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ICAEW Faculties are 'centres of technical excellence', strongly committed to enhancing your professional development and helping you to meet your CPD requirements every year. They offer exclusive content, events and webinars, customised for your sector - which you should be able to easily record, when the time comes for the completion of your CPD declaration. Our offering isn't exclusive to Institute members. As a faculty member, the same resources are available to you to ensure you stay ahead of the competition.

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IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements

Presentation of financial statements sets out the overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements, guidelines for their structure, and minimum requirements for their content., access the standard, current proposals, recent amendments, related ifric interpretations, uk reduced disclosures – frs 101, icaew factsheets and guides, icaew articles, other resources.

  • 2023 Issued Standard – IAS 1 The 2023 Issued Standards include all amendments issued up to and including 1 January 2023.

Registration is required to access the free version of the Issued Standards, which do not include additional documents that accompany the full standard (such as illustrative examples, implementation guidance and basis for conclusions).

A complete set of financial statements includes:

  • A statement of financial position (balance sheet) at the end of the period
  • A statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (income statement) for the period
  • A statement of changes in equity for the period
  • A statement of cash flows (cash flow statement) for the period
  • Notes to the accounts.

The names of the main statements are not mandatory.

IAS 1 Revised also requires a statement of financial position at the start of the earliest comparative period where there has been a retrospective adjustment to the accounts or reclassification of items.

The statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, as the name suggests, presents profit and loss for the period as well as other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income includes income and expenses not recognised in profit or loss such as revaluation surpluses. The statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income may be presented either as one statement or a separate statement of profit or loss and statement showing other comprehensive income.

The standard provides guidance on the form and content of the financial statements and the underlying accounting concepts. It also requires financial statements to present fairly the position, performance and cash flows of an entity. This is normally achieved by the application of IFRS.

ED/2019/7 General Presentation and Disclosures was issued in December 2019. This is the exposure draft of a proposed new standard that would replace IAS 1. The standard would carry forward most of the current requirements of IAS 1 and add supplementary requirements, including:

  • Categorising items in profit or loss as operating, investing or financing
  • Requiring additional profit subtotals
  • Distinguishing between integral and non-integral associates and joint ventures
  • Removing the choice of how to present cash flows from dividends and interest
  • Requiring additional disclosure about unusual items
  • Providing disclosure of management performance measures.

All amendments issued up to and including the publication date of 1 January 2022 are included within the IFRS Foundation’s latest version of the issued standard: 2022 Issued Standard – IAS 1 . Issued amendments may, therefore, have a mandatory effective date that is later than 1 January 2022 – see below for details.

Any amendments issued after 1 January 2022 will not be included in the IFRS Foundation’s 2022 Issued Standards but will be listed below and identified as such.

See the Corporate Reporting Faculty’s annual IFRS factsheets  for a more detailed discussion of recent IFRS amendments.

Mandatory date: Annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024. Earlier application is permitted.

Issue date: October 2022 (not included within the IFRS Foundation’s 2022 Issued Standards).

The amendments specify that the classification of a liability as current or non-current is only affected by covenants that an entity must comply with on or before the end of the reporting period. They also require disclosure of information that allows users of financial statements to understand the risk that non-current liabilities with covenants could become repayable within 12 months.

This amendment has been endorsed for use in the UK. It is not yet endorsed for use in the EU as at 25 July 2023. Read more on UK endorsement  and EU endorsement  of IFRS standards.

For a more detailed discussion of the amendment, read the faculty’s factsheet:

  • 2022 IFRS Accounts

Mandatory date: Annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024 (deferred from 2023). Earlier application is permitted.

IAS 1 is amended to clarify that the classification of liabilities as current or non-current should be based on rights that exist at the end of the reporting period. Expectations about whether an entity will exercise a right to defer settlement of a liability do not affect its classification. The amendments also clarify that settlement is the transfer of cash, equity instruments, other assets or services.

The deferral of the effective date to 2024 is included in the Non-current Liabilities with Covenants amendment to IAS 1.

Mandatory date: Annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023. Earlier application is permitted.

The amendments to IAS 1:

  • Require an entity to disclose material accounting policy information rather than significant accounting policies.
  • Explain that accounting policy information is material if, together with other information in the financial statements, it can reasonably be expected to influence decisions that primary users make.
  • Provide examples of material accounting policies.
  • Clarify that accounting policy information relating to immaterial transactions need not be disclosed.

IAS 1 is amended to:

  • Add finance income and expenses to the list of components of other comprehensive income;
  • Require line items to be presented in the statement of financial position in respect of contracts that are within the scope of IFRS 17;
  • Require line items to be presented in the statement of profit or loss in respect of amounts related to contracts within the scope of IFRS 17.

IAS 1 is amended to refer to portfolios of contracts rather than groups of contracts within the scope of IFRS 17.

Mandatory date: Annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2020. Earlier application is permitted.

The definition of material is amended to be as follows:

Information is material if omitting, misstating or obscuring it could reasonably be expected to influence decisions that the primary users of general purpose financial statements make on the basis of those financial statements, which provide financial information about a specific reporting entity.

Examples of circumstances that may result in material information being obscured are added to the standard as a result of the amendment, as is guidance on users of financial statements.

  • 2020 IFRS Accounts

Mandatory date: Annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2020. Earlier application is permitted if an entity also applies the amendments to other IFRS Accounting Standards at the same time.

IAS 1 is updated to refer to the 2018 Conceptual Framework rather than the Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements when referring to materiality, definitions of elements and their recognition criteria and the objective of financial statements.

  • IFRIC 1 Existing Decommissioning, Restoration and Similar Liabilities Addresses accounting for a change in a provision that is included in the carrying amount of an item of PPE.
  • IFRIC 14 IAS 19 – The Limit on a Defined Benefit Asset, Minimum Funding Requirements and their Interaction Provides general guidance on how to assess the limit in IAS 19 on the amount of the surplus that can be recognised as an asset. Explains how the pensions asset or liability may be affected when there is a statutory or contractual minimum funding requirement.
  • IFRIC 17 Distribution of Non-cash Assets to Owners Addresses the accounting for dividends of non-cash assets, including those where there is a cash alternative.
  • IFRIC 19 Extinguishing Financial Liabilities with Equity Instruments Addresses the accounting by an entity which issues equity instruments in order to settle, in full or part, a financial liability.
  • IFRIC 20 Stripping Costs in the Production Phase of a Surface Mine Addresses the accounting treatment of mine waste materials, which are the materials removed by mining entities in order to gain access to mineral ore deposits.
  • IFRIC 21 Levies Provides guidance on when to recognise liability for a levy imposed by a government.
  • IFRIC 23 Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments Clarifies how to apply the recognition and measurement requirements of IAS 12 when there is uncertainty over income tax treatments.
  • SIC 7 Introduction of the Euro The effective start of the EMU after the reporting date does not alter the requirements of IAS 21 at the reporting date.
  • SIC 25 Income Taxes – Changes in the Tax Status of an Enterprise or its Shareholders Addresses the deferred tax consequences of changes in tax status of an enterprise or its shareholders.
  • SIC 29 Disclosure – Service Concession Arrangements Prescribes disclosures required by a concession operator and concession provider joined by a service concession arrangement.
  • SIC 32 Intangible Assets – Website Costs Addresses accounting for costs associated with the development of a website.

UK qualifying parents and subsidiaries can take advantage of FRS 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework. Our FRS 101 page  gives more information on which entities qualify and the criteria to be met.

The following amendments must be made to IAS 1 in order to achieve compliance with the Companies Act and related Regulations:

  • The statement of financial position must comply with the balance sheet format requirements of the Companies Act.
  • The statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income must comply with the profit and loss account format requirements of the Companies Act.
  • Ordinary activities of an entity are defined and extraordinary items are described as highly abnormal material items arising from events falling outside an entity’s ordinary activities.
  • It is clarified that items of income or expense are not recognised in profit or loss where such recognition is prohibited by the Companies Act.

FRS 101 paragraph 8(f) states that a qualifying entity is exempt from the IAS 1 requirement to present the following within a set of financial statements:

  • A statement of cash flows for the period;
  • A third statement of financial position when a retrospective adjustment or reclassification is made;
  • A statement of compliance with IFRS;
  • A reconciliation of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, investment properties, biological assets and the number of shares outstanding at the beginning and end of the comparative period;
  • Capital management disclosures (this exemption is not available to a financial institution);
  • All remaining IAS 1 disclosures must be applied.

IAS 1 paragraphs for which exemption is available: 10(d), 10(f), 16, 38A-D, 40A-D, 111, 134-6.

The Corporate Reporting Faculty's annual IFRS factsheets  provide a more detailed discussion of recent IFRS amendments.

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Learn the key accounting principles to be applied to financial statements, including fair presentation and compliance with IFRS Standards.

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Financial statements (AASB101_07-15_COMPmar20_07-21)

Financial statements, purpose of financial statements.

Financial statements are a structured representation of the financial position and financial performance of an entity. The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions. Financial statements also show the results of the management’s stewardship of the resources entrusted to it. To meet this objective, financial statements provide information about an entity’s:

(a)             assets;

(b)             liabilities;

(c)             equity;

(d)             income and expenses, including gains and losses;

(e)             contributions by and distributions to owners in their capacity as owners; and

(f)             cash flows.

This information, along with other information in the notes, assists users of financial statements in predicting the entity’s future cash flows and, in particular, their timing and certainty.

Complete set of financial statements

A complete set of financial statements comprises:

(a)             a statement of financial position as at the end of the period;

(b)             a statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the period;

(c)             a statement of changes in equity for the period;

(d)             a statement of cash flows for the period;

(e)             notes, comprising significant accounting policies and other explanatory information;

(ea)             comparative information in respect of the preceding period as specified in paragraphs 38 and 38A ; and

(f)             a statement of financial position as at the beginning of the preceding period 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 in accordance with paragraphs 40A–40D .

An entity may use titles for the statements other than those used in this Standard. For example, an entity may use the title ‘statement of comprehensive income’ instead of ‘statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income’.

An entity may present a single statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, with profit or loss and other comprehensive income presented in two sections. The sections shall be presented together, with the profit or loss section presented first followed directly by the other comprehensive income section. An entity may present the profit or loss section in a separate statement of profit or loss. If so, the separate statement of profit or loss shall immediately precede the statement presenting comprehensive income, which shall begin with profit or loss.

An entity shall present with equal prominence all of the financial statements in a complete set of financial statements.

Many entities present, outside the financial statements, a financial review by management that describes and explains the main features of the entity’s financial performance and financial position, and the principal uncertainties it faces. Such a report may include a review of:

(a)             the main factors and influences determining financial performance, including changes in the environment in which the entity operates, the entity’s response to those changes and their effect, and the entity’s policy for investment to maintain and enhance financial performance, including its dividend policy;

(b)             the entity’s sources of funding and its targeted ratio of liabilities to equity; and

(c)             the entity’s resources not recognised in the statement of financial position in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards.

Many entities also present, outside the financial statements, reports and statements such as environmental reports and value added statements, particularly in industries in which environmental factors are significant and when employees are regarded as an important user group. Reports and statements presented outside financial statements are outside the scope of Australian Accounting Standards.

General features

Fair presentation and compliance with standards.

Financial statements shall present fairly the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity. Fair presentation requires the faithful representation of the effects of transactions, other events and conditions in accordance with the definitions and recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, income and expenses set out in the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting ( Conceptual Framework ). The application of Australian Accounting Standards, with additional disclosure when necessary, is presumed to result in financial statements that achieve a fair presentation.

Notwithstanding paragraph 15 , in respect of AusCF entities, financial statements shall present fairly the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity. Fair presentation requires the faithful representation of the effects of transactions, other events and conditions in accordance with the definitions and recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, income and expenses set out in the Framework . [AusCF2]  The application of Australian Accounting Standards, with additional disclosure when necessary, is presumed to result in financial statements that achieve a fair presentation.

An entity whose financial statements comply with IFRSs shall make an explicit and unreserved statement of such compliance in the notes. An entity shall not describe financial statements as complying with IFRSs unless they comply with all the requirements of IFRSs.

Paragraphs AusCF15–AusCF24 contain references to the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements (as identified in AASB 1048 ). In December 2013 the AASB amended the Framework , and thereby replaced the objective of financial statements with the objective of general purpose financial reporting: see Chapter 1 of the Framework .

[Deleted by the AASB]

Not-for-profit entities need not comply with the paragraph 16 requirement to make an explicit and unreserved statement of compliance with IFRSs.

In virtually all circumstances, an entity achieves a fair presentation by compliance with applicable Australian Accounting Standards. A fair presentation also requires an entity:

(a)             to select and apply accounting policies in accordance with AASB 108 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors . AASB 108 sets out a hierarchy of authoritative guidance that management considers in the absence of an Australian Accounting Standard that specifically applies to an item.

(b)             to present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information.

(c)             to provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in Australian Accounting Standards is insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and financial performance.

An entity cannot rectify inappropriate accounting policies either by disclosure of the accounting policies used or by notes or explanatory material.

In the extremely rare circumstances in which management concludes that compliance with a requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Conceptual Framework , the entity shall depart from that requirement in the manner set out in paragraph 20 if the relevant regulatory framework requires, or otherwise does not prohibit, such a departure.

Notwithstanding paragraph 19 , in respect of AusCF entities, in the extremely rare circumstances in which management concludes that compliance with a requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework , the entity shall depart from that requirement in the manner set out in paragraph AusCF20 if the relevant regulatory framework requires, or otherwise does not prohibit, such a departure.

In relation to paragraph 19 , the following shall not depart from a requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard:

(a)             entities required to prepare financial reports under Part 2M.3 of the Corporations Act;

(b)             private and public sector not-for-profit entities; and

(c)             entities applying Australian Accounting Standards – Simplified Disclosures.

When an entity departs from a requirement of an Australian Accounting Standard in accordance with paragraph 19 , it shall disclose:

(a)             that management has concluded that the financial statements present fairly the entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows;

(b)             that it has complied with applicable Australian Accounting Standards, except that it has departed from a particular requirement to achieve a fair presentation;

(c)             the title of the Australian Accounting Standard from which the entity has departed, the nature of the departure, including the treatment that the Australian Accounting Standard would require, the reason why that treatment would be so misleading in the circumstances that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Conceptual Framework , and the treatment adopted; and

(d)             for each period presented, the financial effect of the departure on each item in the financial statements that would have been reported in complying with the requirement.

Notwithstanding paragraph 20 , in respect of AusCF entities, when an entity departs from a requirement of an Australian Accounting Standard in accordance with paragraph AusCF19 , it shall disclose:

(c)             the title of the Australian Accounting Standard from which the entity has departed, the nature of the departure, including the treatment that the Australian Accounting Standard would require, the reason why that treatment would be so misleading in the circumstances that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework , and the treatment adopted; and

When an entity has departed from a requirement of an Australian Accounting Standard in a prior period, and that departure affects the amounts recognised in the financial statements for the current period, it shall make the disclosures set out in paragraph 20(c) and (d) .

Paragraph 21 applies, for example, when an entity departed in a prior period from a requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard for the measurement of assets or liabilities and that departure affects the measurement of changes in assets and liabilities recognised in the current period’s financial statements.

In the extremely rare circumstances in which management concludes that compliance with a requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Conceptual Framework , but the relevant regulatory framework prohibits departure from the requirement, the entity shall, to the maximum extent possible, reduce the perceived misleading aspects of compliance by disclosing:

(a)             the title of the Australian Accounting Standard in question, the nature of the requirement, and the reason why management has concluded that complying with that requirement is so misleading in the circumstances that it conflicts with the objective of financial statements set out in the Conceptual Framework ; and

(b)             for each period presented, the adjustments to each item in the financial statements that management has concluded would be necessary to achieve a fair presentation.

Notwithstanding paragraph 23 , in respect of AusCF entities, in the extremely rare circumstances in which management concludes that compliance with a requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework , but the relevant regulatory framework prohibits departure from the requirement, the entity shall, to the maximum extent possible, reduce the perceived misleading aspects of compliance by disclosing:

(a)             the title of the Australian Accounting Standard in question, the nature of the requirement, and the reason why management has concluded that complying with that requirement is so misleading in the circumstances that it conflicts with the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework ; and

For the purpose of paragraphs 19–23 , an item of information would conflict with the objective of financial statements when it does not represent faithfully the transactions, other events and conditions that it either purports to represent or could reasonably be expected to represent and, consequently, it would be likely to influence economic decisions made by users of financial statements.   When assessing whether complying with a specific requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Conceptual Framework , management considers:

(a)             why the objective of financial statements is not achieved in the particular circumstances; and

(b)             how the entity’s circumstances differ from those of other entities that comply with the requirement.   If other entities in similar circumstances comply with the requirement, there is a rebuttable presumption that the entity’s compliance with the requirement would not be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Conceptual Framework .

Notwithstanding paragraph 24 , in respect of AusCF entities, for the purpose of paragraphs AusCF19–AusCF23 , an item of information would conflict with the objective of financial statements when it does not represent faithfully the transactions, other events and conditions that it either purports to represent or could reasonably be expected to represent and, consequently, it would be likely to influence economic decisions made by users of financial statements. When assessing whether complying with a specific requirement in an Australian Accounting Standard would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework , management considers:

(b)             how the entity’s circumstances differ from those of other entities that comply with the requirement.   If other entities in similar circumstances comply with the requirement, there is a rebuttable presumption that the entity’s compliance with the requirement would not be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Framework .

Going concern

When preparing financial statements, management shall make an assessment of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. An entity shall prepare financial statements on a going concern basis unless management either intends to liquidate the entity or to cease trading, or has no realistic alternative but to do so. When management is aware, in making its assessment, of material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt upon the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, the entity shall disclose those uncertainties. When an entity does not prepare financial statements on a going concern basis, it shall disclose that fact, together with the basis on which it prepared the financial statements and the reason why the entity is not regarded as a going concern.

In assessing whether the going concern assumption is appropriate, management takes into account all available information about the future, which is at least, but is not limited to, twelve months from the end of the reporting period. The degree of consideration depends on the facts in each case. When an entity has a history of profitable operations and ready access to financial resources, the entity may reach a conclusion that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate without detailed analysis. In other cases, management may need to consider a wide range of factors relating to current and expected profitability, debt repayment schedules and potential sources of replacement financing before it can satisfy itself that the going concern basis is appropriate.

Accrual basis of accounting

An entity shall prepare its financial statements, except for cash flow information, using the accrual basis of accounting.

When the accrual basis of accounting is used, an entity recognises items as assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses (the elements of financial statements) when they satisfy the definitions and recognition criteria for those elements in the Conceptual Framework .

Notwithstanding paragraph 28 , in respect of AusCF entities, when the accrual basis of accounting is used, an entity recognises items as assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses (the elements of financial statements) when they satisfy the definitions and recognition criteria for those elements in the Framework . [AusCF3]

The Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements was amended by the AASB in December 2013.

Materiality and aggregation

An entity shall present separately each material class of similar items. An entity shall present separately items of a dissimilar nature or function unless they are immaterial.

Financial statements result from processing large numbers of transactions or other events that are aggregated into classes according to their nature or function. The final stage in the process of aggregation and classification is the presentation of condensed and classified data, which form line items in the financial statements. If a line item is not individually material, it is aggregated with other items either in those statements or in the notes. An item that is not sufficiently material to warrant separate presentation in those statements may warrant separate presentation in the notes.

When applying this and other Australian Accounting Standards an entity shall decide, taking into consideration all relevant facts and circumstances, how it aggregates information in the financial statements, which include the notes. An entity shall not reduce the understandability of its financial statements by obscuring material information with immaterial information or by aggregating material items that have different natures or functions.

Some Australian Accounting Standards specify information that is required to be included in the financial statements, which include the notes. An entity need not provide a specific disclosure required by an Australian Accounting Standard if the information resulting from that disclosure is not material. This is the case even if the Australian Accounting Standard contains a list of specific requirements or describes them as minimum requirements. An entity shall also consider whether to provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in Australian Accounting Standards is insufficient to enable users of financial statements to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and financial performance.

An entity shall not offset assets and liabilities or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by an Australian Accounting Standard.

An entity reports separately both assets and liabilities, and income and expenses. Offsetting in the statement(s) of profit or loss and other comprehensive income or financial position, except when offsetting reflects the substance of the transaction or other event, detracts from the ability of users both to understand the transactions, other events and conditions that have occurred and to assess the entity’s future cash flows. Measuring assets net of valuation allowances—for example, obsolescence allowances on inventories and doubtful debts allowances on receivables—is not offsetting.

AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers requires an entity to measure revenue from contracts with customers at the amount of consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring promised goods or services. For example, the amount of revenue recognised reflects any trade discounts and volume rebates the entity allows. An entity undertakes, in the course of its ordinary activities, other transactions that do not generate revenue but are incidental to the main revenue-generating activities. An entity presents the results of such transactions, when this presentation reflects the substance of the transaction or other event, by netting any income with related expenses arising on the same transaction. For example:

(a)             an entity presents gains and losses on the disposal of non-current assets, including investments and operating assets, by deducting from the amount of consideration on disposal the carrying amount of the asset and related selling expenses; and

(b)             an entity may net expenditure related to a provision that is recognised in accordance with AASB 137 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets and reimbursed under a contractual arrangement with a third party (for example, a supplier’s warranty agreement) against the related reimbursement.

In addition, an entity presents on a net basis gains and losses arising from a group of similar transactions, for example, foreign exchange gains and losses or gains and losses arising on financial instruments held for trading. However, an entity presents such gains and losses separately if they are material.

Frequency of reporting

An entity shall present a complete set of financial statements (including comparative information) at least annually. When an entity changes the end of its reporting period and presents financial statements for a period longer or shorter than one year, an entity shall disclose, in addition to the period covered by the financial statements:

(a)             the reason for using a longer or shorter period, and

(b)             the fact that amounts presented in the financial statements are not entirely comparable.

Normally, an entity consistently prepares financial statements for a one-year period. However, for practical reasons, some entities prefer to report, for example, for a 52-week period. This Standard does not preclude this practice.

Comparative information

Except when Australian Accounting Standards permit or require otherwise, an entity shall present comparative information in respect of the preceding period for all amounts reported in the current period’s financial statements. An entity shall include comparative information for narrative and descriptive information if it is relevant to understanding the current period’s financial statements.

An entity shall present, as a minimum, two statements of financial position, two statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, two separate statements of profit or loss (if presented), two statements of cash flows and two statements of changes in equity, and related notes.

In some cases, narrative information provided in the financial statements for the preceding period(s) continues to be relevant in the current period. For example, an entity discloses in the current period details of a legal dispute, the outcome of which was uncertain at the end of the preceding period and is yet to be resolved. Users may benefit from the disclosure of information that the uncertainty existed at the end of the preceding period and from the disclosure of information about the steps that have been taken during the period to resolve the uncertainty.

An entity may present comparative information in addition to the minimum comparative financial statements required by Australian Accounting Standards, as long as that information is prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards. This comparative information may consist of one or more statements referred to in paragraph 10 , but need not comprise a complete set of financial statements. When this is the case, the entity shall present related note information for those additional statements.

For example, an entity may present a third statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (thereby presenting the current period, the preceding period and one additional comparative period). However, the entity is not required to present a third statement of financial position, a third statement of cash flows or a third statement of changes in equity (ie an additional financial statement comparative). The entity is required to present, in the notes to the financial statements, the comparative information related to that additional statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income.

An entity shall present a third statement of financial position as at the beginning of the preceding period in addition to the minimum comparative financial statements required in paragraph 38A if:

(a)             it applies an accounting policy retrospectively, makes a retrospective restatement of items in its financial statements or reclassifies items in its financial statements; and

(b)             the retrospective application, retrospective restatement or the reclassification has a material effect on the information in the statement of financial position at the beginning of the preceding period.

In the circumstances described in paragraph 40A , an entity shall present three statements of financial position as at:

(a)             the end of the current period;

(b)             the end of the preceding period; and

(c)             the beginning of the preceding period.

When an entity is required to present an additional statement of financial position in accordance with paragraph 40A , it must disclose the information required by paragraphs 41–44 and AASB 108 . However, it need not present the related notes to the opening statement of financial position as at the beginning of the preceding period.

The date of that opening statement of financial position shall be as at the beginning of the preceding period regardless of whether an entity’s financial statements present comparative information for earlier periods (as permitted in paragraph 38C ).

If an entity changes the presentation or classification of items in its financial statements, it shall reclassify comparative amounts unless reclassification is impracticable. When an entity reclassifies comparative amounts, it shall disclose (including as at the beginning of the preceding period):

(a)             the nature of the reclassification;

(b)             the amount of each item or class of items that is reclassified; and

(c)             the reason for the reclassification.

When it is impracticable to reclassify comparative amounts, an entity shall disclose:

(a)             the reason for not reclassifying the amounts, and

(b)             the nature of the adjustments that would have been made if the amounts had been reclassified.

Enhancing the inter-period comparability of information assists users in making economic decisions, especially by allowing the assessment of trends in financial information for predictive purposes. In some circumstances, it is impracticable to reclassify comparative information for a particular prior period to achieve comparability with the current period. For example, an entity may not have collected data in the prior period(s) in a way that allows reclassification, and it may be impracticable to recreate the information.

AASB 108 sets out the adjustments to comparative information required when an entity changes an accounting policy or corrects an error.

Consistency of presentation

An entity shall retain the presentation and classification of items in the financial statements from one period to the next unless:

(a)             it is apparent, following a significant change in the nature of the entity’s operations or a review of its financial statements, that another presentation or classification would be more appropriate having regard to the criteria for the selection and application of accounting policies in AASB 108 ; or

(b)             an Australian Accounting Standard requires a change in presentation.

For example, a significant acquisition or disposal, or a review of the presentation of the financial statements, might suggest that the financial statements need to be presented differently. An entity changes the presentation of its financial statements only if the changed presentation provides information that is reliable and more relevant to users of the financial statements and the revised structure is likely to continue, so that comparability is not impaired. When making such changes in presentation, an entity reclassifies its comparative information in accordance with paragraphs 41 and 42 .

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Wonderful Malaysia Berhad is KPMG PLT’s Illustrative Financial Statements for financial statements prepared in accordance with Malaysia Financial Reporting Standards ("MFRS") and reflects the latest amendments to the disclosure requirements for annual financial statements at the end of each year. This publication acts as a starting point to guide entities in Malaysia to understand the disclosure requirements towards preparing your upcoming annual financial statements. This publication incorporates the disclosure requirements arising from the adoption of Amendments to MFRS 101, Presentation of Financial Statements - Disclosure of Accounting Policies which is effective since 1 January 2023. This guide also illustrates the possible scenario of disclosing material accounting policy information.

While this publication is up to date at the time of issuance, MFRSs and their interpretations change over time. Accordingly, these Illustrative Financial Statements should not be used as a substitute for referring to the standards and interpretations themselves, particularly when a specific requirement is not addressed in this publication or when there is uncertainty regarding the correct interpretations of the MFRS.

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101 presentation of financial statements

Illustrative financial statements for Malaysia financial reporting standards

101 presentation of financial statements

101 presentation of financial statements

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  • Financial Reporting Standard 101

1.

The objective of this Standard is to prescribe the basis for presentation of general purpose financial statements, to ensure comparability both with the entity's financial statements of previous periods and with the financial statements of other entities. To achieve this objective, this Standard sets out overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements, guidelines for their structure and minimum requirements for their content. The recognition, measurement and disclosure of specific transactions and other events are dealt with in other Standards and in Interpretations.

3.

General purpose financial statements are those intended to meet the needs of users who are not in a position to demand reports tailored to meet their particular information needs. General purpose financial statements include those that are presented separately or within another public document such as an annual report or a prospectus. This Standard does not apply to the structure and content of condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with FRS 1342004 . However, paragraphs 13-41 apply to such financial statements. This Standard applies equally to all entities and whether or not they need to prepare consolidated financial statements or separate financial statements, as defined in FRS 127

4.

IAS 30 specifies additional requirements for banks and similar financial institutions that are consistent with the requirements of this Standard1.

5.

This Standard uses terminology that is suitable for profit-oriented entities, including public sector business entities. Entities with not-for-profit activities in the private sector, public sector or government seeking to apply this Standard may need to amend the descriptions used for particular line items in the financial statements and for the financial statements themselves.

6.

Similarly, entities that do not have equity as defined in FRS 132 (eg some mutual funds) and entities whose share capital is not equity (eg some co-operative entities) may need to adapt the presentation in the financial statements of members' or unitholders' interests.

1

Banks and financial institutions should refer to BNM/GP8 - for additional requirements. The same footnote will apply to all the paragraphs that make reference to IAS 30.

Purpose of Financial Statements

7.

Financial statements are a structured representation of the financial position and financial performance of an entity. The objective of general purpose financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions. Financial statements also show the results of management's stewardship of the resources entrusted to it. To meet this objective, financial statements provide information about an entity's:

(a)

assets;

(b) liabilities;
(c) equity;
(d) income and expenses, including gains and losses;
(e) other changes in equity; and
(f) cash flows.

This information, along with other information in the notes, assists users of financial statements in predirecting the entity's future cash flows and, in particular, their timing and certainty.

Components of Financial Statements

Many entities present, outside the financial statements, a financial review by management that describes and explains the main features of the entity's financial performance and financial position and the principal uncertainties it faces. Such a report may include a review of:

(a)

the main factors and influences determining financial performance, including changes in the environment in which the entity operates, the entity's response to those changes and their effect, and the entity's policy for investment to maintain and enhance financial performance, including its dividend policy;

(b)

the entity's sources of funding and its targeted ratio of liabilities to equity; and

(c)

the entity's resources not recognised in the balance sheet in accordance with FRSs.

Many entities also present, outside the financial statements, reports and statements such as environmental reports and value added statements, particularly in industries in which environmental factors are significant and when employees are regarded as an important user group. Reports and statements presented outside financial statements are outside the scope of FRSs.

Definitions

[Reason: Different nomenclature is used.]

Material Omissions or misstatements of items are material if they could, individually or collectively, influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial statements. Materiality depends on the size and nature of the omission or misstatement judged in the surrounding circumstances. The size or nature of the item, or a combination of both, could be the determining factor.

Notes contain information in addition to that presented in the balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in equity and cash flow statement. Notes provide narrative descriptions or disaggregations of items disclosed in those statements and information about items that do not qualify for recognition in those statements.

12.

Assessing whether an omission or misstatement could influence economic decisions of users, and so be material, requires consideration of the characteristics of those users. The states in paragraph 39 that "users are assumed to have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and accounting and a willingness to study the information with reasonable diligence." Therefore, the assessment needs to take into account how users with such attributes could reasonably be expected to be influenced in making economic decisions.

Overall Considerations Fair Presentation and Compliance with FRSs

Proposed Framework

15.

In virtually all circumstances, a fair presentation is achieved by compliance with applicable FRSs. A fair presentation also requires an entity:

(a)

to select and apply accounting policies in accordance with FRS 108 . FRS 108 sets out a hierarchy of authoritative guidance that management considers in the absence of a Standard or an Interpretation that specifically applies to an item.

(b)

to present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information.

(c)

to provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in FRSs is insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity's financial position and financial performance.

Proposed Framework

Proposed Framework

20.

Paragraph 19 applies, for example, when an entity departed in a prior period from a requirement in a Standard or an Interpretation for the measurement of assets or liabilities and that departure affects the measurement of changes in assets and liabilities recognised in the current period's financial statements.

Proposed Framework

Proposed Framework

For the purpose of paragraphs 17-21, an item of information would conflict with the objective of financial statements when it does not represent faithfully the transactions, other events and conditions that it either purports to represent or could reasonably be expected to represent and, consequently, it would be likely to influence economic decisions made by users of financial statements. When assessing whether complying with a specific requirement in a Standard or an Interpretation would be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the Proposed Framework, management considers:

(a)

why the objective of financial statements is not achieved in the particular circumstances; and

(b)

how the entity's circumstances differ from those of other entities that comply with the requirement. If other entities in similar circumstances comply with the requirement, there is a rebuttable presumption that the entity's compliance with the requirement would not be so misleading that it would conflict with the objective of financial statements set out in the .

Going Concern

24.

In assessing whether the going concern assumption is appropriate, management takes into account all available information about the future, which is at least, but is not limited to, twelve months from the balance sheet date. The degree of consideration depends on the facts in each case. When an entity has a history of profitable operations and ready access to financial resources, a conclusion that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate may be reached without detailed analysis. In other cases, management may need to consider a wide range of factors relating to current and expected profitability, debt repayment schedules and potential sources of replacement financing before it can satisfy itself that the going concern basis is appropriate.



26.

When the accrual basis of accounting is used, items are recognised as assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses (the elements of financial statements) when they satisfy the definitions and recognition criteria for those elements in the Proposed Framework.



A significant acquisition or disposal, or a review of the presentation of the financial statements, might suggest that the financial statements need to be presented differently. An entity changes the presentation of its financial statements only if the changed presentation provides information that is reliable and is more relevant to users of the financial statements and the revised structure is likely to continue, so that comparability is not impaired. When making such changes in presentation, an entity reclassifies its comparative information in accordance with paragraphs 38 and 39.



30.

Financial statements result from processing large numbers of transactions or other events that are aggregated into classes according to their nature or function. The final stage in the process of aggregation and classification is the presentation of condensed and classified data, which form line items on the face of the balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in equity and cash flow statement, or in the notes. If a line item is not individually material, it is aggregated with other items either on the face of those statements or in the notes. An item that is not sufficiently material to warrant separate presentation on the face of those statements may nevertheless be sufficiently material for it to be presented separately in the notes.

31.

Applying the concept of materiality means that a specific disclosure requirement in a Standard or an Interpretation need not be satisfied if the information is not material.


33.

It is important that assets and liabilities, and income and expenses, are reported separately. Offsetting in the income statement or the balance sheet, except when offsetting reflects the substance of the transaction or other event, detracts from the ability of users both to understand the transactions, other events and conditions that have occurred and to assess the entity's future cash flows. Measuring assets net of valuation allowances?for example, obsolescence allowances on inventories and doubtful debts allowances on receivables?is not offsetting.

34.

FRS 1182004 defines revenue and requires it to be measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, taking into account the amount of any trade discounts and volume rebates allowed by the entity. An entity undertakes, in the course of its ordinary activities, other transactions that do not generate revenue but are incidental to the main revenue-generating activities. The results of such transactions are presented, when this presentation reflects the substance of the transaction or other event, by netting any income with related expenses arising on the same transaction. For example:

(a)

gains and losses on the disposal of non-current assets, including investments and operating assets, are reported by deducting from the proceeds on disposal the carrying amount of the asset and related selling expenses; and

(b)

expenditure related to a provision that is recognised in accordance with FRS 1372004 and reimbursed under a contractual arrangement with a third party (for example, a supplier's warranty agreement) may be netted against the related reimbursement.

In addition, gains and losses arising from a group of similar transactions are reported on a net basis, for example, foreign exchange gains and losses or gains and losses arising on financial instruments held for trading. Such gains and losses are, however, reported separately if they are material.

37.

In some cases, narrative information provided in the financial statements for the previous period(s) continues to be relevant in the current period. For example, details of a legal dispute, the outcome of which was uncertain at the last balance sheet date and is yet to be resolved, are disclosed in the current period. Users benefit from information that the uncertainty existed at the last balance sheet date, and about the steps that have been taken during the period to resolve the uncertainty.

When it is impracticable to reclassify comparative amounts, an entity shall disclose:

Enhancing the inter-period comparability of information assists users in making economic decisions, especially by allowing the assessment of trends in financial information for predictive purposes. In some circumstances, it is impracticable to reclassify comparative information for a particular prior period to achieve comparability with the current period. For example, data may not have been collected in the prior period(s) in a way that allows reclassification, and it may not be practicable to recreate the information.

FRS 108 deals with the adjustments to comparative information required when an entity changes an accounting policy or corrects an error.

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101 presentation of financial statements

IMAGES

  1. Beautiful Aasb 101 Presentation Of Financial Statements Summary Profit

    101 presentation of financial statements

  2. AASB-101-fact-sheet.pdf

    101 presentation of financial statements

  3. Mfrs 101 Presentation Of Financial Statements / General purpose

    101 presentation of financial statements

  4. Introduction to Financial Statements

    101 presentation of financial statements

  5. Presentation of Financial Statements

    101 presentation of financial statements

  6. ACCOUNTINGGENERALLY

    101 presentation of financial statements

COMMENTS

  1. PDF Presentation of Financial Statements

    AASB 101 Presentation of Financial Statements incorporates IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

  2. IAS 1

    The standard requires a complete set of financial statements to comprise a statement of financial position, a statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, a statement of changes in equity and a statement of cash flows. IAS 1 was reissued in September 2007 and applies to annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2009.

  3. IFRS

    IAS 1 sets out overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements, guidelines for their structure and minimum requirements for their content. It requires an entity to present a complete set of financial statements at least annually, with comparative amounts for the preceding year ...

  4. International Accounting Standard 1Presentation of Financial Statements

    This Standard prescribes the basis for presentation of general purpose financial statements to ensure comparability [Refer:Conceptual Framework paragraphs 2.24⁠-⁠2.29] both with the entity's financial statements of previous periods and with the financial statements of other entities. It sets out overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements, guidelines for their ...

  5. PDF Presentation of Financial Statements

    AASB 101 Presentation of Financial Statements is equivalent to IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements issued by the IASB. Paragraphs that have been added to this Standard (and do not appear in the text of the equivalent IASB Standard) are identified with the prefix "Aus", followed by the number of the relevant IASB paragraph and decimal ...

  6. IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements

    Presentation of Financial Statements sets out the overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements, guidelines for their structure, and minimum requirements for their content.

  7. IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements

    IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements. IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements.

  8. PDF IAS 1 2021 Issued IFRS Standards (Part A)

    Presentation of Financial Statements In April 2001 the International Accounting Standards Board (Board) adopted IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements, which had originally been issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee in September 1997. IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements replaced IAS 1 Disclosure of Accounting Policies (issued in 1975), IAS 5 Information to be ...

  9. IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements

    Learn the key accounting principles to be applied to financial statements, including fair presentation and compliance with IFRS Standards.

  10. 11.1 Presentation of financial statements

    An entity might consider several presentation alternatives within the financial statements to provide useful information in relation to geopolitical conflicts. Entities should ensure that any presentation alternative complies with IAS 1's requirements.

  11. Topic 101

    Topic 101 - Presentation of Financial Statements This topic includes FAQs relating to the following IFRS standards, IFRIC Interpretations and SIC Interpretations:

  12. IAS 1Presentation of Financial Statements

    The Board issued an amended IAS 1 in September 2007, which included an amendment to the presentation of owner changes in equity and comprehensive income and a change in terminology in the titles of financial statements. In June 2011 the Board amended IAS 1 to improve how items of other income comprehensive income should be presented.

  13. IFRS AT A GLANCE IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements

    Opening statement is only required if impact is material. Opening statement is presented as at the beginning of the immediately preceding comparative period required by IAS 1 (e.g. if an entity has a reporting date of 31 December X2 statement of financial position, this will be as at 1 January X1)

  14. PDF Presentation of Financial Statements

    This section identifies differences between AASB 101 Presentation of Financial Statements and AASB 1001 Accounting Policies, AASB 1018 Statement of Financial Performance, AASB 1034 Financial Report Presentation and Disclosures & AASB 1040 Statement of Financial Position under the following headings.

  15. Financial statements (AASB101_07-15_COMPmar20_07-21)

    Financial statements shall present fairly the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity. Fair presentation requires the faithful representation of the effects of transactions, other events and conditions in accordance with the definitions and recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, income and expenses set out in the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting ...

  16. Guides to financial statements

    This publication incorporates the disclosure requirements arising from the adoption of Amendments to MFRS 101, Presentation of Financial Statements - Disclosure of Accounting Policies which is effective since 1 January 2023. This guide also illustrates the possible scenario of disclosing material accounting policy information.

  17. Financial Reporting Standard 101-MASB

    Financial Reporting Standard 101. 1. The objective of this Standard is to prescribe the basis for presentation of general purpose financial statements, to ensure comparability both with the entity's financial statements of previous periods and with the financial statements of other entities. To achieve this objective, this Standard sets out ...

  18. PDF Presentation of Financial Statements

    AASB 101 Presentation of Financial Statements as amended incorporates IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements as issued and amended by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

  19. PDF the essentials march 2015

    IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements sets out the overall requirements for the presentation of financial statements. One of the features of this IFRS is that it includes guidelines for the structure and content of financial statements, including information about the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (P&L and OCI) and the statement of financial position (balance ...

  20. PDF Snapshot

    101 Presentation of Financial Statements There are two amendments to MFRS 101 that will be effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024.

  21. PDF Disclosure of material accounting policies (amendments to MFRS 101 and

    The amendment to MFRS 101 'Presentation of Financial Statements' requires companies to disclose their material accounting policy information rather than their significant accounting policies. Accounting policy information is material if, when considered together with other information included in an entity's financial statements, it can ...

  22. PDF MFRS Practice Statement 2 was amended to provide guidance on how to

    Amendments to MFRS 101 Presentation of Financial Statements and MFRS Practice Statement 2 Making Materiality Judgements on disclosure of accounting policies ompanies to disclose material accounting policies rather than significant accounting policies. Entities are expected to make disclosure