News

On 25 May 2021 AASB and AUASB staff co-presented the third webinar in a series on the removal of special purpose financial statements and the introduction of simplified disclosures

This webinar outlined the audit implications for
• entities transitioning from special purpose financial statements; and
• entities transitioning from Tier 2 – Reduced Disclosure Requirements

The slide pack can be found here A recording of the webinar is also available on our YouTube channel for those of you who missed it Watch it here

The AASB is proposing to amend AAS 121 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates to help companies determine whether a currency can be exchanged into another currency and what accounting requirements to apply if the currency cannot be exchanged

The amendments would specify

(a) when a currency is exchangeable into another currency and consequently when it is not;
(b) how an entity determines the exchange rate to apply when a currency is not exchangeable; and
(c) the information an entity provides when a currency is not exchangeable

Please submit your comments to the AASB by 23 July 2021 via the AASB website LinkedIn or email at standard@aasb gov au

On 10 May 2021 AASB staff hosted the second webinar in a series on the removal of special purpose financial statements and the introduction of simplified disclosures

This webinar explained the transition relief and options available for entities that will be required to transition to AASB 1060   For example

• how an entity currently preparing Tier 2 – RDR financial statements will transition; and
• how an entity currently preparing SPFS will transition including how the transition is affected by the entity’s compliance or otherwise with the recognition measurement consolidation and equity accounting requirements in Australian Accounting

AASB ITC 45  invites comments on the IPSASB Exposure Drafts ED 76 and ED 77 on public sector measurement by 3 August 2021

ED 76 and ED 77

ED 76 Conceptual Framework Update Chapter 7 Measurement of Assets and Liabilities in Financial Statements proposes to revise the measurement bases in the IPSASB’s Conceptual Framework for General Purpose Financial Reporting by Public Sector Entities Amongst other proposals ED 76 introduces two new bases for measuring an asset’s current value (fair value and current operational value) as well as removing some measurement bases

ED 77 Measurement which is a proposed new Standard proposes definitions and initial and subsequent measurement requirements for a number of measurement bases including fair value and current operational value

Fair value vs current operational value

ED 76 and ED 77 propose that the fair value measurement basis (the same as in AASB 13/IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement ) would be inappropriate for measuring

In contrast most stakeholders who responded to AASB outreach about AASB 13/IFRS 13 noted their view that fair value

Research Report 16  presents an overview of the academic literature on financial reporting by non-corporate and small entities The Report’s overall objective is to answer key questions about the coverage of non-corporate and small entities’ reports their user and stakeholder needs and their compliance and regulatory oversight

Key findings from the literature review includes

With regard to which entities should report and in how much detail

There is some consensus in the academic literature about the  

• mismatch between the needs of users and the information that is reported (often for compliance purposes) by

On 27 April 2021 AASB staff hosted the first webinar in a series on the removal of special purpose financial statements and the introduction of simplified disclosures

The webinar covered
• which for-profit private sector entities are affected;
• what they need to know about preparing their first set of simplified disclosures financial statements; and
• for those entities that are not in-scope and can continue to prepare SPFS what this means for them

The slide pack can be found on the website here  A recording of the webinar is also available on our YouTube channel for those of you who missed it Watch it here

AASB 2021-3 extends by one year the application period of the practical expedient in AASB 16 Leases to help lessees accounting for covid-19-related rent concessions

The practical expedient permits lessees not to assess whether rent concessions that occur as a direct consequence of the covid-19 pandemic and meet specified conditions are lease modifications and instead to account for those rent concessions as if they were not lease modifications  
 
AASB 2021-3 extends the practical expedient originally provided by AASB 2020-4 Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards – Covid-19-Related Rent Concessions to rent concessions that reduce only lease payments

The  Action Alert  for the 180th AASB Board meeting is now available   The AASB Board met in public via videoconference on 20-21 April 2021 and made key decisions in relation to

• Not-for-Profit Private Sector Financial Reporting Framework
• Not-for-Profit Entity Definition and Guidance
• Service Concession Arrangements Grantors – Initial Application
• Insurance Activities in the Public Sector
• AASB Agenda Consultation
• Post-implementation Review of IFRS 10 11 and 12

AASB 2021-2 amends AASB Standards to improve accounting policy disclosures and clarify the distinction between accounting policies and accounting estimates

Specifically AASB 2021-2 amends

•  AASB 7 to clarify that information about measurement bases for financial instruments is expected to be material to an entity’s financial statements;

•  AASB 101 to require entities to disclose their material accounting policy information rather than their significant accounting policies;

•  AASB 108 to clarify how entities should distinguish changes in accounting policies and changes in accounting estimates;

•  AASB 134 to identify material accounting policy information as a component

AASB 2021-1 provides limited optional comparative information relief for not-for-profit entities adopting AASB 1060  early by transitioning from either Tier 1 or Tier 2 – Reduced Disclosure Requirements to Tier 2 – Simplified Disclosures

The optional relief is available for not-for-profit entities that adopt AASB 1060 early that is for reporting periods beginning before 1 July 2021   It provides optional relief from having to present comparative information in the notes to the financial statements where the entity did not disclose the comparable information in its most recent previous Tier 1 or Tier 2 general purpose

AASB staff will hold a roundtable to discuss ITC 42 Business Combinations under Common Control on 5 May 2021 (Wednesday) from 4 00 pm – 5 30 pm AEST

Following on from the IASB and AASB Business Combinations under Common Control webinar in March the objective of this roundtable is to obtain views from Australian constituents (for-profit or not-for-profit users preparers academics and relevant stakeholders) based on the questions in the IASB’s Business Combinations under Common Control Discussion Paper You will provide feedback directly to AASB staff IASB Board member Ann Tarca and IASB technical staff at our virtual roundtable

To ensure you receive pre-roundtable discussion material please register here by COB 30 April 2021

Your feedback is requested to inform the IASB’s Request for Information on the Third Agenda Consultation

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) undertakes a public consultation on its activities and its work plan every five years (agenda consultation) The objective of this agenda consultation is to gather views on

• the strategic direction and balance of the IASB’s activities;
• the criteria for assessing the priority of financial reporting issues that could be added to the work plan; and
• new financial reporting issues that could be given priority in the IASB’s work plan

Responses to this Request for Information will help shape the IASB’s thinking when determining how to prioritise its activities and new projects in its work plan for 2022 to 2026

As part of the AASB’s due process a formal agenda consultation process is held with stakeholders at least once every five years to identify issues that need resolution

The AASB will also conduct a domestic Agenda Consultation process during 2021/22 A separate Invitation to Comment will be issued in

ED 309   Disclosure Requirements in Australian Accounting Standards—A Pilot Approach  proposes a new approach to developing disclosure requirements in Australian Accounting Standards (AAS) and new disclosure requirements for AAS on fair value measurement and employee benefits These proposals would enable entities to enhance their judgement and reduce ‘boilerplate’ information

The new approach is written as draft guidance when developing disclosure requirements in individual Standards with an aim to

• enhance investor engagement to ensure the AASB has an in-depth understanding of investors’ information needs and clearly explains those needs in AAS;
• give greater prominence to the objective of disclosure requirements requiring entities to

Please submit your comments to the AASB by 16 August 2021 via the AASB website LinkedIn or email

AASB staff will host a series of webinars on the removal of SPFS and the introduction of simplified disclosures

The first webinar in the series is scheduled on Tuesday 27 April 2021 from 12 00pm to 1 00pm (AEST)   This webinar will cover

• which for-profit private sector entities are affected 
• what they need to know about preparing their first set of simplified disclosures financial statements; and
• for those entities that are not in-scope and can continue to prepare SPFS what this means for them

Please register for the Part 1 webinar via this link

The second webinar in the series is scheduled on Monday 10 May 2021 from 12 00pm to 1 00pm (AEST)   This webinar will explain what the removal of SPFS means for those entities that are in-scope   For example

• how will an entity’s transition from SPFS

The Office of the Australian Accounting Standards Board would like to extend its congratulations to David Boymal who has been included in the group of 2021 inductees into the Australian Accounting Hall of Fame

The citation supporting David's induction into the Hall of Fame noted contributions to accounting through standard setting service to the profession and wider business community is extensive From his appointment to the Australian Accounting Research Foundation's Accounting Standards Board in January 1982 to his retirement as chair of the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) in November 2008 David was involved in

ED 308   Covid-19-Related Rent Concessions beyond 30 June 2021  proposes to extend by one year the practical expedient added to AASB 16 Leases in 2020 to help lessees in accounting for covid-19-related rent concessions

The original amendment was issued in June 2020 to make it easier for lessees to account for Covid-19-related rent concessions such as rent holidays and temporary rent reductions while continuing to provide useful information about their leases to investors The amendment permitted lessees as a practical expedient not to assess whether particular rent concessions provided as a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic are lease modifications The practical relief currently applies to rent concessions that reduce lease payments due on or before 30 June 2021

ED 307 proposes a new accounting model that would require companies subject to rate regulation to give investors better information about their financial performance

The proposed model would require an entity to
• recognise regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities in its statement of financial position;
• recognise regulatory income and regulatory expense in its statement of financial performance; and
• measure regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities on a modified historical cost basis reflecting updated estimates of future cash flows that will arise from those assets and liabilities

If finalised the proposals would replace AASB 14 Regulatory Deferral Accounts an interim Standard that permits a variety of accounting approaches for the effects of rate regulation to continue temporarily – but only where they were applied in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles prior to adopting Australian Accounting Standards

Please submit your comments to the AASB by 10 May 2021 via the AASB website LinkedIn or email at standard@aasb gov au

The IPSASB has issued ED 75 Leases and a related Request for Information on concessionary leases Comments are due to the IPSASB by 17 May 2021

IPSASB ED 75 and the Request for Information Concessionary Leases and Other Arrangements Similar to Leases  can be accessed through a link page  on the AASB website

IPSASB ED 75 proposes lease accounting that would align with IFRS 16 Leases ED 75 supersedes the previous IPSASB proposals in ED 64

The objective of the Request for Information is for the IPSASB to gather stakeholders’ input on the characteristics of concessionary leases and other arrangements similar to leases that are common in the public sector The IPSASB is seeking information on the existence of such arrangements and how they are reflected in financial statements This information would assist the IPSASB in determining whether