SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS OVERVIEW Objective To describe the accounting treatment of borrowing costs INTRODUCTION ACCOUNTING TREATMENT CAPITALISATION ISSUES Recognition Arguments Scope Definitions Recognition Disclosure Recognition Borrowing costs eligible Commencement Suspension Cessation Adoption of new policy Previous version of IAS 23 0801 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS INTRODUCTION 1.1 Recognition Companies borrow in order to finance their activities Companies pay interest (finance charges) on the amounts borrowed 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 Accruals Arguments against Better matching of cost (interest) to benefit (use of asset) Comparability Benefit 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 Improved Better comparison between companies which buy the assets and those which construct Consistency Comparability Distorted Similar assets at different costs depending on the method of finance Interest treated like any other costs Consistency Interest treated differently from period to period 1.3 Accruals Reported profit distorted Scope IAS 23 shall be applied in accounting for borrowing costs The standard is not applied to qualifying assets that are measured at fair value, such as Biological Assets Any inventories that are manufactured in large quantities and on a repetitive basis are not deemed to be qualifying assets 0802 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS 1.4 Definitions 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 A qualifying asset is an asset that necessarily takes a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended use or sale ACCOUNTING TREATMENT 2.1 Recognition Borrowing costs that relate to a qualifying asset shall be capitalised as part of the cost of that asset All other borrowing costs shall be recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred 2.2 Disclosure The entity will disclose the amount of borrowing costs capitalised in the period and the capitalisation rate used CAPITALISATION ISSUES 3.1 Recognition Borrowing costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset shall be capitalised as part of the cost of that asset The amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalisation shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the standard 0803 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS 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 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 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 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 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 capitalisation rate shall be the weighted average of the borrowing costs applicable to the borrowings of the entity that are outstanding during the period, other than borrowings made specifically for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset 0804 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS the amount of borrowing costs capitalised during a period shall not exceed the amount of borrowing costs incurred during that period 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 An entity has three sources of borrowing in the period year loan 25 year loan Bank overdraft Outstanding liability $000 8,000 12,000 4,000 (average) Interest charge $000 1,000 1,000 600 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 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 Solution 0805 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS 3.3 Commencement of Capitalisation 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 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 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 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 Such activities exclude the holding of an asset when no production or development that changes the asset’s condition is taking place For example borrowing costs incurred while land is under development are capitalised during the period in which activities related to the development are being undertaken However, borrowing costs incurred while land acquired for building purposes is held without any associated development activity not qualify for capitalisation 0806 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS 3.4 Suspension of Capitalisation Capitalisation shall be suspended during extended periods in which active development is interrupted 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 Capitalisation shall cease when substantially all the activities necessary to prepare the qualifying asset for its intended use or sale are complete 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 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 An entity that had previously expensed all borrowing costs will be required to adopt this new policy from January 2009, or earlier is they so wish 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 costs included in its cost There is no requirement to go back and change the accounting policy for any qualifying assets that met the definition before the effective adoption date 0807 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS 3.7 Previous version of IAS 23 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 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: describe advantages and disadvantages to expensing and capitalising interest; calculate the amount of interest that should be capitalised under IAS 23; describe and identify qualifying assets as defined in IAS 23 EXAMPLE SOLUTION Solution (a) Capitalisation rate 1,000,000 + 1,000,000 + 600,000 8,000,000 + 12,000,000 + 4,000,000 = 10.833% (b) Capitalisation rate 1,000,000 + 600,000 12,000,000 + 4,000,000 = 10% 0808 ... accounting policy for any qualifying assets that met the definition before the effective adoption date 08 07 SESSION 08 – IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS 3 .7 Previous version of IAS 23 In March 20 07 the IASB... 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 year loan is an... matching of cost (interest) to benefit (use of asset) Comparability Benefit 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