Acquisition Costs (AASB1023_07-04_COMPmay19_01-20)

Acquisition costs incurred in obtaining and recording general insurance contracts shall be deferred and recognised as assets where they can be reliably measured and where it is probable that they will give rise to premium revenue that will be recognised in the statement of comprehensive income in subsequent reporting periods. Deferred acquisition costs shall be amortised systematically in accordance with the expected pattern of the incidence of risk under the related general insurance contracts.

Acquisition costs are incurred in obtaining and recording general insurance contracts. They include commission or brokerage paid to agents or brokers for obtaining business for the insurer, selling and underwriting costs such as advertising and risk assessment, the administrative costs of recording policy information and premium collection costs.

Because such costs are usually incurred at acquisition whilst the pattern of earnings occurs throughout the contract periods, which may extend beyond the end of the reporting period, those acquisition costs which lead to obtaining future benefits for the insurer are recognised as assets.

For an asset to be recognised, it will be probable that the future economic benefits will eventuate, and that it possesses a cost or other value that can be measured reliably. Direct acquisition costs such as commission or brokerage are readily measurable. However, it may be difficult to reliably measure indirect costs that give rise to premium revenue, such as administration costs, because it is difficult to associate them with particular insurance contracts.