying IFRS 15. In applying paragraph 7 of IFRS 15 to separate the promise, the entity shall apply paragraphs B33–B35 of IFRS 17 and, on initial recognition, shall:
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13 | After applying paragraphs 11–12, an entity shall apply IFRS 17 to all remaining components of the host insurance contract. Hereafter, all references in IFRS 17 to embedded derivatives refer to derivatives that have not been separated from the host insurance contract and all references to investment components refer to investment components that have not been separated from the host insurance contract (except those references in paragraphs B31–B32). |
14 | An entity shall identify portfolios of insurance contracts. A portfolio comprises contracts subject to similar risks and managed together. Contracts within a product line would be expected to have similar risks and hence would be expected to be in the same portfolio if they are managed together. Contracts in different product lines (for example single premium fixed annuities compared with regular term life assurance) would not be expected to have similar risks and hence would be expected to be in different portfolios.E1 |
| E1 | [IFRIC® Update, September 2022, Agenda Decision, 'IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts and IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates—Multi-currency Groups of Insurance Contracts' The Committee received a request about how an entity accounts for insurance contracts with cash flows in more than one currency. The request asked:
Identifying portfolios of insurance contracts IFRS 17 requires an entity to recognise and measure groups of insurance contracts. The first step in establishing groups of insurance contracts is to identify portfolios of insurance contracts. Paragraph 14 of IFRS 17 states that ‘a portfolio comprises contracts subject to similar risks and managed together’. The request asks whether currency exchange rate risks are among the risks an entity considers when assessing whether insurance contracts are ‘subject to similar risks’. IFRS 17 defines financial risk and insurance risk (a non-financial risk). Financial risk is defined to include ‘the risk of a possible future change in … [a] currency exchange rate’. When IFRS 17 requires an entity to consider or reflect only particular types of risk (for example, only non-financial risk), it explicitly refers to the risks to be considered or reflected. Therefore, the Committee concluded that, because paragraph 14 of IFRS 17 refers to ‘similar risks’ without specifying any particular types of risk, an entity is required to consider all risks—including currency exchange rate risks—when identifying portfolios of insurance contracts. However, ‘similar risks’ does not mean ‘identical risks’. Therefore, an entity could identify portfolios of contracts that include contracts subject to different currency exchange rate risks. The Committee observed that what an entity considers to be ‘similar risks’ will depend on the nature and extent of the risks in the entity’s insurance contracts. ... Conclusion In the light of its analysis, the Committee considered whether to add to the work plan a standard-setting project on how to account for the foreign currency aspects of insurance contracts. The Committee observed that it has not obtained evidence that such a project would be sufficiently narrow in scope that the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) or the Committee could address it in an efficient manner. Consequently, the Committee decided not to add a standard-setting project to the work plan.] |
15 | Paragraphs 16–24 apply to insurance contracts issued. The requirements for the level of aggregation of reinsurance contracts held are set out in paragraph 61. |
16 | An entity shall divide a portfolio of insurance contracts issued into a minimum of:
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17 | If an entity has reasonable and supportable information to conclude that a set of contracts will all be in the same group applying paragraph 16, it may measure the set of contracts to determine if the contracts are onerous (see paragraph 47) and assess the set of contracts to determine if the contracts have no significant possibility of becoming onerous subsequently (see paragraph 19). If the entity does not have reasonable and supportable information to conclude that a set of contracts will all be in the same group, it shall determine the group to which contracts belong by considering individual contracts. |
18 | For contracts issued to which an entity applies the premium allocation approach (see paragraphs 53–59), the entity shall assume no contracts in the portfolio are onerous at initial recognition, unless facts and circumstances indicate otherwise. An entity shall assess whether contracts that are not onerous at initial recognition have no significant possibility of becoming onerous subsequently by assessing the likelihood of changes in applicable facts and circumstances. |
19 | For contracts issued to which an entity does not apply the premium allocation approach (see paragraphs 53–54), an entity shall assess whether contracts that are not onerous at initial recognition have no significant possibility of becoming onerous:
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20 | If, applying paragraphs 14–19, contracts within a portfolio would fall into different groups only because law or regulation specifically constrains the entity’s practical ability to set a different price or level of benefits for policyholders with different characteristics, the entity may include those contracts in the same group. The entity shall not apply this paragraph by analogy to other items. |
21 | An entity is permitted to subdivide the groups described in paragraph 16. For example, an entity may choose to divide the portfolios into:
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22 | An entity shall not include contracts issued more than one year apart in the same group. To achieve this the entity shall, if necessary, further divide the groups described in paragraphs 16–21. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC136–BC138 and BC139F–BC139T]
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23 | A group of insurance contracts shall comprise a single contract if that is the result of applying paragraphs 14–22. |
24 | An entity shall apply the recognition and measurement requirements of IFRS 17 to the groups of contracts determined by applying paragraphs 14–23. An entity shall establish the groups at initial recognition and add contracts to the groups applying paragraph 28. The entity shall not reassess the composition of the groups subsequently. To measure a group of contracts, an entity may estimate the fulfilment cash flows at a higher level of aggregation than the group or portfolio, provided the entity is able to include the appropriate fulfilment cash flows in the measurement of the group, applying paragraphs 32(a), 40(a)(i) and 40(b), by allocating such estimates to groups of contracts. |
25 | An entity shall recognise a group of insurance contracts it issues from the earliest of the following:
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26 | If there is no contractual due date, the first payment from the policyholder is deemed to be due when it is received. An entity is required to determine whether any contracts form a group of onerous contracts applying paragraph 16 before the earlier of the dates set out in paragraphs 25(a) and 25(b) if facts and circumstances indicate there is such a group. |
27 | [Deleted] |
28 | In recognising a group of insurance contracts in a reporting period, an entity shall include only contracts that individually meet one of the criteria set out in paragraph 25 and shall make estimates for the discount rates at the date of initial recognition (see paragraph B73) and the coverage units provided in the reporting period (see paragraph B119). An entity may include more contracts in the group after the end of a reporting period, subject to paragraphs 14–22. An entity shall add a contract to the group in the reporting period in which that contract meets one of the criteria set out in paragraph 25. This may result in a change to the determination of the discount rates at the date of initial recognition applying paragraph B73. An entity shall apply the revised rates from the start of the reporting period in which the new contracts are added to the group. |
28A | An entity shall allocate insurance acquisition cash flows to groups of insurance contracts using a systematic and rational method applying paragraphs B35A‒B35B, [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC184A and BC184B] unless it chooses to recognise them as expenses applying paragraph 59(a). |
28B | An entity not applying paragraph 59(a) shall recognise as an asset insurance acquisition cash flows paid (or insurance acquisition cash flows for which a liability has been recognised applying another IFRS Standard) before the related group of insurance contracts is recognised. An entity shall recognise such an asset for each related group of insurance contracts. |
28C | An entity shall derecognise an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows when the insurance acquisition cash flows are included in the measurement of the related group of insurance contracts applying paragraph 38(c)(i) or paragraph 55(a)(iii). |
28D | If paragraph 28 applies, an entity shall apply paragraphs 28B‒28C in accordance with paragraph B35C. |
28E | At the end of each reporting period, an entity shall assess the recoverability of an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows if facts and circumstances indicate the asset may be impaired (see paragraph B35D). [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC184I] If an entity identifies an impairment loss, the entity shall adjust the carrying amount of the asset and recognise the impairment loss in profit or loss. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC184J] |
28F | An entity shall recognise in profit or loss a reversal of some or all of an impairment loss previously recognised applying paragraph 28E and increase the carrying amount of the asset, to the extent that the impairment conditions no longer exist or have improved. |
29 | An entity shall apply paragraphs 30–52 to all groups of insurance contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, with the following exceptions:
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30 | When applying IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates to a group of insurance contracts that generate cash flows in a foreign currency, an entity shall treat the group of contracts, including the contractual service margin, as a monetary item.E2 [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC277 and BC278] |
| E2 | [IFRIC® Update, September 2022, Agenda Decision, 'IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts and IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates—Multi-currency Groups of Insurance Contracts' The Committee received a request about how an entity accounts for insurance contracts with cash flows in more than one currency. The request asked:
... Measuring a multi-currency group of insurance contracts An entity measures a group of insurance contracts at the total of the fulfilment cash flows and the contractual service margin. Paragraph 30 of IFRS 17 states that ‘when applying IAS 21 … to a group of insurance contracts that generate cash flows in a foreign currency, an entity shall treat the group of contracts, including the contractual service margin, as a monetary item’. Paragraph 8 of IAS 21 defines monetary items as ‘units of currency held and assets and liabilities to be received or paid in a fixed or determinable number of units of currency’ and paragraph 20 describes a foreign currency transaction as ‘a transaction that is denominated or requires settlement in a foreign currency’. Paragraphs 21–24 of IAS 21 require an entity:
The requirements in both IFRS 17 and IAS 21 refer to transactions or items that are denominated or require settlement in a single currency. IFRS Accounting Standards include no explicit requirements on how to determine the currency denomination of transactions or items with cash flows in more than one currency. Therefore, the Committee observed that, in measuring a multi-currency group of insurance contracts, an entity:
The entity develops an accounting policy on currency denomination that results in information that is relevant and reliable (as described in paragraph 10 of IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors) and is applied consistently for similar transactions, other events and conditions (paragraph 13 of IAS 8). The accounting policy is developed based on the entity’s specific circumstances and the terms of the contracts in the group. The entity cannot simply presume that the contractual service margin for the group is denominated in the functional currency. Such a presumption would, in effect, fail to treat the contractual service margin as a monetary item as required by paragraph 30 of IFRS 17. Single-currency denomination versus multi-currency denomination The entity’s accounting policy on currency denomination determines which effects of changes in exchange rates are changes in financial risk accounted for applying IFRS 17 and which of these effects are exchange differences accounted for applying IAS 21. A single-currency denomination treats:
A multi-currency denomination treats all changes in exchange rates as exchange differences that an entity accounts for applying IAS 21. In applying IFRS 17, there is a single contractual service margin for the group of insurance contracts. Appendix A to IFRS 17 defines the contractual service margin as representing ‘the unearned profit the entity will recognise as it provides insurance contract services under the insurance contracts in the group.’ Accordingly, under a multi-currency denomination, the entity would:
Conclusion In the light of its analysis, the Committee considered whether to add to the work plan a standard-setting project on how to account for the foreign currency aspects of insurance contracts. The Committee observed that it has not obtained evidence that such a project would be sufficiently narrow in scope that the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) or the Committee could address it in an efficient manner. Consequently, the Committee decided not to add a standard-setting project to the work plan.] |
31 | In the financial statements of an entity that issues insurance contracts, the fulfilment cash flows shall not reflect the non-performance risk of that entity (non-performance risk is defined in IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement). [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC197] |
32 | On initial recognition, an entity shall measure a group of insurance contracts at the total of:
[Refer:Illustrative Examples, Example 1]
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33 | An entity shall include in the measurement of a group of insurance contracts all the future cash flows within the boundary of each contract in the group (see paragraph 34). Applying paragraph 24, an entity may estimate the future cash flows at a higher level of aggregation and then allocate the resulting fulfilment cash flows to individual groups of contracts. The estimates of future cash flows shall:
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34 | Cash flows are within the boundary of an insurance contract if they arise from substantive rights and obligations that exist during the reporting period in which the entity can compel the policyholder to pay the premiums or in which the entity has a substantive obligation to provide the policyholder with insurance contract services (see paragraphs B61–B71). A substantive obligation to provide insurance contract services ends when:
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35 | An entity shall not recognise as a liability or as an asset any amounts relating to expected premiums or expected claims outside the boundary of the insurance contract. Such amounts relate to future insurance contracts. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC159–BC164] |
36 | An entity shall adjust the estimates of future cash flows to reflect the time value of money and the financial risks related to those cash flows, to the extent that the financial risks are not included in the estimates of cash flows. The discount rates applied to the estimates of the future cash flows described in paragraph 33 shall:
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37 | An entity shall adjust the estimate of the present value of the future cash flows to reflect the compensation that the entity requires for bearing the uncertainty about the amount and timing of the cash flows that arises from non-financial risk. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC206–BC214C] |
38 | The contractual service margin is a component of the asset or liability for the group of insurance contracts that represents the unearned profit the entity will recognise as it provides insurance contract services in the future. An entity shall measure the contractual service margin on initial recognition of a group of insurance contracts at an amount that, unless paragraph 47 (on onerous contracts) or paragraph B123A (on insurance revenue relating to paragraph 38(c)(ii)) applies, results in no income or expenses arising from:
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39 | For insurance contracts acquired in a transfer of insurance contracts or in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3, an entity shall apply paragraph 38 in accordance with paragraphs B93–B95F. [Refer:
Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC323–BC327A Illustrative Examples, Examples 13 and 14 IFRS 17 Supporting Material (see Part B)—one-page summary of the accounting model in IFRS 17 published by the staff of the IFRS Foundation] |
40 | The carrying amount of a group of insurance contracts at the end of each reporting period shall be the sum of:
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41 | An entity shall recognise income and expenses for the following changes in the carrying amount of the liability for remaining coverage:
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42 | An entity shall recognise income and expenses for the following changes in the carrying amount of the liability for incurred claims:
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43 | The contractual service margin at the end of the reporting period represents the profit in the group of insurance contracts that has not yet been recognised in profit or loss because it relates to the future service to be provided under the contracts in the group. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC18 and BC22–BC26] |
44 | For insurance contracts without direct participation features, the carrying amount of the contractual service margin of a group of contracts at the end of the reporting period equals the carrying amount at the start of the reporting period adjusted for:
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45 | For insurance contracts with direct participation features (see paragraphs B101–B118), the carrying amount of the contractual service margin of a group of contracts at the end of the reporting period equals the carrying amount at the start of the reporting period adjusted for the amounts specified in subparagraphs (a)–(e) below. An entity is not required to identify these adjustments separately. Instead, a combined amount may be determined for some, or all, of the adjustments. The adjustments are:
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46 | Some changes in the contractual service margin offset changes in the fulfilment cash flows for the liability for remaining coverage, resulting in no change in the total carrying amount of the liability for remaining coverage. To the extent that changes in the contractual service margin do not offset changes in the fulfilment cash flows for the liability for remaining coverage, an entity shall recognise income and expenses for the changes, applying paragraph 41. |
47 | An insurance contract is onerous at the date of initial recognition if the fulfilment cash flows allocated to the contract, any previously recognised insurance acquisition cash flows and any cash flows arising from the contract at the date of initial recognition in total are a net outflow. Applying paragraph 16(a), an entity shall group such contracts separately from contracts that are not onerous. To the extent that paragraph 17 applies, an entity may identify the group of onerous contracts by measuring a set of contracts rather than individual contracts. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC129] An entity shall recognise a loss in profit or loss for the net outflow for the group of onerous contracts, resulting in the carrying amount of the liability for the group being equal to the fulfilment cash flows and the contractual service margin of the group being zero. [Refer:Illustrative Examples, Example 1]
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48 | A group of insurance contracts becomes onerous (or more onerous) on subsequent measurement if the following amounts exceed the carrying amount of the contractual service margin:
Applying paragraphs 44(c)(i), 45(b)(ii) and 45(c)(ii), an entity shall recognise a loss in profit or loss to the extent of that excess. |
49 | An entity shall establish (or increase) a loss component of the liability for remaining coverage for an onerous group depicting the losses recognised applying paragraphs 47–48. The loss component determines the amounts that are presented in profit or loss as reversals of losses on onerous groups and are consequently excluded from the determination of insurance revenue. |
50 | After an entity has recognised a loss on an onerous group of insurance contracts, it shall allocate:
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51 | The subsequent changes in the fulfilment cash flows of the liability for remaining coverage to be allocated applying paragraph 50(a) are:
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52 | The systematic allocation required by paragraph 50(a) shall result in the total amounts allocated to the loss component in accordance with paragraphs 48–50 being equal to zero by the end of the coverage period of a group of contracts. |
53 | An entity may simplify the measurement of a group of insurance contracts using the premium allocation approach set out in paragraphs 55–59 if, and only if, at the inception of the group:
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54 | The criterion in paragraph 53(a) is not met if at the inception of the group an entity expects significant variability in the fulfilment cash flows that would affect the measurement of the liability for remaining coverage during the period before a claim is incurred. Variability in the fulfilment cash flows increases with, for example:
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55 | Using the premium allocation approach, an entity shall measure the liability for remaining coverage as follows:
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56 | If insurance contracts in the group have a significant financing component, an entity shall adjust the carrying amount of the liability for remaining coverage to reflect the time value of money and the effect of financial risk using the discount rates specified in paragraph 36, as determined on initial recognition. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC293] The entity is not required to adjust the carrying amount of the liability for remaining coverage to reflect the time value of money and the effect of financial risk if, at initial recognition, the entity expects that the time between providing each part of the services and the related premium due date is no more than a year. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC292(a)] |
57 | If at any time during the coverage period, facts and circumstances indicate that a group of insurance contracts is onerous [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC292(b)], an entity shall calculate the difference between:
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58 | To the extent that the fulfilment cash flows described in paragraph 57(b) exceed the carrying amount described in paragraph 57(a), the entity shall recognise a loss in profit or loss and increase the liability for remaining coverage. |
59 | In applying the premium allocation approach, an entity:
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60 | The requirements in IFRS 17 are modified for reinsurance contracts held, as set out in paragraphs 61–70A. |
61 | An entity shall divide portfolios of reinsurance contracts held applying paragraphs 14–24, except that the references to onerous contracts in those paragraphs shall be replaced with a reference to contracts on which there is a net gain on initial recognition. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC128] For some reinsurance contracts held, applying paragraphs 14–24 will result in a group that comprises a single contract. |
62 | Instead of applying paragraph 25, an entity shall recognise a group of reinsurance contracts held from the earlier of the following:
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62A | Notwithstanding paragraph 62(a), an entity shall delay the recognition of a group of reinsurance contracts held that provide proportionate coverage until the date that any underlying insurance contract is initially recognised, if that date is later than the beginning of the coverage period of the group of reinsurance contracts held. |
63 | In applying the measurement requirements of paragraphs 32–36 to reinsurance contracts held, to the extent that the underlying contracts are also measured applying those paragraphs, the entity shall use consistent assumptions to measure the estimates of the present value of the future cash flows for the group of reinsurance contracts held and the estimates of the present value of the future cash flows for the group(s) of underlying insurance contracts. In addition, the entity shall include in the estimates of the present value of the future cash flows for the group of reinsurance contracts held the effect of any risk of non-performance by the issuer of the reinsurance contract, including the effects of collateral and losses from disputes. |
64 | Instead of applying paragraph 37, an entity shall determine the risk adjustment for non-financial risk so that it represents the amount of risk being transferred by the holder of the group of reinsurance contracts to the issuer of those contracts. |
65 | The requirements of paragraph 38 that relate to determining the contractual service margin on initial recognition are modified to reflect the fact that for a group of reinsurance contracts held there is no unearned profit but instead a net cost or net gain on purchasing the reinsurance. Hence, unless paragraph 65A applies, on initial recognition the entity shall recognise any net cost or net gain on purchasing the group of reinsurance contracts held as a contractual service margin measured at an amount equal to the sum of:
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65A | If the net cost of purchasing reinsurance coverage relates to events that occurred before the purchase of the group of reinsurance contracts held, notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph B5, the entity shall recognise such a cost immediately in profit or loss as an expense. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC312] |
66 | Instead of applying paragraph 44, an entity shall measure the contractual service margin at the end of the reporting period for a group of reinsurance contracts held as the carrying amount determined at the start of the reporting period, adjusted for:
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66A | An entity shall adjust the contractual service margin of a group of reinsurance contracts held, and as a result recognise income, when the entity recognises a loss on initial recognition of an onerous group of underlying insurance contracts or on addition of onerous underlying insurance contracts to a group (see paragraphs B119C‒B119E). [Refer:
Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC315A‒BC315C Illustrative Examples, Example 12C] |
66B | An entity shall establish (or adjust) a loss-recovery component of the asset for remaining coverage for a group of reinsurance contracts held depicting the recovery of losses recognised applying paragraphs 66(c)(i)‒(ii) and 66A. The loss-recovery component determines the amounts that are presented in profit or loss as reversals of recoveries of losses from reinsurance contracts held and are consequently excluded from the allocation of premiums paid to the reinsurer (see paragraph B119F). [Refer:Illustrative Examples, Example 12C ]
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67 | Changes in the fulfilment cash flows that result from changes in the risk of non-performance by the issuer of a reinsurance contract held do not relate to future service and shall not adjust the contractual service margin. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC309] |
68 | Reinsurance contracts held cannot be onerous. Accordingly, the requirements of paragraphs 47–52 do not apply. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC311] |
69 | An entity may use the premium allocation approach set out in paragraphs 55–56 and 59 (adapted to reflect the features of reinsurance contracts held that differ from insurance contracts issued, for example the generation of expenses or reduction in expenses rather than revenue) to simplify the measurement of a group of reinsurance contracts held, if at the inception of the group:
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70 | An entity cannot meet the condition in paragraph 69(a) if, at the inception of the group, an entity expects significant variability in the fulfilment cash flows that would affect the measurement of the asset for remaining coverage during the period before a claim is incurred. Variability in the fulfilment cash flows increases with, for example:
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70A | If an entity measures a group of reinsurance contracts held applying the premium allocation approach, the entity shall apply paragraph 66A by adjusting the carrying amount of the asset for remaining coverage instead of adjusting the contractual service margin. |
71 | An investment contract with discretionary participation features does not include a transfer of significant insurance risk. Consequently, the requirements in IFRS 17 for insurance contracts are modified for investment contracts with discretionary participation features as follows:
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72 | If the terms of an insurance contract are modified, for example by agreement between the parties to the contract or by a change in regulation, an entity shall derecognise the original contract and recognise the modified contract as a new contract, applying IFRS 17 or other applicable Standards if, and only if, any of the conditions in (a)–(c) are satisfied. The exercise of a right included in the terms of a contract is not a modification. The conditions are that:
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73 | If a contract modification meets none of the conditions in paragraph 72, the entity shall treat changes in cash flows caused by the modification as changes in estimates of fulfilment cash flows by applying paragraphs 40–52. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC320] |
74 | An entity shall derecognise an insurance contract when, and only when:
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75 | When an insurance contract is extinguished, the entity is no longer at risk and is therefore no longer required to transfer any economic resources to satisfy the insurance contract. For example, when an entity buys reinsurance, it shall derecognise the underlying insurance contract(s) when, and only when, the underlying insurance contract(s) is or are extinguished. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC306] |
76 | An entity derecognises an insurance contract from within a group of contracts by applying the following requirements in IFRS 17:
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77 | When an entity derecognises an insurance contract because it transfers the contract to a third party or derecognises an insurance contract and recognises a new contract applying paragraph 72, the entity shall instead of applying paragraph 76(b): [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC319]
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78 | An entity shall present separately in the statement of financial position the carrying amount of portfolios of:
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79 | An entity shall include any assets for insurance acquisition cash flows recognised applying paragraph 28B in the carrying amount of the related portfolios of insurance contracts issued, and any assets or liabilities for cash flows related to portfolios of reinsurance contracts held (see paragraph 65(b)) in the carrying amount of the portfolios of reinsurance contracts held. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC175–BC180] |
80 | Applying paragraphs 41 and 42, an entity shall disaggregate the amounts recognised in the statement(s) of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (hereafter referred to as the statement(s) of financial performance) into:
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81 | An entity is not required to disaggregate the change in the risk adjustment for non-financial risk between the insurance service result and insurance finance income or expenses. If an entity does not make such a disaggregation, it shall include the entire change in the risk adjustment for non-financial risk as part of the insurance service result. |
82 | An entity shall present income or expenses from reinsurance contracts held separately from the expenses or income from insurance contracts issued. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC346]
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83 | An entity shall present in profit or loss insurance revenue arising from the groups of insurance contracts issued. Insurance revenue shall depict the provision of services arising from the group of insurance contracts at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those services. Paragraphs B120–B127 specify how an entity measures insurance revenue. |
84 | An entity shall present in profit or loss insurance service expenses arising from a group of insurance contracts issued, comprising incurred claims (excluding repayments of investment components), other incurred insurance service expenses and other amounts as described in paragraph 103(b). |
85 | Insurance revenue and insurance service expenses presented in profit or loss shall exclude any investment components. An entity shall not present premium information in profit or loss if that information is inconsistent with paragraph 83. |
86 | An entity may present the income or expenses from a group of reinsurance contracts held (see paragraphs 60–70A), other than insurance finance income or expenses, as a single amount; or the entity may present separately the amounts recovered from the reinsurer and an allocation of the premiums paid that together give a net amount equal to that single amount. If an entity presents separately the amounts recovered from the reinsurer and an allocation of the premiums paid, it shall:
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87 | Insurance finance income or expenses comprises the change in the carrying amount of the group of insurance contracts arising from:
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87A | An entity shall apply:
[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC256G–BC256H]
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88 | In applying paragraph 87A(b), unless paragraph 89 applies, an entity shall make an accounting policy choice between:
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89 | In applying paragraph 87A(b), for insurance contracts with direct participation features, for which the entity holds the underlying items, an entity shall make an accounting policy choice between:
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90 | If an entity chooses the accounting policy set out in paragraph 88(b) or in paragraph 89(b), it shall include in other comprehensive income the difference between the insurance finance income or expenses measured on the basis set out in those paragraphs and the total insurance finance income or expenses for the period.
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91 | If an entity transfers a group of insurance contracts or derecognises an insurance contract applying paragraph 77:
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92 | Paragraph 30 requires an entity to treat an insurance contract as a monetary item under IAS 21 for the purpose of translating foreign exchange items into the entity’s functional currency. An entity includes exchange differences on changes in the carrying amount of groups of insurance contracts in the statement of profit or loss, unless they relate to changes in the carrying amount of groups of insurance contracts included in other comprehensive income applying paragraph 90, in which case they shall be included in other comprehensive income. |
| Disclosure of insurance contracts [text block] Disclosure | Text block | 800500, 836600 |
93 | The objective of the disclosure requirements is for an entity to disclose information in the notes that, together with the information provided in the statement of financial position, statement(s) of financial performance and statement of cash flows, gives a basis for users of financial statements to assess the effect that contracts within the scope of IFRS 17 have on the entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. To achieve that objective, an entity shall disclose qualitative and quantitative information about:
[Link toBasis for Conclusions paragraph BC348 for disclosure requirements brought forward from IFRS 4]
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94 | An entity shall consider the level of detail necessary to satisfy the disclosure objective and how much emphasis to place on each of the various requirements. If the disclosures provided, applying paragraphs 97–132, are not enough to meet the objective in paragraph 93, an entity shall disclose additional information necessary to meet that objective.
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95 | An entity shall aggregate or disaggregate information so that useful information is not obscured either by the inclusion of a large amount of insignificant detail or by the aggregation of items that have different characteristics. |
96 | Paragraphs 29–31 of IAS 1 set out requirements relating to materiality and aggregation of information. Examples of aggregation bases that might be appropriate for information disclosed about insurance contracts are:
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97 | Of the disclosures required by paragraphs 98–109A, only those in paragraphs 98–100, 102–103, 105‒105B and 109A apply to contracts to which the premium allocation approach has been applied. If an entity uses the premium allocation approach, it shall also disclose:
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98 | An entity shall disclose reconciliations that show how the net carrying amounts of contracts within the scope of IFRS 17 changed during the period because of cash flows and income and expenses recognised in the statement(s) of financial performance. Separate reconciliations shall be disclosed for insurance contracts issued and reinsurance contracts held. An entity shall adapt the requirements of paragraphs 100–109 to reflect the features of reinsurance contracts held that differ from insurance contracts issued; for example, the generation of expenses or reduction in expenses rather than revenue. [Refer:Illustrative Examples, Example 12C paragraph IE138N]
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99 | An entity shall provide enough information in the reconciliations to enable users of financial statements to identify changes from cash flows and amounts that are recognised in the statement(s) of financial performance. To comply with this requirement, an entity shall:
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100 | An entity shall disclose reconciliations from the opening to the closing balances separately for each of:
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101 | For insurance contracts other than those to which the premium allocation approach described in paragraphs 53–59 or 69–70A has been applied, an entity shall also disclose reconciliations from the opening to the closing balances separately for each of:
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102 | The objective of the reconciliations in paragraphs 100–101 is to provide different types of information about the insurance service result. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC356] |
103 | An entity shall separately disclose in the reconciliations required in paragraph 100 each of the following amounts related to services, if applicable:
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104 | An entity shall separately disclose in the reconciliations required in paragraph 101 each of the following amounts related to services, if applicable:
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105 | To complete the reconciliations in paragraphs 100–101, an entity shall also disclose separately each of the following amounts not related to services provided in the period, if applicable:
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105A | An entity shall disclose a reconciliation from the opening to the closing balance of assets for insurance acquisition cash flows recognised applying paragraph 28B. An entity shall aggregate information for the reconciliation at a level that is consistent with that for the reconciliation of insurance contracts, applying paragraph 98. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC366A]
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105B | An entity shall separately disclose in the reconciliation required by paragraph 105A any impairment losses and reversals of impairment losses recognised applying paragraph 28E–28F. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC366A]
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106 | For insurance contracts issued other than those to which the premium allocation approach described in paragraphs 53–59 has been applied, an entity shall disclose an analysis of the insurance revenue recognised in the period comprising:
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107 | For insurance contracts other than those to which the premium allocation approach described in paragraphs 53–59 or 69–70A has been applied, an entity shall disclose the effect on the statement of financial position separately for insurance contracts issued and reinsurance contracts held that are initially recognised in the period, showing their effect at initial recognition on:
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108 | In the disclosures required by paragraph 107, an entity shall separately disclose amounts resulting from:
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109 | For insurance contracts other than those to which the premium allocation approach described in paragraphs 53–59 or 69–70A has been applied, an entity shall disclose when it expects to recognise the contractual service margin remaining at the end of the reporting period in profit or loss quantitatively, in appropriate time bands. Such information shall be provided separately for insurance contracts issued and reinsurance contracts held. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC363 and BC366B]
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109A | An entity shall disclose quantitatively, in appropriate time bands, when it expects to derecognise an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows applying paragraph 28C. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC366A]
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110 | An entity shall disclose and explain the total amount of insurance finance income or expenses in the reporting period. In particular, an entity shall explain the relationship between insurance finance income or expenses and the investment return on its assets, to enable users of its financial statements to evaluate the sources of finance income or expenses recognised in profit or loss and other comprehensive income.
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111 | For contracts with direct participation features, the entity shall describe the composition of the underlying items and disclose their fair value.
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112 | For contracts with direct participation features, if an entity chooses not to adjust the contractual service margin for some changes in the fulfilment cash flows, applying paragraph B115, it shall disclose the effect of that choice on the adjustment to the contractual service margin in the current period.
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113 | For contracts with direct participation features, if an entity changes the basis of disaggregation of insurance finance income or expenses between profit or loss and other comprehensive income, applying paragraph B135, it shall disclose, in the period when the change in approach occurred:
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114 | An entity shall provide disclosures that enable users of financial statements to identify the effect of groups of insurance contracts measured at the transition date applying the modified retrospective approach (see paragraphs C6–C19A) or the fair value approach (see paragraphs C20–C24B) on the contractual service margin and insurance revenue in subsequent periods. Hence an entity shall disclose the reconciliation of the contractual service margin applying paragraph 101(c), and the amount of insurance revenue applying paragraph 103(a), separately for:
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115 | For all periods in which disclosures are made applying paragraphs 114(a) or 114(b), to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature and significance of the methods used and judgements applied in determining the transition amounts, an entity shall explain how it determined the measurement of insurance contracts at the transition date.
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116 | An entity that chooses to disaggregate insurance finance income or expenses between profit or loss and other comprehensive income applies paragraphs C18(b), C19(b), C24(b) and C24(c) to determine the cumulative difference between the insurance finance income or expenses that would have been recognised in profit or loss and the total insurance finance income or expenses at the transition date for the groups of insurance contracts to which the disaggregation applies. For all periods in which amounts determined applying these paragraphs exist, the entity shall disclose a reconciliation from the opening to the closing balance of the cumulative amounts included in other comprehensive income for financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive income related to the groups of insurance contracts. The reconciliation shall include, for example, gains or losses recognised in other comprehensive income in the period and gains or losses previously recognised in other comprehensive income in previous periods reclassified in the period to profit or loss.
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117 | An entity shall disclose the significant judgements and changes in judgements made in applying IFRS 17. Specifically, an entity shall disclose the inputs, assumptions and estimation techniques used, including:
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118 | If, applying paragraph 88(b) or paragraph 89(b), an entity chooses to disaggregate insurance finance income or expenses into amounts presented in profit or loss and amounts presented in other comprehensive income, the entity shall disclose an explanation of the methods used to determine the insurance finance income or expenses recognised in profit or loss.
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119 | An entity shall disclose the confidence level used to determine the risk adjustment for non-financial risk. If the entity uses a technique other than the confidence level technique for determining the risk adjustment for non-financial risk, it shall disclose the technique used and the confidence level corresponding to the results of that technique.
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120 | An entity shall disclose the yield curve (or range of yield curves) used to discount cash flows that do not vary based on the returns on underlying items, applying paragraph 36. When an entity provides this disclosure in aggregate for a number of groups of insurance contracts, it shall provide such disclosures in the form of weighted averages, or relatively narrow ranges.
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121 | An entity shall disclose information that enables users of its financial statements to evaluate the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of future cash flows that arise from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17. Paragraphs 122–132 contain requirements for disclosures that would normally be necessary to meet this requirement. |
122 | These disclosures focus on the insurance and financial risks that arise from insurance contracts and how they have been managed. Financial risks typically include, but are not limited to, credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk. |
123 | If the information disclosed about an entity’s exposure to risk at the end of the reporting period is not representative of its exposure to risk during the period, the entity shall disclose that fact, the reason why the period-end exposure is not representative, and further information that is representative of its risk exposure during the period.
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124 | For each type of risk arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, an entity shall disclose:
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125 | For each type of risk arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, an entity shall disclose:
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126 | An entity shall disclose information about the effect of the regulatory frameworks in which it operates; for example, minimum capital requirements or required interest-rate guarantees. If an entity applies paragraph 20 in determining the groups of insurance contracts to which it applies the recognition and measurement requirements of IFRS 17, it shall disclose that fact.
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127 | An entity shall disclose information about concentrations of risk arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, including a description of how the entity determines the concentrations, and a description of the shared characteristic that identifies each concentration (for example, the type of insured event, industry, geographical area, or currency). Concentrations of financial risk might arise, for example, from interest-rate guarantees that come into effect at the same level for a large number of contracts. Concentrations of financial risk might also arise from concentrations of non-financial risk; for example, if an entity provides product liability protection to pharmaceutical companies and also holds investments in those companies.
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128 | An entity shall disclose information about sensitivities to changes in risk variables arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17. To comply with this requirement, an entity shall disclose:
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129 | If an entity prepares a sensitivity analysis that shows how amounts different from those specified in paragraph 128(a) are affected by changes in risk variables and uses that sensitivity analysis to manage risks arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, it may use that sensitivity analysis in place of the analysis specified in paragraph 128(a). The entity shall also disclose:
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130 | An entity shall disclose actual claims compared with previous estimates of the undiscounted amount of the claims (ie claims development). The disclosure about claims development shall start with the period when the earliest material claim(s) arose and for which there is still uncertainty about the amount and timing of the claims payments at the end of the reporting period; but the disclosure is not required to start more than 10 years before the end of the reporting period. The entity is not required to disclose information about the development of claims for which uncertainty about the amount and timing of the claims payments is typically resolved within one year. An entity shall reconcile the disclosure about claims development with the aggregate carrying amount of the groups of insurance contracts, which the entity discloses applying paragraph 100(c).
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131 | For credit risk that arises from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, an entity shall disclose:
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132 | For liquidity risk arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17, an entity shall disclose:
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This appendix is an integral part of IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts.
A component of the carrying amount of the asset or liability for a group of insurance contracts representing the unearned profit the entity will recognise as it provides insurance contract services under the insurance contracts in the group. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC218–BC220]
The period during which the entity provides insurance contract services. This period includes the insurance contract services that relate to all premiums within the boundary of the insurance contract.
A difference between:
(a) | for premium receipts (and any related cash flows such as insurance acquisition cash flows and insurance premium taxes)—the estimate at the beginning of the period of the amounts expected in the period and the actual cash flows in the period; or |
(b) | for insurance service expenses (excluding insurance acquisition expenses)—the estimate at the beginning of the period of the amounts expected to be incurred in the period and the actual amounts incurred in the period. |
The risk of a possible future change in one or more of a specified interest rate, financial instrument price, commodity price, currency exchange rate, index of prices or rates, credit rating or credit index or other variable, provided in the case of a non-financial variable that the variable is not specific to a party to the contract. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC39]
An explicit, unbiased and probability-weighted estimate (ie expected value) of the present value of the future cash outflows minus the present value of the future cash inflows that will arise as the entity fulfils insurance contracts, including a risk adjustment for non-financial risk. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC19–BC20]
A set of insurance contracts resulting from the division of a portfolio of insurance contracts into, at a minimum, contracts issued within a period of no longer than one year and that, at initial recognition:
(a) | are onerous, if any; |
(b) | have no significant possibility of becoming onerous subsequently, if any; or |
(c) | do not fall into either (a) or (b), if any. |
Cash flows arising from the costs of selling, underwriting and starting a group of insurance contracts (issued or expected to be issued) that are directly attributable to the portfolio of insurance contracts to which the group belongs. Such cash flows include cash flows that are not directly attributable to individual contracts or groups of insurance contracts within the portfolio. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC175–BC184K]
A contract under which one party (the issuer) accepts significant insurance risk from another party (the policyholder) by agreeing to compensate the policyholder if a specified uncertain future event (the insured event) adversely affects the policyholder. [Refer:paragraphs B2–B30 and Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC67–BC81]
The following services that an entity provides to a policyholder of an insurance contract:
(a) | coverage for an insured event (insurance coverage); |
(b) | for insurance contracts without direct participation features, the generation of an investment return for the policyholder, if applicable (investment-return service); and |
(c) | for insurance contracts with direct participation features, the management of underlying items on behalf of the policyholder (investment-related service). |
An insurance contract for which, at inception:
(a) | the contractual terms specify that the policyholder participates in a share of a clearly identified pool of underlying items; |
(b) | the entity expects to pay to the policyholder an amount equal to a substantial share of the fair value returns on the underlying items; and |
(c) | the entity expects a substantial proportion of any change in the amounts to be paid to the policyholder to vary with the change in fair value of the underlying items. |
An insurance contract that is not an insurance contract with direct participation features.
Risk, other than financial risk, transferred from the holder of a contract to the issuer.
An uncertain future event covered by an insurance contract that creates insurance risk. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC71–BC75]
The amounts that an insurance contract requires the entity to repay to a policyholder in all circumstances, regardless of whether an insured event occurs. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC34–BC34A]
A financial instrument that provides a particular investor with the contractual right to receive, as a supplement to an amount not subject to the discretion of the issuer, additional amounts:
(a) | that are expected to be a significant portion of the total contractual benefits; | ||||||
(b) | the timing or amount of which are contractually at the discretion of the issuer; and | ||||||
(c) | that are contractually based on:
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An entity’s obligation to:
(a) | investigate and pay valid claims for insured events that have already occurred, including events that have occurred but for which claims have not been reported, and other incurred insurance expenses; and | ||||
(b) | pay amounts that are not included in (a) and that relate to:
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An entity’s obligation to:
(a) | investigate and pay valid claims under existing insurance contracts for insured events that have not yet occurred (ie the obligation that relates to the unexpired portion of the insurance coverage); and | ||||
(b) | pay amounts under existing insurance contracts that are not included in (a) and that relate to:
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A party that has a right to compensation under an insurance contract if an insured event occurs.
Insurance contracts subject to similar risks and managed together.
An insurance contract issued by one entity (the reinsurer) to compensate another entity for claims arising from one or more insurance contracts issued by that other entity (underlying contracts). [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC296]
The compensation an entity requires for bearing the uncertainty about the amount and timing of the cash flows that arises from non-financial risk as the entity fulfils insurance contracts. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC208 and BC209]
Items that determine some of the amounts payable to a policyholder. Underlying items can comprise any items; for example, a reference portfolio of assets, the net assets of the entity, or a specified subset of the net assets of the entity.
This appendix is an integral part of IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts.
B1 | This appendix provides guidance on the following:
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B2 | This section provides guidance on the definition of an insurance contract as specified in Appendix A. It addresses the following:
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B3 | Uncertainty (or risk) is the essence of an insurance contract. Accordingly, at least one of the following is uncertain at the inception of an insurance contract:
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B4 | In some insurance contracts, the insured event is the discovery of a loss during the term of the contract, even if that loss arises from an event that occurred before the inception of the contract. In other insurance contracts, the insured event is an event that occurs during the term of the contract, even if the resulting loss is discovered after the end of the contract term. |
B5 | Some insurance contracts cover events that have already occurred but the financial effect of which is still uncertain. An example is an insurance contract that provides insurance coverage against an adverse development of an event that has already occurred. In such contracts, the insured event is the determination of the ultimate cost of those claims. |
B6 | Some insurance contracts require or permit payments to be made in kind. In such cases, the entity provides goods or services to the policyholder to settle the entity’s obligation to compensate the policyholder for insured events. An example is when the entity replaces a stolen article instead of reimbursing the policyholder for the amount of its loss. Another example is when an entity uses its own hospitals and medical staff to provide medical services covered by the insurance contract. Such contracts are insurance contracts, even though the claims are settled in kind. Fixed-fee service contracts that meet the conditions specified in paragraph 8 are also insurance contracts, but applying paragraph 8, an entity may choose to account for them applying either IFRS 17 or IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. |
B7 | The definition of an insurance contract requires that one party accepts significant insurance risk from another party. IFRS 17 defines insurance risk as ‘risk, other than financial risk, transferred from the holder of a contract to the issuer’. A contract that exposes the issuer to financial risk without significant insurance risk is not an insurance contract. |
B8 | The definition of financial risk in Appendix A refers to financial and non-financial variables. Examples of non-financial variables not specific to a party to the contract include an index of earthquake losses in a particular region or temperatures in a particular city. Financial risk excludes risk from non-financial variables that are specific to a party to the contract, such as the occurrence or non-occurrence of a fire that damages or destroys an asset of that party. Furthermore, the risk of changes in the fair value of a non-financial asset is not a financial risk if the fair value reflects changes in the market prices for such assets (ie a financial variable) and the condition of a specific non-financial asset held by a party to a contract (ie a non-financial variable). For example, if a guarantee of the residual value of a specific car in which the policyholder has an insurable interest exposes the guarantor to the risk of changes in the car’s physical condition, that risk is insurance risk, not financial risk. |
B9 | Some contracts expose the issuer to financial risk in addition to significant insurance risk. For example, many life insurance contracts guarantee a minimum rate of return to policyholders, creating financial risk, and at the same time promise death benefits that may significantly exceed the policyholder’s account balance, creating insurance risk in the form of mortality risk. Such contracts are insurance contracts. |
B10 | Under some contracts, an insured event triggers the payment of an amount linked to a price index. Such contracts are insurance contracts, provided that the payment contingent on the insured event could be significant. For example, a life-contingent annuity linked to a cost-of-living index transfers insurance risk because the payment is triggered by an uncertain future event—the survival of the person who receives the annuity. The link to the price index is a derivative, but it also transfers insurance risk because the number of payments to which the index applies depends on the survival of the annuitant. If the resulting transfer of insurance risk is significant, the derivative meets the definition of an insurance contract, in which case it shall not be separated from the host contract (see paragraph 11(a)). |
B11 | Insurance risk is the risk the entity accepts from the policyholder. This means the entity must accept, from the policyholder, a risk to which the policyholder was already exposed. Any new risk created by the contract for the entity or the policyholder is not insurance risk. |
B12 | The definition of an insurance contract refers to an adverse effect on the policyholder. This definition does not limit the payment by the entity to an amount equal to the financial effect of the adverse event. For example, the definition includes ‘new for old’ insurance coverage that pays the policyholder an amount that permits the replacement of a used and damaged asset with a new one. Similarly, the definition does not limit the payment under a life insurance contract to the financial loss suffered by the deceased’s dependants, nor does it exclude contracts that specify the payment of predetermined amounts to quantify the loss caused by death or an accident. |
B13 | Some contracts require a payment if a specified uncertain future event occurs, but do not require an adverse effect on the policyholder as a precondition for the payment. This type of contract is not an insurance contract even if the holder uses it to mitigate an underlying risk exposure. For example, if the holder uses a derivative to hedge an underlying financial or non-financial variable correlated with the cash flows from an asset of the entity, the derivative is not an insurance contract because the payment is not conditional on whether the holder is adversely affected by a reduction in the cash flows from the asset. The definition of an insurance contract refers to an uncertain future event for which an adverse effect on the policyholder is a contractual precondition for payment. A contractual precondition does not require the entity to investigate whether the event actually caused an adverse effect, but it does permit the entity to deny the payment if it is not satisfied that the event did cause an adverse effect. |
B14 | Lapse or persistency risk (the risk that the policyholder will cancel the contract earlier or later than the issuer had expected when pricing the contract) is not insurance risk because the resulting variability in the payment to the policyholder is not contingent on an uncertain future event that adversely affects the policyholder. Similarly, expense risk (ie the risk of unexpected increases in the administrative costs associated with the servicing of a contract, rather than in the costs associated with insured events) is not insurance risk because an unexpected increase in such expenses does not adversely affect the policyholder. |
B15 | Consequently, a contract that exposes the entity to lapse risk, persistency risk or expense risk is not an insurance contract unless it also exposes the entity to significant insurance risk. However, if the entity mitigates its risk by using a second contract to transfer part of the non-insurance risk to another party, the second contract exposes the other party to insurance risk. |
B16 | An entity can accept significant insurance risk from the policyholder only if the entity is separate from the policyholder. In the case of a mutual entity, the mutual entity accepts risk from each policyholder and pools that risk. Although policyholders bear that pooled risk collectively because they hold the residual interest in the entity, the mutual entity is a separate entity that has accepted the risk. |
B17 | A contract is an insurance contract only if it transfers significant insurance risk. Paragraphs B7–B16 discuss insurance risk. Paragraphs B18–B23 discuss the assessment of whether the insurance risk is significant. |
B18 | Insurance risk is significant if, and only if, an insured event could cause the issuer to pay additional amounts that are significant in any single scenario, excluding scenarios that have no commercial substance (ie no discernible effect on the economics of the transaction). If an insured event could mean significant additional amounts would be payable in any scenario that has commercial substance, the condition in the previous sentence can be met even if the insured event is extremely unlikely, or even if the expected (ie probability-weighted) present value of the contingent cash flows is a small proportion of the expected present value of the remaining cash flows from the insurance contract. |
B19 | In addition, a contract transfers significant insurance risk only if there is a scenario that has commercial substance in which the issuer has a possibility of a loss on a present value basis. However, even if a reinsurance contract does not expose the issuer to the possibility of a significant loss, that contract is deemed to transfer significant insurance risk if it transfers to the reinsurer substantially all the insurance risk relating to the reinsured portions of the underlying insurance contracts. |
B20 | The additional amounts described in paragraph B18 are determined on a present-value basis. If an insurance contract requires payment when an event with uncertain timing occurs and if the payment is not adjusted for the time value of money, there may be scenarios in which the present value of the payment increases, even if its nominal value is fixed. An example is insurance that provides a fixed death benefit when the policyholder dies, with no expiry date for the cover (often referred to as whole-life insurance for a fixed amount). It is certain that the policyholder will die, but the date of death is uncertain. Payments may be made when an individual policyholder dies earlier than expected. Because those payments are not adjusted for the time value of money, significant insurance risk could exist even if there is no overall loss on the portfolio of contracts. Similarly, contractual terms that delay timely reimbursement to the policyholder can eliminate significant insurance risk. An entity shall use the discount rates required in paragraph 36 to determine the present value of the additional amounts. |
B21 | The additional amounts described in paragraph B18 refer to the present value of amounts that exceed those that would be payable if no insured event had occurred (excluding scenarios that lack commercial substance). Those additional amounts include claims handling and assessment costs, but exclude:
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B22 | An entity shall assess the significance of insurance risk contract by contract. Consequently, the insurance risk can be significant even if there is minimal probability of significant losses for a portfolio or group of contracts. |
B23 | It follows from paragraphs B18–B22 that, if a contract pays a death benefit that exceeds the amount payable on survival, the contract is an insurance contract unless the additional death benefit is not significant (judged by reference to the contract itself rather than to an entire portfolio of contracts). As noted in paragraph B21(b), the waiver on death of cancellation or surrender charges is not included in this assessment if that waiver does not compensate the policyholder for a pre-existing risk. Similarly, an annuity contract that pays out regular sums for the rest of a policyholder’s life is an insurance contract, unless the aggregate life-contingent payments are insignificant. |
B24 | For some contracts, the transfer of insurance risk to the issuer occurs after a period of time. For example, consider a contract that provides a specified investment return and includes an option for the policyholder to use the proceeds of the investment on maturity to buy a life-contingent annuity at the same rates the entity charges other new annuitants at the time the policyholder exercises that option. Such a contract transfers insurance risk to the issuer only after the option is exercised, because the entity remains free to price the annuity on a basis that reflects the insurance risk that will be transferred to the entity at that time. Consequently, the cash flows that would occur on the exercise of the option fall outside the boundary of the contract, and before exercise there are no insurance cash flows within the boundary of the contract. However, if the contract specifies the annuity rates (or a basis other than market rates for setting the annuity rates), the contract transfers insurance risk to the issuer because the issuer is exposed to the risk that the annuity rates will be unfavourable to the issuer when the policyholder exercises the option. In that case, the cash flows that would occur when the option is exercised are within the boundary of the contract. |
B25 | A contract that meets the definition of an insurance contract remains an insurance contract until all rights and obligations are extinguished (ie discharged, cancelled or expired), unless the contract is derecognised applying paragraphs 74–77, because of a contract modification. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC80] |
B26 | The following are examples of contracts that are insurance contracts if the transfer of insurance risk is significant:
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B27 | The following are examples of items that are not insurance contracts:
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B28 | An entity shall apply other applicable Standards, such as IFRS 9 and IFRS 15, to the contracts described in paragraph B27. |
B29 | The credit-related guarantees and credit insurance contracts discussed in paragraph B27(f) can have various legal forms, such as that of a guarantee, some types of letters of credit, a credit default contract or an insurance contract. Those contracts are insurance contracts if they require the issuer to make specified payments to reimburse the holder for a loss that the holder incurs because a specified debtor fails to make payment when due to the policyholder applying the original or modified terms of a debt instrument. However, such insurance contracts are excluded from the scope of IFRS 17 unless the issuer has previously asserted explicitly that it regards the contracts as insurance contracts and has used accounting applicable to insurance contracts (see paragraph 7(e)). [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC91–BC93] |
B30 | Credit-related guarantees and credit insurance contracts that require payment, even if the policyholder has not incurred a loss on the failure of the debtor to make payments when due, are outside the scope of IFRS 17 because they do not transfer significant insurance risk. Such contracts include those that require payment:
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B31 | Paragraph 11(b) requires an entity to separate a distinct investment component from the host insurance contract. An investment component is distinct if, and only if, both the following conditions are met:
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B32 | An investment component and an insurance component are highly interrelated if, and only if:
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B33 | Paragraph 12 requires an entity to separate from an insurance contract a promise to transfer distinct goods or services other than insurance contract services to a policyholder. For the purpose of separation, an entity shall not consider activities that an entity must undertake to fulfil a contract unless the entity transfers a good or service other than insurance contract services to the policyholder as those activities occur. For example, an entity may need to perform various administrative tasks to set up a contract. The performance of those tasks does not transfer a service to the policyholder as the tasks are performed. |
B34 | A good or service other than an insurance contract service promised to a policyholder is distinct if the policyholder can benefit from the good or service either on its own or together with other resources readily available to the policyholder. Readily available resources are goods or services that are sold separately (by the entity or by another entity), or resources that the policyholder has already got (from the entity or from other transactions or events). |
B35 | A good or service other than an insurance contract service that is promised to the policyholder is not distinct if:
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B35A | To apply paragraph 28A, an entity shall use a systematic and rational method to allocate:
[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC184A–BC184G]
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B35B | At the end of each reporting period, an entity shall revise amounts allocated as specified in paragraph B35A to reflect any changes in assumptions that determine the inputs to the method of allocation used. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC184G] An entity shall not change amounts allocated to a group of insurance contracts after all contracts have been added to the group (see paragraph B35C). |
B35C | An entity might add insurance contracts to a group of insurance contracts across more than one reporting period (see paragraph 28). In those circumstances, an entity shall derecognise the portion of an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows that relates to insurance contracts added to the group in that period and continue to recognise an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows to the extent that the asset relates to insurance contracts expected to be added to the group in a future reporting period. |
B35D | To apply paragraph 28E:
[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC184I–BC184K]
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B36 | This section addresses:
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B37 | The objective of estimating future cash flows is to determine the expected value, or probability-weighted mean, of the full range of possible outcomes, considering all reasonable and supportable information available at the reporting date without undue cost or effort. Reasonable and supportable information available at the reporting date without undue cost or effort includes information about past events and current conditions, and forecasts of future conditions (see paragraph B41). Information available from an entity’s own information systems is considered to be available without undue cost or effort. |
B38 | The starting point for an estimate of the cash flows is a range of scenarios that reflects the full range of possible outcomes. Each scenario specifies the amount and timing of the cash flows for a particular outcome, and the estimated probability of that outcome. The cash flows from each scenario are discounted and weighted by the estimated probability of that outcome to derive an expected present value. Consequently, the objective is not to develop a most likely outcome, or a more-likely-than-not outcome, for future cash flows. |
B39 | When considering the full range of possible outcomes, the objective is to incorporate all reasonable and supportable information available without undue cost or effort in an unbiased way, rather than to identify every possible scenario. In practice, developing explicit scenarios is unnecessary if the resulting estimate is consistent with the measurement objective of considering all reasonable and supportable information available without undue cost or effort when determining the mean. For example, if an entity estimates that the probability distribution of outcomes is broadly consistent with a probability distribution that can be described completely with a small number of parameters, it will be sufficient to estimate the smaller number of parameters. Similarly, in some cases, relatively simple modelling may give an answer within an acceptable range of precision, without the need for many detailed simulations. However, in some cases, the cash flows may be driven by complex underlying factors and may respond in a non-linear fashion to changes in economic conditions. This may happen if, for example, the cash flows reflect a series of interrelated options that are implicit or explicit. In such cases, more sophisticated stochastic modelling is likely to be necessary to satisfy the measurement objective. |
B40 | The scenarios developed shall include unbiased estimates of the probability of catastrophic losses under existing contracts. Those scenarios exclude possible claims under possible future contracts. |
B41 | An entity shall estimate the probabilities and amounts of future payments under existing contracts on the basis of information obtained including:
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B42 | IFRS 17 identifies two types of variables:
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B43 | Market variables will generally give rise to financial risk (for example, observable interest rates) and non-market variables will generally give rise to non-financial risk (for example, mortality rates). However, this will not always be the case. For example, there may be assumptions that relate to financial risks for which variables cannot be observed in, or derived directly from, markets (for example, interest rates that cannot be observed in, or derived directly from, markets). |
B44 | Estimates of market variables shall be consistent with observable market prices at the measurement date. An entity shall maximise the use of observable inputs and shall not substitute its own estimates for observable market data except as described in paragraph 79 of IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement. Consistent with IFRS 13, if variables need to be derived (for example, because no observable market variables exist) they shall be as consistent as possible with observable market variables. |
B45 | Market prices blend a range of views about possible future outcomes and also reflect the risk preferences of market participants. Consequently, they are not a single-point forecast of the future outcome. If the actual outcome differs from the previous market price, this does not mean that the market price was ‘wrong’. |
B46 | An important application of market variables is the notion of a replicating asset or a replicating portfolio of assets. A replicating asset is one whose cash flows exactly match, in all scenarios, the contractual cash flows of a group of insurance contracts in amount, timing and uncertainty. In some cases, a replicating asset may exist for some of the cash flows that arise from a group of insurance contracts. The fair value of that asset reflects both the expected present value of the cash flows from the asset and the risk associated with those cash flows. If a replicating portfolio of assets exists for some of the cash flows that arise from a group of insurance contracts, the entity can use the fair value of those assets to measure the relevant fulfilment cash flows instead of explicitly estimating the cash flows and discount rate. |
B47 | IFRS 17 does not require an entity to use a replicating portfolio technique. However, if a replicating asset or portfolio does exist for some of the cash flows that arise from insurance contracts and an entity chooses to use a different technique, the entity shall satisfy itself that a replicating portfolio technique would be unlikely to lead to a materially different measurement of those cash flows. |
B48 | Techniques other than a replicating portfolio technique, such as stochastic modelling techniques, may be more robust or easier to implement if there are significant interdependencies between cash flows that vary based on returns on assets and other cash flows. Judgement is required to determine the technique that best meets the objective of consistency with observable market variables in specific circumstances. In particular, the technique used must result in the measurement of any options and guarantees included in the insurance contracts being consistent with observable market prices (if any) for such options and guarantees. |
B49 | Estimates of non-market variables shall reflect all reasonable and supportable evidence available without undue cost or effort, both external and internal. |
B50 | Non-market external data (for example, national mortality statistics) may have more or less relevance than internal data (for example, internally developed mortality statistics), depending on the circumstances. For example, an entity that issues life insurance contracts shall not rely solely on national mortality statistics, but shall consider all other reasonable and supportable internal and external sources of information available without undue cost or effort when developing unbiased estimates of probabilities for mortality scenarios for its insurance contracts. In developing those probabilities, an entity shall give more weight to the more persuasive information. For example:
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B51 | Estimated probabilities for non-market variables shall not contradict observable market variables. For example, estimated probabilities for future inflation rate scenarios shall be as consistent as possible with probabilities implied by market interest rates. |
B52 | In some cases, an entity may conclude that market variables vary independently of non-market variables. If so, the entity shall consider scenarios that reflect the range of outcomes for the non-market variables, with each scenario using the same observed value of the market variable. |
B53 | In other cases, market variables and non-market variables may be correlated. For example, there may be evidence that lapse rates (a non-market variable) are correlated with interest rates (a market variable). Similarly, there may be evidence that claim levels for house or car insurance are correlated with economic cycles and therefore with interest rates and expense amounts. The entity shall ensure that the probabilities for the scenarios and the risk adjustments for the non-financial risk that relates to the market variables are consistent with the observed market prices that depend on those market variables. |
B54 | In estimating each cash flow scenario and its probability, an entity shall use all reasonable and supportable information available without undue cost or effort. An entity shall review the estimates that it made at the end of the previous reporting period and update them. In doing so, an entity shall consider whether:
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B55 | The probability assigned to each scenario shall reflect the conditions at the end of the reporting period. Consequently, applying IAS 10 Events after the Reporting Period, an event occurring after the end of the reporting period that resolves an uncertainty that existed at the end of the reporting period does not provide evidence of the conditions that existed at that date. For example, there may be a 20 per cent probability at the end of the reporting period that a major storm will strike during the remaining six months of an insurance contract. After the end of the reporting period but before the financial statements are authorised for issue, a major storm strikes. The fulfilment cash flows under that contract shall not reflect the storm that, with hindsight, is known to have occurred. Instead, the cash flows included in the measurement include the 20 per cent probability apparent at the end of the reporting period (with disclosure applying IAS 10 that a non-adjusting event occurred after the end of the reporting period). |
B56 | Current estimates of expected cash flows are not necessarily identical to the most recent actual experience. For example, suppose that mortality experience in the reporting period was 20 per cent worse than the previous mortality experience and previous expectations of mortality experience. Several factors could have caused the sudden change in experience, including:
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B57 | An entity shall investigate the reasons for the change in experience and develop new estimates of cash flows and probabilities in the light of the most recent experience, the earlier experience and other information. The result for the example in paragraph B56 would typically be that the expected present value of death benefits changes, but not by as much as 20 per cent. In the example in paragraph B56, if mortality rates continue to be significantly higher than the previous estimates for reasons that are expected to continue, the estimated probability assigned to the high-mortality scenarios will increase. |
B58 | Estimates of non-market variables shall include information about the current level of insured events and information about trends. For example, mortality rates have consistently declined over long periods in many countries. The determination of the fulfilment cash flows reflects the probabilities that would be assigned to each possible trend scenario, taking account of all reasonable and supportable information available without undue cost or effort. |
B59 | Similarly, if cash flows allocated to a group of insurance contracts are sensitive to inflation, the determination of the fulfilment cash flows shall reflect current estimates of possible future inflation rates. Because inflation rates are likely to be correlated with interest rates, the measurement of fulfilment cash flows shall reflect the probabilities for each inflation scenario in a way that is consistent with the probabilities implied by the market interest rates used in estimating the discount rate (see paragraph B51). |
B60 | When estimating the cash flows, an entity shall take into account current expectations of future events that might affect those cash flows. The entity shall develop cash flow scenarios that reflect those future events, as well as unbiased estimates of the probability of each scenario. However, an entity shall not take into account current expectations of future changes in legislation that would change or discharge the present obligation or create new obligations under the existing insurance contract until the change in legislation is substantively enacted. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC156] |
B61 | Estimates of cash flows in a scenario shall include all cash flows within the boundary of an existing contract and no other cash flows. An entity shall apply paragraph 2 in determining the boundary of an existing contract. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC159–BC164] |
B62 | Many insurance contracts have features that enable policyholders to take actions that change the amount, timing, nature or uncertainty of the amounts they will receive. Such features include renewal options, surrender options, conversion options and options to stop paying premiums while still receiving benefits under the contracts. The measurement of a group of insurance contracts shall reflect, on an expected value basis, the entity’s current estimates of how the policyholders in the group will exercise the options available, and the risk adjustment for non-financial risk shall reflect the entity’s current estimates of how the actual behaviour of the policyholders may differ from the expected behaviour. This requirement to determine the expected value applies regardless of the number of contracts in a group; for example it applies even if the group comprises a single contract. Thus, the measurement of a group of insurance contracts shall not assume a 100 per cent probability that policyholders will:
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B63 | When an issuer of an insurance contract is required by the contract to renew or otherwise continue the contract, it shall apply paragraph 34 to assess whether premiums and related cash flows that arise from the renewed contract are within the boundary of the original contract. |
B64 | Paragraph 34 refers to an entity’s practical ability to set a price at a future date (a renewal date) that fully reflects the risks in the contract from that date. An entity has that practical ability in the absence of constraints that prevent the entity from setting the same price it would for a new contract with the same characteristics as the existing contract issued on that date, or if it can amend the benefits to be consistent with the price it will charge. Similarly, an entity has that practical ability to set a price when it can reprice an existing contract so that the price reflects overall changes in the risks in a portfolio of insurance contracts, even if the price set for each individual policyholder does not reflect the change in risk for that specific policyholder. When assessing whether the entity has the practical ability to set a price that fully reflects the risks in the contract or portfolio, it shall consider all the risks that it would consider when underwriting equivalent contracts on the renewal date for the remaining service. In determining the estimates of future cash flows at the end of a reporting period, an entity shall reassess the boundary of an insurance contract to include the effect of changes in circumstances on the entity’s substantive rights and obligations. |
B65 | Cash flows within the boundary of an insurance contract are those that relate directly to the fulfilment of the contract, including cash flows for which the entity has discretion over the amount or timing. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC167–BC170A] The cash flows within the boundary include:
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| E3 | [IFRIC® Update, September 2023, Agenda Decision, ‘IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts and IFRS 9 Financial Instruments—Premiums Receivable from an Intermediary’ The Committee received requests about how an entity that issues insurance contracts (insurer) applies the requirements in IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 to premiums receivable from an intermediary. In the fact pattern described in the requests, an intermediary acts as a link between an insurer and a policyholder to arrange an insurance contract between them. The policyholder has paid in cash the premiums to the intermediary, but the insurer has not yet received in cash the premiums from the intermediary. The agreement between the insurer and the intermediary allows the intermediary to pay the premiums to the insurer at a later date. When the policyholder paid the premiums to the intermediary, the policyholder discharged its obligation under the insurance contract and the insurer is obliged to provide insurance contract services to the policyholder. If the intermediary fails to pay the premiums to the insurer, the insurer does not have the right to recover the premiums from the policyholder, or to cancel the insurance contract. The requests asked whether, in the submitted fact pattern, the premiums receivable from the intermediary are future cash flows within the boundary of an insurance contract and included in the measurement of the group of insurance contracts applying IFRS 17 or are a separate financial asset applying IFRS 9. The requests set out two views. Under the first view (View 1), the insurer determines that the premiums receivable from the intermediary are future cash flows within the boundary of an insurance contract. Applying View 1, when the policyholder pays the premiums to the intermediary:
Under the second view (View 2), because the payment by the policyholder discharges its obligation under the insurance contract, the insurer considers the right to receive premiums from the policyholder to be settled by the right to receive premiums from the intermediary. The insurer therefore determines that the premiums receivable from the intermediary are not future cash flows within the boundary of an insurance contract but, instead, a separate financial asset. Applying View 2, when the policyholder pays the premiums to the intermediary:
Applying the requirements in IFRS Accounting Standards The Committee observed that IFRS 17 is the starting point for an insurer to consider how to account for its right to receive premiums under an insurance contract. Paragraph 33 of IFRS 17 requires an insurer to include in the measurement of a group of insurance contracts an estimate of all the future cash flows within the boundary of each contract in the group. Paragraph B65 explains that cash flows within the boundary of an insurance contract are those that relate directly to the fulfilment of the contract, including premiums from a policyholder. The Committee observed that paragraph B65 of IFRS 17 does not distinguish between premiums to be collected directly from a policyholder and premiums to be collected through an intermediary. In applying IFRS 17, premiums from a policyholder collected through an intermediary are therefore included in the measurement of a group of insurance contracts. Paragraph 34 of IFRS 17 specifies that cash flows are within the boundary of an insurance contract if they arise from substantive rights and obligations that exist during the reporting period in which the entity can compel the policyholder to pay the premiums or in which the entity has a substantive obligation to provide the policyholder with insurance contract services. In the fact pattern described in the requests, the insurer has not recovered the premiums in cash, but the policyholder has discharged its obligation under the insurance contract. The Committee observed that IFRS 17 is silent on whether future cash flows within the boundary of an insurance contract are removed from the measurement of a group of insurance contracts only when these cash flows are recovered or settled in cash. Therefore, the Committee observed that, in accounting for premiums receivable from an intermediary when payment by the policyholder discharges the policyholder’s obligation under the insurance contract, an insurer develops and applies an accounting policy in accordance with IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors to determine when cash flows are removed from the measurement of a group of insurance contracts. The insurer could determine that cash flows are removed when the cash flows are recovered or settled in cash (View 1), or when the policyholder’s obligation under the insurance contract is discharged (View 2). IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 deal differently with the measurement, presentation and disclosure of expected credit losses from premiums receivable from an intermediary. The Committee considered that, depending on which view (View 1 or View 2) an insurer applies, it is required to apply all the measurement and disclosure requirements in the applicable IFRS Accounting Standards. Therefore, an insurer applies either IFRS 17 (including paragraph 131, which requires disclosure of information about the credit risk that arises from contracts within the scope of IFRS 17) or IFRS 9 (and the requirements in IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures) to premiums receivable from an intermediary. Conclusion In the light of its analysis, the Committee considered whether to add a standard-setting project on when cash flows are removed from the measurement of a group of insurance contracts to the work plan. The Committee noted that any such project would involve assessing whether changes to the Accounting Standards would have unintended consequences. This assessment may take considerable time and effort to complete because it would involve, among other steps, analysing a broad range of contracts (not only those set out in the fact pattern described in the requests). The Committee observed that the application of either View 1 or View 2 when accounting for premiums paid by a policyholder and receivable from an intermediary would provide users of financial statements with useful information based on the requirements in IFRS 17 or IFRS 9 Consequently, the Committee concluded that a project would not be sufficiently narrow in scope that the IASB or the Committee could address it in an efficient manner. The Committee therefore decided not to add a standard-setting project to the work plan.] |
B66 | The following cash flows shall not be included when estimating the cash flows that will arise as the entity fulfils an existing insurance contract:
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B66A | Before the recognition of a group of insurance contracts, an entity might be required to recognise an asset or liability for cash flows related to the group of insurance contracts other than insurance acquisition cash flows either because of the occurrence of the cash flows or because of the requirements of another IFRS Standard. Cash flows are related to the group of insurance contracts if those cash flows would have been included in the fulfilment cash flows at the date of initial recognition of the group had they been paid or received after that date. To apply paragraph 38(c)(ii) an entity shall derecognise such an asset or liability to the extent that the asset or liability would not be recognised separately from the group of insurance contracts if the cash flow or the application of the IFRS Standard occurred at the date of initial recognition of the group of insurance contracts. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC184L–BC184N]
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B67 | Some insurance contracts affect the cash flows to policyholders of other contracts by requiring:
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B68 | Sometimes, such contracts will affect the cash flows to policyholders of contracts in other groups. The fulfilment cash flows of each group reflect the extent to which the contracts in the group cause the entity to be affected by expected cash flows, whether to policyholders in that group or to policyholders in another group. Hence the fulfilment cash flows for a group:
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B69 | For example, to the extent that payments to policyholders in one group are reduced from a share in the returns on underlying items of CU350 to CU250 because of payments of a guaranteed amount to policyholders in another group, the fulfilment cash flows of the first group would include the payments of CU100 (ie would be CU350) and the fulfilment cash flows of the second group would exclude CU100 of the guaranteed amount. |
B70 | Different practical approaches can be used to determine the fulfilment cash flows of groups of contracts that affect or are affected by cash flows to policyholders of contracts in other groups. In some cases, an entity might be able to identify the change in the underlying items and resulting change in the cash flows only at a higher level of aggregation than the groups. In such cases, the entity shall allocate the effect of the change in the underlying items to each group on a systematic and rational basis. |
B71 | After all insurance contract services have been provided to the contracts in a group, the fulfilment cash flows may still include payments expected to be made to current policyholders in other groups or future policyholders. An entity is not required to continue to allocate such fulfilment cash flows to specific groups but can instead recognise and measure a liability for such fulfilment cash flows arising from all groups. |
B72 | An entity shall use the following discount rates in applying IFRS 17:
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B73 | To determine the discount rates at the date of initial recognition of a group of contracts described in paragraphs B72(b)–B72(e), an entity may use weighted-average discount rates over the period that contracts in the group are issued, which applying paragraph 22 cannot exceed one year. |
B74 | Estimates of discount rates shall be consistent with other estimates used to measure insurance contracts to avoid double counting or omissions; for example:
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B75 | Paragraph B74(b) requires cash flows that vary based on the returns on underlying items to be discounted using rates that reflect that variability, or to be adjusted for the effect of that variability and discounted at a rate that reflects the adjustment made. The variability is a relevant factor regardless of whether it arises because of contractual terms or because the entity exercises discretion, and regardless of whether the entity holds the underlying items. |
B76 | Cash flows that vary with returns on underlying items with variable returns, but that are subject to a guarantee of a minimum return, do not vary solely based on the returns on the underlying items, even when the guaranteed amount is lower than the expected return on the underlying items. Hence, an entity shall adjust the rate that reflects the variability of the returns on the underlying items for the effect of the guarantee, even when the guaranteed amount is lower than the expected return on the underlying items. |
B77 | IFRS 17 does not require an entity to divide estimated cash flows into those that vary based on the returns on underlying items and those that do not. If an entity does not divide the estimated cash flows in this way, the entity shall apply discount rates appropriate for the estimated cash flows as a whole; for example, using stochastic modelling techniques or risk-neutral measurement techniques. |
B78 | Discount rates shall include only relevant factors, ie factors that arise from the time value of money, the characteristics of the cash flows and the liquidity characteristics of the insurance contracts. Such discount rates may not be directly observable in the market. Hence, when observable market rates for an instrument with the same characteristics are not available, or observable market rates for similar instruments are available but do not separately identify the factors that distinguish the instrument from the insurance contracts, an entity shall estimate the appropriate rates. IFRS 17 does not require a particular estimation technique for determining discount rates. In applying an estimation technique, an entity shall:
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B79 | For cash flows of insurance contracts that do not vary based on the returns on underlying items, the discount rate reflects the yield curve in the appropriate currency for instruments that expose the holder to no or negligible credit risk, adjusted to reflect the liquidity characteristics of the group of insurance contracts. That adjustment shall reflect the difference between the liquidity characteristics of the group of insurance contracts and the liquidity characteristics of the assets used to determine the yield curve. Yield curves reflect assets traded in active markets that the holder can typically sell readily at any time without incurring significant costs. In contrast, under some insurance contracts the entity cannot be forced to make payments earlier than the occurrence of insured events, or dates specified in the contracts. |
B80 | Hence, for cash flows of insurance contracts that do not vary based on the returns on underlying items, an entity may determine discount rates by adjusting a liquid risk-free yield curve to reflect the differences between the liquidity characteristics of the financial instruments that underlie the rates observed in the market and the liquidity characteristics of the insurance contracts (a bottom-up approach). |
B81 | Alternatively, an entity may determine the appropriate discount rates for insurance contracts based on a yield curve that reflects the current market rates of return implicit in a fair value measurement of a reference portfolio of assets (a top-down approach). An entity shall adjust that yield curve to eliminate any factors that are not relevant to the insurance contracts, but is not required to adjust the yield curve for differences in liquidity characteristics of the insurance contracts and the reference portfolio. |
B82 | In estimating the yield curve described in paragraph B81:
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B83 | In adjusting the yield curve, an entity shall adjust market rates observed in recent transactions in instruments with similar characteristics for movements in market factors since the transaction date, and shall adjust observed market rates to reflect the degree of dissimilarity between the instrument being measured and the instrument for which transaction prices are observable. For cash flows of insurance contracts that do not vary based on the returns on the assets in the reference portfolio, such adjustments include:
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B84 | In principle, for cash flows of insurance contracts that do not vary based on the returns of the assets in the reference portfolio, there should be a single illiquid risk-free yield curve that eliminates all uncertainty about the amount and timing of cash flows. However, in practice the top-down approach and the bottom-up approach may result in different yield curves, even in the same currency. This is because of the inherent limitations in estimating the adjustments made under each approach, and the possible lack of an adjustment for different liquidity characteristics in the top-down approach. An entity is not required to reconcile the discount rate determined under its chosen approach with the discount rate that would have been determined under the other approach. |
B85 | IFRS 17 does not specify restrictions on the reference portfolio of assets used in applying paragraph B81. However, fewer adjustments would be required to eliminate factors that are not relevant to the insurance contracts when the reference portfolio of assets has similar characteristics. For example, if the cash flows from the insurance contracts do not vary based on the returns on underlying items, fewer adjustments would be required if an entity used debt instruments as a starting point rather than equity instruments. For debt instruments, the objective would be to eliminate from the total bond yield the effect of credit risk and other factors that are not relevant to the insurance contracts. One way to estimate the effect of credit risk is to use the market price of a credit derivative as a reference point. |
B86 | The risk adjustment for non-financial risk relates to risk arising from insurance contracts other than financial risk. Financial risk is included in the estimates of the future cash flows or the discount rate used to adjust the cash flows. The risks covered by the risk adjustment for non-financial risk are insurance risk and other non-financial risks such as lapse risk and expense risk (see paragraph B14). |
B87 | The risk adjustment for non-financial risk for insurance contracts measures the compensation that the entity would require to make the entity indifferent between:
For example, the risk adjustment for non-financial risk would measure the compensation the entity would require to make it indifferent between fulfilling a liability that—because of non-financial risk—has a 50 per cent probability of being CU90 and a 50 per cent probability of being CU110, and fulfilling a liability that is fixed at CU100. As a result, the risk adjustment for non-financial risk conveys information to users of financial statements about the amount charged by the entity for the uncertainty arising from non-financial risk about the amount and timing of cash flows. |
B88 | Because the risk adjustment for non-financial risk reflects the compensation the entity would require for bearing the non-financial risk arising from the uncertain amount and timing of the cash flows, the risk adjustment for non-financial risk also reflects:
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B89 | The purpose of the risk adjustment for non-financial risk is to measure the effect of uncertainty in the cash flows that arise from insurance contracts, other than uncertainty arising from financial risk. Consequently, the risk adjustment for non-financial risk shall reflect all non-financial risks associated with the insurance contracts. It shall not reflect the risks that do not arise from the insurance contracts, such as general operational risk. |
B90 | The risk adjustment for non-financial risk shall be included in the measurement in an explicit way. The risk adjustment for non-financial risk is conceptually separate from the estimates of future cash flows and the discount rates that adjust those cash flows. The entity shall not double-count the risk adjustment for non-financial risk by, for example, also including the risk adjustment for non-financial risk implicitly when determining the estimates of future cash flows or the discount rates. The discount rates that are disclosed to comply with paragraph 120 shall not include any implicit adjustments for non-financial risk. |
B91 | IFRS 17 does not specify the estimation technique(s) used to determine the risk adjustment for non-financial risk. However, to reflect the compensation the entity would require for bearing the non-financial risk, the risk adjustment for non-financial risk shall have the following characteristics:
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B92 | An entity shall apply judgement when determining an appropriate estimation technique for the risk adjustment for non-financial risk. When applying that judgement, an entity shall also consider whether the technique provides concise and informative disclosure so that users of financial statements can benchmark the entity’s performance against the performance of other entities. Paragraph 119 requires an entity that uses a technique other than the confidence level technique for determining the risk adjustment for non-financial risk to disclose the technique used and the confidence level corresponding to the results of that technique. |
B93 | When an entity acquires insurance contracts issued or reinsurance contracts held in a transfer of insurance contracts that do not form a business or in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3, [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC327A] the entity shall apply paragraphs 14–24 to identify the groups of contracts acquired, as if it had entered into the contracts on the date of the transaction. |
B94 | An entity shall use the consideration received or paid for the contracts as a proxy for the premiums received. The consideration received or paid for the contracts excludes the consideration received or paid for any other assets and liabilities acquired in the same transaction. In a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3, the consideration received or paid is the fair value of the contracts at that date. In determining that fair value, an entity shall not apply paragraph 47 of IFRS 13 (relating to demand features). |
B95 | Unless the premium allocation approach for the liability for remaining coverage in paragraphs 55–59 and 69–70A applies, on initial recognition the contractual service margin is calculated applying paragraph 38 for acquired insurance contracts issued and paragraph 65 for acquired reinsurance contracts held using the consideration received or paid for the contracts as a proxy for the premiums received or paid at the date of initial recognition. |
B95A | If acquired insurance contracts issued are onerous, applying paragraph 47, the entity shall recognise the excess of the fulfilment cash flows over the consideration paid or received as part of goodwill or gain on a bargain purchase for contracts acquired in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3, or as a loss in profit or loss for contracts acquired in a transfer. The entity shall establish a loss component of the liability for remaining coverage for that excess, and apply paragraphs 49–52 to allocate subsequent changes in fulfilment cash flows to that loss component. |
B95B | For a group of reinsurance contracts held to which paragraphs 66A–66B apply, an entity shall determine the loss-recovery component of the asset for remaining coverage at the date of the transaction by multiplying:
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B95C | The entity shall recognise the amount of the loss-recovery component determined applying paragraph B95B as part of goodwill or gain on a bargain purchase for reinsurance contracts held acquired in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3, or as income in profit or loss for contracts acquired in a transfer. |
B95D | Applying paragraphs 14‒22, at the date of the transaction an entity might include in an onerous group of insurance contracts both onerous insurance contracts covered by a group of reinsurance contracts held and onerous contracts not covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. To apply paragraph B95B in such cases, an entity shall use a systematic and rational basis of allocation to determine the portion of the loss component of the group of insurance contracts that relates to insurance contracts covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC315H and BC315] |
B95E | When an entity acquires insurance contracts issued in a transfer of insurance contracts that do not form a business or in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3, the entity shall recognise an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows at fair value at the date of the transaction for the rights to obtain:
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B95F | At the date of the transaction, the amount of any asset for insurance acquisition cash flows shall not be included in the measurement of the acquired group of insurance contracts applying paragraphs B93‒B95A. |
B96 | For insurance contracts without direct participation features, paragraph 44(c) requires an adjustment to the contractual service margin of a group of insurance contracts for changes in fulfilment cash flows that relate to future service. These changes comprise:
[Refer:
Illustrative Examples: |
B97 | An entity shall not adjust the contractual service margin for a group of insurance contracts without direct participation features for the following changes in fulfilment cash flows because they do not relate to future service:
[Refer:
Illustrative Examples: |
B98 | The terms of some insurance contracts without direct participation features give an entity discretion over the cash flows to be paid to policyholders. A change in the discretionary cash flows is regarded as relating to future service, and accordingly adjusts the contractual service margin. To determine how to identify a change in discretionary cash flows, an entity shall specify at inception of the contract the basis on which it expects to determine its commitment under the contract; for example, based on a fixed interest rate, or on returns that vary based on specified asset returns. |
B99 | An entity shall use that specification to distinguish between the effect of changes in assumptions that relate to financial risk on that commitment (which do not adjust the contractual service margin) and the effect of discretionary changes to that commitment (which adjust the contractual service margin). |
B100 | If an entity cannot specify at inception of the contract what it regards as its commitment under the contract and what it regards as discretionary, it shall regard its commitment to be the return implicit in the estimate of the fulfilment cash flows at inception of the contract, updated to reflect current assumptions that relate to financial risk. |
B101 | Insurance contracts with direct participation features are insurance contracts that are substantially investment‑related service contracts under which an entity promises an investment return based on underlying items. Hence, they are defined as insurance contracts for which:
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B102 | An entity shall assess whether the conditions in paragraph B101 are met using its expectations at inception of the contract and shall not reassess the conditions afterwards, unless the contract is modified, applying paragraph 72. |
B103 | To the extent that insurance contracts in a group affect the cash flows to policyholders of contracts in other groups (see paragraphs B67–B71), an entity shall assess whether the conditions in paragraph B101 are met by considering the cash flows that the entity expects to pay the policyholders determined applying paragraphs B68–B70. |
B104 | The conditions in paragraph B101 ensure that insurance contracts with direct participation features are contracts under which the entity’s obligation to the policyholder is the net of:
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B105 | A share referred to in paragraph B101(a) does not preclude the existence of the entity’s discretion to vary the amounts paid to the policyholder. However, the link to the underlying items must be enforceable (see paragraph 2). |
B106 | The pool of underlying items referred to in paragraph B101(a) can comprise any items, for example a reference portfolio of assets, the net assets of the entity, or a specified subset of the net assets of the entity, as long as they are clearly identified by the contract. An entity need not hold the identified pool of underlying items. However, a clearly identified pool of underlying items does not exist when:
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B107 | Paragraph B101(b) requires that the entity expects a substantial share of the fair value returns on the underlying items will be paid to the policyholder and paragraph B101(c) requires that the entity expects a substantial proportion of any change in the amounts to be paid to the policyholder to vary with the change in fair value of the underlying items. An entity shall:
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B108 | For example, if the entity expects to pay a substantial share of the fair value returns on underlying items, subject to a guarantee of a minimum return, there will be scenarios in which:
The entity’s assessment of the variability in paragraph B101(c) for this example will reflect a present value probability‑weighted average of all these scenarios. |
B109 | Reinsurance contracts issued and reinsurance contracts held cannot be insurance contracts with direct participation features for the purposes of IFRS 17. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC248, BC249, BC249A(b) and BC249C] |
B110 | For insurance contracts with direct participation features, the contractual service margin is adjusted to reflect the variable nature of the fee. Hence, changes in the amounts set out in paragraph B104 are treated as set out in paragraphs B111–B114. |
B111 | Changes in the obligation to pay the policyholder an amount equal to the fair value of the underlying items (paragraph B104(a)) do not relate to future service and do not adjust the contractual service margin. |
B112 | Changes in the amount of the entity’s share of the fair value of the underlying items (paragraph B104(b)(i)) relate to future service and adjust the contractual service margin, applying paragraph 45(b). |
B113 | Changes in the fulfilment cash flows that do not vary based on the returns on underlying items (paragraph B104(b)(ii)) comprise:
[Refer:Illustrative Examples, Example 9]
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B114 | An entity is not required to identify the adjustments to the contractual service margin required by paragraphs B112 and B113 separately. Instead, a combined amount may be determined for some or all of the adjustments. [Refer:Illustrative Examples, Example 9]
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B115 | To the extent that an entity meets the conditions in paragraph B116, it may choose not to recognise a change in the contractual service margin to reflect some or all of the changes in the effect of the time value of money and financial risk on:
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B116 | To apply paragraph B115, an entity must have a previously documented risk-management objective and strategy for mitigating financial risk as described in paragraph B115. In applying that objective and strategy:
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B117 | The entity shall determine the fulfilment cash flows in a group to which paragraph B115 applies in a consistent manner in each reporting period. |
B117A | If the entity mitigates the effect of financial risk using derivatives or non-derivative financial instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss, it shall include insurance finance income or expenses for the period arising from the application of paragraph B115 in profit or loss. If the entity mitigates the effect of financial risk using reinsurance contracts held, it shall apply the same accounting policy for the presentation of insurance finance income or expenses arising from the application of paragraph B115 as the entity applies to the reinsurance contracts held applying paragraphs 88 and 90. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC256G–BC256H]
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B118 | If, and only if, any of the conditions in paragraph B116 cease to be met an entity shall cease to apply paragraph B115 from that date. An entity shall not make any adjustment for changes previously recognised in profit or loss. |
B119 | An amount of the contractual service margin for a group of insurance contracts is recognised in profit or loss in each period to reflect the insurance contract services provided under the group of insurance contracts in that period (see paragraphs 44(e), 45(e) and 66(e)). The amount is determined by:
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| E4 | [IFRIC® Update, June 2022, Agenda Decision, ‘IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts—Transfer of Insurance Coverage under a Group of Annuity Contracts’ The Committee received a request about a group of annuity contracts. The request asked how an entity determines the amount of the contractual service margin to recognise in profit or loss in a period because of the transfer of insurance coverage for survival in that period. Fact pattern The request described a group of annuity contracts under which the policyholder of each contract:
The fact pattern referred to groups of contracts for which the annuity period starts immediately after contract inception (‘immediate annuity’) and also those for which the annuity period starts on a specified date after contract inception (‘deferred annuity’)—for example, a contract entered into in 2022 for which the annuity period starts in 2042. Applicable requirements in IFRS 17 Paragraph 44(e) of IFRS 17 requires an entity to adjust the carrying amount of the contractual service margin for the amount recognised as insurance revenue because of the transfer of insurance contract services in the period. The entity determines this amount by allocating the contractual service margin over the current and remaining coverage period applying paragraph B119 of IFRS 17. Paragraph B119 of IFRS 17 states that an entity recognises in profit or loss in each period an amount of the contractual service margin to reflect the insurance contract services provided under the group of insurance contracts in that period. The amount is determined by:
The definition of insurance contract services in Appendix A to IFRS 17 describes insurance coverage as ‘coverage for an insured event’. An insured event is defined as ‘an uncertain future event covered by an insurance contract that creates insurance risk’. Methods for applying the requirements to the fact pattern The request sets out two methods of determining, for each contract in the group, the quantity of the benefits of insurance coverage provided in the current period and expected to be provided in the future. Method 1
Method 2
Applying paragraph B119 of IFRS 17 Applying paragraph B119(a) of IFRS 17, an entity:
IFRS 17 does not prescribe a method for determining the quantity of the benefits provided under a contract. Instead, an entity is required to use a method that meets the principle in paragraph B119 of reflecting the insurance contract services provided in each period. In selecting a method that meets that principle, an entity considers (a) the benefits provided to the policyholder under a contract with respect to the insurance contract services provided, and (b) when those benefits are provided. Different methods may achieve the principle depending on the facts and circumstances. In the fact pattern described in the request, the terms of the annuity contract provide the policyholder with the right to claim a periodic amount (CU100 in the example) from the start of the annuity period for as long as the policyholder survives. Consequently, the Committee observed that:
The Committee’s conclusion The Committee concluded that, in applying IFRS 17 to determine the quantity of the benefits of insurance coverage for survival provided under each annuity contract, a method based on:
The request asked only about the recognition of the contractual service margin in profit or loss. For the annuity contracts described in the request, the entity accepts insurance risk related to the uncertainty about how long the policyholder will survive. The Committee noted that the entity would apply other requirements in IFRS 17 to recognise in profit or loss—separately from the contractual service margin—the risk adjustment for non-financial risk. The risk adjustment for non-financial risk represents the compensation the entity requires for bearing the uncertainty about the amount and timing of the cash flows that arise from non-financial risk. The Committee did not discuss these other requirements. Under a group of annuity contracts, an entity could provide other insurance contract services to policyholders in addition to insurance coverage for survival—for example, insurance coverage for death in a deferral period or an investment-return service. The conclusion in this agenda decision applies to insurance coverage for survival, regardless of other services provided. If the contracts provide other insurance contract services, the entity would also need to consider the pattern of transfer of these services to the policyholder. The Committee concluded that the principles and requirements in IFRS Accounting Standards provide an adequate basis for an issuer of a group of annuity contracts as described in the request to determine the amount of the contractual service margin to recognise in profit or loss in a period because of the transfer of insurance coverage for survival in that period. Consequently, the Committee decided not to add a standard-setting project to the work plan.] |
B119A | To apply paragraph B119, the period of investment-return service or investment-related service ends at or before the date that all amounts due to current policyholders relating to those services have been paid, without considering payments to future policyholders included in the fulfilment cash flows applying paragraph B68. [Refer:
Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC283A–BC283F Illustrative Examples, Example 6 paragraph IE58] |
B119B | Insurance contracts without direct participation features may provide an investment-return service if, and only if:
[Refer:
Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC283C–BC283E Illustrative Examples, Example 6 paragraph IE58] |
Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC315A–BC315L
Illustrative Examples, Example 12C]
B119C | Paragraph 66A applies if, and only if, the reinsurance contract held is entered into before or at the same time as the onerous underlying insurance contracts are recognised. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC315C] |
B119D | To apply paragraph 66A, an entity shall determine the adjustment to the contractual service margin of a group of reinsurance contracts held and the resulting income by multiplying:
[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC315A]
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B119E | Applying paragraphs 14‒22, an entity might include in an onerous group of insurance contracts both onerous insurance contracts covered by a group of reinsurance contracts held and onerous insurance contracts not covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. To apply paragraphs 66(c)(i)‒(ii) and paragraph 66A in such cases, the entity shall apply a systematic and rational method of allocation to determine the portion of losses recognised on the group of insurance contracts that relates to insurance contracts covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC315H and BC315I] |
B119F | After an entity has established a loss-recovery component applying paragraph 66B, the entity shall adjust the loss-recovery component to reflect changes in the loss component of an onerous group of underlying insurance contracts (see paragraphs 50–52). The carrying amount of the loss-recovery component shall not exceed the portion of the carrying amount of the loss component of the onerous group of underlying insurance contracts that the entity expects to recover from the group of reinsurance contracts held. |
B120 | The total insurance revenue for a group of insurance contracts is the consideration for the contracts, ie the amount of premiums paid to the entity:
[Refer:
Illustrative Examples: |
B121 | Paragraph 83 requires the amount of insurance revenue recognised in a period to depict the transfer of promised services at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those services. The total consideration for a group of contracts covers the following amounts:
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B122 | Insurance revenue for a period relating to the amounts described in paragraph B121(a) is determined as set out in paragraphs B123–B124. Insurance revenue for a period relating to the amounts described in paragraph B121(b) is determined as set out in paragraph B125. |
B123 | Applying IFRS 15, when an entity provides services, it derecognises the performance obligation for those services and recognises revenue. Consistently, applying IFRS 17, when an entity provides services in a period, it reduces the liability for remaining coverage for the services provided and recognises insurance revenue. The reduction in the liability for remaining coverage that gives rise to insurance revenue excludes changes in the liability that do not relate to services expected to be covered by the consideration received by the entity. Those changes are:
[Refer:
Illustrative Examples: |
B123A | To the extent that an entity derecognises an asset for cash flows other than insurance acquisition cash flows at the date of initial recognition of a group of insurance contracts (see paragraphs 38(c)(ii) and B66A), it shall recognise insurance revenue and expenses for the amount derecognised at that date.[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC184N] |
B124 | Consequently, insurance revenue for the period can also be analysed as the total of the changes in the liability for remaining coverage in the period that relates to services for which the entity expects to receive consideration. Those changes are:
[Refer:
Illustrative Examples: |
B125 | An entity shall determine insurance revenue related to insurance acquisition cash flows by allocating the portion of the premiums that relate to recovering those cash flows to each reporting period in a systematic way on the basis of the passage of time. An entity shall recognise the same amount as insurance service expenses. |
B126 | When an entity applies the premium allocation approach in paragraphs 55–58, insurance revenue for the period is the amount of expected premium receipts (excluding any investment component and adjusted to reflect the time value of money and the effect of financial risk, if applicable, applying paragraph 56) allocated to the period. The entity shall allocate the expected premium receipts to each period of insurance contract services:
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B127 | An entity shall change the basis of allocation between paragraphs B126(a) and B126(b) as necessary if facts and circumstances change. |
B128 | Paragraph 87 requires an entity to include in insurance finance income or expenses the effect of the time value of money and financial risk and changes therein. For the purposes of IFRS 17:
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B129 | Paragraphs 88–89 require an entity to make an accounting policy choice as to whether to disaggregate insurance finance income or expenses for the period between profit or loss and other comprehensive income. An entity shall apply its choice of accounting policy to portfolios of insurance contracts. In assessing the appropriate accounting policy for a portfolio of insurance contracts, applying paragraph 13 of IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors, the entity shall consider for each portfolio the assets that the entity holds and how it accounts for those assets. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC44] |
B130 | If paragraph 88(b) applies, an entity shall include in profit or loss an amount determined by a systematic allocation of the expected total finance income or expenses over the duration of the group of insurance contracts. In this context, a systematic allocation is an allocation of the total expected finance income or expenses of a group of insurance contracts over the duration of the group that: [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC46–BC49]
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B131 | For groups of insurance contracts for which changes in assumptions that relate to financial risk do not have a substantial effect on the amounts paid to the policyholder, the systematic allocation is determined using the discount rates specified in paragraph B72(e)(i). |
B132 | For groups of insurance contracts for which changes in assumptions that relate to financial risk have a substantial effect on the amounts paid to the policyholders:
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B133 | In applying the premium allocation approach to insurance contracts described in paragraphs 53–59, an entity may be required, or may choose, to discount the liability for incurred claims. In such cases, it may choose to disaggregate the insurance finance income or expenses applying paragraph 88(b). If the entity makes this choice, it shall determine the insurance finance income or expenses in profit or loss using the discount rate specified in paragraph B72(e)(iii). [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC295] |
B134 | Paragraph 89 applies if an entity, either by choice or because it is required to, holds the underlying items for insurance contracts with direct participation features. If an entity chooses to disaggregate insurance finance income or expenses applying paragraph 89(b), it shall include in profit or loss expenses or income that exactly match the income or expenses included in profit or loss for the underlying items, resulting in the net of the separately presented items being nil. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC48] |
B135 | An entity may qualify for the accounting policy choice in paragraph 89 in some periods but not in others because of a change in whether it holds the underlying items. If such a change occurs, the accounting policy choice available to the entity changes from that set out in paragraph 88 to that set out in paragraph 89, or vice versa. Hence, an entity might change its accounting policy between that set out in paragraph 88(b) and that set out in paragraph 89(b). In making such a change an entity shall:
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B136 | When applying paragraph B135(a), an entity shall not recalculate the accumulated amount previously included in other comprehensive income as if the new disaggregation had always applied; and the assumptions used for the reclassification in future periods shall not be updated after the date of the change. |
B137 | If an entity prepares interim financial statements applying IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting, the entity shall make an accounting policy choice as to whether to change the treatment of accounting estimates made in previous interim financial statements when applying IFRS 17 in subsequent interim financial statements and in the annual reporting period. The entity shall apply its choice of accounting policy to all groups of insurance contracts it issues and groups of reinsurance contracts it holds. |
This appendix is an integral part of IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts.
C1 | An entity shall apply IFRS 17 for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC402–BC404F] If an entity applies IFRS 17 earlier, it shall disclose that fact. Early application is permitted for entities that apply IFRS 9 Financial Instruments on or before the date of initial application of IFRS 17. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC405 and BC406] |
C2 | For the purposes of the transition requirements in paragraphs C1 and C3–C33:
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C2A | Initial Application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9—Comparative Information, issued in December 2021, added paragraphs C28A–C28E and C33A. An entity that chooses to apply paragraphs C28A–C28E and C33A shall apply them on initial application of IFRS 17. |
C3 | Unless it is impracticable to do so, or paragraph C5A applies, an entity shall apply IFRS 17 retrospectively, except that:
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C4 | To apply IFRS 17 retrospectively, an entity shall at the transition date:
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C5 | If, and only if, it is impracticable for an entity to apply paragraph C3 for a group of insurance contracts, an entity shall apply the following approaches instead of applying paragraph C4(a):
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C5A | Notwithstanding paragraph C5, an entity may choose to apply the fair value approach in paragraphs C20–C24B for a group of insurance contracts with direct participation features to which it could apply IFRS 17 retrospectively if, and only if:
[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC393A–BC393E]
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C5B | If, and only if, it is impracticable for an entity to apply paragraph C4(aa) for an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows, the entity shall apply the following approaches to measure the asset for insurance acquisition cash flows:
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C6 | The objective of the modified retrospective approach is to achieve the closest outcome to retrospective application possible using reasonable and supportable information available without undue cost or effort. Accordingly, in applying this approach, an entity shall:
[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC380A–BC380D]
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C7 | Paragraphs C9–C19A set out permitted modifications to retrospective application in the following areas:
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C8 | To achieve the objective of the modified retrospective approach, an entity is permitted to use each modification in paragraphs C9–C19A only to the extent that an entity does not have reasonable and supportable information to apply a retrospective approach. |
C9 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall determine the following matters using information available at the transition date:
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C9A | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall classify as a liability for incurred claims a liability for settlement of claims incurred before an insurance contract was acquired in a transfer of insurance contracts that do not form a business or in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3.[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC382A–BC382B] |
C10 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall not apply paragraph 22 to divide groups into those that do not include contracts issued more than one year apart. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC391 and BC392A] |
C11 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, for contracts without direct participation features, an entity shall determine the contractual service margin or loss component of the liability for remaining coverage (see paragraphs 49–52) at the transition date by applying paragraphs C12–C16C. |
C12 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall estimate the future cash flows at the date of initial recognition of a group of insurance contracts as the amount of the future cash flows at the transition date (or earlier date, if the future cash flows at that earlier date can be determined retrospectively, applying paragraph C4(a)), adjusted by the cash flows that are known to have occurred between the date of initial recognition of a group of insurance contracts and the transition date (or earlier date). The cash flows that are known to have occurred include cash flows resulting from contracts that ceased to exist before the transition date. |
C13 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall determine the discount rates that applied at the date of initial recognition of a group of insurance contracts (or subsequently):
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C14 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall determine the risk adjustment for non-financial risk at the date of initial recognition of a group of insurance contracts (or subsequently) by adjusting the risk adjustment for non-financial risk at the transition date by the expected release of risk before the transition date. The expected release of risk shall be determined by reference to the release of risk for similar insurance contracts that the entity issues at the transition date. |
C14A | Applying paragraph B137, an entity may choose not to change the treatment of accounting estimates made in previous interim financial statements. To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, such an entity shall determine the contractual service margin or loss component at the transition date as if the entity had not prepared interim financial statements before the transition date. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC236D] |
C14B | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall use the same systematic and rational method the entity expects to use after the transition date when applying paragraph 28A to allocate any insurance acquisition cash flows paid (or for which a liability has been recognised applying another IFRS Standard) before the transition date (excluding any amount relating to insurance contracts that ceased to exist before the transition date) to:
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C14C | Insurance acquisition cash flows paid before the transition date that are allocated to a group of insurance contracts recognised at the transition date adjust the contractual service margin of that group, to the extent insurance contracts expected to be in the group have been recognised at that date (see paragraphs 28C and B35C). Other insurance acquisition cash flows paid before the transition date, including those allocated to a group of insurance contracts expected to be recognised after the transition date, are recognised as an asset, applying paragraph 28B. |
C14D | If an entity does not have reasonable and supportable information to apply paragraph C14B, the entity shall determine the following amounts to be nil at the transition date:
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C15 | If applying paragraphs C12–C14D results in a contractual service margin at the date of initial recognition, to determine the contractual service margin at the date of transition an entity shall:
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C16 | If applying paragraphs C12–C14D results in a loss component of the liability for remaining coverage at the date of initial recognition, an entity shall determine any amounts allocated to the loss component before the transition date applying paragraphs C12–C14D and using a systematic basis of allocation. |
C16A | For a group of reinsurance contracts held that provides coverage for an onerous group of insurance contracts and was entered into before or at the same time that the insurance contracts were issued, an entity shall establish a loss-recovery component of the asset for remaining coverage at the transition date (see paragraphs 66A–66B). [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC315A and BC315D] To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall determine the loss-recovery component by multiplying:
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C16B | Applying paragraphs 14‒22, at the transition date an entity might include in an onerous group of insurance contracts both onerous insurance contracts covered by a group of reinsurance contracts held and onerous insurance contracts not covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. To apply paragraph C16A in such cases, an entity shall use a systematic and rational basis of allocation to determine the portion of the loss component of the group of insurance contracts that relates to insurance contracts covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. |
C16C | If an entity does not have reasonable and supportable information to apply paragraph C16A, the entity shall not identify a loss-recovery component for the group of reinsurance contracts held. |
C17 | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, for contracts with direct participation features an entity shall determine the contractual service margin or loss component of the liability for remaining coverage at the transition date as:
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C17A | To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, an entity shall apply paragraphs C14B‒C14D to recognise an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows, and any adjustment to the contractual service margin of a group of insurance contracts with direct participation features for insurance acquisition cash flows (see paragraph C17(c)(iv)). |
C18 | For groups of insurance contracts that, applying paragraph C10, include contracts issued more than one year apart:
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C19 | For groups of insurance contracts that do not include contracts issued more than one year apart:
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C19A | Applying paragraph B137, an entity may choose not to change the treatment of accounting estimates made in previous interim financial statements. To the extent permitted by paragraph C8, such an entity shall determine amounts related to insurance finance income or expenses at the transition date as if it had not prepared interim financial statements before the transition date.[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC236D] |
C20 | To apply the fair value approach, an entity shall determine the contractual service margin or loss component of the liability for remaining coverage at the transition date as the difference between the fair value of a group of insurance contracts at that date and the fulfilment cash flows measured at that date. In determining that fair value, an entity shall not apply paragraph 47 of IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement (relating to demand features). |
C20A | For a group of reinsurance contracts held to which paragraphs 66A–66B apply (without the need to meet the condition set out in paragraph B119C), an entity shall determine the loss-recovery component of the asset for remaining coverage at the transition date by multiplying:
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C20B | Applying paragraphs 14‒22, at the transition date an entity might include in an onerous group of insurance contracts both onerous insurance contracts covered by a group of reinsurance contracts held and onerous insurance contracts not covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. To apply paragraph C20A in such cases, an entity shall use a systematic and rational basis of allocation to determine the portion of the loss component of the group of insurance contracts that relates to insurance contracts covered by the group of reinsurance contracts held. |
C21 | In applying the fair value approach, an entity may apply paragraph C22 to determine:
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C22 | An entity may choose to determine the matters in paragraph C21 using:
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C22A | In applying the fair value approach, an entity may choose to classify as a liability for incurred claims a liability for settlement of claims incurred before an insurance contract was acquired in a transfer of insurance contracts that do not form a business or in a business combination within the scope of IFRS 3. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC382A] |
C23 | In applying the fair value approach, an entity is not required to apply paragraph 22, and may include in a group contracts issued more than one year apart. An entity shall only divide groups into those including only contracts issued within a year (or less) if it has reasonable and supportable information to make the division. Whether or not an entity applies paragraph 22, it is permitted to determine the discount rates at the date of initial recognition of a group specified in paragraphs B72(b)–B72(e)(ii) and the discount rates at the date of the incurred claim specified in paragraph B72(e)(iii) at the transition date instead of at the date of initial recognition or incurred claim. |
C24 | In applying the fair value approach, if an entity chooses to disaggregate insurance finance income or expenses between profit or loss and other comprehensive income, it is permitted to determine the cumulative amount of insurance finance income or expenses recognised in other comprehensive income at the transition date:
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C24A | In applying the fair value approach for an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows (see paragraph C5B(b)), at the transition date, an entity shall determine an asset for insurance acquisition cash flows at an amount equal to the insurance acquisition cash flows the entity would incur at the transition date for the rights to obtain:
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C24B | At the transition date, the entity shall exclude from the measurement of any groups of insurance contracts the amount of any asset for insurance acquisition cash flows. |
C25 | Notwithstanding the reference to the annual reporting period immediately preceding the date of initial application in paragraph C2(b), an entity may also present adjusted comparative information applying IFRS 17 for any earlier periods presented, but is not required to do so. If an entity does present adjusted comparative information for any earlier periods, the reference to ‘the beginning of the annual reporting period immediately preceding the date of initial application’ in paragraph C2(b) shall be read as ‘the beginning of the earliest adjusted comparative period presented’. |
C26 | An entity is not required to provide the disclosures specified in paragraphs 93–132 for any period presented before the beginning of the annual reporting period immediately preceding the date of initial application. |
C27 | If an entity presents unadjusted comparative information and disclosures for any earlier periods, it shall clearly identify the information that has not been adjusted, disclose that it has been prepared on a different basis, and explain that basis.
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C28 | An entity need not disclose previously unpublished information about claims development that occurred earlier than five years before the end of the annual reporting period in which it first applies IFRS 17. However, if an entity does not disclose that information, it shall disclose that fact. [Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraph BC401]
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C28A | An entity that first applies IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 at the same time is permitted to apply paragraphs C28B–C28E (classification overlay) for the purpose of presenting comparative information about a financial asset if the comparative information for that financial asset has not been restated for IFRS 9. Comparative information for a financial asset will not be restated for IFRS 9 if either the entity chooses not to restate prior periods (see paragraph 7.2.15 of IFRS 9), or the entity restates prior periods but the financial asset has been derecognised during those prior periods (see paragraph 7.2.1 of IFRS 9). |
C28B | An entity applying the classification overlay to a financial asset shall present comparative information as if the classification and measurement requirements of IFRS 9 had been applied to that financial asset. The entity shall use reasonable and supportable information available at the transition date (see paragraph C2(b)) to determine how the entity expects the financial asset would be classified and measured on initial application of IFRS 9 (for example, an entity might use preliminary assessments performed to prepare for the initial application of IFRS 9). |
C28C | In applying the classification overlay to a financial asset, an entity is not required to apply the impairment requirements in Section 5.5 of IFRS 9. If, based on the classification determined applying paragraph C28B, the financial asset would be subject to the impairment requirements in Section 5.5 of IFRS 9 but the entity does not apply those requirements in applying the classification overlay, the entity shall continue to present any amount recognised in respect of impairment in the prior period in accordance with IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. Otherwise, any such amounts shall be reversed. |
C28D | Any difference between the previous carrying amount of a financial asset and the carrying amount at the transition date that results from applying paragraphs C28B–C28C shall be recognised in opening retained earnings (or other component of equity, as appropriate) at the transition date.
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C28E | An entity that applies paragraphs C28B–C28D shall:
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C29 | At the date of initial application of IFRS 17, an entity that had applied IFRS 9 to annual reporting periods before the initial application of IFRS 17:
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C30 | An entity shall apply paragraph C29 on the basis of the facts and circumstances that exist at the date of initial application of IFRS 17. An entity shall apply those designations and classifications retrospectively. In doing so, the entity shall apply the relevant transition requirements in IFRS 9. The date of initial application for that purpose shall be deemed to be the date of initial application of IFRS 17. |
C31 | An entity that applies paragraph C29 is not required to restate prior periods to reflect such changes in designations or classifications. The entity may restate prior periods only if it is possible without the use of hindsight. If an entity restates prior periods, the restated financial statements must reflect all the requirements of IFRS 9 for those affected financial assets. If an entity does not restate prior periods, the entity shall recognise, in the opening retained earnings (or other component of equity, as appropriate) at the date of initial application, any difference between:
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C32 | When an entity applies paragraph C29, it shall disclose in that annual reporting period for those financial assets by class:
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C33 | When an entity applies paragraph C29, the entity shall disclose in that annual reporting period qualitative information that would enable users of financial statements to understand:
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C33A | For a financial asset derecognised between the transition date and date of initial application of IFRS 17, an entity may apply paragraphs C28B–C28E (classification overlay) for the purpose of presenting comparative information as if paragraph C29 had been applied to that asset. Such an entity shall adapt the requirements of paragraphs C28B–C28E so that the classification overlay is based on how the entity expects the financial asset would be designated applying paragraph C29 at the date of initial application of IFRS 17.[Refer:Basis for Conclusions paragraphs BC398H(c)] |
C34 | IFRS 17 supersedes IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts, as amended in 2020. |
This Appendix describes the amendments to other Standards that the IASB made when it issued IFRS 17 in 2017 and amended IFRS 17 in 2020. An entity shall apply the amendments for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023. If an entity applies IFRS 17 for an earlier period, these amendments shall be applied for that earlier period.
| * * * * * |
The amendments contained in this appendix when this Standard was issued in 2017 and amended in 2020 have been incorporated into the text of the relevant Standards included in this volume.
IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts was approved for issue by 11 of the 12 members of the International Accounting Standards Board as at March 2017. Ms Flores abstained from voting in view of her recent appointment to the Board.
| Hans Hoogervorst | Chairman |
| Suzanne Lloyd | Vice-Chair |
| Stephen Cooper | |
| Martin Edelmann | |
| Françoise Flores | |
| Amaro Luiz de Oliveira Gomes | |
| Gary Kabureck | |
| Takatsugu Ochi | |
| Darrel Scott | |
| Chungwoo Suh | |
| Mary Tokar | |
| Wei-Guo Zhang |
Amendments to IFRS 17 was approved for issue by all 14 members of the International Accounting Standards Board.
| Hans Hoogervorst | Chairman |
| Suzanne Lloyd | Vice-Chair |
| Nick Anderson | |
| Tadeu Cendon | |
| Martin Edelmann | |
| Françoise Flores | |
| Gary Kabureck | |
| Jianqiao Lu | |
| Darrel Scott | |
| Thomas Scott | |
| Chungwoo Suh | |
| Rika Suzuki | |
| Ann Tarca | |
| Mary Tokar |
Initial Application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9—Comparative Information, which amends IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts, was approved for issue by all 12 members of the International Accounting Standards Board.
| Andreas Barckow | Chair |
| Suzanne Lloyd | Vice-Chair |
| Nick Anderson | |
| Tadeu Cendon | |
| Zach Gast | |
| Jianqiao Lu | |
| Bruce Mackenzie | |
| Bertrand Perrin | |
| Thomas Scott | |
| Rika Suzuki | |
| Ann Tarca | |
| Mary Tokar |
| 1 | CU denotes currency unit. (back) |