IAS 20 Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance

Government grants are transfers of resources to an entity by government in return for past or future compliance with certain conditions relating to the operating activities of the entity. Government assistance is action by government designed to provide an economic benefit that is specific to an entity or range of entities qualifying under certain criteria.

An entity recognises government grants only when there is reasonable assurance that the entity will comply with the conditions attached to them and the grants will be received. Government grants are recognised in profit or loss on a systematic basis over the periods in which the entity recognises as expenses the related costs for which the grants are intended to compensate.

A government grant that becomes receivable as compensation for expenses or losses already incurred or for the purpose of giving immediate financial support to the entity with no future related costs is recognised in profit or loss of the period in which it becomes receivable.

Government grants related to assets, including non-monetary grants at fair value, are presented in the statement of financial position either by setting up the grant as deferred income or by deducting the grant in arriving at the carrying amount of the asset.

Grants related to income are sometimes presented as a credit in the statement of comprehensive income, either separately or under a general heading such as ‘Other income’; alternatively, they are deducted in reporting the related expense.

If a government grant becomes repayable, the effect is accounted for as a change in accounting estimate (see IAS 8).

In April 2001 the International Accounting Standards Board adopted IAS 20 Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance, which had originally been issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee in April 1983.

Other Standards have made minor consequential amendments to IAS 20. They include IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement (issued May 2011), Presentation of Items of Other Comprehensive Income (Amendments to IAS 1) (issued June 2011), IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (Hedge Accounting and amendments to IFRS 9, IFRS 7 and IAS 39) (issued November 2013) and IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (issued July 2014).