April 2024: Improving reporting about acquisitions
Apr 4, 2024
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Craig Smith from the IASB technical staff joins to discuss improving reporting about acquisitions. Topics include complexities of Goodwill accounting, criteria for identifying strategic business combinations, balancing preparer concerns with investor needs, and exploring proposals in exposure draft.
New disclosure requirements in IFRS3 focus on business combinations' performance and synergies.
Proposals aim to clarify goodwill allocation, reduce shielding, and enhance impairment test effectiveness.
Deep dives
Proposals for Business Combination Disclosure and Impairment Test
The podcast episode delves into the exposure draft by the iSpee, discussing proposals for business combination disclosure and the impairment test. One key proposal involves adding new disclosure requirements in iFRS3, focusing on performance of business combinations and quantitative details about synergies. Additionally, changes in IS-36 aim to clarify goodwill allocation and enhance timeliness without sacrificing effectiveness.
Balance Between Investor Needs and Preparer Concerns
The episode highlights the balancing act between investor needs and preparer concerns regarding the disclosure of sensitive information in financial statements. The ISB's proposal aims to address this by exempting specific sensitive information disclosures and reducing the burden on preparers while providing essential information for investors.
Challenges Addressed in Impairment Test
The podcast explores the challenges in the impairment test, particularly focusing on management over-optimism and the concept of shielding. The ISB's proposals aim to enhance disclosure of key assumptions in the impairment test to allow investors to assess reasonableness better. Efforts to reduce shielding and clarify goodwill allocation demonstrate an attempt to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the test.
In this special edition, Laura is joined by Craig Smith from the IASB technical staff, for an overview of the IASB's latest consultation on proposals aimed at improving reporting about acquisitions.
Exposure Draft Business Combinations—Disclosures, Goodwill and Impairment (open for comment until 15 July 2024)