Pas 1 Presentation of Financial Statements
Pas 1 Presentation of Financial Statements
OBJECTIVE
1. to prescribe the basis for presentation of general purpose financial statements,
2. to ensure comparability both with the entity's financial statements of previous periods and with the
financial statements of other entities.
3. IAS 1 sets out the overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements, guidelines for their
structure and minimum requirements for their content. [IAS 1.1]
4. Standards for recognising, measuring, and disclosing specific transactions are addressed in other
Standards and Interpretations. [IAS 1.3].
SCOPE
IAS 1 applies to all general purpose financial statements that are prepared and presented in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). [IAS 1.2]
General purpose financial statements - those intended to serve users who are not in a position to require
financial reports tailored to their particular information needs. [IAS 1.7]
An entity may use titles for the statements other than those stated above. All financial statements are
required to be presented with equal prominence. [IAS 1.10]
When an entity applies an accounting policy retrospectively or makes a retrospective restatement of items in
its financial statements, or when it reclassifies items in its financial statements, it must also present a
statement of financial position (balance sheet) as at the BEGINNING OF THE EARLIEST COMPARATIVE
PERIOD.
Reports that are presented outside of the financial statements – including financial reviews by management,
environmental reports, and value added statements – are outside the scope of IFRSs. [IAS 1.14]
IAS 1 requires an entity whose financial statements comply with IFRSs to make an explicit and unreserved
statement of such compliance in the notes. Financial statements cannot be described as complying with IFRSs
unless they comply with all the requirements of IFRSs (which includes International Financial Reporting
Standards, International Accounting Standards, IFRIC Interpretations and SIC Interpretations). [IAS 1.16]
Inappropriate accounting policies are not rectified either by disclosure of the accounting policies used or by
notes or explanatory material. [IAS 1.18]
IAS 1 acknowledges that, in extremely rare circumstances, management may conclude that compliance with
an IFRS requirement would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial
statements set out in the Framework. In such a case, the entity is required to depart from the IFRS
requirement, with detailed disclosure of the nature, reasons, and impact of the departure. [IAS 1.19-21]
GOING CONCERN
The Conceptual Framework notes that financial statements are normally prepared assuming the entity is a
going concern and will continue in operation for the foreseeable future. [Conceptual Framework, paragraph
4.1]
IAS 1 requires management to make an assessment of an entity's ability to continue as a going concern. If
management has significant concerns about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern, the
uncertainties must be disclosed. If management concludes that the entity is not a going concern, the financial
statements should not be prepared on a going concern basis, in which case IAS 1 requires a series of
disclosures. [IAS 1.25].
CONSISTENCY OF PRESENTATION
The presentation and classification of items in the financial statements shall be retained from one period to
the next unless a change is justified either by a change in circumstances or a requirement of a new IFRS. [IAS
1.45]
EACH material class of similar items must be presented separately in the financial statements.
DISSIMILAR ITEMS may be aggregated only if they are individually immaterial. [IAS 1.29]
OFFSETTING
The presentation and classification of items in the financial statements shall be retained from one period to
the next unless a change is justified either by a change in circumstances or a requirement of a new IFRS. [IAS
1.45]
COMPARATIVE INFORMATION
IAS 1 requires that comparative information to BE DISCLOSED in respect of the previous period for ALL
amounts reported in the financial statements, both on the face of the financial statements and in the notes,
unless another Standard requires otherwise. Comparative information is provided for narrative and
descriptive where it is relevant to understanding the financial statements of the current period. [IAS 1.38]
An entity is required to present AT LEAST TWO of each of the following primary financial statements: [IAS
1.38A]
statement of financial position*
statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income
separate statements of profit or loss (where presented)
statement of cash flows
statement of changes in equity
related notes for each of the above items.
* A THIRD statement of financial position is required to be presented if the entity retrospectively applies an
accounting policy, restates items, or reclassifies items, and those adjustments had a material effect on the
information in the statement of financial position at the beginning of the comparative period. [IAS 1.40A]
Where comparative amounts are changed or reclassified, various disclosures are required. [IAS 1.4]
In addition, the following information must be displayed prominently, and repeated as necessary: [IAS 1.51]
1. the name of the reporting entity and any change in the name
2. whether the financial statements are a group of entities or an individual entity
3. information about the reporting period
4. the presentation currency (as defined by IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates)
5. the level of rounding used (e.g. thousands, millions).
REPORTING PERIOD
The presentation and classification of items in the financial statements shall be retained from one period to
the next unless a change is justified either by a change in circumstances or a requirement of a new IFRS. [IAS
1.45]
CONSISTENCY OF PRESENTATION
There is a presumption that financial statements will be prepared AT LEAST ANNUALLY. If the annual
reporting period changes and financial statements are prepared for a different period, the entity must
disclose the reason for the change and state that amounts are not entirely comparable. [IAS 1.36]
When a long-term debt is expected to be refinanced under an existing loan facility, and the entity has the
discretion to do so, the debt is CLASSIFIED AS NON-CURRENT, even if the liability would otherwise be
due within 12 months. [IAS 1.73]
If a liability has become payable on demand because an entity has breached an undertaking under a long-
term loan agreement ON OR BEFORE THE REPORTING DATE, the liability is CURRENT, even if the
lender has agreed, AFTER the reporting date and before the authorisation of the financial statements for
issue, not to demand payment as a consequence of the breach. [IAS 1.74] However, the liability is classified
as non-current if the lender agreed BY the reporting date to provide a period of grace ending AT LEAST 12
MONTHS AFTER the end of the reporting period, within which the entity can rectify the breach and during
which the lender cannot demand immediate repayment. [IAS 1.75
Settlement by the issue of equity instruments does not impact classification. [IAS 1.76B]
LINE ITEMS
The line items to be included on the face of the statement of financial position are: [IAS 1.54]
(a) property, plant and equipment
(b) investment property
(c) intangible assets
(d) financial assets (excluding amounts shown under (e), (h), and (i))
(e) investments accounted for using the equity method
(f) biological assets
(g) inventories
(h) trade and other receivables
(i) cash and cash equivalents
(j) assets held for sale
(k) trade and other payables
(l) provisions
(m) financial liabilities (excluding amounts shown under (k) and (l))
(n) current tax liabilities and current tax assets, as defined in IAS 12
(o) deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, as defined in IAS 12
(p) liabilities included in disposal groups
(q) non-controlling interests, presented within equity
(r) issued capital and reserves attributable to owners of the parent.
Additional line items, headings and subtotals may be needed to fairly present the entity's financial position.
[IAS 1.55]
When an entity presents subtotals, those subtotals shall be comprised of line items made up of:
amounts recognised and measured in accordance with IFRS;
be presented and labelled in a clear and understandable manner;
be consistent from period to period;
and not be displayed with more prominence than the required subtotals and totals. [IAS 1.55A]*
* Added by Disclosure Initiative (Amendments to IAS 1), effective 1 January 2016.
Further sub-classifications of line items presented are made in the statement or in the notes, for example:
[IAS 1.77-78]:
classes of property, plant and equipment
disaggregation of receivables
disaggregation of inventories in accordance with IAS 2 Inventories
disaggregation of provisions into employee benefits and other items
classes of equity and reserves.
FORMAT OF STATEMENT
IAS 1 does not prescribe the format of the statement of financial position. Assets can be presented current
then non-current, or vice versa, and liabilities and equity can be presented current then non-current then
equity, or vice versa. A net asset presentation (assets minus liabilities) is allowed. The long-term financing
approach used in UK and elsewhere (fixed assets + current assets - short term payables = long-term debt plus
equity) is also acceptable.
Other comprehensive income (OCI) is defined as comprising "items of income and expense (including
reclassification adjustments) that are not recognised in profit or loss as required or permitted by other
IFRSs".
- Examples of items recognised outside of profit or loss
o Changes in revaluation surplus where the revaluation method is used under IAS 16 Property,
Plant and Equipment and IAS 38 Intangible Assets
o Remeasurements of a net defined benefit liability or asset recognised in accordance with IAS 19
Employee Benefits (2011)
o Exchange differences from translating functional currencies into presentation currency in
accordance with IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates
o Gains and losses on remeasuring available-for-sale financial assets in accordance with IAS 39
Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement
o The effective portion of gains and losses on hedging instruments in a cash flow hedge under IAS
39 or IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
o Gains and losses on remeasuring an investment in equity instruments where the entity has
elected to present them in other comprehensive income in accordance with IFRS 9
o The effects of changes in the credit risk of a financial liability designated as at fair value through
profit and loss under IFRS 9.
- In addition, IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors requires the
correction of errors and the effect of changes in accounting policies to be recognised OUTSIDE profit or
loss for the current period. [IAS 1.89]
Total comprehensive income is defined as "the change in equity during a period resulting from transactions
and other events, other than those changes resulting from transactions with owners in their capacity as
owners". [IAS 1.7]
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIOD=PROFIT ∨LOSS +OCI
ALL items of income and expense recognised in a period must be included in profit or loss unless a
Standard or an Interpretation requires otherwise. [IAS 1.88] Some IFRSs require or permit that some
components to be excluded from profit or loss and instead to be included in other comprehensive income.
FORMAT OF STATEMENT
An entity has a choice of presenting:
a single statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, with profit or loss and other
comprehensive income presented in two sections,
or two statements:
o a separate statement of profit or loss
o a statement of comprehensive income, immediately following the statement of profit or loss
and beginning with profit or loss [IAS 1.10A]
Expenses recognised in profit or loss should be analysed either by nature (raw materials, staffing costs,
depreciation, etc.) or by function (cost of sales, selling, administrative, etc). [IAS 1.99]
- If an entity categorises by function, then additional information on the nature of expenses – at a
minimum depreciation, amortisation and employee benefits expense – must be disclosed. [IAS 1.104]
An entity's share of OCI of equity-accounted associates and joint ventures is presented in aggregate as
SINGLE LINE ITEMS based on whether or not it will subsequently be reclassified to profit or loss. [IAS
1.82A]*
* Clarified by Disclosure Initiative (Amendments to IAS 1), effective 1 January 2016.
When an entity presents subtotals, those subtotals shall be comprised of line items made up of:
amounts recognised and measured in accordance with IFRS;
be presented and labelled in a clear and understandable manner;
be consistent from period to period;
not be displayed with more prominence than the required subtotals and totals;
and reconciled with the subtotals or totals required in IFRS. [IAS 1.85A-85B]*
* Added by Disclosure Initiative (Amendments to IAS 1), effective 1 January 2016.]
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Additional line items may be needed to fairly present the entity's results of operations. [IAS 1.85]
Items cannot be presented as 'extraordinary items' in the financial statements or in the notes. [IAS 1.87]
Certain items must be disclosed SEPARATELY either in the statement of comprehensive income or in the
notes, if material, including: [IAS 1.98]
write-downs of inventories to net realisable value or of property, plant and equipment to recoverable
amount, as well as reversals of such write-downs
restructurings of the activities of an entity and reversals of any provisions for the costs of restructuring
disposals of items of property, plant and equipment
disposals of investments
discontinuing operations
litigation settlements
other reversals of provisions
The following amounts may also be presented on the face of the statement of changes in equity, or they may
be presented in the notes: [IAS 1.107]
+ amount of dividends recognised as distributions
+ the related amount per share.
Notes are presented in a systematic manner and cross-referenced from the face of the financial statements to
the relevant note. [IAS 1.113]
IAS 1.114 suggests that the notes should NORMALLY be presented in the following order:*
a statement of compliance with IFRSs
a summary of significant accounting policies applied, including: [IAS 1.117]
o the measurement basis (or bases) used in preparing the financial statements
o the other accounting policies used that are relevant to an understanding of the financial
statements
supporting information for items presented on the face of the statement of financial position (balance
sheet), statement(s) of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity
and statement of cash flows, in the order in which each statement and each line item is presented
other disclosures, including:
o contingent liabilities (see IAS 37) and unrecognised contractual commitments
o non-financial disclosures, such as the entity's financial risk management objectives and
policies (see IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures)
* Disclosure Initiative (Amendments to IAS 1), effective 1 January 2016, clarifies this order just to be an example of how notes can be ordered and
adds additional examples of possible ways of ordering the notes to clarify that understandability and comparability should be considered when
determining the order of the notes.
OTHER DISCLOSURES
JUDGEMENTS AND KEY ASSUMPTIONS
An entity must disclose, in the summary of significant accounting policies or other notes, the judgements,
apart from those involving estimations, that management has made in the process of applying the entity's
accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial
statements. [IAS 1.122]
An entity must also disclose, in the notes, information about the key assumptions concerning the future, and
other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the end of the reporting period, that have a significant risk of
causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial
year. [IAS 1.125] These disclosures do not involve disclosing budgets or forecasts. [IAS 1.130]
DIVIDENDS
In addition to the distributions information in the statement of changes in equity, the following must be
disclosed in the notes: [IAS 1.137]
+ the amount of dividends proposed or declared BEFORE the financial statements were authorised for
issue but which were not recognised as a distribution to owners during the period, and the related
amount per share
+ the amount of any cumulative preference dividends not recognised.
CAPITAL DISCLOSURES
An entity discloses information about its objectives, policies and processes for managing capital. [IAS 1.134]
To comply with this, the disclosures include: [IAS 1.135]
qualitative information about the entity's objectives, policies and processes for managing capital,
including
o description of capital it manages
o nature of external capital requirements, if any how it is meeting its objectives
o quantitative data about what the entity regards as capital
o changes from one period to another
o whether the entity has complied with any external capital requirements and
o if it has not complied, the consequences of such non-compliance.
OTHER INFORMATION
The following other note disclosures are required by IAS 1 if not disclosed elsewhere in information published
with the financial statements: [IAS 1.138]
domicile and legal form of the entity
country of incorporation
address of registered office or principal place of business
description of the entity's operations and principal activities
if it is part of a group, the name of its parent and the ultimate parent of the group
if it is a limited life entity, information regarding the length of the life
TERMINOLOGY
IAS 1.8 states: "Although this Standard uses the terms 'other comprehensive income', 'profit or loss' and 'total
comprehensive income', an entity may use other terms to describe the totals as long as the meaning is clear.
For example, an entity may use the term 'net income' to describe profit or loss." Also, IAS 1.57(b) states: "The
descriptions used and the ordering of items or aggregation of similar items may be amended according to the
nature of the entity and its transactions, to provide information that is relevant to an understanding of the
entity's financial position."