Relevance

IAS 36 Determine if and when to test for impairment

IAS 36 Determine if and when to test for impairment – When looking at the step-by-step IAS 36 impairment approach it comes down to the following broadly organised steps:

  • What?? – Determining the scope and structure of the impairment review (see the step-by-step IAS 36 impairment approach),
  • If and when? – Determining if and when a quantitative impairment test is necessary (discussed on this page),
  • How? – Understanding the mechanics of the impairment test and how to recognise or reverse any impairment loss, if necessary (see IAS 36 Impairment test – How?).

Step 3: IAS 36 Determine if and when to test for impairment

IAS 36 requires an entity to a perform a quantified … Read more

How to best account for COVID-19 under IAS 10

How to best account for COVID-19 under IAS 10 Events after the reporting period? The question is whether the COVID-19 crises is an adjusting event of a non-adjusting event for the Financial Statements for the period ended 31 December 2019 that have not been authorised for final distribution to stakeholders or for filing at a chamber of commerce or similar institute.

If it is a non-adjusting event what disclosures does it still require in the financial statements or management report accompanying these financial statements?

In terms of accounting implications, the current consensus is that an entity shall not adjust the amounts recognized in its financial statements (IAS 10 10 Non-adjusting events) as at 31 December 2019 to reflect … Read more

Fair value measurement

Fair Value Measurement can present significant challenges for preparers of financial statements, particularly because it involves using judgment and estimation. Further, it is the market participant view that shapes fair value, so preparers need to monitor whether the valuation models and assumptions they use for financial reporting appropriately reflect those of market participants.

Fair Value Measurement under IFRS 13: Fair value measurement

  1. defines fair value;
  2. sets out in a single IFRS a framework for measuring fair value; and
  3. requires disclosures about fair value measurements.

The definition of fair value focuses on assets and liabilities because they are a primary subject of accounting measurement. In addition, IFRS 13 is applied to an entity’s own equity instruments measured at fair value.

The … Read more

Enhancing qualitative characteristic

Comparability, verifiability, timeliness and understand-ability are qualitative characteristics that enhance the usefulness of information that both is relevant and provides a faithful representation of what it purports to represent. The enhancing qualitative characteristics may also help determine which of two ways should be used to depict a phenomenon if both are considered to provide equally relevant information and an equally faithful representation of that phenomenon.

Fundamental qualitative characteristics

Fundamental qualitative characteristics that financial information must possess to make it useful to the primary users of general purpose financial reports

Measurement basis

Measurement basis - An identified feature of an item being measured (for example, historical cost, fair value through profit or loss or OCI or fulfilment value).

Presentation and disclosure

Presentation and disclosure are the terms used to describe how information about assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses is provided in the accounts.

Qualitative characteristic

Qualitative characteristic is a characteristic that makes financial information more useful to the primary users of general purpose financial reports.

Understandability

Understandability in accounting information implies clarity. Companies must follow standard accounting principles in order to properly report business transactions. If a company fails to do so, then stakeholders are typically unable to follow the company’s accounting information. Essentially, companies that report financial information in their own specific manner strip away understandability and the ability to understand financial reporting.

Verifiability

Verifiability helps assure users that information faithfully represents the economic phenomena it purports to represent. Verifiability means that different knowledgeable and independent observers could reach consensus, although not necessarily complete agreement, that a particular depiction is a faithful representation. Quantified information need not be a single point estimate to be verifiable. A range of possible amounts and the related probabilities can also be verified.