GAAP, FASB Concepts Statement No. 5, Recognition and Measurement in Financial Statements of Business Enterprises, indicates that revenue is recognized when it is realized or realizable and earned. However, beyond those broad guidelines, a single, comprehensive revenue recognition standard does not exist in U.S.
Rather, guidance on revenue recognition is found in a collection of transaction-specific, industry-specific, or other specialized guidance. Further, the SEC staff provides detailed guidance on revenue recognition for U.S. Public entities in Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) Topic 13, 'Revenue Recognition.' Under IFRSs, IAS 18, Revenue, is the primary source of guidance on revenue recognition, including the sale of goods, rendering of services, and use by others of an entity's assets (interest, royalties, and dividends). Three other sources of authoritative guidance on revenue recognition in IFRSs are IAS 11, Construction Contracts; SIC-31, Revenue — Barter Transactions Involving Advertising Services; and IFRIC Interpretation 13, Customer Loyalty Programmes.On May 28, 2014, the FASB and IASB issued their final standard on revenue from contracts with customers.
The standard, issued as ASU 2014-09 (codified in ASC 606) by the FASB and as IFRS 15, Revenue From Contracts With Customers, by the IASB, outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance.The table below summarizes these differences and is followed by a detailed explanation of each difference. Under paragraph 14 of IAS 18, revenue from the sale of goods is recognized if all of the following conditions are met:. The 'entity has transferred to the buyer the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods.' . The 'entity retains neither continuing managerial involvement to the degree usually associated with ownership nor effective control over the goods sold.'
Creating A Customer Loyalty Program
. The 'amount of revenue can be measured reliably.' . 'It is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity.'
. The 'costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.' Paragraph 20 of IAS 18 states, 'When the outcome of a transaction involving the rendering of services can be estimated reliably, revenue associated with the transaction shall be recognised by reference to the stage i.e., percentage of completion of the transaction at the balance sheet date.' Paragraph 20 goes on to list specific conditions for determining whether an outcome of a transaction can be estimated reliably. And subsequent paragraphs provide guidance on determining the stage of completion.
Paragraph 13 of IAS 18 indicates that the recognition criteria under IAS 18 are usually applied separately to each transaction unless either of the following conditions applies:. 'It is necessary to apply the recognition criteria to the separately identifiable components of a single transaction in order to reflect the substance of the transaction.' . Two or more transactions 'are linked in such a way that the commercial effect cannot be understood without reference to the series of transactions as a whole.' IFRSs provide no (or limited) revenue recognition guidance that applies to specific industries or transactions.Concept/ObjectiveUnder U.S. GAAP, paragraph 83 of Concepts Statement 5 provides the following overriding concept for the recognition of revenues:Further guidance for recognition of revenues and gains is intended to provide an acceptable level of assurance of the existence and amounts of revenues and gains before they are recognized. Revenues and gains of an entity during a period are generally measured by the exchange values of the assets (goods or services) or liabilities involved, and recognition involves consideration of two factors (a) being realized or realizable and (b) being earned, with sometimes one and sometimes the other being the more important consideration.a.
Realized or realizable. Revenues and gains generally are not recognized until realized or realizable. Footnote omitted Revenues and gains are realized when products (goods or services), merchandise, or other assets are exchanged for cash or claims to cash. Revenues and gains are realizable when related assets received or held are readily convertible to known amounts of cash or claims to cash.
Readily convertible assets have (I) interchangeable (fungible) units and (ii) quoted prices available in an active market that can rapidly absorb the quantity held by the entity without significantly affecting the price.b. Revenues are not recognized until earned. An entity's revenue-earning activities involve delivering or producing goods, rendering services, or other activities that constitute its ongoing major or central operations, footnote omitted and revenues are considered to have been earned when the entity has substantially accomplished what it must do to be entitled to the benefits represented by the revenues. Gains commonly result from transactions and other events that involve no 'earning process,' and for recognizing gains, being earned is generally less significant than being realized or realizable.Paragraph 84 of Concepts Statement 5 states the following:In recognizing revenue and gains:a. The two conditions (being realized or realizable and being earned) are usually met by the time product or merchandise is delivered or services are rendered to customers, and revenues from manufacturing and selling activities and gains and losses from sales of other assets are commonly recognized at time of sale (usually meaning delivery). Footnote omittedb.
If sale or cash receipt (or both) precedes production and delivery (for example, magazine subscriptions), revenues may be recognized as earned by production and delivery.c. If product is contracted for before production, revenues may be recognized by a percentage-of-completion method as earned — as production takes place — provided reasonable estimates of results at completion and reliable measures of progress are available. Footnote omittedd. If services are rendered or rights to use assets extend continuously over time (for example, interest or rent), reliable measures based on contractual prices established in advance are commonly available, and revenues may be recognized as earned as time passes.e.
If products or other assets are readily realizable because they are salable at reliably determinable prices without significant effort (for example, certain agricultural products, precious metals, and marketable securities), revenues and some gains or losses may be recognized at completion of production or when prices of the assets change. Paragraph 83(a) see above describes readily realizable (convertible) assets.f. If product, services, or other assets are exchanged for nonmonetary assets that are not readily convertible into cash, revenues or gains or losses may be recognized on the basis that they have been earned and the transaction is completed. Gains or losses may also be recognized if nonmonetary assets are received or distributed in nonreciprocal transactions. Recognition in both kinds of transactions depends on the provision that the fair values involved can be determined within reasonable limits. Footnote omittedg.
If collectibility of assets received for product, services, or other assets is doubtful, revenues and gains may be recognized on the basis of cash received.Concepts Statement 5 only broadly describes the characteristics of, and when to recognize, revenue and is often difficult to apply to specific transactions. The SEC staff provides detailed guidance on the characteristics of revenue recognition in SAB Topic 13.Under IFRSs, paragraph 74 of the IASB Framework defines income as follows:The definition of income encompasses both revenue and gains. Revenue arises in the course of the ordinary activities of an entity and is referred to by a variety of different names including sales, fees, interest, dividends, royalties and rent.Further, paragraph 83 of the IASB Framework describes the recognition of the elements (i.e., income) in the financial statements as follows:An item that meets the definition of an element should be recognised if:a. It is probable that any future economic benefit associated with the item will flow to or from the entity; andb. See for more information.Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ('DTTL'), its global network of member firms and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as 'Deloitte Global') and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities.
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