The IFRS Interpretations Committee (Committee) discussed the following matter and tentatively decided not to add a standard-setting project to the work plan. The Committee will reconsider this tentative decision, including the reasons for not adding a standard-setting project, at a future meeting. The Committee invites comments on the tentative agenda decision. All comments will be on the public record and posted on our website unless a respondent requests confidentiality and we grant that request. We do not normally grant such requests unless they are supported by good reason, for example, commercial confidence.
Tentative Agenda Decision
The Committee received a request about how an entity presents, in its statement of cash flows, the cash flows related to variation margin call payments made on contracts to purchase or sell commodities at a predetermined price and at a specified time in the future.
Fact pattern
The request describes a contract to purchase or sell commodities at a predetermined price and at a specified time in the future. An entity may enter into such a contract for different purposes and applies the relevant requirements in IFRS Accounting Standards accordingly. For example, the entity may use such a contract:
- to receive commodities in accordance with its expected usage requirements.
- to hedge against fluctuations in the prices of commodities.
- for trading purposes.
Such a contract typically has a maturity of up to three years, can be settled physically or net in cash and is both:
- centrally cleared—after a new contract is entered into, for the purpose of settlement via a central counterparty, the contract is novated by each counterparty to the central counterparty.
- 'collateralised to market’—during the life of the contract, the counterparties make or receive daily payments based on the fluctuations of the fair value of the contract (variation margin call payments). These variation margin call payments represent a transfer of cash collateral (hence the contract is ‘collateralised to market’), rather than a partial settlement of the contract (as in ‘settled-to-market’ contracts).
The request asked how an entity presents, in its statement of cash flows, the cash flows related to variation margin call payments made on such a contract.
Conclusion
Evidence gathered by the Committee [to date] did not indicate that the matter described in the request is widespread. On the basis of that evidence, the Committee concluded that the matter described in the request does not have widespread effect. Consequently, the Committee [decided] not to add a standard-setting project to the work plan.
The deadline for commenting on the tentative agenda decision is 19 August 2024. The Committee will consider all comments received in writing by that date; agenda papers analysing comments received will include analysis only of comments received by that date.
