This summary of Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) decisions has been prepared for information purposes only. Decisions reported are tentative and reflect only the current status of discussion on projects, which may change after further deliberations by the Board. Decisions to publish Handbook material are final only after a formal ballot process.
The AcSB will respond to change and reprioritize when necessary, ensuring we can address implementation challenges and provide the information users may need in these unique circumstances.
The AcSB values input and feedback from interested and affected parties and can be reached anytime through our online form.
IFRS® Accounting Standards
IFRS® Accounting Standards Discussion Group
The AcSB discussed a recommendation made by the IFRS Accounting Standards Discussion Group at its September 2024 meeting, related to the agenda paper on the Derecognition of Financial Liabilities Settled Using Electronic Payment Systems. This agenda paper explored some of the implications of the May 2024 amendments to IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. These amendments included guidance on the derecognition date of financial liabilities settled using electronic payment systems. The amendments, found in paragraph B3.1.2A of IFRS 9, state that, “unless an entity elects to apply paragraph B3.3.8, a financial liability is derecognised on the settlement date.” The exception in paragraph B.3.3.8 only applies to financial liabilities that are settled in cash using an electronic payment system. Under paragraph B3.3.8, entities are permitted to deem the financial liability discharged before the settlement date only if the entity has started a payment instruction that resulted in:
- the entity having no practical ability to withdraw, stop or cancel the payment instruction;
- the entity having no practical ability to access the cash to be used for settlement as a result of the payment instruction; and
- the settlement risk associated with the electronic payment system being insignificant.
The Group noted that it may be challenging for entities to demonstrate that their electronic payment systems qualify for the new exception because assessing the functionality of these systems and determining whether each system meets the exception criteria could be onerous. The Group suggested that a centralized analysis of common electronic payment systems used by Canadian entities, including an evaluation of whether each system meets the exception criteria, would be helpful (“the resource”). This would prevent multiple entities from duplicating the same analysis.
The AcSB discussed the Group’s recommendation and noted several practical challenges associated with implementing it. These challenges include the need to assemble and manage a taskforce, and the need to regularly update the resource to reflect technological advancements. Additionally, this resource might not add significant value to entities since applying the exception is optional and those that do apply it might prefer to apply judgment and perform their own analysis. Therefore, the Board decided not to proceed with the Group’s recommendation as it thought this would not be an efficient use of staff resources for the reasons highlighted above.
Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations
Contributions
The AcSB discussed the status of its Contributions – Revenue Recognition and Related Matters project and provided input on the next steps. As part of this discussion, the Board considered input from its Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee and targeted outreach with 94 interested and affected parties, as well as results from a survey completed by 237 respondents.
The AcSB reaffirmed the project direction to issue a new exposure draft on recognition of restricted contributions and related matters. The Board will continue its discussion on this project at a future meeting.
Standards for Private Enterprises and Not-for-Profit Organizations
Subsequent Measurement of Goodwill and Acquired Intangible Assets
The AcSB continued discussing proposals for inclusion in a future exposure draft on its Subsequent Measurement of Goodwill and Acquired Intangible Assets project. The exposure draft proposals will offer relief from recognizing intangible assets acquired in a business combination (relief) in Part II of the CPA Canada Handbook – Accounting.
The AcSB tentatively decided that that the policy choice to amortize goodwill should be applied retrospectively to the goodwill balance at transition, and that a “catch-up” adjustment of goodwill amortization be applied from the original recognition date using a default five-year amortization period, unless the entity can demonstrate that another useful life not exceeding 10 years is more appropriate. The Board also tentatively decided that the policy choice to elect the relief be applied retrospectively at transition to all past business combinations, and that earlier application of both proposals be allowed.
The AcSB continued discussing how a change in accounting policy would be applied and whether any potential amendments were needed to Section 1506, Accounting Changes. The Board directed staff to conduct further analysis for consideration at a future meeting.
The AcSB will continue discussing the exposure draft proposals at its December 2024 meeting.
Financial Statement Concepts
The AcSB discussed feedback from its Medium and Small Practitioners Advisory Committee, Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, and Private Enterprise Advisory Committee on topics to be included in updated financial statement concepts for Parts II and III of the Handbook.
The AcSB discussed the differing needs of financial statement users of Parts II and III of the Handbook and how to structure updated concepts to ensure the needs of all users are considered during standard setting. Currently, Section 1000, Financial Statement Concepts, establishes financial statement concepts for Part II of the Handbook, while Section 1001, Financial Statement Concepts for Not-for-Profit Organizations, establishes financial statement concepts for Part III of the Handbook. Part III preparers apply Part II standards to the extent that Part II standards address topics not addressed in Part III. The Board thinks that it is important that updated concepts specifies that the needs of Part III users must be considered when developing Part II standards. To ensure the needs of all users are considered, the Board tentatively decided to develop a single set of financial statement concepts covering both Parts II and III of the Handbook. The Board directed staff to discuss with its advisory committees whether there are fatal flaws with its tentative decision to issue a single set of concepts for Parts II and III of the Handbook.
The AcSB discussed feedback from its advisory committees that financial statement users of Parts II and III of the Handbook can often request additional information about an entity outside the financial statements. However, additional information may not be available for all Part III users to the same extent it is available to Part II users. The availability of additional information is often considered by the Board when developing new standards or amendments. The Board tentatively decided to articulate in updated financial statement concepts that the availability of additional information will be considered by the Board during the standard-setting process.
The AcSB discussed feedback from its advisory committees whether each of the following topics in the International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting would be fit for purpose for Canadian private enterprise and not-for-profit organizations:
- the objectives of general purpose financial statements; and
- qualitative characteristics of useful financial information.
The AcSB agreed with feedback from the advisory committees that the following topics would be fit for purpose for Canadian private enterprise and not-for-profit organizations with some amendments to remove capital market focused wording. The Board tentatively decided to:
- replace the term “conservativism” with “prudence” in updated standards as “prudence” is more neutral than “conservatism”; and
- distinguish between fundamental and enhancing qualitative characteristics in updated financial statement concepts.
The Board also directed staff to consider whether any of the amendments to the IFRS® for SMEs Accounting Standard concepts proposed in the IASB’s Exposure Draft, “Third Edition of the IFRS for SMEs Accounting Standard,” would be appropriate for inclusion in updates of concepts in Parts II and Part III of the Handbook.
For more information on the background and benefits of the Financial Statement Concepts project, please visit the following webpage: “What You Need to Know about Financial Statement Concepts.”
Amendments to Frameworks in Other Jurisdictions
As part of its ongoing activities to maintain high-quality domestic accounting standards, the AcSB considers whether amendments made to accounting frameworks in other jurisdictions, if incorporated into Canadian standards, would significantly improve Parts II and III of the Handbook. The Board discussed recommendations from its Private Enterprise Advisory Committee and its Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee on recent amendments made to the following frameworks:
- U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board;
- IFRS Accounting Standards issued by the IASB;
- New Zealand GAAP issued by the External Reporting Board;
- Australian accounting standards issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board; and
- U.K. GAAP issued by the United Kingdom’s Financial Reporting Council.
The Board has recommended that next steps related to the topic of providing clarification on the derecognition of financial liabilities be assessed through the Guidance Framework.
The Board will monitor the following implementations for future domestic implications:
- IFRS 18 Presentation and Disclosure in Financial Statements; and
- the new disclosure requirements under IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures related to contractual terms that may change based on the occurrence of a contingent event (such as an environmental, social, and governance target).
Standards for Pension Plans
Improvements to Presentation and Disclosure of Investments for Pension Plans
The AcSB deliberated the feedback from its outreach activities and comment letters on its Exposure Draft, “Improvements to Presentation and Disclosure of Investments for Pension Plans.” The Board tentatively decided to:
- require pension plans to provide the disclosures required by IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement in Part I of the Handbook;
- clarify the disclosure requirements related to a pension plan’s interests in investment vehicles (other than master trusts);
- make minor edits to the definition of “investment expenses” and to the disclosure requirements related to investment expenses, including adding a requirement to disclose the nature of internal investment management costs included in investment expenses;
- add a description of embedded investment expenses to Section 4600, Pension Plans; and
- defer the effective date to annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2027, with earlier application permitted.
The AcSB plans to review a draft of the final amendments to Section 4600 at its January 2025 meeting.
Relevance of Financial Reporting
Discussion with Representatives from the Canadian Securities Administrators
The AcSB held a discussion with the Chief Accountants Committee of the Canadian Securities Administrators on topics of mutual interest. This included discussions on boundaries of financial statements, intangible assets, and rate-regulated activities. We look forward to having more discussions with the Chief Accountants in the future given the interconnections between our respective roles.
Due Process
Part V Education Session
The AcSB received an education session on the history of accounting standards in Canada. The Board discussed how historical decision-making may inform future decisions of the Board.
AcSB’s Advisory Committees and Working Groups
Private Enterprise Advisory Committee
The AcSB received an update on the November 13, 2024, Private Enterprise Advisory Committee meeting. At this meeting, the Committee discussed Relief from the Recognition of Intangible Assets and Amortization of Goodwill, Detailed Review of Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (ASPE), the Board’s 2025-2026 Annual Plan, and Agriculture. Please see the Private Enterprise Advisory Committee Meeting Notes – November 13, 2024, for details.
Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee
The AcSB received an update on the October 21-22, 2024, Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee meeting. At this meeting, the Committee discussed Contributions, Reporting Controlled and Related Entities, Detailed Review of ASPE, Financial Statement Concepts, and more. Please see the Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee Meeting Notes – October 21-22, 2024, for details.
Agriculture Advisory Group
The AcSB received an update on the November 14, 2024, Agriculture Advisory Group meeting. At this meeting, the Group discussed proposals to amend Section 3041, Agriculture, with respect to disclosures related to the net realizable value model and determining the productive capacity to help the application of the betterment guidance and the amortization relief for productive biological assets. The Agriculture Advisory Group also discussed potential amendments to Section 3031, Inventories.
Academic Advisory Committee
The AcSB received an update on the October 30, 2024, Academic Advisory Committee meeting. At this meeting, the Committee discussed the AcSB’s Intangible Assets research and the Post-implementation Review of IFRS 16 Leases, received an education session on IFRS 18 Presentation and Disclosure in Financial Statements, and more.
Pension Plan Advisory Committee
The AcSB received an update on the October 28, 2024, Pension Plan Advisory Committee meeting. At this meeting, the Committee discussed Part IV Priorities, Improvements to Presentation and Disclosure of Investments for Pension Plans, an Application Question, Strategic Research on Evaluating the Preface, and more. Please see the Pension Plan Advisory Committee Meeting Notes – October 28, 2024, for details.
User Advisory Committee
The AcSB received an update on the October 23, 2024, User Advisory Committee meeting. At this meeting, the Committee discussed the IASB’s Exposure Draft, “Provisions—Targeted Improvements,” which is on proposed amendments to IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets, intangible assets, the Post-implementation of IFRS 16 Leases, consuming financial information from a user perspective, and more.