Control it? We don’t even own half of it!

A European example of a significant judgment made under IFRS 10 As part of its activities, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) organizes a forum of enforcers from 30 different European jurisdictions, all of whom carry out monitoring and review programs similar to those carried out here by the Canadian Securities Administrators. ESMA recently…

Accounting for revenue – identifying some material rights

As we’ve discussed in many previous articles, the IASB has issued IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The new standard is built around a five-step framework, the second step being to identify the performance obligations in the contract. A performance obligation is: A promise…

Disclosing inventory – some ideas for enhancements

The US FASB has issued an exposure draft of changes to the disclosure requirements for inventory, with comments due by March 13, 2017. Here’s how they summarize the proposals, which would be applied prospectively: “The amendments in this proposed Update would modify the disclosure requirements for inventory. The following additional disclosures would be required …for…

IFRS 16 – oddities of the transition process

The IASB recently published an “Implementation Update” on IFRS 16 Leases In the document, “four IASB Members discuss messages they have heard from stakeholders about IFRS 16 implementation over the last year and give advice to companies implementing the new Standard.” Much of this messaging really only consists of emphasizing various bits of the standard,…

Focusing on the long-term: you’ll thank me for it in thirty years!

Rising to the challenge of short-termism is a recent report issued by FCLT Global FCLT Global (Focusing Capital on the Long-Term), with a membership of asset owners and managers and corporations, is “dedicated to developing practical tools and approaches that encourage long-term behaviors in business and investment decision-making”. The introduction to the latest report sums…

More on non-GAAP measures, or: just shoot me now

The CFA Institute has issued two related papers on non-GAAP measures, Investor Uses, Expectations and Concerns on Non-GAAP Financial Measures (NGFMs) and Bridging the Gap- Ensuring Effective Non-GAAP and Performance Reporting. Here in part is how the first paper sums up its findings: “Our survey results establish that company-reported NGFMs are useful for investors who apply them…

Digital currency -the next standard-setting frontier?

I recently happened across Digital currency – A case for standard setting activity. A perspective by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) Here’s the executive summary: In our opinion there is a lack of clear guidance in IFRSs and, as a consequence, digital currencies could be accounted for under IAS 2 Inventory or IAS 38…

New leases standard – defining the scope

As we discussed here, the IASB has issued IFRS 16 Leases, effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. We’ve already covered the main aspects of lessee accounting in a series of articles. But let’s go back and examine the question of when you even have to worry about the standard.…