OVERVIEW
Objective
¾
To describe the accounting treatment of borrowing costs.INTRODUCTION
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
CAPITALISATION ISSUES
¾ Recognition
¾ Arguments
¾ Scope
¾ Definitions
¾ Recognition
¾ Borrowing costs eligible
¾ Commencement
¾ Suspension
¾ Cessation
¾ Adoption of new policy
¾ Previous version of IAS 23
¾ Recognition
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Recognition
¾
Companies borrow in order to finance their activities. Companies pay interest (finance charges) on the amounts borrowed.¾
How should such debits for interest be recognised in the financial statements always as an expense, or are there circumstances which justify capitalisation as an asset? (This would defer recognition in the profit or loss to a later period.)
1.2
Arguments
Capitalisation of interest
Arguments for
1 AccrualsBetter matching of cost (interest) to benefit (use of asset).
Arguments against
1 AccrualsBenefit is use of money. Interest should be reflected in profit or loss in the period for which the
company has the use of the cash. 2 Comparability
Improved. Better comparison between companies which buy the assets and those which construct.
2 Comparability
Distorted. Similar assets at different costs depending on the method of finance.
3 Consistency
Interest treated like any other costs.
3 Consistency
Interest treated differently from period to period.
4 Reported profit distorted.
1.3
Scope
¾
IAS 23 shall be applied in accounting for borrowing costs.¾
The standard is not applied to qualifying assets that are measured at fair value, such as Biological Assets.1.4
Definitions
¾
Borrowing costs are interest and other costs incurred by an entity in connection with the borrowing of funds. Included within the definition may be;
−
Interest expense calculated using the effective interest method as described in IAS 39, this may include;−
amortisation of discounts or premiums related to borrowings,−
amortisation of any directly attributable costs related to borrowings−
Finance charges in respect of finance leases−
Exchange differences arising from foreign currency borrowings to the extent they are regarded as an adjustment to interest costs−
Preference dividend when preference capital is classed as debt.¾
A qualifying asset is an asset that necessarily takes a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended use or sale.2
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
2.1
Recognition
¾
Borrowing costs that relate to a qualifying asset shall be capitalised as part of the cost of that asset.¾
All other borrowing costs shall be recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred.2.2
Disclosure
¾
The entity will disclose the amount of borrowing costs capitalised in the period and the capitalisation rate used.3
CAPITALISATION ISSUES
3.1
Recognition
¾
Borrowing costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or¾
A qualifying asset is an asset that necessarily takes a substantial period of time to get ready for it’s intended use or sale. Examples include Inventories that require a substantial period of time to bring them to a saleable condition e.g. Whisky
Manufacturing plant Power generation facilities Investment properties but not
Inventories routinely manufactured or otherwise produced in large quantities on a repetitive basis over a short period of time, nor
Assets ready for their intended use or sale when acquired.
3.2
Borrowing costs eligible for capitalisation
¾
Borrowing costs that are directly attributable to acquisition, construction or production is taken to mean those borrowing costs that would have been avoided if the expenditure on the qualifying asset had not been made.¾
When an entity borrows specifically for the purpose of funding an asset the identification of the borrowing costs presents no problem. The amount capitalised shall be the actual borrowing costs net of any income earned on the temporary investment of those borrowings.
¾
It is sometimes difficult to establish a direct relationship between asset and funding. For example: Central coordination of financing activity
Groups may use a range of debt instruments at varying rates to lend to other members of the group
Borrowing in foreign currency when the group operates in a highly inflationary economy.
Judgement is required.
¾
If funds are borrowed generally; amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalisation shall be determined by applying a capitalisation rate to the expenditures on that asset
the amount of borrowing costs capitalised during a period shall not exceed the amount of borrowing costs incurred during that period.
¾
In some circumstances, it is appropriate to include all borrowings of the parent and its subsidiaries when computing a weighted average of the borrowing costs; in other circumstances, it is appropriate for each subsidiary to use a weighted average of the borrowing costs applicable to its own borrowings.Example 1
An entity has three sources of borrowing in the period
Outstanding liability Interest charge
$000 $000
7 year loan 8,000 1,000
25 year loan 12,000 1,000
Bank overdraft 4,000 (average) 600
Required:
(a) Calculate the appropriate capitalisation rate if all of the borrowings are used to finance the production of qualifying assets but none of the borrowings relate to a specific qualifying asset.
(b) If the 7 year loan is an amount which can be specifically identified with a qualifying asset calculate the rate which should be used on the other assets.
3.3
Commencement
of
Capitalisation
¾
Capitalisation shall commence when: expenditures for the asset are being incurred, borrowing costs are being incurred, and
activities that are necessary to prepare the asset for its intended use or sale are in progress.
¾
Expenditures on a qualifying asset include only payments of cash, transfers of other assets, or
the assumption of interest-bearing liabilities. Expenditures are reduced by any progress payments received and grants received in connection with the asset.
¾
The average carrying amount of the asset during a period, including borrowing costs previously capitalised, is normally a reasonable approximation of the expenditures to which the capitalisation rate is applied in that period.¾
The activities necessary to prepare the asset for its intended use or sale include physical construction of the asset. technical and administrative work prior to the commencement of physical construction, such as the activities associated with obtaining permits prior to the commencement of the physical construction.
¾
Such activities exclude the holding of an asset when no production or development that changes the asset’s condition is taking place.
3.4
Suspension of Capitalisation
¾
Capitalisation shall be suspended during extended periods in which active development is interrupted.¾
Capitalisation is not normally suspended during a period when substantial technical and administrative work is being carried out.
when a temporary delay is a necessary part of the process of getting an asset ready for its intended use or sale.
e.g. capitalisation continues during the extended period needed for inventories to mature or the extended period during which high water levels delay construction of a bridge, if such high water levels are common during the construction period in the geographic region involved.
3.5
Cessation of Capitalisation
¾
Capitalisation shall cease when substantially all the activities necessary to prepare the qualifying asset for its intended use or sale are complete.¾
An asset is normally ready for its intended use or sale when the physical construction of the asset is complete even though routine administrative work might still continue. If minor modifications, such as the decoration of a property to the purchaser’s or user’s specification, are all that are outstanding, this indicates that substantially all the activities are complete.¾
When the construction of a qualifying asset is completed in parts and each part is capable of being used while construction continues on other parts, capitalisation of borrowing costs shall cease when substantially all the activities necessary to prepare that part for its intended use or sale are completed.3.6
Adoption of new policy
¾
An entity that had previously expensed all borrowing costs will be required to adopt this new policy from 1 January 2009, or earlier is they so wish.¾
The standard only requires prospective adoption of this policy, so any asset meeting the definition of a qualifying asset after the adoption date will have borrowing costsincluded in its cost.
3.7
Previous version of IAS 23
¾
In March 2007 the IASB issued this amended version of IAS 23. The previous version allowed a choice in respect of the treatment of borrowing costs related to qualifying assets. The choice was either to capitalise as part of the cost of the asset or expense the borrowing costs immediately.¾
This choice has now been withdrawn, the standard requires capitalisation of borrowing costs related to the qualifying asset.FOCUS
You should now be able to:
¾
describe advantages and disadvantages to expensing and capitalising interest;¾
calculate the amount of interest that should be capitalised under IAS 23;¾
describe and identify qualifying assets as defined in IAS 23.EXAMPLE SOLUTION
Solution 1
(a)
Capitalisation rate
4,000,000 12,000,000
8,000,000
600,000 1,000,000
1,000,000
+ +
+ +
= 10.833%
(b)
Capitalisation rate
4,000,000 12,000,000
600,000 1,000,000
+ +
