India will have a new revenue recognition standard outlining a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. This supersedes most current revenue recognition standard.
In brief, the new standard seeks to streamline, and remove inconsistencies from, revenue recognition requirements; provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues; make revenue recognition practices more comparable; and increase the usefulness of disclosures.
Introduction
The Government has introduced two significant game-changers to financial reporting standards in 2018 to effective communication to investors by corporates.
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) accounting framework replaces extant revenue and lease standards effective financial periods commencing from January 1, 2018. Both the new standards have a significant impact on financial statements for majority of sectors. Indian companies too have to brace up for the new Indian Accounting Standards (IND-AS) on revenue that would go live shortly.
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), as part of a joint convergence project with its United States Counterpart, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has re-modeled the revenue recognition guidance. The new IFRS 15 — Revenue From Contracts With Customers replaces prevailing IAS’s and related interpretations, primary of them being (1) IAS 11- Construction Contracts and (2) IAS 18 — Revenue. A new principle for revenue recognition has emerged with the emphasis on the concept of transfer of control and a detailed accounting model, it has been launched as the Five Step Revenue Recognition Model and is to be followed for every revenue contract to account for the financial statement reporting consequences.
“IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers provides a single revenue recognition model based on the transfer of control of a good or service to a customer. The new revenue standard marks a significant change from current requirements under IFRS. It provides a more structured approach to measuring and recognizing revenue, with detailed application guidance. Therefore, adoption may be a significant undertaking for many entities. Early assessment will be key to managing a successful implementation.”
Evaluation of contracts, customer agreements, pricing models, side-arrangements, revenue and delivery models, contractual clauses, underlying economics, deliverables analysis, et al, become very critical as companies’ transition to the new revenue recognition standard.
Standard operating procedures and internal controls also need to be geared up and fine-tuned to comply with this critical financial reporting standard.
The Exposure Draft on clarifications to Ind AS 115 proposes that Ind AS 115 would be applicable for accounting periods beginning on or after 1st April, 2018. The MCA is expected to notify the standard soon.
The effect on entities will vary, and some may face significant changes in revenue recognition. Entities should now be assessing how they will be affected so they can prepare an implementation plan for the new standard.
Core Principle of Revenue Recognition Changes
The global reporting standard moves from a “transfer of risks and rewards” model to a “transfer of control” model. This model determines the timing of revenue recognition. The new timing is when there is a transfer of control of promised deliverable by the seller (reporting entity).
The core principle of the new revenue standard under both IFRS and United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (USGAAP) is that an entity recognized revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled in exchange for such promised goods and services. Henceforth, revenue needs to be recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those products or services.
Where a company enters into contracts that could include various combinations of products and services, the company needs to isolate the various revenue components, based on whether each component is generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. IFRS reporting entities need to follow a detailed 5-step model to account for revenue as follows…
Read More: https://www.acquisory.com/ArticleDetails/67/Implementation-of-new-IFRS-Revenue-Recognition-Standard
