Defining Issues | July 2022
Insight
The FASB has issued an exposure draft that would allow entities an accounting policy election to not apply the targeted improvements to the accounting for long-duration contracts standard to contracts or legal entities sold and derecognized before the effective date when the entity has no continuing involvement.
Applicability
Insurance entities in the scope of ASC 944 on accounting for long-duration contracts, excluding holders of insurance contracts and non-insurance entities.
Relevant dates
- July 14, 2022 – Exposure draft issued
- August 8, 2022 – Comments due
Effective date |
SEC filers, except smaller reporting companies1,2 |
Other entities |
Annual periods – Fiscal years beginning after |
Dec. 15. 2022 |
Dec. 15, 2024 |
Interim periods – In fiscal years beginning after |
Dec. 15, 2022 |
Dec. 15, 2025 |
Early adoption allowed? |
Yes. If early adoption is elected, the transition date is either the beginning of the prior period presented or the beginning of the earliest period presented. |
|
1. An SEC filer is an entity that is required to file or furnish its financial statements with either (1) the SEC or (2) with respect to an entity subject to Section 12(i) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the appropriate agency under that Section. Financial statements for other entities that are not otherwise SEC filers whose financial statements are included with another filer’s SEC submission are not included in this definition. [Master Glossary] 2. A company’s determination about whether it is eligible to be a ‘smaller reporting company’ is based on its most recent filing determination in accordance with SEC regulations as of November 15, 2019. [944-40-65-2(a)] |
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Key impacts
The Board exposed a proposed ASU that would amend the transition guidance provisions of its ASU on targeted improvements to the accounting for long-duration contracts.
- An entity would be allowed to make an accounting policy election to exclude certain contracts or legal entities when they have been sold and derecognized before the effective date and the entity has no continuing involvement.
- Examples would be provided of forms of continuing involvement that would (1) prohibit an insurance entity from applying the accounting policy election, or (2) allow an insurance entity to apply the accounting policy election.
- Consistent application to contracts or legal entities that meet the accounting policy scope would be required.
- If the accounting policy election is made, disclosure of that fact plus a qualitative description of the sale or disposal transaction would be required.
- The amendment would be effective consistent with the effective dates of the amendments in ASU 2020-11.
The Board made its decision to expose the amendment based on outreach from insurance companies. They indicated that applying the guidance to contracts or legal entities sold and derecognized before the effective date could create operational challenges and not provide decision-useful information to financial statement users.
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