This IASB Update highlights preliminary decisions of the International Accounting Standards Board (Board). The Board's final decisions on IFRS® Standards, Amendments and IFRIC® Interpretations are formally balloted as set forth in the Due Process Handbook of the IFRS Foundation and the IFRS Interpretation Committee.
The Board met in July 2018 at the IFRS Foundation's offices in London.
The topics, in order of discussion, were:
Future Board meetings:
The Board met on 17 July 2018 to discuss the accounting model (model) being developed for activities subject to ‘defined rate regulation’. Agenda Paper 9A provided a summary of tentative decisions to date for information only.
The Board continued its discussion from May 2018 on the measurement of regulatory assets.
The Board tentatively decided that, for each regulatory asset recognised, an entity should:
The Board also discussed how an entity should determine whether to consider the outcome of each timing difference separately or together with one or more other timing differences. The Board tentatively decided such determinations should be based on the approach that would better predict the amount of the resulting future cash flows.
Thirteen of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with these decisions.
No explicit financing component
The Board tentatively decided that, if a regulatory agreement does not provide explicit compensation for the effects of time between the origination and reversal of a timing difference, an entity should use judgement to determine whether the financing component of the timing difference is significant. Such judgement should be based on the entity’s facts and circumstances.
If the entity concludes the financing component is not significant, discounting the future cash flows is not required. However, if the entity concludes the financing component is significant, the entity should use a ‘reasonable rate’ to discount the estimated future cash flows and recognise any loss in profit or loss immediately.
The Board asked the staff to develop guidance on factors to consider when determining a ‘reasonable rate’.
Explicit financing component
The Board tentatively decided that, when a financing component is explicit, an entity should measure the regulatory asset by discounting the estimated future cash flows using the interest rate or return rate established by the regulatory agreement for those cash flows. However, that requirement would not apply where clear evidence shows that the regulatory interest rate or return rate is set at a level that provides an excess or deficit in compensation because of an identifiable event or decision. In this circumstance, an entity should recognise the excess or deficit in compensation in the period in which the identifiable event or decision occurs.
Thirteen of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with these decisions.
The Board tentatively decided that the model should adopt the treatment required by IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors to account for changes in estimated future cash flows. Consequently:
When a regulator changes the interest rate or return rate used to compensate an entity for the period between the origination and reversal of a timing difference, the Board tentatively decided that the entity should:
Thirteen of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with these decisions.
The Board also tentatively decided that the model should apply the same measurement requirements for regulatory liabilities and regulatory assets.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
The Board asked the staff to develop suggestions to simplify, clarify and add guidance to the tentative decisions made at this meeting when describing the model.
The Board started its discussions about an objective to guide the development of presentation and disclosure requirements for the model.
The Board was not asked to make any decisions.
Next steps
The Board expects to continue its discussions on presentation and disclosure at a future meeting.
The Board met on 17 July 2018 to receive an update on the status of the Management Commentary project. The Board was not asked to make any decisions.
Next steps
The first meeting of the Management Commentary Consultative Group will take place in October 2018. The Board will continue its discussion following the first meeting of the Management Commentary Consultative Group.
The Board met on 17 July 2018 to receive an update on the research project on Business Combinations under Common Control, including a summary of the discussion at the July meeting of the Accounting Standards Advisory Forum.
The Board was not asked to make any decisions.
Next steps
The Board expects to continue discussion at future meetings on methods of accounting for transactions within the scope of the project.
The Board met on 17 July 2018 to discuss when and how preparers of financial statements should refer to the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting for assistance in developing accounting policies.
The Board was not asked to make decisions.
The Board met on 17 July 2018 to discuss implementation and maintenance projects.
The Board received an update on the May and June 2018 meetings of the IFRS Interpretations Committee (Committee). Details of these meetings were published in IFRIC® Update (Agenda Papers 12A and 12B).
The Board was not asked to make any decisions.
The Board discussed the Committee’s recommendation to propose a narrow-scope amendment to IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets. The proposed amendment relates to the assessment of whether a contract is onerous, and would:
All Board members agreed with the Committee’s recommendation.
Next steps
The Board will discuss due process steps at a future meeting.
The Board discussed transactions involving commodities and cryptocurrencies.
The discussion focused on the prevalence of transactions involving commodities and cryptocurrencies for entities that report using IFRS Standards and possible narrow-scope standard-setting activities the Board might undertake.
The Board decided:
Thirteen of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with these decisions.
The Board also decided to ask the Committee to provide further information about how an entity might apply existing IFRS Standards in determining its accounting for holdings of cryptocurrencies and Initial Coin Offerings.
All Board members agreed with this decision.
Next steps
The Board will discuss at a future Board meeting the feasibility of a narrow-scope standard-setting project to address commodity loans.
The Board will consider at a future meeting the information about cryptocurrencies to be provided by the Committee.
The Board met on 18 July 2018 to continue its discussions on the Goodwill and Impairment research project. The Board discussed the objectives of its follow up work in the light of findings from the research.
In particular, the Board tentatively decided:
Eleven of 14 Board members agreed and three disagreed with this decision.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
Twelve of 14 Board members agreed and two disagreed with this decision.
Nine of 14 Board members agreed and five disagreed with this decision.
Ten of 14 Board members agreed and four disagreed with this decision.
Eight of 14 Board members agreed and six disagreed with this decision.
Ten of 14 Board members agreed and four disagreed with this decision.
The Board also tentatively decided to issue a discussion paper as the research project’s next step. (The Board noted that this decision would not preclude it from issuing an exposure draft on, for example, targeted improvements to the value in use calculation.)
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
Next steps
The Board will continue its discussions on how to achieve the objectives discussed in this meeting.
The Board met on 18 July 2018 to discuss:
The Board decided not to re-expose the proposed amendments to the definition of material and accompanying explanatory paragraphs.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
The Board is satisfied that the due process requirements have been met and that it has undertaken sufficient consultation and analysis to begin the balloting process for the proposed amendments.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
The Board agreed with the proposed timetable and gave permission for the staff to prepare the proposed amendments for balloting.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
No Board members plan to dissent from issuing the amendments.
On the use of language, the Board tentatively decided that, when drafting disclosure objectives and requirements in future, the Board should:
Thirteen of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with this decision.
On the use of formatting and presentation, the Board tentatively decided that, when drafting disclosure objectives and requirements, the Board should:
The Board tentatively decided that, when drafting disclosure objectives and requirements in future, the Board should:
The Board tentatively decided to select IAS 19 Employee Benefits and IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement to test the draft guidance for the Board to use when developing and drafting disclosure requirements.
Thirteen of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with this decision.
The Board tentatively decided to develop guidance and examples for inclusion in IFRS Practice Statement 2 Making Materiality Judgements to explain and demonstrate the application of the four-step materiality process to accounting policy disclosure.
Ten of 14 Board members agreed and four disagreed with this decision.
The Board tentatively decided not to develop requirements about IFRS information provided outside the financial statements.
Eleven of 14 Board members agreed and two disagreed with this decision. One Board member was absent.
The Board also tentatively decided not to develop requirements about non-IFRS information provided within financial statements.
Twelve of 14 Board members agreed and one disagreed with this decision. One Board member was absent.
The Board tentatively decided to respond to feedback about technology and digital reporting in relation to the Disclosure Initiative by including relevant considerations in the guidance for the Board to use when developing and drafting disclosure objectives and requirements. The Board also tentatively decided to take no further action within the Principles of Disclosure project to consider the effect of technology and digital reporting on accounting policy disclosures and on the location of information.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
The Board tentatively decided to consider issues relating to the broader implications of technology for financial reporting as part of the IFRS Foundation’s Technology Initiative.
All 14 Board members agreed with this decision.
Next steps
The Board expects to continue its discussion about testing the guidance for the Board to use when developing and drafting disclosure requirements at future meetings.
At a future meeting, the Board expects to discuss amendments to Practice Statement 2 Making Materiality Judgments to explain and demonstrate the application of the four-step materiality process to accounting policy disclosure. Furthermore, the Board will consider the need for amendments to the requirements on accounting policy disclosures in IAS 1 as it develops the guidance and examples for inclusion in IFRS Practice Statement 2.
The Board received a summary of feedback from ASAF members on particular aspects of the proposed amendments to IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors.
The Board was not asked to make any decisions.
Next steps
The Board will continue its discussions at a future meeting.
The International Accounting Standards Board (Board) met on 18 July 2018 for an update on the engagement with the Emerging Economies Group after its May 2018 meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The Board was not asked to make decisions.
Find out more about the Emerging Economies Group.