Know Your Rights!!

The first time Ind AS adopters are having a nerve racking time in getting the pieces together for risk disclosures. The quintessential Ind AS 107 mandates disclosures which will aid the financial statement users to evaluate the nature and extent of risks arising from financial instruments and how the company manages those risks. Like the other financial instruments standards, scope of Ind AS 107 specifies that the standard applies to ALL the entities. So the myth that risk is for the financial services entities only has to disappear sooner. This disclosure standard merely sets out the amount of information reported to the management for the purpose of running the business which must be made available to the users. Risk Disclosures of two types are required: § Qualitative disclosures: Company has to provide a brief explanation of the their exposure to risk, how they arise and how these risks are measured and managed § Quantitative disclosures:    o Credit risk/ Co...

I have been receiving a number of queries on calculation of effective interest rate for floating (variable) rate financial assets or financial liabilities – which are to be subsequently measured at amortised cost. Let’s first start with the definition of ‘Effective Interest Method’. Indian Accounting Standard (Ind AS) 109, Financial Instruments in Appendix A states that ‘the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash payments or receipts through the expected life of the financial asset or financial liability to the gross carrying amount of a financial asset or to the amortised cost of a financial liability. When calculating the effective interest rate, an entity shall estimate the expected cash flows by considering all the contractual terms of the financial instrument (for example, prepayment, extension, call and similar options) but shall not consider the expected credit losses (ECL). The calculation includes all fees and points paid or received between parties to the c...

Transition to Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) has brought a set of challenges for companies as well as the regulators. SEBI vide its circular dated 5 July 2016 (CIR/CFD/FAC/62/2016) requires listed companies to comply with the formats prescribed under the SEBI Circular dated 30 November 2015, for reporting financial results till 31 December 2016. The 31 March 2017 financial results onwards are required in the formats prescribed in Revised Schedule III of the Companies Act 2013. The format prescribed by SEBI permits ‘Income from Operations’ to be disclosed net of excise duty. However, Schedule III of the Companies Act, 2013 (2013 Act) notified on 6 April 2016, requires ‘Revenue from Operations’ to be disclosed inclusive of excise duty. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) issued a notification on behalf of SEBI, on 20 September 2016, which clarifies that companies should follow a uniform approach in their revenue disclosures. Accor...

    Channel Stuffing : Is a practice where the company tries to bolster revenue artificially by granting unsustainable or improper inducements to wholesalers and customers to get them to take its products. A channel stuffing company may also book revenue by transferring goods to an entity that is not totally separate. Channel stuffing has been prevalent in the pharmaceutical industry over the years.   Spring Loading: When one company acquires another, there is usually a period of several weeks between the announcement of the deal and the actual date at which the acquired company becomes part of the acquirer. In that interim, the acquirer may find a way to book higher level of costs and lower revenue at the company being acquired. This process, which takes place before the acquired company’s financial statements merge with those of the acquirer, is intended to suppress the profitability of the firm being bought,   solely for the interim period. Once...

How-to distinguish source of funds as a   Debt or Equity? Let’s begin reading this article by knowing the definition of Financial Instruments. A financial instrument is a contract that gives rise to a financial asset of one entity and a financial liability or equity instrument of another entity. The essence of the definition lies in contract which we generally understand as a transaction having all the three characteristics: agreement between two or more parties; for an economic consideration and legally enforceable. The definition then highlights financial assets, financial liabilities and equity instrument. Assets, liabilities, equity instrument reminds us of the balance sheet. For example, in credit sales transaction, the entity which sold the goods has a financial asset – trade receivable – while the purchaser has to account for a financial liability – trade payable. Another example is when the entity sources finance by issuing ordinary equity shares. The e...